Chicago Grammar School

Our experience at Chicago Grammar School has been excellent. After a rough Kinder experience at a large school, we started looking for a smaller school for our son. He joined CGS at Grade 1. CGS’s close-knit environment did wonders for him. He came out of his shell, went from being overly shy and timid to a confident 2nd grader (soon to be 5th grader in Fall 2020). It has been so cool to see him grow and flourish and we are thankful to have found CGS, via word of mouth in our case. It is Chicago's hidden gem. Our favorite part of the school is how effectively they support students who need differentiated learning. The teachers are amazing when it comes to working with me whenever differentiation is needed. I love that all teachers (regardless of grade) are on the school app, so I can quickly find the teacher and send them a text via the app. Speaking of the app, I personally am a big fan of the school being app-based. The entire school is on the app - teachers, parents and admin – everyone is reachable. Homework, grades, one-on-one teacher/student/parent feedback, school announcements...all in one place. It has been the most productive way to communicate that I've seen to date. It brings a neighborhood feel to the school, which private, city-wide schools usually lack in my opinion. We visited 3 small-medium sized private schools, applied to 2, got accepted to both, but it was the visit portion to CGS that cemented the decision for us. If you’re looking for a warm and nurturing, but smaller elementary school environment for your child, CGS is a school a parent must visit before making a final decision because your child will be spending a very big portion of their life’s hours in this elementary school environment.

We moved our son to CGS from a well-regarded neighborhood school in CPS. He was not being engaged or challenged well enough by at his CPS school and we knew we needed to make a change or it would get harder to get back on track. CGS offered so much of what we were looking for: small class sizes, an integrated curriculum, language (Latin and later Spanish), art and physical education every day. We valued the way the curriculum moves from ancient civilizations to modern times, with the material being taught in history connecting to the art projects connecting to literature, and that it devoted quality time to non-Western history as well. We saw a marked increase in his engagement in school. We could tell that his teachers were intentional about understanding his learning style and drawing him out to be a more active participant in class. CGS offers great after-school programs (from arts to tech to sports) as well, and we appreciate the flexibility that the school offers on the occasions when we have needed after-school care at the last minute. We really love the fact that we know the teachers and many parents and students--regardless of grade--by name. What CGS offers is impressive--they aim to challenge their students and really commit to the model of a classical education. Best decision we could have made for our child, and we are so happy that we found CGS.

This school has been everything we've been looking for. Super supportive yet rigorous environment. The teachings are thorough, but yet create and foster an excitement for learning!

We have both of our little boys going to CGS and I cannot say enough good things about our school. CGS curriculum is very rich and its graduates are going into selective schools but CGS is not just about academics. They focus on the whole child including social emotional, performance arts (entire school gives a musical performance on a real theater stage twice a year with an all kids-run band!) and sports. School is very competitive too, kids participate in math, Latin, art competitions every year and achieve various awards. The teachers, with no exception, are wonderful, they are extremely caring, the interactions with the kids are meaningful and trust building. Most importantly, the teachers make learning fun for the children in many creative ways. They build on each child’s confidence, they focus on their strengths while they work in partnership with parents on their opportunities. Everyday your child comes home with a note that talks about a special good thing they have done that day! How many times have you heard that happen?! Teachers monitor each child’s development and they let parents know what has been done every day at school while making suggestions for dinner table conversations to reinforce daily learning. Kids have art class and PE every day, it’s amazing what little hands can produce (My older son, during his first year with CGS at second grade, finished a mosaic art piece of his own portrait!), not to mention the strength they get in their fine motor and gross motor skills with daily focus in these subjects. There is a lot of movement during the day which is what kids need. I am extremely happy with CGS and grateful that I learned about the school two years ago because it seems to be a hidden treasure in Chicago. If you are looking for a great school with great educators, I would recommend looking into CGS.

CGS is an extraordinary learning environment which will develop your child's intellect, creativity & character to their maximum potential. The students here are kind, brilliant and unique individuals who create a thriving synergy of development under the guidance of CGS' world-class faculty and administration.