Calvert School is a co-educational independent school that specializes in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade (K-8) education, which means that we devote every precious moment and resource to guiding children through the most important developmental years of their lives.
For more than 125 years, we have made it our mission to help students build the strong educational foundation that will last a lifetime, instilling them with the confidence, character, and independence that empower children to pursue excellence throughout their lives.
When I was young, Calvert School taught me to value the pursuit of excellence, and that is a very important lesson to learn as a child.
Not only did Calvert teach me how to achieve success; it taught me to appreciate every step of the process.
Calvert Alumnus, Class of 1991
WHO WE ARE
Calvert School inspires each child to lead a life of purpose by providing a strong foundation in academic skills and character development.
Students learn and grow in a joyful and nurturing community that cultivates intellectual curiosity, confidence, and a deep appreciation for learning.
Thanks to Calvert, my classmates and I feel confident speaking in front of crowds, advocating for ourselves and others, and working collaboratively.
Elementary and middle school are about so much more than challenging academics, though these are also important.
These early years are vital for establishing who you are and how you behave as as a person.
Calvert
Alumnus, Class of 1998
OUR EDUCATIONAL APPROACH
The elementary and middle school years are the most important developmental experiences in a child’s life.
These are the years when children and adolescents are growing emotionally, physically, and intellectually, laying the foundation for everything to come. This is when they are learning what it is to be part of a community. This is how they learn the skills of being a student; and this is where they learn strong character is a determinant of success.
Calvert’s approach to education emphasizes mastery of the fundamentals - writing, reading, and arithmetic - supplemented by a rich exposure to science, history, geography, music, fine arts, performing arts, world language, public speaking, and grammar.
The morning handshake is one of our most cherished traditions.
For nearly 100 years, Calvert children have begun the school day with a handshake from the Head of School or another administrator, during which time they are taught to make eye contact and offer a firm handshake. This early-morning ritual teaches our students how to interact with the world around them while reminding each child that they are known and loved at Calvert.
“Pillars,” our character education curriculum, is taught at each grade level in the Lower School. Through Pillars class, Calvert imparts the values, principles, and life skills that develop strong character in our students.
WHAT SETS US APART
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By modeling the morning handshake and so much more, Calvert School’s teachers and administrators taught us how to be responsible, confident, and dependable people.
Calvert Alumnus, Class of 2006
CHARACTER AND SELF-ADVOCACY
Beginning in Seventh Age, we introduce “folder papers.”
Folder papers are a collection of completed and corrected work each student puts together throughout the school year. Before folder papers are taken home to parents each month, every student meets with the Head of School or another administrator individually to discuss their work.
This informal discussion provides students with a comfortable opportunity to share the pieces they are most proud of and discuss what was challenging.
This tradition teaches Calvert students that pursuing excellence includes self-advocacy and asking for help. Folder papers instill an understanding that it is the Calvert Way to put forth one’s best effort, correct mistakes, and work toward a finished product while feeling accepted and seen.
These are the reasons why Calvert students succeed in high school, college, and beyond.
When you are a child and you sit down one-on-one with someone who wants to hear what you have to say, that is an empowering feeling.
Even if you are struggling with something later in life, you know that you have the skills, tools, and resources to overcome the challenge. That is because someone once sat down and proved it to you. “ ”
Calvert Alumnus, Class of 1972
LEARNING TOGETHER
A CO-ED SCHOOL
Children don’t live in different worlds. They live in one world.
The elementary and middle years are essential for children to develop their own personal views of themselves and their communities. During these formative ages, they begin to understand what it means to be part of a whole, and at Calvert, we value a community that clearly reflects the real world.
As a co-educational school, Calvert embraces the diversity of students and proudly supports each of them as they learn and grow, knowing that what makes students alike is far more powerful than what may make them different.
For these reasons and more, Calvert students learn together in classrooms that ensure every voice is heard and every identity is seen and valued.
FOR A CO-ED WORLD
My teachers were very good at creating warm environments where we could speak openly about the real-world issues we face every day.
I forged so many genuine friendships with classmates of all backgrounds during this time — many of which have remained strong through high school, college, and to this day.
Calvert
Alumnus, Class of 2017
EMBRACING CHILDHOOD IN CALVERT’S LOWER SCHOOL
Childhood is precious.
In the fast-paced world of today, Calvert is proud and protective of a philosophy and a K-8 structure that allows us to preserve childhood for students and families for just a bit longer.
Our Lower School educates students from Fifth Age through Tenth Age. From the building blocks of reading, writing, and mathematics to the exploration of geography, history, and world language, each subject is designed to challenge students and spark their natural interest in discovery.
Lower School science and art programs are further enhanced by on-campus outdoor space, such as Molly’s Garden, and the Luetkemeyer Planetarium, which offers students a glimpse into the stars.
My favorite thing about Calvert is there are lots of places to play with my friends. I like it when we have recess on the playground and go outside for P.E.
Calvert Student, Eighth Age
EMBRACING ADOLESCENCE
IN CALVERT’S MIDDLE SCHOOL
Our Middle School educates students from Fifth Grade through Eighth Grade, providing an exceptional education and preparing them for success in high school, college, and beyond.
The K-8 structure also provides tremendous role models and leadership opportunities for our older students. Eighth Graders are the leaders of our school. Middle schoolers set the tone for Calvert every single day.
Middle School also provides the stepping stone for Calvert students to broaden their interests beyond campus. Community engagement activities and special subjects, such as music, fine and performing arts, and world language, are designed to be relevant and authentic to real-world experiences.
I give Calvert so much credit for teaching me how to learn, how to absorb information, and how to reapply it across all subjects. The School truly lays the educational foundation that sets you up for success and continued learning down the line.
Calvert Alumnus, Class of
1987
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
We believe it is essential to offer a holistic program that speaks to a child’s many interests.
These are the years when our children are trying to figure out who they are. The lower and middle school years are when children should be exploring all their potentials, and this requires a range of diverse opportunities.
Calvert offers a wide-ranging program that provides students with challenging academics, engaging arts and athletics, and numerous opportunities for leadership and community engagement. These offerings allow every child to identify and pursue their passions.
SHOWCASING LEADERSHIP
IN THE INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP & PURPOSE
The Institute for Leadership & Purpose is a signature program encompassing engagement in the community, outdoor education, and global studies.
Its purpose is to empower students to embrace experiential education and reflection in order to become independent thinkers who confidently share their voices and grow as leaders.
At Calvert, the classroom is not a singular place with four walls. The Institute for Leadership & Purpose extends the academic experience through opportunities for learning in place-based environments, from the Baltimore community to overnights in West Virginia, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and even the Bahamas, where students learned about sustainability with a focus on marine biology.
On campus, the ILP enhances the curriculum from our youngest students in Fifth Age to our oldest students in Eighth Grade.
Its ethos is reflected through a formal leadership program for Eighth Graders that includes leadership groups pertaining to student life, the arts, sustainability, and off-campus community projects.
On these trips, we get to experience the world in different ways. By stepping outside our comfort zones and meeting people from around the world, we form new perspectives. “
Calvert Alumnus, Class of 2023
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FINE ARTS AND MUSIC
Calvert teachers and administrators are committed to fostering imagination and creativity in all students and at every stage of a Calvert education.
Starting in Fifth Age, all students participate in an arts-forward program that teaches the basics of music, rhythm, painting, drawing, and more. From Sixth Age on, all Lower School classes also participate in one grade-level play per year before transitioning to the Middle School, where expanded music, arts, and drama classes build on these foundations.
Each year, dozens of Middle Schoolers participate in the winter musical, play an instrument as part of the band or orchestra, sing in the Glee Club, and debut new pieces of multimedia art, and Calvert is proud to offer a robust, well-rounded curriculum that encourages creativity in all forms.
Rather than offer music, drama, public speaking, and the fine arts as an addendum to academics, these subjects are all deeply ingrained in Calvert’s core classes, and creativity is celebrated at all stages of the student journey.
Calvert
Alumnus, Class of 1968
My favorite thing about Calvert is that we have class plays every year!
Calvert Student, Seventh Age
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ATHLETICS
Children need healthy outlets to expend their energy.
Exercise nourishes a child’s growth. At Calvert, along with coursework in the classroom, emphasis is placed on free play and physical activity outside of it.
Students in the Lower School have physical education regularly and have access to two fields, two playgrounds and two gyms. In the Middle School, students can spread out across two fields and the Luetkemeyer Athletic Center.
The Luetkemeyer Athletic Center is a sprawling, state-of-the-art facility housing an indoor artificial turf field, a student and faculty fitness room, and ten squash courts. Well over 90% of our students suit up in the black and gold as the Mighty Bees, proudly representing Calvert in interscholastic competition.
I had never picked up a lacrosse stick before I came to Calvert, but the amazing thing is I didn’t have to be an all-star athlete to make the team.
At Calvert, athletics are as much about teamwork, sportsmanship, and spending time together as they are competing, and everyone gets the chance to play.
Calvert
Alumnus, Class of 2018
FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. We believe that character development is an essential part of a complete education.
2. We challenge students to think critically and creatively while developing invaluable problem-solving and decision-making skills.
3. We believe that our students are global citizens, and we welcome diverse cultures and perspectives into a community based on equity and belonging.
4. We instill self-confidence by setting high standards and helping each student achieve their unique potential.
5. We honor the traditions of our past while embracing today’s best practices.
