Imaginative, critical thinkers and people for others. At St. Francis, they believe their mission matters. So from the Reggio-inspired approach in Primary School to the inquiry-based environment of Lower School to the hotbed of 21st century learning that is the St. Francis Middle School, they engage and inspire students to think critically, explore deeply, and take the academic and artistic leaps that allow them to mature in independence and innovation.

At the core of it all is a student-centric, research-based curriculum; passionate, award-winning educators; and leading-edge technology at every turn. Because when it comes to helping the Wolves advance from their earliest academic ventures through the exponential growth in literacy, quantitative reasoning, creative thinking, and social/ emotional development of their elementary and secondary years, they not only focus on the whole child—but also the whole environment. This might mean a field trip to one of the tallest buildings in town for the Primary II class fascinated by skyscrapers; a third grader’s grin as her design takes shape on the popular 3-D printer; or the compassion of eighth graders who donate $45,000 in national Lead2Feed Challenge winnings to local nonprofits.

At St. Francis, success equals so much more than a grade on paper. On their two campuses, more than 900 students live, grow, and give together through beloved annual service projects; 40-plus teams in 13 sports; rousing theatre and choir productions; three orchestras; unforgettable living-history events; and a dizzying array of school-day and after-school enrichment programs— all while worshipping side by side during regular chapel and Eucharist services.

Now, the community is set to turn another page as they realize the long-held dream of a St. Francis high school. Slated to open to its founding freshman class in the 2018–19 school year, the St. Francis Upper School will reimagine the traditional high school experience, emphasizing thematic learning over staid survey courses and 21st century skills over the rote memorization of decades past.