Grymes Memorial School

5.00 5 1 (3 reviews)
13775 Spicers Mill Rd
Orange, VA 22960
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Tel: (540) 672-1010
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Grymes Memorial School Photo #2 - Grymes Memorial School has many traditions and one which is often mentioned by alumni of the school is the Partner Program. For many middle school students, too much time is spent in solitude with electronic devices. Grymes students spend time interacting socially with their peers and with their younger “partners”. The “Partner Program”, once known as “Bigs and Littles”, begins each year in the second or third week of school and the first “Partner Day” of the new school year was on Wednesday, September 29th. The older students sent clues to the younger students to help them guess their identity and a special lunch was planned for the unveiling of partners. Throughout the school year, partner classes meet for special activities, usually surrounding a holiday. All of the students in the school quickly learn about each other which contributes to the friendly atmosphere throughout the school. The older students know they are modeling good citizenship for their young admirers which is good incentive to behave responsibly and respectfully throughout the school day.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #3 - The Grymes Memorial School fifth grade class began the year with a social studies unit on early man. The class read Dar and the Spear-Thrower, a coming of age story set in the Stone Age, by Marjorie Cowley. The focus on this story helped the class to better understand that all people, ancient and modern, must face the task of providing food, shelter, and security for themselves and their communities. To accomplish this, one must depend upon local resources, the level of technology, and cultural traditions. Groups of people, young and old, must find ways to solve conflicts and use each other’s strengths to to improve the community, which is a concept mirrored in every day life at Grymes school. As a concluding exercise, the students brought in projects such as posters and dioramas depicting a scene from the book, a bark painting(design identifying the artist or clan) and an Atlatl, an ancient spear throwing weapon which uses leverage to achieve velocity and distance. The class also practiced the art of “cave painting” in art class and learned that this may have had religious or ceremonial purpose or may have been a way of communicating with others. The most common themes in the paintings are large wild animals such as bison, horses, and deer, which now adorn the hallway near the fifth grade.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #5 - The Grymes Memorial School boys’ soccer team composed of students in 5th-8th grades, opened the 2011-12 sports season on September 15th, defeating Lighthouse Academy, 6-5, on the Grizzlies’ home turf. This game got the team off to a solid start, building up a 2 and 1 record in their first three games. Colton Alexander, a 5th grader, led the scoring with three goals with Spencer Goodwin adding two more and another by Zachary Sisk. The team lost a hard game to the Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, 6-1, with Elijah Nelson breaking through the defense and scoring the lone tally on September 20. On September 22, Matthew Dixon scored an early goal on the home field against St. Anne's-Belfield, from Charlottesville, which proved to be enough to win an exciting game. Special recognition goes to the strong defensive play of Jared Thalwitz in the goal who made countless saves while being well protected by a stalwart line of defensive backs led by Nicholas Littlehales-Staton. The next game at Fork Union on Sept. 28 was played on a rain soaked field. It was a hard game and the FUMA team had a deep bench. Grymes Grizzlies played tough but with no subs due to injuries, lost 6-1 with Matthew Dixon scoring the lone goal for Grymes. On Oct. 4th, Grymes traveled to Charlottesville for a second meeting with St. Anne’ sBelfield. In response to the Grizzlies’ earlier victory on 9/22, STAB brought their stronger team and the Grizzlies were outclassed, losing 8-0. On Oct. 1, Grymes had a return contest with FUMA at home. Barely losing 2-1, it was a psychological victory for the Grymes boys. After a couple of early goals by FUMA, the Grizzlies shut them out for most of the game, scoring once on a beautiful shot by Wyatt Alexander. Numerous opportunities and pressure on their goalie throughout the second half, kept the FUMA team in their place. The Grymes team traveled to The Peabody School in Charlottesville on Tuesday, October 18th and came home with a 3-1 win. Coach Seyffer attributes the win to the efforts of the entire team. He commented that the team looked the best they have all year and “looks forward to the rest of the season”.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #6 - Grymes Memorial School students in the seventh and eighth grades enjoyed group travel to Italy with art teacher, LeeAnne Houston. The trip was planned a year in advance in conjunction with group travel consultants. Beginning with a two night stay in Venice, the students traveled through the waterways in Venice to Piazza San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, Murano, to tour a glass factory and explored the narrow streets, local shops, and sights from the many bridges. By tour bus the next day, the students traveled to Ravenna, the seat of the Byzantine Empire, en route to Florence. In Ravenna, the group visited the Tomba di Dante, the author of The Divine Comedy, the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia and the Basilica di San Vitale, to view amazing mosaics. Arriving in Florence late in the afternoon, the students enjoyed visiting the marketplace. The next day sights included the Duomo(some of us climbed the narrow stairway, 463 steps to the top!), the Baptistery, the Church of Santa Croce and the Ponte Vecchio. A main attraction of the trip was a visit to l’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David and then on to the Uffizi Gallery to view works of da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli. The next night, the students attended a cooking class with a local chef and enjoyed preparing and eating a traditional three-course meal! After the meal, the group ventured to a nearby piazza for the 150 Year Celebration of the Unification of Italy. The parade and flag ceremony was an unexpected highlight. The next morning, students boarded the tour bus for their next destination –Rome. En route, they traveled to the beautiful Umbria region to explore Assisi where they visited the Basilica of St. Francis and studied Giotto’s 28 frescoes that depict the saint’s life. Travels resumed to Rome to the Piazza di Spagna, in time for a late afternoon climb up the Spanish Steps and to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain. The excitement escalated over the next two days with a trip to the Vatican to see St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The last day in Italy was spent traveling to and touring Pompeii, a bustling Roman city frozen in time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Pompeii, an excavation site and outdoor museum of the ancient Roman settlement, is considered to be one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail - everything from jars and tables to paintings and people were frozen in time, yielding an opportunity to see how the people lived two thousand years ago. Grymes students were highly complimented by the tour guides, adult leaders from the partner schools as well their own leaders. The students were focused, inquisitive, and polite. They worked together as a group and were responsible for themselves and one another, demonstrating leadership skills throughout the trip. The 7th and 8th grade students will have the opportunity to travel to Peru in 2012 to enhance their knowledge of the Spanish culture and language.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #7 - Grymes Memorial School 8th grade class took their production of Twelfth Night to the annual Folger Shakespeare Festival in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, March 23rd, where they performed on a replica of an Elizabethan stage. The Folger Shakespeare Festival is an invitation only event held each year at the library. Grymes eighth graders, one of the few middle school groups invited to the festival, competed with public and private high schools in the Northern Virginia and DC area as well as students from The Queen Elizabeth School in England. Each year since 1994, Grymes students have been invited to participate. The Grymes students took several awards. The Swooning Sweetheart Award for a stellar comedic performance of the longing, lovesick Olivia was given to Daisy Collins.The Distinction in Acting Award was given to Leah Gardner for her bold interpretation of Malvolio. She was commended for her comedic and playful interpretation of the character and her powerful stage presence. She was so confident that she played with the audience using them to her full advantage. The Colorful Clowns Award was bestowed upon Grymes group for their bold comedic performance. They were nicknamed “the clowns in plaid”. Their energy was great, they played off one another with many quick exchanges, and they had fun on stage. The Folger Shakespeare Library, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and to major collections of other rare Renaissance books, manuscripts, and works of art. The Folger is a world-renowned research center on Shakespeare and on the early modern age in the West. Its well-known public programs include plays, concerts, literary readings, family activities, and exhibitions, as well as numerous K-12 and college programs for students and teachers.
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Grymes Memorial School Photo #1 - Grymes Memorial School students in the seventh and eighth grade English classes travel each year to Charlottesville in November to view artwork on display for the annual regional “Writers’ Eye” competition held at the University of Virginia Bayly Art Museum. The Writer’s Eye is an annual literary competition organized by the docents of the museum, now in its 24th year, and Grymes students have participated in this competition since 1996. During their visit, Grymes students selected works of art designated to spark the imaginations of inspiring young writers and began working on their pieces at the museum. After two weeks of perfecting their work, the students submitted entries along with approximately 1200 other students from contestants in regional public and private schools in four categories: grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and university/adult. Judges for grades 3-8 entries are writers, English teachers form local schools and University of Virginia faculty and staff. This year, a Grymes seventh grade student was awarded Honorable Mention in the middle school prose category. Dana Bost, Grymes middle school English instructor received Honorable Mention in the adult poetry category. Under the instruction of Dana Bost, Grymes Memorial School has received a total of 33 recognitions in the Writer’s Eye Competition since 1996.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #2 - Grymes Memorial School has many traditions and one which is often mentioned by alumni of the school is the Partner Program. For many middle school students, too much time is spent in solitude with electronic devices. Grymes students spend time interacting socially with their peers and with their younger “partners”. The “Partner Program”, once known as “Bigs and Littles”, begins each year in the second or third week of school and the first “Partner Day” of the new school year was on Wednesday, September 29th. The older students sent clues to the younger students to help them guess their identity and a special lunch was planned for the unveiling of partners. Throughout the school year, partner classes meet for special activities, usually surrounding a holiday. All of the students in the school quickly learn about each other which contributes to the friendly atmosphere throughout the school. The older students know they are modeling good citizenship for their young admirers which is good incentive to behave responsibly and respectfully throughout the school day.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #3 - The Grymes Memorial School fifth grade class began the year with a social studies unit on early man. The class read Dar and the Spear-Thrower, a coming of age story set in the Stone Age, by Marjorie Cowley. The focus on this story helped the class to better understand that all people, ancient and modern, must face the task of providing food, shelter, and security for themselves and their communities. To accomplish this, one must depend upon local resources, the level of technology, and cultural traditions. Groups of people, young and old, must find ways to solve conflicts and use each other’s strengths to to improve the community, which is a concept mirrored in every day life at Grymes school. As a concluding exercise, the students brought in projects such as posters and dioramas depicting a scene from the book, a bark painting(design identifying the artist or clan) and an Atlatl, an ancient spear throwing weapon which uses leverage to achieve velocity and distance. The class also practiced the art of “cave painting” in art class and learned that this may have had religious or ceremonial purpose or may have been a way of communicating with others. The most common themes in the paintings are large wild animals such as bison, horses, and deer, which now adorn the hallway near the fifth grade.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #4 - Grymes Memorial School families enjoyed the Annual Fall Family Picnic on Sunday, September 18th. New families and returning families enjoyed perfect fall weather, fried chicken and pot luck sides and deserts. The playground was full of activity -children enjoying a time of socializing with their friends. Face painting was a highlight. Congratulation goes to a 6th grader for the closest guess on the number candy corns in the jar!
Grymes Memorial School Photo #5 - The Grymes Memorial School boys’ soccer team composed of students in 5th-8th grades, opened the 2011-12 sports season on September 15th, defeating Lighthouse Academy, 6-5, on the Grizzlies’ home turf. This game got the team off to a solid start, building up a 2 and 1 record in their first three games. Colton Alexander, a 5th grader, led the scoring with three goals with Spencer Goodwin adding two more and another by Zachary Sisk. The team lost a hard game to the Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, 6-1, with Elijah Nelson breaking through the defense and scoring the lone tally on September 20. On September 22, Matthew Dixon scored an early goal on the home field against St. Anne's-Belfield, from Charlottesville, which proved to be enough to win an exciting game. Special recognition goes to the strong defensive play of Jared Thalwitz in the goal who made countless saves while being well protected by a stalwart line of defensive backs led by Nicholas Littlehales-Staton. The next game at Fork Union on Sept. 28 was played on a rain soaked field. It was a hard game and the FUMA team had a deep bench. Grymes Grizzlies played tough but with no subs due to injuries, lost 6-1 with Matthew Dixon scoring the lone goal for Grymes. On Oct. 4th, Grymes traveled to Charlottesville for a second meeting with St. Anne’ sBelfield. In response to the Grizzlies’ earlier victory on 9/22, STAB brought their stronger team and the Grizzlies were outclassed, losing 8-0. On Oct. 1, Grymes had a return contest with FUMA at home. Barely losing 2-1, it was a psychological victory for the Grymes boys. After a couple of early goals by FUMA, the Grizzlies shut them out for most of the game, scoring once on a beautiful shot by Wyatt Alexander. Numerous opportunities and pressure on their goalie throughout the second half, kept the FUMA team in their place. The Grymes team traveled to The Peabody School in Charlottesville on Tuesday, October 18th and came home with a 3-1 win. Coach Seyffer attributes the win to the efforts of the entire team. He commented that the team looked the best they have all year and “looks forward to the rest of the season”.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #6 - Grymes Memorial School students in the seventh and eighth grades enjoyed group travel to Italy with art teacher, LeeAnne Houston. The trip was planned a year in advance in conjunction with group travel consultants. Beginning with a two night stay in Venice, the students traveled through the waterways in Venice to Piazza San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, Murano, to tour a glass factory and explored the narrow streets, local shops, and sights from the many bridges. By tour bus the next day, the students traveled to Ravenna, the seat of the Byzantine Empire, en route to Florence. In Ravenna, the group visited the Tomba di Dante, the author of The Divine Comedy, the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia and the Basilica di San Vitale, to view amazing mosaics. Arriving in Florence late in the afternoon, the students enjoyed visiting the marketplace. The next day sights included the Duomo(some of us climbed the narrow stairway, 463 steps to the top!), the Baptistery, the Church of Santa Croce and the Ponte Vecchio. A main attraction of the trip was a visit to l’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David and then on to the Uffizi Gallery to view works of da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli. The next night, the students attended a cooking class with a local chef and enjoyed preparing and eating a traditional three-course meal! After the meal, the group ventured to a nearby piazza for the 150 Year Celebration of the Unification of Italy. The parade and flag ceremony was an unexpected highlight. The next morning, students boarded the tour bus for their next destination –Rome. En route, they traveled to the beautiful Umbria region to explore Assisi where they visited the Basilica of St. Francis and studied Giotto’s 28 frescoes that depict the saint’s life. Travels resumed to Rome to the Piazza di Spagna, in time for a late afternoon climb up the Spanish Steps and to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain. The excitement escalated over the next two days with a trip to the Vatican to see St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The last day in Italy was spent traveling to and touring Pompeii, a bustling Roman city frozen in time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Pompeii, an excavation site and outdoor museum of the ancient Roman settlement, is considered to be one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail - everything from jars and tables to paintings and people were frozen in time, yielding an opportunity to see how the people lived two thousand years ago. Grymes students were highly complimented by the tour guides, adult leaders from the partner schools as well their own leaders. The students were focused, inquisitive, and polite. They worked together as a group and were responsible for themselves and one another, demonstrating leadership skills throughout the trip. The 7th and 8th grade students will have the opportunity to travel to Peru in 2012 to enhance their knowledge of the Spanish culture and language.
Grymes Memorial School Photo #7 - Grymes Memorial School 8th grade class took their production of Twelfth Night to the annual Folger Shakespeare Festival in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, March 23rd, where they performed on a replica of an Elizabethan stage. The Folger Shakespeare Festival is an invitation only event held each year at the library. Grymes eighth graders, one of the few middle school groups invited to the festival, competed with public and private high schools in the Northern Virginia and DC area as well as students from The Queen Elizabeth School in England. Each year since 1994, Grymes students have been invited to participate. The Grymes students took several awards. The Swooning Sweetheart Award for a stellar comedic performance of the longing, lovesick Olivia was given to Daisy Collins.The Distinction in Acting Award was given to Leah Gardner for her bold interpretation of Malvolio. She was commended for her comedic and playful interpretation of the character and her powerful stage presence. She was so confident that she played with the audience using them to her full advantage. The Colorful Clowns Award was bestowed upon Grymes group for their bold comedic performance. They were nicknamed “the clowns in plaid”. Their energy was great, they played off one another with many quick exchanges, and they had fun on stage. The Folger Shakespeare Library, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and to major collections of other rare Renaissance books, manuscripts, and works of art. The Folger is a world-renowned research center on Shakespeare and on the early modern age in the West. Its well-known public programs include plays, concerts, literary readings, family activities, and exhibitions, as well as numerous K-12 and college programs for students and teachers.
Grymes Memorial School, a co-educational day school founded in 1947, instills in students an enthusiasm for learning.
The school provides a strong academic foundation and encourages thinking that is creative, reasoned, and analytical.
The social, physical, and artistic growth of each student is emphasized in an atmosphere of respect, fairness, and honesty.
The school community supports the development of essential skills in small classes that provide a safe environment for students to take risks and have pride in their accomplishments.
Quick Stats (2021)
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-8
  • Students: 150 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $15,300
  • Average class size: 11 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling

Top Placements

Grymes Memorial School places among the top 20% of private schools in Virginia for:

School Overview

School Membership(s)School Assoc.National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
State or regional independent school association
Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS)
Religious AffiliationNonsectarian
Grades OfferedGrades Prekindergarten-8
Year Founded1947

Student Body

Total Students150 students
Student Body TypeCo-ed
% Students of Color
12%
State avg.: 26%
Students by Grade Grymes Memorial School Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers21 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio7:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
30%
Average Class Size11 students
Classroom Dress CodeCasual
(Dress for success: collared shirts, no jeans in grades 5-8 except on Fridays; no dresses grades 5-8; )

Finances and Admission

Admission DeadlineNone / Rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost$15,300
View national tuition avg.
Tuition NotesFinancial Aid is available for students in grades K-8. Bus transportation included in tuition for Earlysville, Ruckersville, Keswick, Madison, Culpeper, Greene, Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg.
% on Financial Aid
52%
Average Financial Aid Grant$4,000
Admissions DirectorAngie Olds

Sports

Total Sports Offered8 sports
SportsBasketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Mountain Biking, Soccer, Squash, TennisBasketball, Cross Country,
Field Hockey, Lacrosse,
Mountain Biking, Soccer,
Squash, Tennis,

Extracurriculars

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.11 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.Drama, Field trips to Washington DC, Garden Club, international travel, Overnight field trips, Richmond and other area attractions, Robotics, Student Leadership Council, UVA Writer's Eye Competition. Folgers Shakepeare Festival Participants

Club or Organization:
Engineering Club, STEM

School Notes

  • Small classes and challenging curriculum; Spanish for all grades; Art, Music, Library, Computer, Drama, PE Classes Daily; Middle School Athletics; Bus transport included in tuition for Earlysville, Ruckersville, Keswick, Madison, Culpeper, Greene, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, Louisa and Orange
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School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (3 reviews)
5  
Our son and daughter are doing wonderfully at Grymes. The education is excellent and is well balanced with art and play.
- Posted by
5  
Our son and daughter are doing wonderfully at Grymes. The education is excel and is well balance with the arts and play.
- Posted by
5  
We love this school for our son. He loves it and is doing so well there.
- Posted by

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Quick Stats (2021)
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-8
  • Students: 150 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $15,300
  • Average class size: 11 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling
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The average private school tuition in Virginia is $10,932 for elementary schools and $17,149 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
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