Be a GRYPHON Educating Young Women of Conscience and Action
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intellectual courageous confident compassionate spiritual Every day at Holy Child we aim to engage our girls in an education that will shape who they are for the rest of their lives. Every project, every opportunity, every experience is thoughtfully curated to help develop young women of conscience and action who will “meet the wants of the age.� No matter when a girl arrives at Holy Child, we have the same vision of her on her graduation day. We want her to leave Holy Child as the best version of herself. She will be intellectual, courageous, confident, compassionate, spiritual.
195+
Courses available for grades 5-12
intellectual Holy Child challenges its girls to shape their emerging interests into a course of study that encourages excellence and ignites life-long passions. We craft an environment that engenders “joy in teaching and joy in learning”, an approach to education important to our founder, Cornelia Connelly. We value an individualized approach to scholarship that creates a space for individual interests and meaningful collaboration. THE ALL-GIRL ADVANTAGE At Holy Child, every girl is known and valued and encouraged to be her best self within the classroom and beyond. Girls occupy every role: every part in the school play, every seat in student government, and every position on every team. The benefits of an all-girls Holy Child education: We capitalize on girls’ unique learning styles with an emphasis on cooperation, hands-on learning, discussion, and experience. We create a culture of achievement in which highly motivated girls are empowered to become courageous and compassionate leaders.
Draw your passion
intellectual Our curriculum is a living document. Teams of faculty review, revise and enrich our offerings to live the words of Cornelia Connelly and “meet the wants of the age.” The girls are challenged to think critically, write deeply and engage meaningfully with their teachers, classmates, and course material. Coupled with our intentional interdisciplinary and enriching curriculum, the girls also learn while they play - in dance, choral ensemble and even recess for our Middle School girls! Technology is used to support creative and student-centered learning. Educational software and interactive tools help personalize learning for classes across the curriculum and for individual students. By visiting a French village through virtual reality or watching a video for specific math review, technology allows the faculty to both meet their students’ needs as well as expand student learning in new, engaging ways.
THE FIFTH GRADE ADVANTAGE While many other middle schools begin in sixth grade, our fifth-grade
7:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
14
Average Class Size
90%
Faculty with advanced degrees
entry point encourages a more engaged and mature mindset among our students. They do not just learn content, they get to know themselves as learners as they learn how to learn. Through a Study Skills class and careful attention to organization, the fifth-grade team of teachers works together to create an enriching, growth-filled year.
Global Program Experiences Middle School
Upper School
Bainbridge Island, WA - Language Arts and History
Camp Cornelia (NYC) - Holy Child Network Community Service
Bermuda - Science and Physical Education
Cape Verde - Culture and Service
Peru - Culture, Language and Service
Houston, TX - Science and History
China - Culture and Language
South Africa - Service, Culture and History
Dominican Republic - Culture and Service
Washington, DC (Georgetown University) OWN IT Summit
Key West, FL - Scuba and Reef Conservation
National Parks (Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton) - Outdoor Education Iceland - Science and Photography
West Virginia - Global Health and Service
courageous At Holy Child, students are not afraid to take risks. Our immersive Signature Programs give students the courage to delve deeper, develop passions at more rigorous levels, and learn to apply their knowledge to solve practical, real-world problems.
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Plac es I’ ve b een:
GLOBAL STUDIES PROGRAMS Global Studies students engage in meaningful and contemplative travel. Our students have tracked wild game and set camera traps in South Africa, volunteered in medical facilities in West Virginia, hiked Machu Picchu in Peru, and visited Holy Child Network Schools in Ireland and New York City. At Holy Child, global programs do not exist in a vacuum. Programs are designed to not only provide unique and enriching experiences for our students to learn, study and serve communities around the world, but also for them to come back to the classroom ready to share these experiences.
FIELD-BASED LEARNING Middle and Upper School girls have exciting opportunities to learn outside of the traditional classroom. For example, each year our seventh-grade students participate in an aquatic life and marine conservation program in Cape Cod, MA. They run experiments, complete observations, and learn the benefits of collaborative field study.
Places I’d like to go:
Our Signature Programs ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, AND DESIGN FOR THE COMMON GOOD PROGRAM The Architecture, Engineering, and Design for the Common Good Program is an innovative, two-year program for juniors and seniors that provides an interdisciplinary STEAM curriculum that combines the study of art and architecture with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This distinctive program is designed to push back against the absentee culture of women in engineering and architecture while acknowledging that our students are better served when their work has an anchor to real-world issues. By clearly demonstrating the connections between disciplines and peoples, this course inspires and prepares our girls for advanced study in fields often dominated by men.
are: jects b u s e vorit My fa
ITALIAN CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAM
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IN FINANCE
The Italian Cultural Studies Program is a two-year
The Leadership Institute in Finance, made possible by a
cultural immersion experience for juniors and seniors.
$50,000 grant from the EE Ford Foundation, is a two-
Students participate in a college-level seminar
year college-level seminar course for juniors and seniors
course that explores the history, art, language,
that empowers girls to master financial literacy and
literature, architecture, and politics of Italy. The first
explore business ethics. Students will develop effective
year culminates in an extensive tour of Italy, during
leadership skills that will prepare them for competitive
which students explore topics they later develop into
internships as well as careers in the finance industry.
individual research projects as seniors.
courageous
Holy Child’s A turf field and a grass field
Maureen Alison McGrath ’78 Memorial Library, with 11,712 volumes
A 300-seat Theatre, with a workshop for set design
Exceptional Campus Founded in 1904 as St. Walburga’s Academy, Holy Child relocated from New York City to Rye in 1957. The property includes over 20 acres of bucolic land, as well as world-class facilities that include:
A 22,000 square-foot Field House with an 11,000 squarefoot gymnasium, dance studio, athletic training room, fitness room, and locker rooms
• Innovative and flexible classroom space • Student commons • Two art studios
A 700 square-foot design studio with a 3-D printer, laser cutter, thermoformer, 3-D milling machine, sewing machine, circuit kits, and hand tools for producing prototypes
WHERE OUR GIRLS COME FROM: 75 ZIP CODES
THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER, ROCKLAND,
PUTNAM, NEW YORK, AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES.
“
Remember that it is not sufficient to have begun well; you must also persevere
”
and finish with resolution.
-Cornelia Connelly
The words of Cornelia Connelly inspire the mission and practices of the College Counseling Office. At Holy Child, the College Counseling team provides an individualized approach to college counseling, supporting the personal, academic and collegiate goals of every student from the first day of freshman year until graduation day. Dedicated to engaging extensively with each student and her family, the team works to ensure that each girl applies to colleges that best suit her goals and abilities and subsequently chooses a college that will nurture her interests, empower her to be the best version of herself to navigate and succeed in a diverse, interconnected world.
OVERVIEW OF COLLEGE PREPARATION & THE APPLICATION PROCESS
COLLEGE VISITORS Each year, nearly 100 college admission representatives visit Holy Child’s campus to meet with students. The College Counseling team develops relationships with college representatives to ensure they understand Holy Child’s academic rigor and extracurricular offerings.
In college, I see myself studying:
confident
Students at Holy Child begin the college preparation process on the first day of freshman year. The courses they take, the extracurricular activities in which they choose to participate, and the relationships they establish with faculty and peers are all part of the process. From the beginning, the School seeks to empower its students to engage in a rigorous academic program that is best suited to the student’s individual strengths and interests, learning styles, and goals. At each grade level, however, there are different challenges and expectations that students will meet as they progress through their four years at Holy Child.
2019 COLLEGE MATRICULATIONS Bard College Boston College Bucknell University (5) Clarkson University College of Charleston (2) College of the Holy Cross (2) Davidson College Denison University Fairfield University Fordham University Furman University Georgetown University George Washington University Hamilton College Harvard University* Lehigh University (3) Loyola Marymount University Loyola University, Maryland Manhattan College Manhattanville College Marist College (2) New York University Rollins College Santa Clara University Southern Methodist University Syracuse University Tulane University University of Alabama University of California, Davis University of Colorado, Boulder University of Connecticut University of Miami University of Notre Dame (3) University of Richmond University of San Francisco University of Scranton Villanova University (6) Wake Forest University * Student will take a gap year and enroll in September 2020.
confident
Color me in
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
Take a walk through the school and you will see student artwork gracing the hallways. We proudly display the works of our student artists creating a remarkable showcase of our visual arts curriculum, including photography, film, watercolor, acrylics, sculpture, and print-making. Girls explore dance, choral and instrumental music. The theatre program offers numerous productions each year, including dramas, musicals, and Shakespearean productions. Our arts department takes full advantage of our proximity to New York City, for its rich and diverse offerings in the visual and performing arts, as well as international opportunities in France, Italy, and Scotland.
confident AN INCLUSIVE AND COMPETITIVE ATHLETICS PROGRAM
When a student-athlete chooses to become a Gryphon, she becomes part of a long-standing tradition of success and pride in the classroom, on the playing field, and on the court. Beginning in fifth grade, our physical education program is used as a foundation for athletic achievement. Our 5-12 athletic programs build skills, confidence, camaraderie, and self-esteem while offering opportunities for accomplished athletes as well as novices looking for the benefits of participation on a team. Holy Child offers 33 teams for 14 sports, including 13 teams at the varsity level.
FALL:
WINTER:
SPRING:
Cross Country
Basketball
Golf
Field Hockey
Squash
Lacrosse
Soccer
Swimming
Softball
Volleyball
Track & Field
Tennis Track & Field
What is a gryphon? A gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. 1 2
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B eginning in Middle School, girls learn how they can make a difference in the world by actively serving the communit y outside of campus.
Service learning
Faith Community
Students and facult y plan and participate in annual retreats, which allow precious time to step away from their busy lives to reflect on their faith, regardless of their faith tradition.
We prioritize every part of your daughter’ s development because intellectual and academic success can only happen when she feels secure, confident, and happy.
student wellness
IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy)
Goals of the ID EA Initiative: * Every girl should feel included. * A ll t ypes of diversit y are celebrated in our school communit y. * I t is not enough to have equalit y. We realize that equit y ensures each student has what she needs. * W e must be advocates for our students and staff.
compassionate STUDENT WELLNESS Holy Child takes a balanced approach to our students’ wellness. We want girls to feel empowered to take risks at school, but also feel safe to make mistakes. We prioritize every part of your daughter’s development because intellectual and academic success can only happen when she feels secure, confident, and happy. Your daughter will be supported to take the academic risks needed for true intellectual growth. We want all of our girls to develop a love of learning that persists long after she leaves us, as well as the confidence, resiliency, and strong faith to guide her through life. To ensure this, each of our students has a network of adults invested in her success. Advisors, deans, faculty members, coaches, and administrators all work together to provide our students with the resources and support they needs. We guide our girls as they make important academic decisions, and develop healthy and strong relationships with peers and the adults at school.
SERVICE LEARNING Beginning in Middle School, girls learn how they can make a difference in the world. Across the curriculum, our faculty and students look for ways to integrate social justice and ethics into their studies. They first learn through research about a social issue that they can address.
COMMUNITY SERVICE A fundamental part of Holy Child’s mission is the expectation that each student take an active role in serving the community outside of campus. At Holy Child, our students respond to poverty, hunger, homelessness, domestic violence and illness by helping those in need.
IDEA (INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ADVOCACY) As an educational and spiritual community, Holy Child strives to establish and maintain a culture that welcomes and nurtures individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences, as we believe this will encourage a respectful and rich intellectual environment. As a school, we actively embrace differences in age, ethnicity, gender, learning style, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class. We seek to create a community that reflects diversity in the student body, faculty, and administration.
spiritual Though a Holy Child education is rooted in Catholicism, our community welcomes and embraces families and staff of all faiths. It is our hope that every student will feel supported to grow in her own personal relationship with God. Through coursework on world religions, a dedication to service-learning, and opportunities to participate in the spiritual life of our School, our students explore their own beliefs as well as develop shared values: empathy, compassion, and a commitment to social justice.
School of the Holy Child admits girls of any race, religion, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national and/or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and financial aid, and athletic or other school-administered programs.
Holy Child Mission The mission of School of the Holy Child is to develop “women of conscience and action.” An all-girls, Catholic, independent, collegepreparatory school for grades 5-12, the School is guided by the educational philosophy of Cornelia Connelly, the founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, and her dedication to “joy in teaching and joy in learning.” Accomplished and dedicated faculty members foster the spiritual development, individual talents and interests of each student. This is realized through rigorous and comprehensive academic, arts, athletics, service and global programs. Holy Child graduates are prepared for the innovative and critical thought necessary in a diverse, interconnected society.
Global Network Holy Child is part of a global network of schools sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, an order founded by Cornelia Connelly in 1846. Today, there are 19 Holy Child Network Schools throughout the United States, England, Ireland, France, Ghana, and Nigeria.
2225 Westchester Avenue | Rye, NY 10580 | 914-967-5622 | HolyChildRye.org