FOUNDATION FOR A LIFETIME
“We set high standards, and then we do everything we can
to help our students reach them.”
THE ESSENTIAL EARLY FOUNDATION Established in 1897, Calvert School is an independent, co-educational Lower and Middle School located in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood of Baltimore City, just north of Johns Hopkins University. As an internationally recognized leader in co-ed Kindergarten through Eighth Grade (K-8) education, we provide the essential early foundation that children need to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally. By concluding after Eighth Grade, we are able to focus our resources and apply our extensive expertise solely on elementary and middle school education. Our K-8 specialization makes Calvert uniquely qualified to educate girls and boys – from ages four through fourteen – during the most important developmental years of their lives. In addition to academic excellence and high standards, Calvert focuses on the whole child by teaching the values, principles, and life skills that prepare children to succeed in our increasingly complex world.
THE CALVERT MISSION Calvert School is dedicated to educating young girls and boys through our time-tested method of teaching and our rigorous curriculum. Particular emphasis is given to mastering essential skills, inspiring a lifelong love of learning, and instilling enthusiasm, responsibility, and self-discipline. We seek to develop students of high academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, and strong moral character within a supportive and diverse community.
A FOUNDATION OF
EXCELLENCE
EDUCATIONAL APPROACH At Calvert, we focus all of our attention and resources on early childhood and adolescence when children are not only growing intellectually, but also physically and emotionally. Lower school students learn from older middle school students, and middle school students are encouraged to be role models for younger children. No educational model better addresses the differing needs of young students by meeting children’s developmental needs in a safe and nurturing environment. Integral to a Calvert education is “learning how to learn.” We teach children to organize work, manage time, study for tests, work together in teams, and prepare and present projects. Our teachers help our students learn from their mistakes. By requiring children to correct their work, we encourage accountability, pride, and a sense of accomplishment which all lead to a greater sense of self-confidence.
“Calvert students not only want to learn, they know how to learn.”
PORTRAIT OF A CALVERT STUDENT Lifelong learner Well-rounded Excellent communicator Global citizen Confident Prepared Strong character Leader
CALVERT SCHOOL TRADITIONS Spirit days Castalia Project Class banners Class plays Folder Papers International Week Latin Luetkemeyer Planetarium shows Morning handshake Public speaking Reflections speech Track & Field Day
LOWER SCHOOL
A VIBRANT LEARNING COMMUNITY PERSONALIZED LEARNING IN A HAPPY, NURTURING PLACE.
Our Lower School educates students from Fifth through Tenth Ages. Our beautiful school building, with its many whimsical details, located within a lush, green campus, celebrates childhood and encourages creativity. A Calvert education stresses the skills of being a student. When we teach our Fifth Agers how to hang up their coats and backpacks or when we work with our Tenth Agers on the complex process of writing a research paper, we are teaching them organization and responsibility. Calvert Lower School teachers incrementally and explicitly teach our students essential academic skills needed to continue a lifetime of learning. We also recognize that not all children learn in exactly the same way. That is why our lower school instruction addresses the many different ways that children this age process information and learning. Developmentally based groups for reading and math meet students where they are and challenge them appropriately. Once a month, students in Seventh through Tenth Ages meet with the Head Master, Head of Lower School, or another school leader to review their work, discuss their progress, and set personal goals. This is a very early step in helping our students develop the self-advocacy skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. Calvert Lower School is a tight-knit learning community that focuses on educating the whole child. In addition to rigorous academics and high standards, we teach life skills including empathy, interpersonal skills, and respect for others that will help our young students succeed in an increasingly complex world.
CORE LOWER SCHOOL SUBJECTS French Geography History Mathematics
Mythology Reading Science Social Studies
Spanish Physical Education Writing Technology
“We teach the critical thinking, problem-solving, and organizational skills that develop lifelong learners.”
MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDING ON SUCCESS
CELEBRATING THE FORMATIVE YEARS Our Middle School educates students from Fifth through Eighth Grades, providing an exceptional education and preparing them for success in high school, college, and beyond. This is a critically important time in a child’s development. Cognitively, our students are making the transition from concrete to abstract thinking. They are using these years to cement the student skills that were so diligently and deliberately practiced in our Lower School. Socially and emotionally, our students are trying on different personas and moving between peer groups in an attempt to better define themselves. This growth is taking place inside an ever-changing physical self that can leave a Middle Schooler feeling unbalanced and insecure. Unlike K-12 schools where high school is the focus and pinnacle, Middle School at Calvert is celebrated. We recognize the importance of these years by surrounding our students with experts in middle school education who have created a program that addresses the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical changes that define this age. Our Middle Schoolers study history, biology, technology, algebra, foreign language, literature, and the arts. Latin is offered in Seventh and Eighth Grades as an extension of our modern language program. Our students are able to explore their interests with a wide range of extracurricular activities such as volunteering with community organizations, programing computers, engaging in our advisory program, performing in
musicals, and building robots. Every Calvert middle school child completes an annual cross-curricular research assignment and learns our in-house organization system as part of his or her study skills class. Public speaking and presentation skills culminate in the highly meaningful Eighth Grade Reflections speech, a Calvert tradition. When it comes time for Calvert students to apply to high school, they are exceptionally well prepared for what comes next, both academically and developmentally.
CORE MIDDLE SCHOOL SUBJECTS Algebra
English
Mathematics
Social Studies
Ancient History
French
Physical Education
Spanish
Biology
Geography
Physical Science
U.S. History
Earth Science
Latin
“Unlike K-12 schools with high school as the focus, we are experts on
the middle school years.”
CHARACTER IS BUILT HERE
Character development is an essential component of a Calvert education. We believe strong character is a determinant of success – not just in school, but also in life. We teach the values, principles, and life skills that develop strong character in our students – including honor, truthfulness, empathy, compassion, accountability, responsibility, and respect for others. The morning handshake, one of our most cherished traditions, is a perfect example of that development in action. This early morning ritual teaches children how to interact with the world around them while reminding them that they are known and loved at Calvert. We foster character in and outside of the classroom. Our Institute for Leadership & Purpose exposes Calvert students to a wide range of leadership activities through our community outreach programs and volunteer opportunities. Our partnerships with outside organizations introduce our students to diverse cultures beyond our doors.
“We instill character in our students by developing honorable, responsible, independent thinkers
ready to take on the world.”
THE CLASSROOM
AND BEYOND
THE ARTS From the very beginning, Calvert students are immersed in music, theater, art, dance, digital design, art history, and so much more. Our facilities include a beautiful auditorium, a Black Box theater, a dance studio, two well-equipped art studios, and even a 26-seat planetarium. Beginning in Sixth Age, our lower school students perform a class play for their friends and family. This long-standing Calvert tradition continues through the Tenth Age and each play is tied to the curriculum being studied. In the Middle School, our class plays give way to formal drama classes, a Seventh Grade play, and an annual Sixth through Eighth Grade musical. Our music and studio art programs are similar in their evolution through the ten-year Calvert journey. What begins as a focus on basic skills transforms into opportunities to create and perform within formal classes and through programs such as our art clubs, concert band, stage design crew, and several small and large singing groups. At Calvert, the arts inspire creativity, self-expression, and appreciation of the world around us. From the band to the chorus to the class play, all Calvert students are encouraged to participate and anyone who is interested is given a place.
STUDENT CLUBS Curricular and after-school clubs enhance and enrich our vibrant learning community. Clubs at Calvert usually meet once a week after school in the Lower School and during Flex Period in the Middle School. Clubs are constantly evolving based on student interest and demand. Popular lower school clubs include ballet, chess, computer programming, martial arts, and yoga, taught by outside professionals. Popular middle school clubs include a cappella, ceramics, diversity, money, robotics, Model U.N., and yearbook.
TEAMWORK IS BUILT HERE ATHLETICS Athletics at Calvert build character, good sportsmanship, and teamwork while inspiring a lifelong interest in healthy competition and physical fitness. All children are encouraged to try as many sports as possible. Even if they are not a “natural” athlete, every boy and girl at Calvert will always have a place on a team. In addition to our formal athletics program, Calvert students enjoy several recesses a day and are guided by a schedule that intentionally has our students up and moving. Lower school students have physical education several times per week and participate in intramural sports. Middle school students play on intramural teams in Fifth Grade and transition to interscholastic teams in Sixth through Eighth Grades. Well over 90% of our students don the black and gold to represent Calvert. Known as the Mighty Bees, our middle school teams successfully compete with local schools in a variety of sports. Each year, we send a squash team to Yale University for the Middle School Nationals, a title Calvert has now won twice.
FALL
WINTER
SPRING
INTRAMURAL
Cross Country
Boys Basketball
Baseball
Basketball
Field Hockey
Girls Basketball
Boys Lacrosse
Flag Football
Football
Ice Hockey
Girls Lacrosse
Soccer
Boys Soccer
Squash
Tennis
Squash
Track & Field
Gym Games
Girls Soccer Volleyball
THE INSTITUTE FOR
LEADERSHIP & PURPOSE
The Institute for Leadership & Purpose at Calvert School recognizes that each community member is capable of leadership. We believe a culture of leadership fosters an environment of self-discovery, compassion, and ethical decision-making that inspires a sense of purpose. By emphasizing the quality of leadership and de-emphasizing the individual leader, we maintain that leadership can be learned through purposeful modeling by all members of a community. The Institute seeks to develop confident, responsible, globally aware, and independent thinkers who are empowered to share their voices. The Institute for Leadership & Purpose seeks to enhance curriculum throughout the Calvert student experience from our youngest students in Fifth Age to our oldest students in Eighth Grade. In each grade, our program seeks to connect meaningfully with academic classes while offering experiential elements that build community and connect to the greater world.
With this in mind, the Institute prioritizes the following topics: Identity Discovering the beauty in self and others Community Identifying active citizenship Empathy Placing oneself in another’s shoes Exploration Seeking meaningful, first-hand experiences to grow Impact Recognizing community needs and taking action to benefit/serve others
NUTURING AND SUPPORTIVE FACULTY Calvert is a warm and compassionate place made stronger by the quality, training, and experience of our highly talented faculty and staff. Our teachers, administrators, and staff all care deeply and are dedicated to the well-being of every single student. We know the impact that a great teacher can have on the life of a child. That impact is why we invest in the professional development of all of our teachers and staff. We financially support faculty to pursue advanced degrees, to attend conferences, and to travel abroad to further their learning. Every summer, we send teachers around the globe to programs in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as the United States. They then bring their experiences back to the classroom, enriching and benefiting all.
15 AVERAGE YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE
76 24 FACULTY MEMBERS
COUNTRIES VISITED FOR FACULTY TRAINING
7:1
8:1
LOWER SCHOOL STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO
“Calvert teachers genuinely love my child.”
“All of my most important learning
happened at Calvert!”
ANYTHING
IS POSSIBLE BEYOND CALVERT Calvert graduates attend magnet schools, day schools, and boarding schools, before going on to some of the best colleges and universities in the country. Our upper school placement team offers guidance and help to our students and their families by searching for the best high school fit and providing parent education and application assistance. Our placement process begins in the Seventh Grade when parents are invited to attend a workshop and to meet with the Upper School Placement Coordinator. In the Eighth Grade, our students prepare for school visits by creating a resume and conducting “mock” interviews. The process continues throughout the fall and winter so that students are fully equipped to make their final decisions in the spring. Our students are empowered to find the best fit to match their needs and interests which leads to an optimal upper school experience.
IN THE PAST YEAR, CALVERT STUDENTS Won 152 national foreign language exam awards. Received 36 high school merit scholarships. Received 162 high school acceptances. Volunteered over 5,000 hours to global, national, and local causes.
WHAT CALVERT STANDS FOR:
FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. We believe character development is an essential part of a complete education. 2. We challenge students to think critically and creatively while developing vital problem-solving and decision-making skills. 3. We believe our students are global citizens, and we welcome diverse cultures and perspectives. 4. We instill self-confidence by setting high standards and helping each student achieve his or her unique potential. 5. We honor the traditions of our past, while embracing today’s best practices.
We invite you to experience Calvert School for yourself.
www.calvertschoolmd.org 105 Tuscany Road • Baltimore, MD 21210