- Early Childhood
In the Marlene Shaw Early Childhood Center, teachers and students mean business when it comes to playtime! In fact, imaginative play and hands-on exploration are the hallmarks of St. Mary’s early childhood curriculum.
In the Marlene Shaw Early Childhood Center, teachers and students mean business when it comes to playtime! In fact, imaginative play and hands-on exploration are the hallmarks of St. Mary’s early childhood curriculum.
Congratulations to St. Mary’s basketball, bowling, and swimming teams for their impressive performances this winter. Several of our teams and athletes ended their season as champions or with top-five finishes in league and regional competitions.
Congratulations to Madison Brode ’20 for receiving the Marshall Scholarship, a prestigious award for graduate-level study in the United Kingdom given annually to 50 American college students. Brode, a senior at Mississippi State University, is the first student from the university to receive the award.
This month, St. Mary’s Upper School presented a fabulously fun performance of the award-winning musical Legally Blonde. Audiences had a great time following the transformational journey of Elle Woods as she tackled stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams.
Today, we inducted 49 Upper School students into the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society was founded in 1921 to recognize and encourage academic achievement, scholarship, character, service, and leadership. Senior officers, Averie Howell, Mary-Kate Kalodimos, Sarah Moon, Anum Raza, Reeya Sharma, and Emily Smith welcomed the newest members. Congratulations to these intelligent and hard-working students!
Throughout February, St. Mary's has recognized Black History Month. On the North Campus, students have read literature by Black authors, focused on influential Black Americans in their classrooms and special subjects, and listened to Chapel talks featuring stories of Black Americans.
While St. Mary’s is renowned for its academics, our signature character education program, the Bridge to Caring, is the heartbeat of our community. Over the past several years, St. Mary’s has sought ways to highlight students who exemplify the traits in our Bridge to Caring.
Congratulations to the 76 Upper School students who were inducted into The National Beta Club!
Intentionality is at the core of St. Mary’s academic curriculum. Our faculty and staff communicate regularly across grades and divisions regarding coursework, learning patterns, and educational advancements to enhance the learning experience for our students. One of the ways St. Mary’s showcases its academic intentionality is through a strategy called “vertical planning.”
As part of our Beyond St. Mary's series, we are catching up with recent alumnae. This week, we are checking in with Cam Hart ‘23, who shares how her time at St. Mary's prepared her for college life.
Today, we inducted 49 Upper School students into the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society was founded in 1921 to recognize and encourage academic achievement, scholarship, character, service, and leadership. Senior officers, Averie Howell, Mary-Kate Kalodimos, Sarah Moon, Anum Raza, Reeya Sharma, and Emily Smith welcomed the newest members. Congratulations to these intelligent and hard-working students!
Congratulations to the 76 Upper School students who were inducted into The National Beta Club!
Intentionality is at the core of St. Mary’s academic curriculum. Our faculty and staff communicate regularly across grades and divisions regarding coursework, learning patterns, and educational advancements to enhance the learning experience for our students. One of the ways St. Mary’s showcases its academic intentionality is through a strategy called “vertical planning.”
Seven St. Mary’s students were honored by the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards. The annual competition, hosted by the Brooks Museum of Art, recognizes exemplary art by students in grades 7-12.
St. Mary’s will be CLOSED through Friday, Jan. 19. All on-campus activities, including athletics, have been canceled. A list of canceled events and the rescheduled dates are included here.
Each year, a nationally recognized artist visits St. Mary’s to work with students through the Louise T. Archer ‘40 Artist in Residence program. This year's artist is Morgan Beckford '06, an opera singer based in Boston. Beckford will work with students across all divisions. Her curriculum will highlight works by Black composers. Beckford will also perform a concert for the community.
Today, St. Mary’s Episcopal School announced the launch of a transformative capital campaign to elevate learning areas and provide space for a growing student body. The $10 million campaign preserves the iconic Moss Hall and adds 9,000 square feet to the building. The new Moss Hall addition will house Liza’s Library, new science classrooms, an expanded MakerSpace, and a nursery for children of faculty and staff.
This month, St. Mary’s Upper School presented a fabulously fun performance of the award-winning musical Legally Blonde. Audiences had a great time following the transformational journey of Elle Woods as she tackled stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams.
Today, we inducted 49 Upper School students into the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society was founded in 1921 to recognize and encourage academic achievement, scholarship, character, service, and leadership. Senior officers, Averie Howell, Mary-Kate Kalodimos, Sarah Moon, Anum Raza, Reeya Sharma, and Emily Smith welcomed the newest members. Congratulations to these intelligent and hard-working students!
Congratulations to the 76 Upper School students who were inducted into The National Beta Club!
Seven St. Mary’s students were honored by the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards. The annual competition, hosted by the Brooks Museum of Art, recognizes exemplary art by students in grades 7-12.
We recently wrapped up another successful fall sports season at St. Mary’s. All 15 fall teams did a phenomenal job representing the Turkeys. Several teams and individuals claimed championships and top-ten finishes in their league, regional, and state tournaments.
This month, students in the Honors Independent Research Study (HIRS) program and a participant in the St. Jude High School Student Summer Fellowship presented their final projects. The HIRS program offers a unique opportunity for rising seniors to conduct an original, engaging research project of their choosing.
Upper School Art Teacher Andrea Fletcher hopes that St. Mary’s art courses will spark a passion in her students and encourage a lifelong interest in art and the many lessons it espouses. In fact, the Upper School offers visual art courses for every grade level, allowing students the opportunity to opt to take art courses throughout the course of their high school career.
Seven St. Mary’s students were honored by the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards. The annual competition, hosted by the Brooks Museum of Art, recognizes exemplary art by students in grades 7-12.
When St. Mary’s seventh-graders first enter their requisite Life Science class, most of them think they will walk away learning the basic tenets of biology; however, what they don’t know is that science teacher Kate Fairless is going to equip them with essential lessons in organization and executive functioning, preparing them for Upper School – and for life.
We recently wrapped up another successful fall sports season at St. Mary’s. All 15 fall teams did a phenomenal job representing the Turkeys. Several teams and individuals claimed championships and top-ten finishes in their league, regional, and state tournaments.
In Senior Kindergarten, girls learn the basics of public speaking through a weekly reading journal presentation. As students move through the Lower School, girls learn to make claims based on solid reasoning, cite evidence to justify their thinking, and explain how their selected evidence supports their reasoning.
Every 7th grade student at St. Mary's takes Community Connections, a quarter-long service class designed to help students understand the needs of their community, grow compassion and empathy, and develop as leaders.
St. Mary's coaches and trainers focus on a holistic approach to strength, conditioning, wellness, and injury prevention. In fact, each athlete works closely with Athletic Trainer and Strength & Conditioning Coach Claire Betti on a plan to ensure they get the maximum benefit from their workouts while minimizing the risk of injuries.
Lilly Coggin ’26, Ivy Carls ’26, and Caroline Chandler ’26 were the first St. Mary’s team to attend the worldwide competition. Then fourth graders, the students led the way for the budding robotics program to blossom into a formidable force in the competitive robotics arena. Thanks to these girls’ enthusiasm and early success, VEX robotics has taken off at St. Mary’s. Since the first appearance, St. Mary’s has sent numerous teams to the World Championship, including three in 2023.
Throughout February, St. Mary's has recognized Black History Month. On the North Campus, students have read literature by Black authors, focused on influential Black Americans in their classrooms and special subjects, and listened to Chapel talks featuring stories of Black Americans.
While St. Mary’s is renowned for its academics, our signature character education program, the Bridge to Caring, is the heartbeat of our community. Over the past several years, St. Mary’s has sought ways to highlight students who exemplify the traits in our Bridge to Caring.
Intentionality is at the core of St. Mary’s academic curriculum. Our faculty and staff communicate regularly across grades and divisions regarding coursework, learning patterns, and educational advancements to enhance the learning experience for our students. One of the ways St. Mary’s showcases its academic intentionality is through a strategy called “vertical planning.”
When students, parents, and guests attend a Lower School Chapel for the first time, many are surprised to see St. Mary's fourth graders leading the service rather than fifth-grade students. This is a special privilege and responsibility that the fourth-grade classes have carried out for years.
For North Campus Art Teachers Lauren Cannon and Kelly Cook, the St. Mary's art curriculum is a way to reinforce concepts the students are learning in other classes, cultivate the creative process, and even help regulate students’ feelings and emotions
Before Thanksgiving, our 1st and 4th grade students welcomed grandparents and grand-friends to campus for Grandparents Day. Students performed a special program with a fun selection of songs representing the character traits of our signature character education program, the Bridge to Caring.
We recently wrapped up another successful fall sports season at St. Mary’s. All 15 fall teams did a phenomenal job representing the Turkeys. Several teams and individuals claimed championships and top-ten finishes in their league, regional, and state tournaments.
In the Marlene Shaw Early Childhood Center, teachers and students mean business when it comes to playtime! In fact, imaginative play and hands-on exploration are the hallmarks of St. Mary’s early childhood curriculum.
Intentionality is at the core of St. Mary’s academic curriculum. Our faculty and staff communicate regularly across grades and divisions regarding coursework, learning patterns, and educational advancements to enhance the learning experience for our students. One of the ways St. Mary’s showcases its academic intentionality is through a strategy called “vertical planning.”
For North Campus Art Teachers Lauren Cannon and Kelly Cook, the St. Mary's art curriculum is a way to reinforce concepts the students are learning in other classes, cultivate the creative process, and even help regulate students’ feelings and emotions
By the time a student starts senior kindergarten, she already knows most of the fundamentals of language. St. Mary’s uses an evidence-based approach to curriculum development to ensure that teachers capitalize on this electric age of development and growth for young Turkeys. Head of Early Childhood Christina Block and North Campus Curriculum Director Jessica Lancaster are leading the effort to infuse “LETRS” (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) best practices at St. Mary’s.
In Senior Kindergarten, girls learn the basics of public speaking through a weekly reading journal presentation. As students move through the Lower School, girls learn to make claims based on solid reasoning, cite evidence to justify their thinking, and explain how their selected evidence supports their reasoning.
Girls enrolled in St. Mary’s Place through 5th grades take Spanish classes at least once per week. Vocabulary and grammar are presented kinesthetically, aurally, verbally, visually, and literally to reinforce words and phrases.
We are so excited to introduce our new faculty! We also have some teachers switching positions.
Congratulations to St. Mary’s basketball, bowling, and swimming teams for their impressive performances this winter. Several of our teams and athletes ended their season as champions or with top-five finishes in league and regional competitions.
We recently wrapped up another successful fall sports season at St. Mary’s. All 15 fall teams did a phenomenal job representing the Turkeys. Several teams and individuals claimed championships and top-ten finishes in their league, regional, and state tournaments.
St. Mary's coaches and trainers focus on a holistic approach to strength, conditioning, wellness, and injury prevention. In fact, each athlete works closely with Athletic Trainer and Strength & Conditioning Coach Claire Betti on a plan to ensure they get the maximum benefit from their workouts while minimizing the risk of injuries.
This year, St. Mary’s Athletics launched a swim team for students in grades SK-5. Organized and led by Assistant Athletic Director Kendall Visinsky, the team aims to teach fundamentals and techniques to the youngest Turkey swimmers.
Turkey swimmer Grace Ciaramitaro ’23 will continue her athletic and academic career at Vanderbilt University. This month, Ciaramitaro signed with the Commodores swim team. Ciaramitaro has had an accomplished swim career at St. Mary’s and has been an essential part of the Upper School team. She earned seven first-place medals over three years at county and state meets.
Theirs was a season seven years in the making, and a championship won with only 17 seconds left on the clock. For the seven seniors who helped clinch the 2021 state championship for St. Mary’s Episcopal School varsity lacrosse, their final season of play reflected the girls’ strength, determination, and mutual trust as a tight-knit team.
It’s a new era of Turkey basketball! Two seasoned basketball coaches recently joined St. Mary’s Episcopal School’s athletic department. Jerry Dover is the new varsity basketball coach. David Norton will lead the junior varsity team. Sarah Williams will continue to support the program as an assistant coach.
As part of our Beyond St. Mary's series, we are catching up with recent alumnae. This week, we are checking in with Cam Hart ‘23, who shares how her time at St. Mary's prepared her for college life.
Each year, a nationally recognized artist visits St. Mary’s to work with students through the Louise T. Archer ‘40 Artist in Residence program. This year's artist is Morgan Beckford '06, an opera singer based in Boston. Beckford will work with students across all divisions. Her curriculum will highlight works by Black composers. Beckford will also perform a concert for the community.
In preparation for his new term, Mayor-elect Paul Young asked two St. Mary’s alumnae to join his transition team. Cara Greenstein ’10 and Anna McQuiston ’88 worked with other community leaders to help guide the priorities of the new administration.
The St. Mary’s Alumnae Board is thrilled to announce Jean Vaughan McGhee ’86 as the 2024 Outstanding Alumna. McGhee will receive the award and deliver remarks during St. Mary’s Alumnae Weekend on Friday, April 12.
As an Associate Professor of Religion at Clemson University and a historian of American religion, Elizabeth Jemison ’04, Ph.D. has made a career of researching and asking questions, focusing on the relationships between religion and race, gender, and politics during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Yorick in Space, an exhibition featuring paintings by St. Mary’s alumna Mamie Tinkler ’96, is currently on at Tops Gallery in downtown Memphis (400 S. Front Street). The exhibition opened on Saturday, October 28, and is available through Sunday, December 17. The new series of paintings in watercolor and gouache is “set in a far-off galaxy, or the distant past, or a place entirely imagined.”
For the last seven years, Chandler Roberts Cummins ’12 has dedicated her career to being a comforting presence to patients while providing the highest level of care. As a nurse, Cummins knows that patients are often in their most vulnerable state during a hospital stay or doctor’s visit and are in need of extraordinary empathy and compassion.