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Intimate class sizes and low student-teacher ratios are at the heart of joyful learning here at Palisades Episcopal School. Ours is a unique learning environment that fosters curiosity and creativity in your child. At PES, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We celebrate individual strengths and talents to help students find a lifelong love of learning and a path that amplifies their unique gifts.
PES is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). In addition, PES is a proud member of the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES).
Mona Lisa has become a familiar face in the PES art studio.
She’s part classroom mascot, part art history lesson, and even part of the daily routine. When students hear “Mona,” they know to answer “Lisa” and get ready to listen.
This week, students learned a little more about Leonardo da Vinci and the famous portrait, then got to imagine Mona Lisa in a completely different way: what might she look like if she were living today?
JK and Kindergarten students played with line and color. First Grade explored paper tearing, collage, and facial features. Second Grade worked on portrait drawing and created modern landscapes around her inspired by the world they know.
Lessons like this are part of what makes art at PES so loved by our students. They’re learning real techniques and art history, but they’re also given the freedom to be creative, experiment, and make the work their own.
Some of the biggest learning in Junior Kindergarten happens in the moments that simply look like play.
During centers, our students might be sorting letters, building with manipulatives, arranging flowers, stacking cups, or moving around the room. To them, it feels fun and hands-on. At the same time, they’re building so many of the skills that will support them throughout the year.
Through these everyday moments of joy, curiosity, and play, our JK students are strengthening little hands for writing, developing early literacy and number sense, solving problems, making choices, working with friends, and learning to keep trying when something doesn’t go quite right the first time.
It’s learning that feels natural at this age, full of movement, imagination, discovery, and plenty of joy along the way. And in JK at PES, those everyday moments are where so much confidence and growth begin.
