Established 1924 Head of school Veronica McCaffrey Grades PreK–8 as of 2014 Phone +1 303-399-0390 Number of students 700 | School district Independent Faculty 101 Average class size 18-19 students Mascot Eagle | |
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Address 55 Clermont St, Denver, CO 80220, USA Motto "Ascende Omnem Montem" or "Climb Every Mountain" Similar Kent Denver School, Denver Jewish Day School, Beacon Country Day School, Montessori School of Denver, The Denver Waldorf S Profiles | ||
Graland Country Day School, or simply "Graland", is an independent, co-educational day school in Denver, Colorado for grades Pre-K through 8 (as of 2014).
Contents
History
Graland was started by parents and teachers in 1924, and moved three times in three years to accommodate the growing number of children. The last move, in 1928, was to a location east of Denver just beyond a dusty country lane known today as Colorado Boulevard.
The land upon which it is built was donated by Denver philanthropist Mary Dean Reed. The 7-acre (28,000 m2) tract was turned over to her friends and Graland founders, Dr. James J. and Ruth Porter Waring. Parent and noted architect Jacques Benedict designed the original French provincial style school building.
Miss Georgia Nelson became the school’s headmistress, and remained so for several decades. Her name graces the main building on campus.
Mission
From its earliest days, Graland’s approach to teaching has been influenced by the philosophy of educator John Dewey, who believed in “progressive education”, and an educational system adapted to the needs of children. Graland’s focus is on the whole child, and on development of a well-integrated, socially conscious individual who excels academically. The stated mission is: To achieve intellectual excellence, build strong character, enrich learning through the arts and athletics, and prepare our students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders.
Location
In 2013, the campus was issued a new physical address by the City of Denver. While the location didn't change, the address was changed to 55 Clermont Street, Denver CO 80220. (The previous mailing address was 30 Birch Street, Denver CO 80220—now an obsolete address). Graland is in the Denver neighborhood of Hilltop, four miles (6 km) southeast of downtown Denver and ten miles (16 km) north of the Denver Tech Center.
Seven-acre campus of nine buildings; including a full-service dining hall, kitchen and servery; 32,000-square-foot fieldhouse; performing arts theater; three science labs, three art studios, four music rooms, three drama rooms; library with 32,000 volumes and 50 periodical subscriptions. The newest building on campus opened in October 2016 to house the library/learning commons, digital media studio, science classrooms, invention lab and offices.
Notable alumni
James Sudler '34 - Denver Architect