EDUCATION
Academic Matters
The Grove School helps students develop natural talents
Students at The Grove School learn in small groups through creative enrichment projects that complement their academic work..
Bham Family July 2020 11
BY JEANA DURST
Set in a cozy home-like environment, The
Grove School in Leeds was founded in 2019 by
Steve and Mandy Fox with the help of many
friends and family, such as Carol McLaughlin who
also teaches at The Grove. The dream came from
their purpose and passion that God ordained for
them. They believe many students go to school
they can be used by God to make a difference in
their community and world. The Grove School
They also seek to help students know God so that
they can grow in their relationship with Him.
The Grove School accommodates students in
kindergarten through eighth grade, with future
plans to expand to high school grade levels at a
later date. Class sizes are small with 10 students
with two who are runners up for Alabama
Teacher of the Year. These three teachers have
about 90 years combined years of experience in
all grade levels and subject areas.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
The Grove School seeks to educate students
in a way that continues their academic progress.
Many students who are ahead have to wait on
their peers to catch up with them before they
can actually begin to learn. The Grove teaches
students at their individual academic level
of readiness, no matter their grade level. For
demonstrates mastery of all the standards of
instructional level of seventh grade math. The
goal is to have them continue learning, to love
learning, and to be continually challenged.
ACADEMIC APPLICATIONS
The Grove encourages students to focus on
their strengths and connect with professionals who
ways to learn more about their interests interests
so that they can learn from professionals who are
how to use that gift or talent to make the world a
better place,” says founder Mandy Fox.
This year The Grove had a seventh grader with
a passion for coding and engineering who met
with a professional coder to learn Python coding.
He also studied with a professional engineer
of more than 40 years to learn which type of
engineering he liked the most.
for magic learned from a professional magician
and was taught how to design his own magic
show. He then presented this show for the school,
was videoed, and then sent that video to the
professional for feedback.
and the stock market was given $100,000 of pretend
money and the opportunity to invest it in the stock
two weeks. Mentored by a stock broker who talked to
him about the best strategies for investing in stocks,
of the curriculum allows for many experiences like
these.
For more information, visit learningatthegrove.com.
/learningatthegrove.com