Saint Stephens Episcopal School
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Saint Stephens Episcopal School
| Legal Name |
Episcopal Private Day School |
| Grades |
Pre-Kindergarten to 12 |
| Type |
Private (Independent) |
| Religion | |
| Students | |
| Established | |
| City | |
| Community |
Suburban |
| Mascot | |
| Colors |
Green and Gold |
| Motto |
"A college preparatory curriculum with integrity" |
| Website |
Saint Stephens Episcopal School is America's oldest episcopal day school, founded on December 6, 59 (originally named for "Saint Stephen"). Saint Stephens (also referred to as "SS") is now a K-12 school in the Bradenton suburb of Florida, Florida, USA. In addition, the school shares the oldest continuous American Soccer rivalry with Tampa Prep., which celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2006.
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Contents |
[edit] Academics
Saint Stephens Episcopal School is a college Prepertory instutition with grades ranging from "Fledgling Falcons program" to 12. The School is devided into four major sections including: Lower, Intermidate, Middle and Upper Schools. AND THIS ALL IS A LIE~~
[edit] Administration
Sucks~~ Badly
[edit] Lower School
Three-year-olds attend Saint Stephen’s Fledgling Falcons program, a pre-school designed to provide hands-on, developmentally appropriate activities for younger children. Students learn through discovery as they experience all the senses in a curriculum that addresses individual needs, personalities, and different learning styles. Our goal is to provide a language-rich environment through a thematic curriculum involving books, music, art, and play.
Fledgling Falcons teachers strive to foster a sense of safety, self-esteem, competency and respect in their young students. Positive social interactions are encouraged through sharing, cooperating, and communicating. Children are taught to celebrate cultural diversity inside and outside of the classroom.
Beginning August 2007, the Fledgling Falcons program will also be offered at two satellite locations: Sa. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Lakewood Ranch and at St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church in south Sarasota. Both satellite programs are affiliated with our School's main campus.
Children in Pre-Kindergarten through grade 3 attend the Lower School at Saint Stephen's. The curriculum focuses on developing fundamental skills in language arts, mathematics, social studies and science through learning projects and activities designed to encourage the natural imagination and curiosity of young students.
Lower School students learn early that community service is valued. Children visit nursing homes, go to guide dog school, and donate gifts for the needy during the holidays. School culture is also enhanced with special celebrations, such as Halloween Hootenanny, Lessons and Carols, Dads Make a Difference Day, and Afternoon in the Park. Academic field trips and Lower School chapel enrich the learning process.
During the last two weeks of each school year, classrooms are transformed into new educational environments that help each student gain a deeper understanding of a specific subject. For example, students become ornithologists as their classroom is renovated into a huge bird’s nest. Others become astronauts as they learn about space exploration amongst hand-made planets, a room-sized rocket ship, and a star tunnel. The fully integrated curriculum encourages a love of learning that will endure as children reach the Middle and Intermediate Schools, the Upper School, and beyond.
Families who begin their relationships with Saint Stephen's at the Lower School level realize early that they are members of a safe, caring neighborhood. Parents are encouraged to be on campus, and students often do not want to leave when the day is over. Teachers are instructors and playmates to their students; it is not uncommon to see a teacher playing ball or eating lunch with the children. The bonds that are established between students and their teachers are ones that last throughout the children's school careers.
[edit] Intermediate School
The Intermediate School at Saint Stephen's is a special division for children in grades 4 through 6, who are in the midst of forming their academic and social identities. Since leaving childhood and accepting more responsibility can be an uneasy experience, the years spent in the Intermediate School form an important bridge over which students are carefully guided to ensure their success in the Middle School, Upper School, and college.
Each member of our creative faculty is experienced in helping students move academically from the concrete to the abstract; from primary skills to higher-level thinking. In English classes, for example, students grow from learning how to read to analyzing written material. In math, children apply their skills in working with basic calculations to solving algebraic equations.
Teachers work together to plan an integrated curriculum, where children can study one topic in each academic class. For instance, students learning about an endangered species might write a poem about it in English class, use watercolors to paint an animal in art, and calculate the rate of an animal’s extinction using Microsoft Excel in math. Technology is incorporated in all academic subjects.
The social transition is probably the most challenging part of a child's development at this age. School becomes more than just a place to learn, but also a place to make friends. The faculty is trained to help students in their social discovery on a daily basis, through activity periods, chapel programs, advisory, and age-appropriate holiday activities. The Saint Stephen’s community embraces each child, celebrating their successes and supporting their individual interests inside and outside of the classroom.
[edit] Middle School
Students in grades 7 and 8 attend the Middle School at Saint Stephen's, where caring teachers prepare them for the challenges of the upper grades, college, and beyond. The curriculum is rigorous and exciting, providing hands-on experience in each of the academic subjects. Students at this level begin to exercise choice in their own set of courses as they progress through the elective program, learning music, art, drama, and language.
Our faculty is a cohesive team of educators who understand with equal expertise the subject matter they teach and the students for whom they are mentors. Each student has an academic advisor who regularly checks on academic progress. Classes are small, so that each student has the opportunity to speak and be heard, and teachers adapt their lessons to the different learning styles of their students.
The Middle School is a safe community in which students' differences are respected and their successes celebrated. Our children give back to the world around them by devoting nine days each school year to community service. Small groups of Middle School students may visit with the elderly or help teach young children in local Head Start programs. They may package seeds for third-world nations or help deliver food with Meals on Wheels.
Saint Stephen's Middle School is committed to helping students develop into knowledgeable, responsible, respectful members of their community.
[edit] Upper School
The Upper School at Saint Stephen’s is a traditional college preparatory school with nearly 300 students in grades 9-12. Our students have a variety of backgrounds and come from all over – from local Manatee and Sarasota counties to states all over the nation and countries across the world. Many of our students live and train athletically at IMG Academies in Bradenton.
Regardless of where they come from, our students dedicate themselves to their academic work and are surrounded by others who have accepted the same challenge. The Upper School offers a diverse curriculum designed to prepare students for college, give them experience in the major academic disciplines, develop their appreciation of and ability in the arts, and encourage athletic involvement. Members of the faculty and administration celebrate students’ individual interests and abilities and encourage their growth outside the curriculum. The Upper School curriculum supports 17 Advanced Placement classes, and Saint Stephen’s graduates attend a variety of colleges across the United States and around the world.
Our qualified and devoted teachers combine a passion for their subject with a love of working with teenaged students. Small classes create an environment in which each student has the opportunity to participate and be heard. Each member of the Saint Stephen’s community is expected to abide by the Honor Code, promising to hold themselves to the highest ideals of integrity. Every student has a faculty advisor to consult about academic progress, course selection, and other issues that affect school life.
Upper School students are a part of the Saint Stephen’s community, where their teachers and classmates know and care about them. From the time each child arrives on campus in the morning, he or she has a place to go: students may stop in to chat with a teacher about a homework assignment or meet classmates for an early study group. It is not uncommon to find a teacher and several students meeting and chatting over lunch. The richness and diversity of the Upper School curriculum, combined with community warmth, makes Saint Stephen’s Upper School unique.
[edit] Dress Code
It is the policy of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School to have a dress code that reflects a positive attitude towards the School community. The way we dress reflects respect for ourselves, our School community, and for the School’s educational goals. Uniforms are required in the Lower and Intermediate Schools and Middle and Upper School students adhere to a dress code. All students are expected to be neat, clean, and appropriately dressed for their learning environment. Cooperation of parents is essential as we work together to ensure that the uniform and dress code policies are followed.
[edit] Alma mater
Saint Stephen's, now we sing to thee,
This our song of memory.
Green and gold declare thy fame,
As we praise thy honored name.
May our echoes ever ring,
Like a soaring falcon's wing,
Through your halls of memory,
Here our hearts will ever be.
