 | History, Mission & Philosophy
| A Storied History and a Tradition of Innovation
For 75 years, Beauvoir’s beautiful view of learning has provided young students with a dynamic foundation on which to build the rest of their lives. Beauvoir blends a unique history and tradition with constant innovation, creating an environment that respects and challenges young children.
Beauvoir was founded in 1933, as a co-educational primary school for students that would move onto one of the Cathedral Schools (St. Alban’s or the National Cathedral School). In 1939, Beauvoir was established as a “separate and independent school in the Cathedral system” by the Cathedral Chapter. Beauvoir’s Head – Elizabeth Glascock Taylor – and her faculty were motivated to do more than just instruct in memorization and recitation. Their mission was to make children’s education exciting so that their students would be inspired to learn. Mrs. Taylor’s goal for her students was that they might “learn the joy of work well done.”
Some of Mrs. Taylor’s influence is still felt by Beauvoir Students today: hands-on; active experience with their subjects; movement in the classroom; the encouragement of classroom discussion; recognition of different learning styles among children; work balanced individually and in groups; an emphasis on developing community values and individual character; the concept of resources in art studios; science labs; gardens; gymnasiums and performing spaces as places of learning and at the heart of it all--the continuing emphasis on joy as the basis of many educational innovations developed at Beauvoir and as a central tenet of its mission to this day.
Setting trends in early childhood education is nothing new to Beauvoir. Over the past 70 years, Beauvoir was one of the first elementary schools to introduce a reading readiness and math program for pre-school children. The school created a “World Mindedness” program to teach children about establishing a worldview emphasizing respect for differences with others. In the 1950’s, Beauvoir was the first school affiliated with the Cathedral to racially integrate. Finally, Beauvoir has consistently placed a strong emphasis on the importance of faculty professional development, integrating brain research into classroom teaching and prioritizing character education.
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| | | Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School, founded in 1933, is a primary school dedicated to educating a diverse student body in a caring and creative environment. Our program is designed to nurture the spiritual, ethical, intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development of our children. We seek to foster a spirit of inquiry and a joy in learning. |
We Believe…
An independent, co-ed school for children from pre-kindergarten through third grade, Beauvoir operates under the aegis of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, and focuses all of its resources on early childhood education.
We believe that a child’s early school years are vital to building strong conceptual skills and attitudes that drive future academic achievement and social development.
We believe that children have different learning styles and so we seek to develop the unique potential of each child. We believe this developmental approach enables children to build self-reliance, and acquire skills to think and work creatively.
We believe in the Beauvoir Life Rules --- respect, responsibility, honesty and kindness --- and we emphasize character development in the classroom and throughout the school community.
We believe in diversity. We actively seek qualified children of varied economic, religious, cultural and racial backgrounds. And we believe our children benefit from a curriculum that helps them to understand their place in our increasingly multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-racial society.
We believe that providing the best education depends on attracting, supporting and retaining the best teachers --- a faculty that drives our commitment to excellence in early childhood education. |
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