An exceptional education that inspires a deep love of learning, a strong moral compass, the commitment to serve, and the confidence to lead.
ABOVE & BEYOND
St. Luke’s School is a secular, college-preparatory day school for grades 5–12 in New Canaan, Connecticut. A combination of challenging academics and outstanding community support distinguishes St. Luke’s and encourages students to go above and beyond their own expectations. St. Luke’s fosters intellectual and moral growth, preparing students for college and giving them the tools they need for success, leadership, and service in the world.
ST. LUKE’S AT A GLANCE
1928
St. Luke’s School Founded
Students in Grades 5-12
Average Class Size
Teacher-to-Student
Faculty with 5+ Years Experience
99
Class of 2025 85% 50
Faculty with Advanced Degrees Miles from New York City
LEADERSHIP AT ST. LUKE’S
At St. Luke’s, our goal is to help students build skills that open the door to authentic leadership. Our original Leading with Humanity curriculum begins in fifth grade and emphasizes effective speaking and listening, social and emotional agility, creative problem solving and collaboration, and the development of moral character.
HONOR CODE
The School’s Honor Code, written by St. Luke’s students, sets a high standard for student behavior and emphasizes character and leadership. All students commit to uphold the tenets of the Honor Code: honesty, respect, kindness, and responsibility.
ATHLETICS
St. Luke’s competes in the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) and New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC). There are 20 varsity teams across fall, winter, and spring athletics. Graduates are competing at the college level in Division I, II, and III in baseball, basketball, crew, cross country, football, swimming, track & field, volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, softball, soccer, golf, tennis, and equestrian. From the Class of 2024, 20% were recruited to play at the college level. SLS qualified and played in 23 Athletic Championships since 2018. Across all our teams, coaches and players aim for the highest level of sportsmanship. Several teams have even received the FAA Sportsmanship Award.
FALL
Cross Country (Boys & Girls)
Field Hockey
Football
Soccer
(Boys & Girls)
Volleyball (Girls)
WINTER
Basketball (Boys & Girls)
Ice Hockey (Boys & Girls)
Skiing (Boys & Girls)
Squash (Boys & Girls)
SPRING
Baseball
Golf (Boys & Girls)
Lacrosse (Boys & Girls)
Softball
Tennis (Boys & Girls)
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
St. Luke’s offers 39 courses in music, theater, and the visual arts. The Arts and Jensen Family Humanities Wings include the Class of 2019 Art Gallery and studio space for fine arts, such as painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, and design. The state-of-the-art Seldin Performing Arts Center and Wyckoff Family Black Box Theater host seven theatrical productions a year, including ones performed by the Advanced Acting class. Students are actors and tech crew (including stage managers and designers in lighting, sound, and set). The SLS Theater Department has won 22 all-state awards in the past six years.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
Over 100 Upper School students participate in St. Luke’s Model UN. These students regularly compete in university-sponsored tournaments at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Princeton University, Cornell University, New York University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as local high school tournaments. In the 2023-2024 school year, St. Luke’s hosted two student-led in-house tournaments. During the 2024 season, students received 21 awards, including Best Delegate, Outstanding Delegate, Best Rookie, and Verbal Commendations.
SPEECH AND DEBATE
St. Luke’s is home to a nationally ranked Speech and Debate Team and is an award-winning member of the National Debate Coaches Association and National Speech & Debate Association (NDSA). In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 30 students competed in 20 tournaments across eight states. SLS was the first team in Connecticut to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Four team members qualified, and one team placed 2nd overall. Two debaters were eligible for NSDA Academic All-American awards, and debaters earned Premier Distinction, Outstanding Distinction, and Superior Distinction NSDA degrees.
SERVICE AT ST. LUKE’S
Preparing students for a lifelong commitment to learning and social responsibility is at the heart of the St. Luke’s experience. The School’s motto, Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Serve., inspires students to strive not only for academic excellence but also for responsible citizenship and service to humanity.
Each year, Upper School students complete 20 hours of community service as part of their graduation requirements. Students in the Class of 2024 completed an average of 125 hours each year for a total of 10,884 hours of service during their four years of Upper School.
STANDARDIZED TEST AVERAGES
ST. LUKE’S GRADING PHILOSOPHY
• While young children are innately curious learners, the process of quantifying learning can mean that by high school, students value points over the learning itself. At St. Luke’s, our goal is to shift students’ mindsets to see grades as feedback on their learning, not points earned. We want our students to have a healthy relationship with grades and feedback.
• St. Luke’s transcript includes a combination of letter grades and mastery grades. Students in all classes are invited to reflect on teacher feedback and set goals for their own growth.
• St. Luke’s uses a Mastery Grading Scale for its Scholars program as well as for courses that have an individualized skills-based approach to student learning. These include all Fine & Performing Arts classes as well as introductory level Computer Science & Engineering classes. In these courses, descriptions such as “above proficiency” provide more helpful feedback to students than letter grades.
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS
St. Luke’s offers academic programs in our Upper School where high-achieving and highly motivated students pursue independent research in a particular field of interest. These programs have specific requirements beyond SLS graduation requirements (learn more in our Curriculum Guide). All programs culminate in a presentation of students’ year-long research projects at the annual Scholars Symposium. Students participating in any of the Scholars programs graduate with honors distinction.
CLASSICAL SCHOLARS
Participants undertake an enriched study of classical humanities, intensive Greek, and Advanced Latin. A senior-year research project completes the curriculum.
GLOBAL SCHOLARS
Seniors selected as Global Scholars complete an in-depth analysis of a global issue, extensive language study, and an interdisciplinary capstone project.
LITERARY SCHOLARS
The Literary Scholars Program is a humanitiesbased program that focuses on the analysis of literature. Students in the program have a chance to combine scholarship and creativity in an independent project that showcases interdisciplinary academic research.
STEM SCHOLARS
The STEM curriculum includes the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students complete a set of Advanced core courses and a year-long research project in an approved field of study.
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
Working one-on-one with a faculty advisor, students may pursue a semester-long or yearlong independent study, culminating in a final presentation.
ST. LUKE’S UPPER SCHOOL CURRICULUM
At the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year, St. Luke’s replaced all but four of its Advanced Placement courses (AP Spanish, French, and Calculus AB and BC) with an Advanced Curriculum because of the School’s desire to set standards for student learning at a higher level than those of the College Board. This change gives St. Luke’s the chance to be itself—to focus on fulfilling a mission directed not just at mastery of course material but at supporting students as they develop into intellectual and moral beings. The School believes in its mission and in the power of its faculty to create learning experiences for students that elicit a high degree of intellectual engagement and that involve active, authentic work toward gaining the deepest possible understanding of challenging concepts, difficult skills, and sophisticated content.
St. Luke’s has partnerships with One Schoolhouse and Global Online Academy, which both offer asynchronous courses in a variety of disciplines. SLS students must apply to take these courses, and the grades for One Schoolhouse and Global Online Academy courses appear on St. Luke’s transcripts and are factored in to a student’s GPA.
Students graduating from St. Luke’s complete a minimum of 20 credits.
Four years of English, including World Literature, British Literature, American Studies, and an English elective during both semesters in 12th grade.
History and Social Science
Graduation requirements:
Three years of history, including World History, Modern World History, and American Studies.
World Literature (regular/honors)
British Literature (regular/honors)
American Studies (regular/honors/ advanced)
World Languages
Graduation requirements:
Three years of French, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish through level three.
Foundations of World History (regular/honors)
Modern World History (regular/ honors)
American Studies (regular/honors/ advanced)
African American Literature (regular/advanced)
America in Film (regular/advanced)
Classical Mythology (regular/advanced)
Creative Writing (regular/advanced)
Feminist Literature (regular/advanced)
Journalism (regular/advanced)
Literature of Racial Passing (regular/advanced)
Literature of War (regular/advanced)
Rhetorical Theory (regular/advanced)
Satan in Literature (regular/advanced)
Science in Literature (regular/advanced)
American Government: Elections (regular/advanced)
Civil Rights Movement (regular/advanced)
Civil War (regular/advanced)
Economics
Advanced European History
Advanced American Government: Constitutional Law
Advanced Government: Legal Studies
History of Ancient Greece (regular/advanced)
History of Ancient Rome (regular/advanced)
Advanced Political Theory
Vietnam (regular/advanced)
French I
French II (regular/honors)
Latin I, II
Honors Latin III
Mandarin Chinese I
Mandarin Chinese II (regular/honors)
Spanish I
Spanish II (regular/honors)
French I
French II, III (regular/honors)
Latin I, II
Latin III (regular/honors)
Mandarin Chinese I
Mandarin Chinese II, III (regular/ honors)
Spanish I
Spanish II, III (regular/honors)
French I
French II, III, IV (regular/honors)
AP French
Latin I, II
Latin III (regular/honors)
Latin Literature (regular/ honors/advanced)
Mandarin Chinese I
Mandarin Chinese II, III, IV (regular/honors)
Spanish I
Spanish II, III, IV (regular/honors)
AP Spanish
French I
French II, III, IV, V (regular/honors)
AP French
Latin I, II
Latin III (regular/honors)
Latin Literature (regular/honors/advanced)
Mandarin Chinese I
Mandarin Chinese II, III, IV (regular/honors)
Spanish I
Spanish II, III, IV, V (regular/honors)
AP Spanish
Mathematics
Graduation requirements:
Three years of math, including Geometry and Algebra II
Science
Graduation requirements:
Three years of science, including biology and chemistry or physics
Algebra II
Algebra II with Trigonometry (regular/honors)
Integrated Algebra
Geometry (regular/honors)
Integrated Geometry
Algebra II
Algebra II with Trigonometry (regular/honors)
Functions, Statistics, & Trigonometry
Geometry (regular/honors)
Integrated Geometry
Pre-Calculus (regular/honors)
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
Biology (regular/honors)
Anatomy & Physiology
Chemistry (regular/honors)
Classical Physics
Geoscience
Marine Science
Algebra II
Algebra II with Trigonometry (regular/honors)
Functions, Statistics, & Trigonometry
Pre-Calculus (regular/honors)
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
Advanced Multivariable Calculus
Advanced Statistics
Anatomy & Physiology
Chemistry (regular/ honors/advanced)
Classical Physics (regular/honors)
Environmental Science
Genetics
Geoscience
Marine Science
Microbiology
Data Science
Functions, Statistics, & Trigonometry
Pre-Calculus (regular/honors)
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
Advanced Multivariable Calculus
Advanced Statistics
Computer Science & Engineering
Computer Programming I, II
Foundations of Computer Science & Engineering
Functional Sculpture
Robotics
Advanced Computer Science I
Computer Programming I, II
Engineering & Design
Foundations of Computer Science & Engineering
Functional Sculpture
Mechanical Design
Robotics
Advanced Computer Architecture
Advanced Computer Science I, II
Engineering & Design (regular/advanced)
Functional Sculpture
Advanced Programming Languages
Anatomy & Physiology
Advanced Biology
Advanced Chemistry
Advanced Organic Chemistry
Environmental Science
Genetics
Geoscience
Marine Science
Microbiology
Classical Physics (regular/honors)
Advanced Modern Physics: A
Advanced Modern Physics: C
Advanced Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics
Advanced Physical Chemistry: Waves & Quanta
Advanced Computer Architecture
Advanced Computer Science I, II
Engineering & Design (regular/advanced)
Functional Sculpture
Advanced Programming Languages
Leadership Studies
Public Forum Debate
Speech & Debate
Ethics of Global Leadership
Public Forum Debate
Service Seminar
Speech & Debate
Ethics of Global Leadership
Life Worth Living Public Forum Debate Service Seminar
Speech & Debate
Advanced Global Scholars Seminar
Advanced Literary Scholars Seminar
Advanced STEM Scholars Seminar
Ethics of Global Leadership
Life Worth Living Service Seminar
Speech & Debate
Fine/ Performing Arts
Graduation requirements:
One year of fine or performing arts
Fine Arts 9-12
Advanced Art Practices Ceramics
Digital Design Drawing
Painting Photography
Portfolio Development Yearbook
Performing Arts 9-12
Acting I, II, III
Advanced Acting Band Chorale
Digital Music Production
Theater Design: Lighting & Sound
Theater Design: Scenery & Costumes
COLLEGE MATRICULATION LIST 2020-2024
American University
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Berry College
Boston College
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Bowdoin College
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Brigham Young University
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California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Central Connecticut State University
Chapman University
Claremont McKenna College
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College of Charleston
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College of William & Mary
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Fashion Institute of Technology
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Franklin and Marshall College
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Hamilton College
Harvard University
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Hobart and William Smith Colleges
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Kenyon College
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McGill University
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Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St Louis
Wesleyan University
West Virginia State University
Western New England University
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
St. Luke’s School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Memberships: College Board, National and New England Associations for College Admission Counseling, National Association of Independent Schools, Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, and Cum Laude Society.
Non-Discrimination Policy
St. Luke’s School admits qualified students of any race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, scholarship and loan, athletic, and other programs. The School is committed to maintaining an academic community in which the dignity and worth of each of its members is respected.
