Upper School

When summer comes around, St. Mary’s girls don’t stop learning! Eleven Upper School students are pursuing their passions from arts to science at the prestigious Tennessee Governor’s Schools. ​​

This summer, St. Mary’s Turkeys flocked to the sciences, pursuing interests in medical, research, and technology fields. Through programs from all over the country, the Turkeys are taking over STEM.

Afifa Shah ’25 is not just learning Global Studies – she’s living it. Afifa and her family hosted an exchange student, Ximena, from Guatemala this past school year. This summer, Afifa immersed herself in Ximena’s world.

This month, we celebrated the Class of 2024 at St. Mary's 139th Commencement. Congratulations to the 74 deserving graduates. This impressive class earned acceptance to 179 universities and will move on to 53 different colleges and universities in 28 states and Italy.

It’s been a busy spring for our musical Turkeys! Our Upper School Concert Band performed with heart and soul during its recent competitions and concerts across the state.

St. Mary’s ranks among the nation’s best high schools for Advanced Placement exam pass rates. Over the last five years, the school has increased AP course offerings, maintained high levels of success, and sent girls to college well-prepared.

Eight Upper School students witnessed the practical use of robots in medical care at Saint Francis Hospital. The girls spent time in small groups with physicians and medical device experts, learning about surgical robotic tools such as the Da Vinci, MAKO, and MAZOR.

Last week, St. Mary’s inducted many Upper School students into Extracurricular and Academic Honor Societies. These honors included Art, Tri M, M Club, Thespian, Cliosophic, Mu Alpha Theta, Latin, French, and Spanish societies. The students given these honors go above and beyond what is required in an average school day. They push themselves to excel in various subjects and outside activities.

The “Manie Musicale” competition was started by two French teachers in Maine in 2017, in an effort to foster greater interest in French-speaking musicians among students globally. St. Mary's Upper School French Teacher Dr. Brandy Brown and Middle School French Teacher Leanne Hinkle have both led this activity for their classes over the past few years.

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.