Founded on leadership, service, and peace formation, Great River fosters independence, critical thinking, respect, responsibility to self, to others, and to the earth. Serving 420 students in grades 1 to 12, Great River School celebrated its 10th year during the 2013-2014 academic year. With stability of faculty and student population, GRS has deepened its commitment to providing a Montessori education to all students. Students are grouped in five different levels, providing them with opportunities to learn leadership skills as they grow:- Lower Elementary(grades 1-3)- Upper Elementary(grades 4-6)- Adolescent 1 (grades 7 & 8)- Adolescent 2 (grades 9 & 10)- Adolescent 3 (grades 11 & 12)Our key experiences help define the GRS program. These experiences expose students in all levels to educational opportunities outside the classroom. Through travel and living in close proximity camping and cooking together, each level builds community while pursuing academic study. Each experience has its own unique focus but working together to create opportunities for growth and development appropriate to the age level. The time together strengthens the community to create a safe and cohesive environment for academic learning. Key experiences take place in the fall and spring of each year.We maintain the highest standards of academic excellence with an interdisciplinary, multi-cultural curriculum that fosters independence, critical thinking and an appreciation for diversity, respect and autonomy. GRS is authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School. The IB program is available to all 11th and 12th grade students. Preparation for this robust program begins in 1st grade through experiencing the Montessori curriculum.