Why Beauvoir?

Exclusive Focus on the Early Years
An Early Learning Center to Third Grade elementary school, Beauvoir focuses exclusively on the early childhood and early elementary years. All curricular goals, projects and community decisions, as well as the scale of the classrooms and Beauvoir Outdoors, are designed specifically for children under the age of ten. Beauvoir is French for "beautiful view" and we believe that the most effective education occurs when children are engaged, excited and motivated by a "beautiful view" of learning. For children to make the most of their education, they should be in an elementary school that values them, knows how to challenge and nurture them, and encourages their self-worth and sense of responsibility.

Beauvoir shares the Cathedral Close with National Cathedral School and St. Albans School (both grades 4-12). Students at the three schools of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation share in the rich life of the Washington National Cathedral community. The Cathedral’s mission as “a house of prayer for all people” informs Beauvoir’s view of life and learning that values differences, recognizes commonality, respects all faiths and cultures and appreciates the complexity of the world in which we live. 

The Life Rules
Beauvoir's social curriculum revolves around our Life Rules of kindness, respect, responsibility and honesty. The Life Rules are reinforced in daily class discussions and reflected in all-school community meetings, assemblies and chapel programs. Values are discussed with parents at workshops and actively shared through school-wide service projects, chapels and classroom activities.

Our Commitment to Equity and Belonging: Beauvoir is deeply committed to creating an equitable community for all that values and respects families, faculty and staff of all faiths (or none), family structures, sexual orientations, gender identities, and racial, ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. In order to sustain an equitable community for all, we understand the need to educate and support the learning of each of our community members. Beauvoir has a full-time Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion who continues to support our personal and professional development as well as our continued evaluation of our culture, policies and practices. We believe that a community that values and respects the multitude of human identities and experiences not only fosters empathy, but also strengthens our practices, encourages excellence, and creates a sense of belonging. 

The Beauvoir Community
Beauvoir's community extends beyond the classrooms. Parents are an essential part of the School and their active involvement helps maintain a climate of trust and openness. At Beauvoir, parents are present daily, walking children into class if they'd like, spending time in the library and volunteering. Beauvoir's community is comprised of students, teachers, parents, grandparents, alumni, administrators and staff who embody the School's mission by fostering a spirit of inquiry and a joy in learning.

Beauvoir Outdoors
Designed to meet the play and learning needs of children from infancy through the late elementary years, Beauvoir Outdoors opened in 2013. Beauvoir Outdoors supports our commitment to foster a spirit of inquiry and a joy in learning, in every space across the Cathedral Close. The School's outdoor space offers the best learning environment possible -- a place full of wonder, discovery and learning.