George Grant Mason School is Tuxedo Union Free School District's elementary/middle school, serving students kindergarten through grade eight. Often affectionately abbreviated GGM, our school has the fine reputation of being one of the best schools in our area. Its personal touch is designed to complement the strengths and needs of each student.

An addition was built on The George Grant Mason School during the 2000-2001 school year. Now, visitors to the school enter through a skylight lit atrium. A new science lab containing 28 workstations and a 12-workstation computer lab were added, along with an art room, library media center, elevator and cafetorium. The Student Resource Center was redesigned and the building is now handicapped accessible.

Staffing: The complete staff of GGM includes: the principal, secretary, classroom teachers, guidance counselors, psychologist, speech and language teacher, special education teachers, math and reading teachers, foreign language teachers, choral and instrumental music teachers, art teacher, librarian, physical education teacher, and teacher aides.

Program: The GGM elementary/middle school academic program supports a rigorous curriculum designed for students to succeed in the New York State standards and assessments. Integrated science, health, geography and social studies programs, stressing higher level thinking skills, decision-making, team building, and creative problem solving skills round out our programs.

Activities: Music and the Arts have a high priority in our school. GGM has a chorus for students in grades four through six and a chorus for students in grades seven and eight. Students may begin taking instrumental lessons in fourth grade. There is a beginning band comprised mainly of fourth graders and a fifth through eighth grade band. Our students participating in our band and chorus groups perform many times throughout the school year. We are very proud of their achievements. Our students have been honored to compete at the All-County Band and Chorus Festival and have received the rating of Excellence at Music Competitions in New York City and Boston.

Students in grades three through eight have an opportunity to participate in plays and musicals. The Baker High School fall drama production and the spring musical is open to our seventh and eighth graders. The George Grant Mason School musical production is open to third through eighth graders. Traditionally, our musical production is in June.

The visual arts are also a strong component of our school curriculum. It is said that our school hallways have the feel of an art gallery. It is our goal to have each student's art work, framed and on display in our hallways at least once during their time at here at GGM. Artwork is also displayed at the town library, the local deli and educational sites in the county.

Odyssey of the Mind is a national competition to challenge our creative, high achievers. The club meets after school. There are many other after school clubs that help give our students a chance to further develop their interests and develop leadership skills. Presently, our after school clubs include: Art Club, GGM Yearbook Club, Student Council, Junior Honor Society, Junior Jazz Singers, Jazz Ensemble, Practice Club (instrumental), Problem Solving Club, and Reading Club.

Other learning opportunities for our students include numerous field trips to plays, musicals, planetariums, museums, government offices, botanical gardens, animal farms, zoos, and many local exhibits.

Modified Sports: The following sports are offered to seventh and eighth graders; volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball and baseball. The students practice after school from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and compete with other schools both at home and away. All students who want to participate and comply with the school rules are allowed and encouraged to be part of the program.

Character Education: Developing students with good values and good judgment is an important part of a student's life here at GGM. Please visit the Character Education, Skillstreaming, Bullyproof, guidance and the Resource Lending Library links for specific details about all of these important programs.

Teacher/Parent/Community Involvement: Teacher involvement is part of every facet in our school. The teachers are committed to working with our students, parents, and community members to provide an outstanding education for our young people. The District has completed a Comprehensive District Educational Plan designed by a team of teachers, administrators, board members and parents. The team continues to meet on a regular basis to assess our District's goals and objectives. Our Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is a vital component to our school. The Thanksgiving program, Senior Citizens' Day and Career Day are among a few of the programs supported by our PTA.