Mission & Profile    Essential Values    Our Staff
	Teachers go by their first names. We believe that students learn best in a creative and personalized environment that encourages expression and interaction. Core classes are capped at 10-12 students. Within these intimate classroom communities, students and teachers develop genuine relationships that form the basis of the learning experience. We recognize that each student brings a unique array of strengths, challenges, interests and skills to their learning experience. We challenge them, give them the help they need and the space to develop as individuals. Latin is required. Our curriculum and instructional programs provide a rigorous course of study that is designed to prepare students for college success. In addition to a solid foundation in core academics, we develop our students' personal learning and organizational systems, their test-taking skills for the SAT, and we provide them with support in the college application process. All students are taught one year of Latin and ancient Roman culture since it is the basis for many modern cultural constructs. Seniors create an individual “senior project” that demonstrates their accumulated academic skills and interests through the production of a significant project of their own design. The school bell rocks. The fine and performing arts shape the experience at the school for our students. Our emphasis on the arts is evident in the design of the school atmosphere – student artwork blankets the walls of the building and the school bell is music selected by students and staff each day. We offer an extensive and impressive list of course offerings in the arts from Printmaking to Theatre, Jewelry- Making to Graphic Design, Glass Mosaic to Music Performance. You don't have to be an artist to be a Griffin School student, but come ready to embrace your own creativity by expressing yourself in whatever medium works for you. Yes, we do hippie games. We emphasize community development, and engage all students in school governance, whole school activities, and service both to the school community and to the larger community of Austin. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive school community. The Griffin School is fully accredited by the Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools under the auspices of the Texas Education Agency. School accreditation assures that our curriculum, staffing, instructional program, and school resources meet or exceed high standards of excellence and integrity as assessed by a state-wide board of experienced educators and school administrators.
copyright© 2009 by The Griffin School    { design by susie roselle, photography by bonnie berry }