Dear Prospective Parents,

We are thrilled you want to be a part of our school community! This letter provides an overview of the school and our programs.

Sandpipers Nursery and School is one of the few private schools in Grenada that has passed the rigorous process of obtaining our permit to operate by the Grenada Ministry of Education. Our teachers’ qualifications have been certified by ministry and are authenticated by all institutions.

Sandpipers Mission Statement

Sandpiper’s mission is to be a highly regarded school where students and staff alike prioritize
joyful and engaged learning in a uniquely caring environment.

Sandpipers is a Teacher Led School

A Teacher Led School relies heavily on the implementation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). This is a community of teachers learning from teachers, while participating in collective learning, and collaboration. A PLC empowers teachers and gives them ownership. We are a school where learning is our priority.

Sandpipers’ teachers meet weekly with an International instructional coach to create lesson plans with a focus on learning goals, and essential questions. The PLC model gives Sandpipers’ teachers the capacity to work as team members with a focus on improved student learning and daily parent communication.

Meet the Director

Ms. Susanne Curry has been working in the education sector in the Caribbean for over 20 years. She has fostered an excellent relationship with the Grenadian Ministry of Education (MOE) and has been elected to serve as a representative on the Pre-Primary school division District 7 team. Ms. Curry has an excellent track record at establishing educational programs and external educational support programs including curriculum development, to serve both the International and Grenadian community. She holds her Master of Education degree (SGU), B.A. degree (Endicott College) and both her Montessori teaching Diplomas for teaching ages 3 to 12 years, grade 6. (MACTE).

Ms. Curry has a firm belief in the Montessori philosophy and her teaching philosophy is to make strong connections with everyone involved in the development of the school (teachers, children and parents) in order to create a sustainable learning community.

How we teach?

All programs provide the children with academic activities centered around concepts and ideas that are of high interest to young children. Activities are hands-on, play-based and provide opportunities for children to explore, manipulate and use materials in a variety of settings and environments. By using child-initiated experiences in learning centers, outdoors explorations, and gross motor play, children have many opportunities for learning and growth.

What programs do we offer?

Infants: Ages 6 weeks – 18 months – Our infant program offers peaceful, loving spaces where babies can explore and feel secure. Teachers speak in gentle tones; the daily pace is unhurried and the decor is homelike. Each child in our care is an individual to be nurtured with affection and respect. Our youngest learners need to feel safe and supported so they can learn with their whole body and all of their senses. At the Sandpipers infant and toddler program, teachers focus on developing supportive, trusting relationships with the children in their care. We create rich environments that encourage very young children to explore and discover the world around them, helping them to engage in experiences designed to support their optimal development in all domains.

Toddlers: Ages 18 – 36 months – Toddlers are busy bees! They learn best in safe, loving places where they can explore, in their own way. At this stage, children have developed an awareness of others. They are learning how to successfully interact with one another as they develop their social skills. It is a wonderful time when children begin to make connections as they learn to explore their environments in a more purposeful way. Concepts such as cooperation and community are introduced and children’s blossoming sense of independence is encouraged.

Preschool and Kindergarten: Ages 3 years to 5 years: Our Pre-School and Kindie program is based on the belief that children learn through movement. After 10 years teaching authentic Montessori in Grenada, Ms. Susanne noticed a need for a balanced learning approach. What is a balanced learning approach? Balanced learning is research-informed and combines the Montessori methodology with an enriching standards-aligned curriculum. We want to prepare our students for life no matter where they live. Sandpipers’ students are introduced to the
Montessori materials in a systematic way and then allowed to use workbooks and worksheets, from our standards-based curriculum to build on each skill in a traditional approach. Before you know it, you have a confident child who loves learning. And what could be more rewarding than that?
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School House Grade 1 and 2 : Ages 6- 8 years: Our newly established Grade 1 and 2 program offers your child an opportunity for academic growth through an expansive and enriching curriculum. Through observation, teachers outline individual plans for each child’s academic
development level. The curriculum used in grade 1 and 2 are research-based and aligned with international standards. These standards provide an outline as to which specific skills children should learn in each grade level. Our curriculums were created to provide educational opportunities for each student to master the standards in an engaging, differentiated environment. We are also very thankful to have a large international student population. We value representation and inclusiveness and incorporate students’ cultures and countries into our curriculum and learning experiences.

Hours of Operation

Sandpipers is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Our school program closes at 3:00 PM, with an option to join our after-care clubs from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

Parent Communication

We are committed to ongoing parent communication and as a result we have a very supportive family community. At Sandpipers, we use WhatsApp chat groups for each classroom. The chat is used for posting photos of the daily activities and any administrative reminders. Once you are registered you will be added on to this group.

The WhatsApp groups aligns with Sandpipers’ goal of maintaining a sense of community between home and school. We want you to be involved in your child’s day and be able to ask your child questions about their activities at school. Our current parents are loving the WhatsApp groups and enjoy knowing what their child is doing each day.

We’d like you to feel relaxed and “at home” so please don’t hesitate to voice your opinions, share successes or any concerns. My door is always open.