St. David's Viewbook

St. David’s School

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t. David’s School is an independent school in the Episcopal school tradition that prepares young men and women for college and life by challenging them to excel in the vital areas of faith, virtue, and knowledge.

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hat singular, focused mission permeates every aspect of St. David’s School.

It defines who we are as a community of learning, and delineates our character and caliber of offerings.

It distinguishes St. David’s from other competitive college preparatory schools.

It informs every decision St. David’s leaders make in directing the daily life of the school, and in charting a deliberate course for the school’s future.

In the classroom, in the arts, on the fields and courts of play, among our faculty and facilities, within the local and global community—on every front, St. David’s School strives to achieve the greatest of expectations.

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Pervading Promise

St. David’s School serves students through the Lower School (grades pre-K to 4), the Middle School (grades 5-8) and the Upper School (grades 9-12).

Faculty blend their passion for teaching with an unwavering compassion for students.

We continually modify our programs to respond to changes in technology, our local and global community and our society. At the same time, we maintain a focus on how best to weave biblical concepts into our curriculum and extracurricular offerings. Our academic rigor and thriving enrichment programs— in combination with our purposeful Christian ethos—are, together, St. David’s most compelling distinctive.

Faculty members go well beyond challenging students to acquire and apply intellectual knowledge. Employing creative teaching techniques and personal encouragement, they inspire St. David’s students to love learning. Students build proficiencies they rely on throughout their lives: an ability to assimilate and analyze complex concepts, to think creatively and critically, and to express themselves cogently and convincingly in the written and spoken word.

Manifold extracurricular opportunities augment our curriculum. In addition to participating in traditional activities, such as athletics, the arts and clubs, our students collaborate to design innovative solutions to real-world problems, take

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Students take advantage of considerable multimedia opportunities.

part in exciting domestic and international travel, and gain inspiration from the myriad guest speakers who visit our campus each year.

For the students whose lives St. David’s School impacts, our singular mission shapes a rich academic, social, physical and spiritual experience that engenders in each a lifelong love of learning.

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ur academic rigor and thriving enrichment programs—in combination with our purposeful, perceptible Christian ethos— are, together, St. David’s most compelling distinctive.

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Celebrating Community

Learning at St. David’s School is active and engaged: the result of a vibrant culture that fosters integrity, curiosity, self-discipline, responsibility and participation.

At a time when young people are daily bombarded by alarming societal attitudes, ideas and imagery, St. David’s offers students an opportunity to encounter and absorb the enduring qualities of truth, beauty, goodness, grace and genuine happiness.

Ours is a remarkably collaborative body of individuals who—through hard work, play and prayer—are committed to helping one another achieve their full and unique potential. Faculty, staff, students and parents work closely together to create and sustain a shared sense of belonging and support.

The notion of “family” perhaps best captures the essential spirit of our school community. “Joyful” and “warm” most succinctly describe the atmosphere within our midst.

An uncommon spirit of unity binds the St. David’s School community.

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urs is a remarkably collaborative body of individuals, committed to helping one another achieve their full and unique potential.

Each year, students pledge to uphold the Honor Code during a special signing ceremony.

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Schooling Excellence

Aspirations of greatness—for our students, our alumni and St. David’s School as a whole—demand an emphasis on excellence.

Outstanding teachers are fundamental to the strength of St. David’s School, which is why no goal of our strategic plan takes precedence over attracting and retaining faculty of the highest caliber and character. We work hard to bring to St. David’s teachers who are exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects, who can inspire and engage students of different levels of interest and ability. Our Master Teacher Endowment aims to contribute invaluable resources to help fuel their professional development.

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Our challenging curriculum is a further reflection of the school’s commitment to excellence. Lower School students develop a penchant for learning and a growing awareness of the Lord in their daily lives. Middle School students mature as active learners in a supportive environment that enables them to develop progressively and independently.

Upper School students choose from standard, honors and Advanced Placement courses and independent study options to create a profile of learning best suited to their interests and aptitudes.

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spirations of greatness demand an emphasis on excellence.

“…challenging them to excel” is central to our mission.

Extra help is readily available to all through informal sessions with faculty.

Students with diagnosed learning differences can also take advantage of added, one-to-one instruction through our Academic Support Program.

Having fun while learning is also a basic tenet at St. David’s School.

St. David’s students also gain direct exposure to thought leaders in business, government, theology, education and the arts through our Speaker Series, which brings to campus an extraordinary array of guest lecturers throughout the year.

Recent speakers have included sitting and former NC governors, other state officials, members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, CEOs of major corporations, college and university administrators and professors, noted journalists, award-winning authors and a Nobel laureate.

Complementing the Speaker Series is our Senior Seminar, in which St. David’s seniors examine “The Shape of Moral Life” from the perspectives of classical and contemporary thinkers.

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Inspiring Innovation

When Socrates originated his dialectic method of teaching more than 2,500 years ago, his approach—posing questions to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas, rather than providing pat answers—represented an ingenious innovation in education.

Inquiry and innovation go hand in hand.

At St. David’s, we employ the Socratic method, while incorporating leading edge tools and techniques that are critical to preparing students to compete within the digitally driven world in which we live. Our students develop practical skills and knowledge they need in an age when an ability to harness the power of technology is vital to personal and professional success.

Our school-wide iPad® Initiative tightly integrates technology into the learning process, giving students and teachers instant, mobile access to information and applications. Use of this dynamic platform in the classroom, on campus and at home promotes collaboration and sharpens creative and analytical thinking.

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Invention and discovery are woven into the learning process.

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nquiry and innovation go hand in hand.

Our unique Innovation Warriors program sparks creativity and entrepreneurship through students’ hands-on involvement in projects aimed at designing pragmatic solutions to real-world problems. Each student can build a personal portfolio of achievements, discoveries, innovations, work experience and servant leadership.

The portfolio can then serve as a distinctive credential in seeking college admission, employment, or support for the student’s ideas.

St. David’s students have many other opportunities to engage in innovative pursuits. For example, Upper School students planned and presented a daylong TEDx event, at which speakers from throughout the country gave a series of short, powerful talks intended to promote an exchange of ideas and discussion. Middle and Upper School students advance green initiatives, such as our thriving recycling program. Lower School students tend an on-campus garden that yields herbs used to flavor foods served in the school’s dining hall.

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Cultivating Creativity

There is no shortage of means for members of the St. David’s community to pinpoint and pursue their creative passions. Our fine and performing arts programs consistently draw regional and national accolades.

Students can opt to take courses in studio art, art history and digital media. They can learn by doing, with hands-on experience producing live-streaming video events or designing functional inventions using the school’s 3D printer. They can participate in our distinguished choral and instrumental music programs, performing at venues throughout the nation and the world. They can showcase their dramatic talents as performers, writers, directors and designers in theatrical productions presented in our professional-caliber performing arts center.

Every St. David’s student develops a measure of fluency in the art of public speaking. Lower School students present their scientific research and discoveries in an annual Science Festival. Middle School students compete in a replica of the popular TV show, “Shark Tank,” promoting their ideas and inventions as part of our Innovation Warriors program. Middle and Upper School students vie for honors in our annual Declamation Contest, which requires that they memorize and perform

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The fine and performing arts are integral to life at St. David’s.

a text of their choosing. Professionals from various fields of endeavor—often among them, St. David’s alumni—judge the final round of the competition.

Daily chapel services provide ample, additional opportunities for creative expression. Students, faculty and guest pastors and other speakers lead members of the school community in worship through music, prayer and chapel talks.

Alumni return to share their insights with future St. David’s graduates.

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here is no shortage of means for members of the St. David’s community to pinpoint and pursue their creative passions.

Every student develops a measure of fluency in the art of public speaking.

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Energizing Athletics

Immerse yourself in a crowd at any St. David’s School sporting event, and you’ll find the winning Warrior spirit palpable. You’ll sense an esprit de corps that will draw you in, almost without your being aware that it has engulfed you. You’ll discern an upbeat, “can-do” attitude among athletes, coaches, family members, fellow students and other fans.

Excellence at St. David’s extends beyond academics to other elements that are integral to the life of the school. With a host of winning athletic teams, St. David’s has repeatedly won the Wells Fargo Cup, which recognizes excellence in athletics among high schools throughout the state.

We hold firmly to the belief that athletics should develop and encourage in students the positive attributes of sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment, dependability, selflessness and loyalty, a solid work ethic and self-discipline. Our enrichment offerings include physical education classes beginning in the Lower School. Our athletic program includes more than 40 Middle and Upper School competitive teams—many of which, in recent years, have won conference and state championships.

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Several St. David’s coaches have had experience at the collegiate level. Our athletes are thus exposed to a wealth of knowledge and expert athletic training.

Team sports at St. David’s include football, soccer, golf, cross country, volleyball, tennis, basketball, swimming, winter track, baseball, softball, lacrosse, cheerleading, and track and field.

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e hold firmly to the belief that athletics should develop and encourage in students sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment, dependability, selflessness and loyalty.

St. David’s has repeatedly won the Wells Fargo Cup, which recognizes excellence in athletics.

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Molding Servant Leaders

As a competitive college preparatory school in North Carolina’s capital city, St. David’s has an important role to play in strengthening our local and global community. Our mission mandates that we educate young men and women of exemplary character, who willingly contribute their gifts and talents to others, who continually seek to make a positive difference in the world.

Our efforts to mold passionate servant leaders begin in the Lower School and continue through the senior year.

St. David’s students volunteer their time to help others locally, serving in soup kitchens, visiting nursing homes, conducting food drives, filling school backpacks for underprivileged students, hosting a day of fun for children with disabilities, and building homes for Habitat for Humanity.® Many also participate in school-sponsored international missions trips.

Prefects bond during a camping and canoe trip prior to the opening of school.

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ur efforts to mold passionate servant leaders begin in the Lower School and continue through the senior year.

Rising seniors can apply for one of eight positions on the Prefect Board. Prefects are servant leaders who serve the entire St. David’s School community. Members are selected on the basis of an application, an essay, demonstrated leadership ability, and interviews with graduating prefects and faculty. The head prefect leads all prefect meetings and assists the others with their responsibilities. Additional prefect positions address spiritual life, service, academics, events, student life, athletics and admissions.

A fun-filled freshman retreat helps set the tone for students’ Upper School years.

Community service is an important emphasis at St. David’s.

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Encouraging Global Engagement

From the earliest grades, St. David’s students learn the world is far more vast and diverse than the one they encounter on a daily basis—that “Love Thy Neighbor” also entails seeking out and acting on opportunities to appreciate and support others whose lives and fortunes may be very different from their own.

We bring the global community to our campus, and send our students and faculty into disparate countries and cultures to learn and to serve.

Our annual mission trip to Guatemala and mission ventures in Ethiopia are highlights of the year for many Upper School students. Those who participate report they gain far more than they feel they can give in offering their labor and love in poverty-stricken areas. As part of the school’s foreign language and performing arts programs, students have also traveled to France, Italy and England, touring world-renowned sites and spending impromptu time with locals.

The senior year culminates with a class trip to Greece and Turkey, where students follow in the footsteps of St. Paul, visiting ancient sites in Athens, Corinth, Crete and Ephesus; the ruins of Mycenae, an ancient city that preceded Christ’s lifetime on earth by more than 1,500 years; the island of Patmos, where John received The Revelation; and other beautiful Greek isles.

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Students come back from our annual mission trip to Guatemala, brimming with the Spirit that led them there.

Middle School students participate in the exciting Model United Nations program: an authentic simulation of the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council or other multilateral body that introduces students to the world of diplomacy, negotiation and decision-making.

Lower School students learn about other countries and cultures by planning and hosting an annual International Night. Family members are invited to travel around the world by viewing festively decorated displays, brimming with images and information from foreign lands, and talking with the displays’ young creators.

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e bring the global community to our campus, and send our students and faculty into disparate countries and cultures to learn and to serve.

The ancient city of Ephesus is one of many stops seniors make, following in the footsteps of St. Paul.

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Building Strength

A spirit of continuous improvement is fundamental to the daily life, curriculum, faculty, and physical and fiscal foundation of St. David’s School—and critical to the successful fulfillment of our strategic plan. We have an ongoing commitment to careful stewardship of our personnel, facilities and financial resources.

In recent years, we have dramatically transformed the school’s 17-acre main campus, with the addition of superb new classroom space, a well-appointed performing arts center, a second gymnasium, a multipurpose dining hall, spacious indoor and outdoor common areas, faculty and staff offices, and muchneeded parking. Our new commercial kitchen has made it possible for our food service partner, SAGE Dining Services, to prepare and serve delicious, nutritious meals for students and faculty each day.

We have also substantially upgraded our technology infrastructure.

Our 30-acre satellite athletic site has also enabled St. David’s to accommodate interscholastic sports competitions such as soccer, lacrosse and cross country, and intramural events such as powder puff football and field days. Our aim is to add additional infrastructure to this multipurpose athletic complex for baseball, tennis and other sports.

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Building strength is an ongoing objective at St. David’s.

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spirit of continuous improvement is fundamental to the daily life, curriculum, faculty, and physical and fiscal foundation of St. David’s School.

Much has been accomplished, but there is still much more to do.

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Forging a Flourishing Future

From this point forward, it’s onward and upward!

St. David’s School has high hopes and great expectations for both individual and institutional advancement.

Our Admissions Office welcomes inquiries year-round. We regularly conduct group tours for interested families. When school is in session, prospective students can also spend a day on campus, attending classes and activities with a current St. David’s student.

To learn more about St. David’s and our application process, please call the Admissions Office at 919-782-3331, extension 300, or send an email to admissions@sdsw.org.

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St. David’s School already ranks among the finest independent college preparatory schools in the Southeast. Our indelible Christian spirit differentiates our school from other competitive institutions. Now, St. David’s requires significant additional material means to press ahead.

We invite you to give prayerful consideration to becoming an integral part and partner of this exceptional educational enterprise. Your participation will enable St. David’s to continue investing in students’ lives as we move forward.

To contact our Advancement Office, please call 919-782-3331, extension 246, or send an email to advancement@sdsw.org.

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St. David’s School 3400 White Oak Road Raleigh, NC 27609 919-782-3331 www.sdsw.org

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