St. Paul’s School
We all live at St. Paul’s School
St. Paul’s School is a community of learners, where all of us, students and teachers, live together on these grounds – where we learn together about almost everything, and where each of us is an important citizen of this village we call St. Paul’s. At SPS we engage in the serious (OK, not always serious) exploration of both learning and life. Here’s what we care about: Scholarship and relationships. Capability and responsibility. Caring for each other at any time of the day or night. Smiling a lot. It’s our way of life.
It’s our community
Being here This is not a place to isolate yourself with cell phone or iPod; you’ll want to smile and say hello as you pass others on a path – even if you haven’t learned their names yet. Among all the challenges here are the opportunity and encouragement to decompress – in the Chapel, on our miles of paths, in our meditation room, in library hideaways.
Michael Orsillo ARTS DEPARTMENT
“Kids share stories about themselves at Seated Meal or ask about a piece of music I had played in ballet class. There is an emotional courage in this community and a genuine feeling of mutual support.”
Small school, huge opportunities Ethics and literature. Middle Eastern Voices. Terrestrial Ecology. Vector Calculus Honors. Advanced Studies in Printmaking. Galactic Astronomy. At St. Paul’s School you’ll find a new kind of academic challenge – in some ways like college, but with support close at hand all hours of the day and evening. SPS teachers – and other students, too – will help you succeed, joining in your exploration of the arts and sciences, humanities, languages, and mathematics, from robotics to modern India to the latin of Vergil and Caesar. Browse all the options at www.sps.edu/courses. Read a few course descriptions and see what tempts you. But don’t stop there! You might also want to create your own course. In recent years, individual students or small teams have designed a better pointe shoe for ballet, set up microfinancing to support a school in Cambodia, created a detailed map of the School’s many wooded trails, and built a hovercraft that floated over a School pond – all for academic credit.
mathematics Math isn’t just a numbers game; it’s an adventure, as you investigate, analyze, model, predict, discover. The technologies for mathematical discovery are in the DNA of the Lindsay Center at St. Paul’s. But curiosity and creativity are the most important tools in exploring math – and finding out what math means and can do. SPS students examine the use of real-world applications to illustrate and reinforce mathematical ideas. And it works in the other direction too: mathematical concepts help explain real-world phenomena. As they learn problem-solving strategies, students develop
mathematical habits of mind – a way of thinking that they use almost everywhere else, in writing, in music, and of course in science experimentation. The SPS math program is built around a core sequence of courses – Geometry, Algebra 2, and Precalculus – with most students choosing to study further, through Calculus, Linear Algebra, Vector Calculus, and more, including such offerings as Problem Solving and the History of Mathematics. As in other areas of the curriculum, Independent Study allows students to create their own math courses.
science From its solar observatory to the robotics floor to the enormous Foucault pendulum that indicates Earth’s rotation, the Lindsay Center is a place alive with science. “Handson” is the philosophy of science at SPS. You’ll experiment, collaborate, and probably make the kinds of mistakes that lead to profound learning opportunities. It’s all part of science.
Electives in other specialty areas, such as robotics and engineering, round out an innovative college-level science curriculum. For those who wish to explore the stars, the Hawley Observatory is home to the largest telescope in New England. Meanwhile, the entire campus serves as a laboratory for ecological study.
Physics comes first as a foundation science at St. Paul’s, followed by chemistry and biology, all of which usually proceed to other courses in subatomic physics, molecular biology, organic chemistry, and many, many more.
Creativity is central to the scientific process. We encourage students to realize that rote knowledge of physical laws is less important than the ability to design an experiment or to recognize connections among phenomena.
humanities In humanities, we work together to understand how humankind has interpreted the wider world over the millennia. In our interwoven study of history, literature, religion, and philosophy, we gather for animated discussions that can lead to some very unexpected destinations. Humanities courses in Forms Three through Five make connections across traditional boundaries, exploring essential questions of self and community from ancient Europe and Asia to today’s intricately connected world. In expository and creative writing, in collaboration, and in their own research,
students expand their powers of association and experience the excitement of making intellectual leaps. Within these diverse approaches, they enhance their skills for close reading, integrating knowledge, clear writing, and critical thinking across all disciplines. Sixth and many Fifth Formers also choose from more than 40 electives, including such courses as American Foreign Policy, Globalization, Gender and Sexuality in Literature, Religious Questions in the Modern World, and American Film and Culture in the 1950s and 60s.
languages Students not only master the mechanics of another language but also immerse themselves in the arts, traditions, and customs of those who speak it. Under the direction of the faculty – and aided by the multimedia Language Center – students come to understand different ways of thinking and living. The result is a consciousness that is truly global.
Extensive offerings are provided in five modern languages – Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish – and in Latin and Greek, taught for beginners through a multitude of courses for advanced students. The Classical Honors Program attracts students who achieve a high level of competence in Latin and Greek. Meeting in rooms with innovative languagelearning technology, small classes ensure that students receive personal attention from faculty members, most of whom are native speakers of the languages they teach. SPS students can improve their language skills dramatically through study abroad opportunities in Chile, France, Germany, Japan, or Spain.
Creative exploration and expression Whether students focus on the fine arts, dance, music, or drama, the arts curriculum will push their creative boundaries. On stage, in the studio, and in classrooms, students learn from a dedicated team of teachers, all of whom are accomplished artists, performers, and scholars. Each program offers independent study projects and field trips and brings world-class artists to the School to conduct master classes. Throughout the school year, exhibitions and performances provide encouragement to explore new approaches. The School’s commitment to the arts is evident in its resources. Students have access to art studios, performance halls, dance and music studios, and theaters, as well as the Art Center at Hargate, which exhibits work by students and by artists of local, national, and international reputation. Regardless of a student’s artistic interests and abilities, the SPS Arts Program will provide opportunity for exploration and growth.
dance SPS offers one of the finest dance programs of any secondary school in the country, as students train with a distinguished faculty in a state-of-the-art building to study technique, anatomical theory, and performance. The program isn’t just for elite dancers, though. Students take part in an entire range of classes. You might be surprised at what your body is capable of, in ballet, modern, jazz, or even yoga or another discipline.
fine arts The Fine Arts Program features a studio-based curriculum. All fine arts faculty are practicing artists themselves, nurturing students with hands-on studio skills while striving to provide a solid grounding in art history, aesthetics, and art criticism. The Hargate studios are home to dozens of courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and computer graphics.
music In the Music Building and Chapel you’ll hear the orchestra, madrigal singers, jazz band, choir and other student ensembles practicing for upcoming performances. You don’t have to join them on stage to take part in the music curriculum or resources though. Maybe you’ll sign up for a course in understanding music better or take private lessons from any of five full-time or 25 visiting music teachers. Music is everywhere at SPS.
theater St. Paul’s offers an active and exciting theater program, with students and faculty producing shows throughout the year. By studying and staging a wide range of plays – from Shakespeare and Molière to Brecht and Broadway – students gain hands-on technical skills and learn the power of theater.
Here we are together Some of the best moments of the day take place in Chapel, where all of us gather four times a week to sing, to pray, to laugh, to perform – to participate fully in a community unlike any other. Founded in the Episcopal tradition, St. Paul’s School celebrates all faiths – any form of spirituality that inspires compassion for others. Chapel is an experience central to life at the School. Our two chapels are rich in history and art, and for many they provide quiet spaces for reading, study, or contemplation any time of the day or evening.
Less carbon, smaller footprint Taking care of this amazing place is essential. We turn used cooking oil into fuel, conserve electricity by serving some dinners by candlelight, and replace lights and windows with energy-efficient clones. The Lindsay Center for Mathematics and Science, with its eco-minded technology, is essentially breathing on its own (seriously). Whenever possible, we rely on our natural resources to enhance our daily lives. The modern revival of farming on campus is alive and well – just visit our 5,000-square-foot faculty garden at Hill Farm. Bounty has included everything from basil to watermelon. And food can’t get much more locally grown than the five-acre plot plowed and sown by a local farmer, who shares his harvest with SPS dining services and with individual community members through a community-supported agriculture program. Chances are your lettuce and carrots at the Upper were grown right here on campus.
Helping others, helping yourself Community service is woven into students’ lives. They adopt local kids as Big Brothers and Sisters. They help other nearby students with their language courses. Every sports team spends time with a community group. Here at school, students have organized “Hockey for Haiti” and a “Hoops for Hope” basketball tournament to raise money for a Concord food kitchen. Leadership in service to others is central to our mission. And it can feel great to get your hands dirty.
Freedom with Responsibility . . . is an approach to living with others that places a high premium on personal relationships – the opposite of “one size fits all.” Our goal is that all students at St. Paul’s School, supported by adults within a framework of rules and expectations, develop the wisdom and independence to succeed in the next stage of their lives. Clear rules, consequences, moral standards, and an honor code govern our lives together. All members of the St. Paul’s community believe in and live by the moral understanding that being a good person matters. This high standard allows for all members of the community to learn and grow together in a place where they are treated with respect and trust from the first day they arrive until the day they depart. Allowing students to take on increasing responsibility requires that adults take time to develop close ties with them. Living on campus, all faculty members build relationships from the start with their advisees and other students, working hard to understand and respond to them individually. Just as all the children in a family have different strengths, students in every grade level have very different abilities – and needs. We strive as SPS adults in partnership with parents to learn the important differences between our students, to know them well as individuals, to support them appropriately, and to understand what freedoms they can - and cannot - handle on their journey towards independence.
Athletics: GO BIG RED! Athletics are integral to the SPS experience and to teaching the lessons of competition and healthy living. Our athletic program offers choice and challenge for every student, whether it’s running on wooded trails, rowing at the Henley Royal Regatta, playing competitive soccer, or hitting a tennis ball with a classmate. SPS students take part in 17 interscholastic sports. Over the last five years, our teams have won league championships and/or New England titles in tennis, lacrosse, cross country, ice hockey, Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, squash, wrestling, and crew.
St. Paul’s offers interscholastic teams in these sports: Fall Term Cross Country (b/g) Field Hockey (g) Football (b) Soccer (b/g) Volleyball (g)
Winter Term Alpine Skiing (b/g) Basketball (b/g) Ice Hockey (b/g) Nordic Skiing (b/g) Squash (b/g) Wrestling (coed)
Spring Term Baseball (b) Crew (b/g) Lacrosse (b/g) Softball (g) Tennis (b/g) Track (b/g)
For students who choose not to compete interscholastically, SPS has a wide variety of intramural and fitness options in its club and instructional programs. Whether in soccer or yoga, tennis or rock climbing, there are opportunities to learn new skills, to engage as a team member and to simply have fun. Club and instructional programs include: Crew Fitness Golf
Ice Hockey Rock Climbing Soccer Squash
Swimming Tai Chi Tennis Yoga
Incredible athletic facilities Our Athletic and Fitness Center serves the entire St. Paul’s community, inspiring our teams and promoting health and wellness for everyone. Faculty coaches and two full-time trainers are charged with ensuring the health, well-being, and development of every student-athlete, regardless of interest area and skill level.
SPS athletic venues • Nine outdoor athletic fields, including a lighted artificial-turf field • 95,000 square-foot athletic center • Two indoor ice hockey rinks • An eight-lane, 25-meter indoor pool • Ten international squash courts • Three indoor tennis courts • Fifteen outdoor tennis courts • A 2,000-meter rowing course and boathouse • Over 25 miles of trails on 2,000 wooded acres for hiking, biking, running, and skiing • Two hardwood courts for basketball and volleyball • An indoor jogging track • Multipurpose room with two wrestling mats • Two climbing walls • Indoor artificial-turf field • A rowing ergometer room • A fully equipped cardio vascular room • A state-of-the-art weight training room
A world of experiences We may seem a world apart, but St. Paul’s is very much a part of the larger world. Understanding other cultures and countries is central to education here, and it takes place in many ways – learning Chinese or another language you may not have tried, forming friendships with students from around the world, taking part in School Year Abroad, or signing up for other overseas experiences in Chile, China, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Italy, Japan, or Spain.
Alongside their academic exploration, students can participate in more than 70 clubs and societies, ranging from debate and robotics to gospel choir and fly-fishing. Students plan and stage major events, run meetings, and work with the faculty and staff to create new clubs and societies. While trying new things and exploring yet undiscovered talents, students develop organizational and leadership skills that are invaluable in their lives beyond SPS.
Acolyte Guild Activities Committee Admission Tour Guides Alternative Energy Club Anglers Society Art Association Art Society Baseball Appreciation Society Bridge & Cribbage Club Bucket Satire Blog Cadmean/Concordian Literary Society Catholic Students Chamber Orchestra Chapel Wardens Chinese Society Chorus Christian Fellowship Classics Society Concert Band Constitution Appreciation Society Culinary Arts Club Cum Laude Society Debate Team Deli Line Eco-Action
Environmental Stewardship Committee Fashion Appreciation Society Fine Tea & Exotic Chocolate Society Funkdefied Gay Straight Alliance German Club Global Ear Gospel Choir Habitat for Humanity Hillel Society iLaf Cartoon Club Independent & Classic Film Society Interfaith Chapel Council International Society Investment Club Iris Film Critics Society Island Posse Japanese Society Jazz Ensemble John Enders Science Association John Winant Society Korean Society La Sociedad Le Cercle Franรงais Lectors Guild
Los Ballerinas Mad Hatters Madrigal Singers Math Tutors Mathematics Society/Team Missionary Society Model UN MOSAIC Outing Club Parnassians Poetry Paulie Improv Robotics Club Rock Bands Society of Prestidigitation Strategy Board Game Club Student Cultural Alliance Symposium Philosophy TestosterTones THES.P.S. (theatre group) Women in Leadership WSPS Radio Station Yearbook Young Democrats Young Republicans
. . . and we have fun
Applying to . . . Call us! By phoning 1-888-644-9611, you can set up an interview and tour at SPS. We strongly believe that the best way for you to get to know the School is for you to meet the people who live here. When you schedule an interview, you will also be assigned an admission officer who will guide you through the application process and answer any questions you might have along the way. The process is relatively simple: • Visit SPS for an interview and tour. If you just can’t get here, set up a Skype interview.
• Submit an application and supporting materials. Apply online at www.sps.edu/ admission or download the forms there. • Take the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). Information about the SSAT can be found at www.ssat.org. SPS SSAT code is 6886. St. Paul’s enrolls approximately 150 new students in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Forms (grades 9, 10, and 11) only in September of the academic year. SPS does not accept applications from students applying for only one year.
and affording St. Paul’s AVERAGE TOTAL GRANT
60
(and number of awards)
55 50
$52,393
$51,503
45
$47,960
$48,722 $44,397
AVERAGE GRANT (THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
At first glance, SPS may seem unaffordable. However there are financial aid options that make an SPS education a possibility. Tuition support goes to more than a third of our students, many of whom are from middle-income families. As a general rule, families of admitted students who have a household income of $80,000 or less qualify for full tuition support.
40 35
$35,196
30
$34,124
25
$25,602
20 15 10 5
We will work with you to ensure that what can seem like a confusing and difficult process is actually a simple step-by-step endeavor.
0
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
0-80
80-100
62
12
100-125 125-150
150-200 200-250 250-300
INCOME (THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
16
21
24
14
7
300+ 12
Factors other than income – such as family size, number of children in tuitioncharging schools, and total assets – can greatly affect eligibility.
Getting here From Logan Airport
Take the Airport Expressway to Boston via Sumner Tunnel; follow Interstate 93 North (approximately 66 miles) to I-89, just south of Concord. Follow I-89 North to Exit 2, Clinton Street.*
From the Manchester Airport
From Airport Exit Road turn right onto Brown Avenue; follow signs for Interstate 293. Take I-293 to I-93 North. Follow I-93 North to I-89, just south of Concord. Follow I-89 North to Exit 2, Clinton Street.*
From the Massachusetts Turnpike
Take Exit 11a to Interstate 495 North. Follow to Massachusetts Route 3 North. Follow Route 3 North, which becomes Everett Turnpike at the New Hampshire border. Continue on Everett Turnpike to I-93 North. Follow I-93 North to I-89, just south of Concord. Follow I-89 North to Exit 2, Clinton Street. * (Driving time in good weather from Boston is approximately 60 minutes.)
From I-93 North of Concord
Take Exit 13 on I-93 to Route 3 North and turn at the end of exit ramp (left if going northbound, right if going southbound). Go through three sets of lights. At the fourth light, turn left onto Pleasant Street (Route 202 West); continue past Concord Hospital. The St. Paul’s School sign is on the left; turn left onto Dunbarton Road.
* From Exit 2 on I-89
At the end of the ramp turn right onto Clinton Street. Follow signs and take a left onto Langley Parkway. Continue to the end, at Pleasant Street (across from Concord Hospital). Turn left onto Pleasant Street. Go about a half mile and turn left at the St. Paul’s School sign onto Dunbarton Road.
Photographs by Peter Finger, Katie Barnes
We live together . . . within an honor code I pledge to uphold my honor in all aspects of my life as a member of the St. Paul’s School community. Trust and honesty are the foundation of life at St. Paul’s School; therefore, I will be truthful in my interactions with adults and students alike. To maintain a healthy community, I pledge to respect other individuals. I will not violate the trust of the community by stealing or vandalizing the property of others or of the School. I am on my honor to pursue academic honesty in accordance with the guidelines of my teachers and each division, for personal benefit and for the community as a whole. If I am aware of an instance in which a student has violated or plans to violate this pledge, I understand that I am on my honor to act in an effort to maintain the integrity of the School community. Such actions may include but are not limited to: • Informing a faculty member, Sixth Form officer, or prefect of the violation; • Informing the teacher that an infraction has occurred, in specific or general terms; • Confronting the student directly and discussing the repercussions of his or her actions on the community’s trust. We seek an environment in which members of a diverse student body can live and learn together in ways that protect both personal freedom and community standards. The Student Council believes that the Honor Code works only as long as each individual realizes and fulfills his or her responsibilities under it.
9th through 12th grade co-educational boarding school 535 students and 106 faculty More than one-third of students receive financial aid Students from 34 states and 23 countries
45 humanities,
Located in Concord, N.H., on
25 mathematics, 56 language, 29 science, and 65 arts courses
2,000 acres (60 minutes from Boston, Mass.)
The largest telescope in New England A greenhouse with 300 square feet of growing space and an aquaculture area A historic Episcopal tradition that welcomes and affirms all faiths As the capital of New Hampshire, Concord is a thriving cultural and commercial center, with great arts, shopping, and a variety of restaurants – Thai, Indian, Mexican, Japanese, terrific burger and pizza choices. Need an urban get-away? Students often visit Boston with friends or on school field trips.
St. Paul’s School 325 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301-2552 Toll Free 1-888-644-9611 Tel 603-229-4700 Fax 603-229-4771 admission@sps.edu www.sps.edu
We admit qualified students of any race, color, disability, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin, and sexual orientation to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at our school. We do not discriminate in violation of any law or statute in the administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, and athletics or other school-administered programs.