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Why St. David's?

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Why St. David’s?

St. David’s School . Raleigh, NC www.sdsw.org . 919-782-3331


OUR MISSION St. David’s is an independent Episcopal school that prepares young men and women for college and life by providing challenging opportunities to excel in the vital areas of faith, virtue, and knowledge.

FAITH, VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE St. David’s School is indeed a unique place that combines a rigorous college preparatory program taught by Christian faculty members who intentionally integrate biblical truth in and out of the classroom.

WHY ST. DAVID’S “St. David’s equipped me to succeed academically and technically in a rigorous university environment...challenged me to think about very important matters, encouraged me to lead...” -- Michael, Alumnus, NCSU Park Scholar “We didn’t know if a school like St. David’s existed -- a place that combined strong academics and athletics with spiritual development. If we hadn’t found St. David’s, we wouldn’t have made the move to Raleigh.” -- Tom, Middle & Upper School Parent We moved to Raleigh so our daughter could grow in the love of learning and voice & stage performance in a place with a wonderful sense of community and faith.” -- Ivey, Lower & Middle School Parent


CURRICULUM LOWER SCHOOL The lower school provides a structured educational setting while inspiring a love of learning and a growing awareness of God in the students’ daily lives. Our nurturing environment instills Christian values while providing students with the opportunity to grow and mature, both academically and socially. Smaller class sizes allow teachers to readily encourage and motivate students to fully develop their unique gifts and talents. Our lower school faculty members utilize methods of differentiated instruction to engage and inspire children with various learning styles. This structure, combined with a learning environment that involves active student participation, is one of the greatest strengths of the St. David’s Lower School.  Daily Curriculum: reading, language arts, writing, math, science, social studies, PE, and recess  Enrichment Curriculum: art, music/drama, technology, library, science, Spanish and chapel

MIDDLE SCHOOL The middle school curriculum has been carefully designed with the adolescent in mind. The curriculum is structured and challenging, and students are actively involved in the learning process through class discussions, experiments, and field trips. Students are provided with a supportive learning environment, and the curriculum enables them to progressively develop independently and critically, all in preparation for their transition to the upper school. The St. David’s standard course of study includes English, math, history, science, and foreign language. Each student is offered a variety of electives as well as numerous afterschool activities.

UPPER SCHOOL The upper school program provides an excellent variety of academic opportunities. Students can choose from standard, advanced, honors and Advanced Placement courses to create a profile of learning that is best for them. The rigor of our curriculum is matched by the school’s commitment to small classes, a morning tutorial period, and a well-supported advisory system that fosters an environment of encouragement and support. Boasting an annual college acceptance rate of 100 percent, our students are offered admission to selective colleges and universities including Brown, Duke, Emerson, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Harvard, Wake Forest, Davidson, Gordon College, UNC-Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt, Virginia, NC State, Washington and Lee, Wheaton, UCLA, Purdue, Syracuse, NYU, Villanova, Boston College, the US Military Academy and the US Naval Academy to name a few.


BY THE NUMBERS  2014-2015 enrollment: more than 625 students  Dually accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)  Member of NAIS, NAES, NCAIS, NACAC, SACAC, SACS, SAIS, ERB, and the College Board  Faculty-student ratio of 1:8 • Upper school average class size: 12 • Middle school average class size: 14 • Lower school average class size: 15  75 percent of upper school faculty hold advanced degrees  Honor code, student honor council, and prefect board  AP coursework offered beginning at the sophomore year with 90% of students scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam  Seniors take Senior Seminar: a rigorous examination of the distinctions between moral frameworks and basic doctrines of the Christian faith  Senior interdisciplinary trip  80 hours of community service required for graduation  SAT scores averaging over 1225  ACT scores average of 27  Annual college acceptance rate of 100 percent, with students offered admission to some of the most selective colleges and universities throughout the country  More than $9.8 million in scholarship monies awarded to St. David’s seniors in the last three years  42 athletic teams in 21 different sports St. David’s School’s admission policy is non-discriminatory on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, nationality or ethnic origin.


ATHLETICS & FINE ARTS ATHLETICS St. David’s seeks to equip young men and women to excel in all areas of life. We believe athletics should encourage the positive attributes of sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment, dependability, selflessness, loyalty, self-discipline, and a strong work ethic. With a number of head coaches having experience at the collegiate level, both as players and coaches, our athletes are exposed to a wealth of knowledge and competitive training. 

Winner of the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 Wells Fargo Cup as the highest ranked athletics program in Division 2A athletics in the state of NC

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42 athletic teams in 21 different sports Middle school, junior varsity & varsity offerings, with eligibility beginning in grade six

Numerous state championship teams, including 2014 girls track, 2013 boys tennis, 2012 and 2013 girls tennis, 2011 and 2012 volleyball, 2010 boys soccer

FINE ARTS Our commitment to the fine arts emanates from our understanding of the important role of the arts in Western history and our understanding of how we reflect our creator’s image. At St. David’s, our award-winning fine arts are fully curricular, with required coursework in the arts in both the middle and upper school programs. Through both visual and performing arts, students are able to express themselves freely, thoughtfully, confidently, artistically, and joyfully during their school years.    

Fall play and spring musical annually Award winning bands and choirs, including three full bands and jazz ensemble, four choirs, show choir, and student-led praise band Lower school choral music and visual arts programs Robust visual arts program including media & film production, ceramics, drawing, painting, graphic design, web design, and photography


COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES University of Alabama American University American University of Paris Appalachian State University Art Institute of Chicago Auburn University Bard College Baylor University Belmont University Biola University Boston College Boston University Butler University Calvin College Campbell University Cedarville University Centre College Chapman University University of Chicago The Citadel Clemson University Cleveland Institute of Art Colgate University College of Charleston Columbia International Davidson College University of Denver Drexel University Duke University Duquesne University Durham University (UK) East Carolina University University of Edinburgh (UK) Elon University Emerson College Emory University University of Florida Florida State University Furman University George Mason University University of Georgia Gordon College

Grove City College Guilford College Hampden-Sydney College Harvard University Haverford College High Point University Hillsdale College Indiana University Indiana Wesleyan University James Madison University University of Kentucky The King’s College Lehigh University Lenoir-Rhyne University LeTourneau University Liberty University Louisiana State University University of Maryland University of Massachusetts McGill University (Canada) Memphis College of Art Messiah College Methodist University Miami University of Ohio University of Miami University of Michigan University of Mississippi University of New Mexico New York University UNC-Asheville UNC-Chapel Hill UNC-Charlotte UNC-Greensboro UNC-Wilmington NC Central University NC State University Northeastern University Ohio University Oregon Institute of Technology Johns Hopkins University University of Pittsburgh

Providence College Purdue University Queens University Randolph-Macon College Rensselaer Polytechnic Rhode Island School of Design Rhodes College University of Richmond Ringling College of Art & Design Roanoke College University of Rochester Univ. of St. Andrews (Scotland) University of San Diego Santa Clara University Savannah College of Art & Design Sewanee: Univ. of the South University of South Carolina Univ. of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts Southern Methodist University Syracuse University Temple University University of Tennessee University of Texas Tulane University United States Naval Academy Vanderbilt University University of Vermont Villanova University University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Virginia Military Institute Virginia Polytechnic Wake Forest University Washington & Lee University Washington State University Wheaton College College of William & Mary University of Wisconsin Wofford College

For a complete listing of schools to which St. David’s students have been accepted, please see our website.


BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Throughout the year, students participate in hands-on activities around campus, across the country and around the world. All lower school classes participate in annual educational field trips that are part of the curriculum, as do students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 12. The field trips enhance the curriculum by taking students to places that increase their appreciation of history, science, literature and the Bible. The annual eighth grade field trip takes students to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. The freshman retreat is an offcampus trip designed as a time of inspiration, fun, and team building. The senior trip to Greece is designed to be a culminating experience where the students walk in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. Many students serve on annual mission trips to Guatemala and Ethiopia in addition to participating in local and stateside service opportunities each year. From the creek that borders our campus to distant oceans and cities, the world is indeed our classroom!

CONTACT US The best way to discover “Why St. David’s?” is by visiting our campus, where you will experience the campus in action, learn more about our outstanding programs, and meet the stellar faculty. We invite you to join us for an oncampus admissions event – either a group tour and information session or our admissions open house. For a complete listing of upcoming admissions events and to schedule your visit, or to obtain information regarding the application process, please visit our website or contact the Admissions Office.

ADMISSIONS OFFICE 919-782-3331 admissions@sdsw.org www.sdsw.org/admissions


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