Our motto: Strive to shine: as a student, as a friend!
The Peirce School encompasses a diverse school population: students come from the Peirce district, from other Arlington districts through open enrollment and our inclusion programs, and from the Boston city schools through the METCO program. While our class sizes are comparable to other Arlington schools, our total student population of approximately 290 students means that we are a close-knit community.
At Peirce, there are two classrooms per grade. At each grade level, one class is an inclusion classroom with two full-time teachers and a teaching assistant, and the other class has one full-time teacher and may have a teaching assistant depending on class size. This arrangement gives the teachers the flexibility to group the children differently depending upon the current activity, to help meet each child’s individual needs and learning style and help the children reach their fullest potential.
Our teachers and support staff use proven methodologies and a highly effective curriculum to help children grow academically, socially, and physically. We regularly participate in professional development in order to improve our skills and offer a better learning experience for the children.
Peirce School practices and encourages Peirce Pride: Perseverance, Effort, Integrity, Responsibility, Cooperation and Excellence. At monthly assemblies, different grades present stories based on these themes to reinforce the ideas behind Peirce Pride.
Our mission statement: The Peirce School provides a safe, nurturing and challenging school environment in which students strive for academic excellence. The faculty and staff, with the cooperation and support of parents, prepare students to be caring, responsible, and industrious citizens in a diverse, multicultural world.
History of the Peirce School
The original Peirce School was built in 1924 and demolished in 2001. The new building opened in January 2003. The school stands on land that once belonged to John A.P. Peirce, and was dedicated in 1924 in honor of Captain Solomon Peirce (1742-1821), although the official name is Peirce School. Captain Peirce was an ancestor of John A.P. Peirce and served at Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War. He is buried in the Old Burying Ground on Pleasant Street near Arlington Center.
The school’s name and the family’s name are often misspelled as Pierce; the incorrect spelling even appeared on one of the street signs for Peirce Street (which is several blocks away from the school) for several years!
Thanks to Richard A. Duffy for historical information.
