Since 1889, Mission Grammar School has been dedicated to individual excellence in a faith-based community rooted in Gospel values. Today, under the leadership of President Aliece Dutson, Principal Elizabeth Looney and Pastor Fr. Joseph C. Tizio C.Ss.R, the community has instilled the values of the Redemptorists into the transformative Catholic, educational experience at Mission Grammar which will be preserved for future generations to come.

Mission Grammar School has always aligned itself with the mission of the Redemptorists and welcomed students and families who represent an economic spectrum, offering an outstanding, holistic Catholic education in one of Boston’s most historic urban environments.

Today, the school’s enrollment is growing at over 280 scholars and wait lists for infants, toddlers, Pre-K, K0 and K1. Our growth is attributed to our commitment to the academic experience of our scholars.

Mission Grammar has consistently been a pioneer in Catholic education with the commitment to educate the whole child, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Our dedication to enhancing our curriculum to best serve our students has led us to be honored nationally for our Catholic educational curriculum and innovation.

In 2019, we were presented with the National Innovation in Catholic Education Award at NCEA. This showcased that we are not only a leader in Catholic education in Boston, but in the country!

With a growing interest in our community, Mission Grammar knew there was a need for expansion of our unique model of urban, Catholic education. Over the last decade the school administration and advisory board has been garnering support from alumni, friends, board members, foundations, community partners, and legislatures.

As a community, Mission Grammar committed itself to enhance and cultivate the programs and facilities that have always made Mission Grammar School vital to the development of its scholars and a leader in Catholic education nationwide. This was done strategically with a purpose that the legacy of a Mission Grammar education, rooted in the Redemptorist spirituality, will live and continue to serve the Mission Hill and surrounding communities.

Due to the determination of the incredible community coupled with the generosity of so many that believed in the school’s vision, this dream is now realized.In December 2017, Mission Grammar cut the ribbon to part one of the master plan opening an infants and toddler center. The school leadership team knew the importance of cognitive development in the early years and has set out to be a champion in early childhood education. With this addition of an early childhood program, Mission Grammar enrolls scholars as early as 3 months and watches the scholars grow within our community through the 6th grade.

As our community continued to expand, we believed deeply that it was our responsibility to grow and evolve alongside it, strengthening what already was an inclusive, holistic and resource-rich learning environment. Now that the early childhood campus was beautified, it was important to upgrade the facilities at our elementary campus. And through a successful capital campaign, the funds were raised to make this a reality.

In summer 2019, the next stage of the master plan was completed to increase the number of classrooms on the St. Alphonsus campus. Two new classrooms were built to ensure our kindergarten program had an excellent learning environment as they were welcomed into the new school building.

And like all schools, this past spring Mission Grammar moved to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mission Grammar used this time as an opportunity. Throughout the spring and summer of 2020, the final construction and renovation was made to include six new classrooms and the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Laboratory. And with the continued COVID-19 global pandemic, these new facilities have brought much-needed joy for our Mission Grammar scholars when they returned to school in fall 2020.

Finally, and what has become the scholars’ favorite part of the new changes, we constructed a new playground on school grounds, providing scholars with a safe and welcoming environment in which to play, build confidence, grow friendships, gain independence, and take part in physical activity. And in December of 2020, we held a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand-new playground. It is impossible to overstate the importance of play in child development!

Alongside our growth, Fr. Joseph C. Tizio, C.Ss.R, our pastor, was honored with the National Catholic Education Association’s Lead, Learn, Proclaim Award at the start of 2021. Fr. Tizio has continued to ground us in the Redemptorist values with his humble leadership. He inspires us to innovate and seek justice in the most challenging of times. We are truly grateful for his guidance and commitment to our community.

As you can see, our school is a Partner in Mission with the Redemptorists that is thriving! Now as we near the end of the 2020 – 2021 school year, the Mission Grammar community is grateful that we not only have renovated our campus, but have ensured that our unity in diversity, excellence in education motto will continue on for future scholars in a renovated learning environment. And these scholars, like past generations, will have the opportunity to instill the Redemptorists values as they embody our mission to live the Gospel on the road to college.

By Emily Jachym, Director of Advancement and Communications

To learn more about Mission Grammar School (Roxbury, MA) visitwww.missiongrammar.org.

(Courtesy of Baltimore Beacon.)