Whole hol Boy Whole World
Hands On Minds Open
In kindergarten, our dynamic, hands-on approach lets boys explore a myriad of sensory experiences.
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o two boys are alike, but for many, learning happens in the same way—through active experiences that spark curiosity, led by engaging and invested teachers.
St. Christopher’s understands how boys think, how they act and how to best develop and focus their intellectual, physical and emotional energy. We call it educating the “whole boy.” Here, boys are introduced to diverse subject matter and taught to find the connections—whether it’s a mathematical formula that helps explain music theory or a history lesson that inspires community activism. Across our campus, rigorous academics, powerful arts programming, cutting-edge technology and unique extracurricular opportunities converge in unexpected ways. Together, they build a network of learning that results in more creative, more compassionate and more confident thinkers. As a global leader in educating boys for more than a century, we remain committed to providing our students with a wealth of experiences that prepare them to lead our interconnected world.
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“We care for all boys, on their good days, their moments of weakness, their moments of challenge, and we revolve our program—our entire call to being—around the needs of those boys at their various stages of development.” —MASON LECKY, HEAD OF SCHOOL
As they evolve, so does their experience
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oys grow up fast, and as they do, their needs change and their interests expand. Our flexible curriculum is designed to provide more autonomy, more responsibility and more extracurricular opportunity as students move from Lower School into Middle and Upper Schools. We believe it is vital to meet boys where they are with programs that challenge them, inspire them and connect them to the greater world.
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The Building Blocks of a St. Christopher’s Education
CHARACTER
WISDOM
LIFE SKILLS
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• Intellectual Curiosity and Risk Taking • Sound Judgment • Creative Thinking and Problem Solving • Research and Analysis • Ability to Apply Core Knowledge • Thoughtful Opinions Based on Experience and Evidence • Technological Savvy
• Articulate Communication • Adaptability and Openness to Change • Empathy and Collaboration • Organization and Self-management • Self-awareness, Confidence and Courage • Sense of Humor • Global Citizenship
Honor and Integrity Personal Responsibility Strong Work Ethic Humility Respect for Others Commitment to Service Resilience
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LOWER / MIDDLE / UPPER SCHOOLS
Line Leaders F
rom the first day of their education here to their last, St. Christopher’s boys are introduced to the fundamentals of leadership and challenged with putting those principles into play. Whether it’s being a line leader in JK, practicing eye contact and a firm handshake in Lower School, perfecting their public speaking in Middle School or spearheading community service projects in Upper School, our boys are taught to lead through thought, word and deed.
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“A good leader makes other people want to do the right thing by example. He keeps what is best for the whole group in mind, but also thinks of every individual person.” —PETER BOWLES, 10TH GRADE
Thought Leaders 5
JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN & LOWER SCHOOL Research shows that investing in your son’s early education can yield enormous returns—resulting in a more enriching, healthier life for your child and your entire family. Our JK and Lower School programs are designed to introduce boys to critical building blocks through a flexible and engaging curriculum that supports individual needs. By the end of their tenure here, boys have developed independence, confidence, critical thinking and a love of learning that will empower them in later years. Best of all, they will have begun to discover their own amazing and unique abilities.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL A period of incredible change, the Middle School years are marked by physical growth spurts as well as growing passion, inquisitiveness, introspection and analysis. The mission of the Middle School is to focus on and develop these wonderful changes. Here, boys take on more personal responsibility, build closer relationships with students and faculty and develop a strong sense of self. At the same time, they begin to see more of the world—and begin to imagine their place within it.
UPPER SCHOOL In Upper School, our young men go from studying the world to shaping it, through community service, study abroad and our innovative X-Term program that takes the classroom beyond four walls. They broaden their extracurricular activities, they work sideby-side with girls from St. Catherine’s and they serve as role models for younger students. By graduation each young man has developed integrity, wisdom and worldliness—qualities that will prepare him to succeed at prestigious colleges and universities near and far.
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ARTS / TECHNOLOGY
Vivid canvases, visionary coding—our programs speak to both sides of the brain
Primary ARTS The arts can color learning and leadership in myriad ways—from higher scores on reading and spelling tests to greater abstract reasoning skills. At St. Christopher’s, students discover a nurturing environment for every creative talent. Because we know that for boys, active learning is the best learning, we schedule frequent field trips to art museums, concerts and theatrical events to broaden their perspective and feed their imagination. By uncovering and developing our boys’ self-expression, we can set the stage for a lifetime of exceptional performance.
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Binary TECHNOLOGY At St. Christopher’s, we believe that educating the whole boy means preparing him for a world that is more interconnected—and more digital— than ever before. That’s why state-of-the-art technology runs throughout our curriculum. From our Lower School Learning Commons, where boys strengthen their literacy skills on laptops, to our BUILD program, where they can use 3D printers and microcontrollers to design and code their own inventions, we provide the framework for the tinkering, investigating and collaborating that lead to future innovation.
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“I like the music program at St. Christopher’s because it is a fun atmosphere that allows me to be expressive in a completely different way from my academic classes.” —MAC MUELLER, 8TH GRADE
Spotlight on the Performing Arts Every day at every grade level, students have the opportunity to discover and hone their creative expression through live performances that include: • Theater Groups • Poetry Out Loud Competition • Jazz Band • Chamber Orchestras • Glee Club • Hand Bell Choir • Bands • Joint Choir with St. Catherine’s • Student-Led A Capella Group • Dance Groups
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Our Makerspace inspires invention of all sorts with simple crafting materials or high-tech tools like this 3D printer.
Boys Using Innovation to Learn and Design An innovative and interdisciplinary framework for tapping into boys’ curiosity, BUILD incorporates the best of STEM/STEAM approaches in hands-on, skills-based projects.
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COORDINATE PROGRAM / HONOR CODE
From coordination with St. Catherine’s to strict adherence to our Honor Code, we shape leaders who understand the value of equality and ethics.
Co-Ed COORDINATE PROGRAM We believe in giving our students the best of both worlds—the proven benefits of an all-boys education and the enriching experiences that come from learning and working with their female peers. Throughout Lower and Middle School St. Christopher’s boys and St. Catherine’s girls join together for a wide variety of programming and events, from academic and community service projects to theatrical and musical performances to our Extended Day program. In Upper School, we fully integrate our curricula with St. Catherine’s, giving boys exposure to more programs, more perspectives and more friendships.
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Our Honor Code “On my honor as a gentleman, I have neither given nor received any help on this paper, nor am I aware of any breach of the Honor Code.”
Code HONOR CODE Teaching boys honor begins at the very beginning of their education at St. Christopher’s. At each level and in many different ways, our students learn to value and nurture personal integrity and community responsibility. Because each boy is surrounded by peers who are taught to demonstrate character, it is more likely that he will, too. Our Honor Code is a pledge our students make to never lie, cheat or steal—but even more than that it’s a commitment to always act with honor on campus, off campus and beyond their time here.
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FACULTY / CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF BOYS
ire on Directi Co DR. ANN VANICHKACHORN Director of Health Services, Advisor & Teacher Good health is prerequisite to learning. As Director of Health Services, Ann uses best practices to aid academic success and keep our community on the cutting edge of wellness.
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nnection A
ctive, immersive experiences—it’s what makes boys tick. Our Center for the Study of Boys uncovers these learning patterns and connects them to the greater world, while our faculty provides the direction in the classroom that helps boys master their learning styles and pursue their passions. Working together, our researchers and teachers are able to establish best practices and put them in play for the benefit of our student body—every boy, every day.
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FACULTY To teach a leader, you have to be a leader. St. Christopher’s School’s reputation for academic excellence draws educators who are renowned in their fields to our campus. From poets and programmers to artists and engineers, each teacher shares a passion for bringing out the best in students through hands-on learning and guided direction. They serve as mentors, coaches and advisors, but most of all they serve as examples of the kind of adults our school is committed to creating.
HAMILL JONES History Teacher, Advisor & Varsity Basketball Head Coach As varsity basketball coach, Hamill has to prevent traveling, but as a history teacher he’s all for it— taking students back in time to the Ottoman Empire, the French Renaissance or the Gilded Age.
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CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF BOYS For more than a century, St. Christopher’s has been a leader in educating boys. We founded our Center for the Study of Boys to gain greater insight into how our students learn and to share that knowledge with other boys’ schools to create an interconnected global community supporting best practices. The work being done at the Center for the Study of Boys has resulted in major research projects, international conferences and—most importantly—a common approach to programming and pedagogy that creates the confident, principled leaders we need to shape our world.
“Boys’ relationships with their teachers are the foundation upon which the entire scholastic endeavor must be built.” —DR. KIM HUDSON, DIRECTOR, THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF BOYS
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SERVICE / GLOBAL AWARENESS
“It’s a great feeling seeing the kids from Anna Julia Cooper School with big smiles when we do schoolwork and play sports together.” —TEDDY DAMGARD, 10TH GRADE
Act Local COMMUNITY SERVICE Making a difference in the lives of others is a concept that is best learned in the field, not the classroom. From Junior Kindergarten through their senior year, St. Christopher’s boys build a foundation of service by participating in a wide array of community projects, from fundraisers for animal welfare groups to feeding the hungry to building wheelchair ramps for those who need access to their homes. Along the way, they learn that they not only have the power to make a positive impact in the world but also the responsibility to do so.
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GLOBAL AWARENESS From the cobbled streets of Prague to the ruins of Machu Picchu, our global experiences deepen boys’ connections to the world at large. Each year the St. Christopher’s exchange program brings international students to our halls while opening the doors to an academic semester abroad for our own students. Through our innovative X-Term, boys can embark on a weeklong adventure that takes them across the Aegean Sea to the Acropolis, through the Forbidden City in Beijing or to the peaks of Patagonia. The more we can expose our students to the world, the better they can lead within it.
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COLLEGE PLACEMENT / EXTENDED DAY
Stay Late Matri COLLEGE PLACEMENT As they approach the end of their academic career at St. Christopher’s, each boy is faced with selecting a college that aligns to his abilities, goals and personality. We’re here to make that process less complicated by providing insight and support every step of the way. Our college counselors host over 100 universities on campus each year, giving boys the opportunity to meet one-on-one with admissions representatives from the most prestigious universities in the country. In fact, the hardest part about applying for college isn’t wondering if your son will have great options— it’s deciding which great option to choose.
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EXTENDED DAY Active learning doesn’t end when the final bell rings. Our Extended Day program invites students from St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s to stay through 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, including some school holidays. Depending on their age group, students enjoy snacks and downtime, participate in daily activities like woodworking or dance, unwind with a book, finish their homework, play outside or hang out with friends. By providing a mix of structured and non-structured activities, we’re able to meet the individual needs of each student and make the last hours of their school day rewarding and fun.
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ATHLETICS / COMMUNITY
Everything our students need is right here. Access to all programs on a single campus—including athletic fields and facilities—strengthens the sense of community and school spirit.
At St. Christopher’s we believe winning is easier when you have people cheering you on.
Teamwork ATHLETICS
Not every boy will grow up to be a star athlete, but at St. Christopher’s, all will learn to be team players. From baseball and basketball to soccer, sailing and golf, our sports programs develop and hone each boy’s athletic prowess while also teaching the value of hard work, sportsmanship and physical fitness. We are proud to compete in the Virginia Prep League and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. And though our athletes enjoy plenty of success on the field, our focus on character over points sets them up for a lifetime of wins.
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COMMUNITY Every Saint has a powerful network of family, teachers, alumni and friends in his corner. The St. Christopher’s community is one of the hallmarks of our institution. In it, students find diversity, inclusion, support and guidance. They find caring adults who are there to celebrate their triumphs, and catch them when they falter. Because we know how critical it is for boys to cultivate a sense of community, we regularly host programs and events that bring in the people who will play the most important roles in their lives.
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Connect to St. Christopher’s
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rom poetry to chemistry, athletics to robotics, technology to travel, we help boys make connections. Come see how St. Christopher’s can prepare your son to be the creative thinker, the compassionate steward and the principled leader the world needs. Contact us today to schedule a tour.
(804) 282-3185 stchristophers.com
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St. Christopher’s School 711 St. Christopher’s Road Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 282-3185 admissions@stcva.org
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