After3, St. Mary's after school care program, will post information on fall care options and fees later this spring. Options will be available through our online registration portal, Ultra Camp, which is linked in the button below. Care is available each full day of school until 6:00 p.m.

Summer at St. Mary’s offers a unique experience where children can learn, move, and play. Summer 2019 will feature the return of favorite programs such as Fine Motor Fun, Reading and Writing Workshops, and many new offerings.  Summer at St. Mary’s has options from Pre-K through College Prep, and is open to the community.  You may browse summer options and register by using the button below.

We look forward to seeing you this summer!

ULTRA CAMP REGISTRATION PORTAL

summer brochure

You will receive an e-mail in late July including more back-to-school information. School begins Monday, August 12 with a noon dismissal for all students.

Save-the-date for the following orientations:

Early Childhood
All Early Childhood orientations listed below will be Friday, August 9. This is a time for parents only, and we look forward to visiting with you. Please do not bring your children.

St. Mary's Place, PK, and JK
8:00-8:45 a.m. Parent Orientation for St. Mary's Place, PK and JK families beginning in classrooms and ending in the Marlene R. Shaw Early Childhood Center, Gilmore Lynn Room

Senior Kindergarten
8:00-8:45 a.m. Parent orientation in the Marlene R. Shaw Early Childhood Center, Gilmore Lynn Room and then you will move to classrooms to meet the teachers and learn about your class

New Families Only
8:45-9:30 a.m. New Parent Presentation by Laura Hutton in the Marlene R. Shaw Early Childhood Center, Gilmore Lynn Room

Lower School

• New St. Mary's girls, Meet-the-Teacher Day (Optional), Thursday, August 8 at 2:30 p.m. in the Lower School Kelsey Zehring Memorial Library.
• 1st Grade Parent Orientation, Friday, August 9 at 11:30 a.m. in the Marlene R. Shaw Early Childhood Center, Gilmore Lynn Room.
• 2nd and 3rd Grade Parent Orientations, Thursday, August 8 from 8:00-9:15 a.m. in classrooms.
• 4th and 5th Grade Parent Orientations, Thursday August 8 from 10:00-11:15 a.m. in classrooms.

Middle School
All Middle School orientations  and "Stop and Drops" listed below will be Friday, August 9.

• 6th grade book "stop and drop" at 9:00 a.m. in the Windland Smith Rice Building lobby.
• 6th grade All-Parent Orientation at 9:00 a.m. in Windland Smith Rice room #114.
• 7th grade book "stop and drop" at 10:00 a.m. in the Windland Smith Rice Building lobby.
• 7th grade New Parent Orientation at 10:00 a.m. in Windland Smith Rice room #228.
• 8th grade book "stop and drop" at 1:00 p.m. in the Windland Smith Rice Building lobby.
• 8th grade New Parent Orientation at 1:00 p.m. in Windland Smith Rice room #228.

Upper School

• Freshmen Orientation: Thursday, August 8 at 10:00 a.m.
• All-Parent Orientation, August, 12 at 1:00 p.m. in the Morrow Room located in Garrott Hall.

FALL TRYOUTS

Upper School kick-around will be May 23, 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Southard field. Tryouts will be May 24, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Southard Field.

Preseason will start in June and the soccer season runs August through mid-October.

For more information, please contact:
Coach Kate Fairless
kfairless@stmarysschool.org

Cross Country 

Lower School cross country is offered for girls in 3rd through 5th grades.  Participants run in the Memphis Youth Athletics league. Team practices are two to three times per week with meets on Monday afternoons after school. Practice begins in mid-August and the season ends in mid-October.

For more information, please contact:
Coach Mickey Pitts
mpitts@stmarysschool.org

Middle School will begin training at the beginning of August and will continue until Fall Break. 

Upper School runs three to four times per week beginning in June and the season concludes in mid-October. Girls may participate in Cross Country in conjunction with other fall sports.

For more information, please contact:
Coach Holly Hensarling
hhensarling@stmarysschool.org

Volleyball

Sixth grade volleyball will begin on August 5 and have practice on Monday and Wednesday afternoons and Friday evenings through the end of September.  There are four play days on Saturdays in September. Sixth grade volleyball will begin once school resumes.  Tryouts are not held for sixth grade and all girls are welcome to participate.

Seventh and eighth grade volleyball clinics will be May 6 and May 8, 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Memphis Juniors Volleyball Association (MJVA). Tryouts will be May 13 -14, 5:30-7:00 p.m. at MJVA. 

Upper School
Upper School volleyball tryouts will be May 24, 3:00-5:30 p.m. in Willmott Gym.  Preseason will start in June and the season runs from August through early October.

For more information, please contact:
Volleyball Coordinator Kari Duncan
kduncan@stmarysschool.org

Golf

Middle and Upper School golf seasons begin the first week of school. No experience is required. Golf can be played in conjunction with other fall sports.

For more information, please contact:
Coach Jeff McCalla
jmccalla@stmarysschool.org

All players must register online.  Fall 2019 registration is now open via the links below.

Lower School
Middle School
Upper School

St. Mary's offers families three options for payment. 
Your invoice will be available on May 3 by logging-in to
My BackPack. All families have a payment due by June 15. You have until June 1 to make a change to your selected payment plan. 

Contact Sharon Donovan, Billing Coordinator, at 537-1821 or sdonovan@stmarysschool.org with any billing questions.

• One Payment - Due June 15
• Two Payments - Due June 15 (70%) and November 15 (30%)
• Monthly Payment Plan - Tuition is paid in ten equal monthly installments by direct bank withdrawal from a checking or savings account, beginning June 15, 2019 and ending April 15, 2020.  St. Mary's will not withdraw a Tuition payment during January 2020.  An origination fee of 4.5% is added to the amount of Tuition financed, and the Tuition Refund Plan (TRP) is required.

Tuition Refund Plan (TRP):
All new families are required to participate in and will be charged for the TRP. The Tuition Refund Plan protects your tuition investment in case your daughter withdraws from St. Mary's for any reason. 

Student Accident Plan (SAP):
The Student Accident Plan covers a student's accident any time, anywhere. Please click the link for detailed information.

If you have any difficulty accessing your My BackPack account, please contact Sherronda Johnson at (901) 537-1405 or sjohnson@stmarysschool.org.

Early Childhood
Everything your daughter needs will be in her classroom, other than a sleeping bag or blanket for rest time. In the past we have used a Happi-Nappi brand nap bag, but any kind of small sleeping bag will do. You may have one at home already that your daughter is fond of! Your daughter is also welcome to bring a favorite "lovie" for rest time as long as it fits in her bookbag. 

Every girl receives a St. Mary's book bag, which will be available for pick-up at orientation. In it you will find a blue folder that will travel back and forth from school to home each day.  Please check it daily as important information from your daughter's teacher is often communicated from through the blue folder and it will occasionally contain work that your daughter has completed at school.

School Supplies
All school supplies are provided for girls in St. Mary's Place through 4th grade. 

5th grade supply list

6th - 12th Grades
A school supply list will be provided for grades 6-12 by teachers during the first days of school. 

Backpacks
First graders will be provided a St. Mary's school bag. Students in grades 2-12 will need a backpack.  Due to space and storage constraints in 4th and 5th grade classrooms, students should not use rolling backpacks.

In early June, you will receive an email directly from Burke's Books, St. Mary's preferred textbook provider, with information about ordering textbooks.

Early Childhood and Lower School students receive an email in July announcing their new class lists and teacher(s). Our teachers and school administrators thoughtfully consider all students' learning needs, personalities, and friendships when creating classrooms.

Before May 1, new Middle School students will receive an email from our Head of Middle School, Katherine House, about course selections. Schedules will be compiled and made available in My BackPack later this summer.

New Upper School students will receive an email from our Director of Studies, Dr. Kate Stakem, to discuss and finalize schedules.

Required Class Trips
5th grade takes a spring day trip to Nashville on Thursday, April 23 and a rest day on Friday, April 24.

6th grade takes an overnight trip to Huntsville, AL on Wednesday, April 15 through Thursday, April 16 with a rest day on Friday, April 17.

7th grade takes a three-day trip to Camp McDowell Monday, September 23 through Wednesday, September 25 with a rest day on Thursday, September 26.

8th grade takes a four-day to Washington, D.C. Saturday, October 19 through Tuesday, October 22 with a rest day on Wednesday, October 23.

Freshman Retreat at Victory Ranch Wednesday, August 14 through Friday, August 16.

Sophomore and Junior field trip information will be sent later.

Senior Retreat at Victory Ranch Tuesday, August 13 through Wednesday, August 14.

Upper School Band and Choir Tour will be in New Orleans April 19-21, 2020. 

Optional Trips

France Cultural and Language Immersion - June 2020

Texas College Tour (SMU, TCU, UT Austin, Trinity U., Southwestern U, St. Edward's and Baylor) is February 13-16, 2020

Crystal Bridges Fall Break trip is October Friday, October 11 - Sunday, October 13.  

Optional college tours and summer trips will be announced during the school year via Upper School communication and the
St. Mary's website.

My BackPack is our parent portal and will contain your family's contact information.  Once you have an account established and are able to login, please check to ensure your information is accurate.  You can make updates to information that may have changed directly in the system including email, phone, and address.  A printed directory will be sent home with your daughter after school begins.

My BackPack

St. Mary's school app is a great way to keep up with campus information including our events calendar, athletic schedules, and lunch menus. You may download in the App Store and Google Play.

Search for "St. Mary's Episcopal School" and look for this icon.

Please "ALLOW" notifications during the download process to ensure you receive notices, reminders, and other information communicated from St. Mary's.

Beginning this summer, you will receive St. Mary's all-school weekly newsletter via email which is the School's main source of parent communication.

All calendars can be found on the St. Mary's website.

Please follow us on social media as we share amazing stories about our girls, faculty, and staff throughout the year. Our social media channels include the following: 

Facebook (@St.MarysEpiscopalSchool)
Instagram (@stmarysepiscopalschool)
Twitter (@StMarysMemphis)
Athletics Twitter (@TurkeyAthletics)
Athletics Facebook (@turkeyathletics)

St. Mary's has an approved uniform skirt available for purchase online at Land's End. Click on "shop by school" and enter our school number: 900187329.  The uniform skirt is optional.

Our current dress code per division is below.  Any changes made to the dress code before school begins next year will be reflected in St. Mary's 2019-2020 All-School Handbook.

Early Childhood
Please send your daughters to school in comfortable play clothes that can be managed independently. Our EC girls are active participants every day in their classrooms. While we try to make sure that glue, paint, markers, etc. stay on writing surfaces and not on your daughter’s clothes, accidents happen! Please label your daughter’s clothes with her full first and last name; no initials, please.

• For safety, tennis shoes and socks are required daily. All tennis shoes must be appropriate for active play. Shoes must have laces, Velcro closures, or another secure closure. Please do not send your daughter in backless or open-toed shoes.
• Shorts should be an appropriate length.
• T-shirts with the St. Mary’s logo or other appropriate logos are permitted.
• Blue jeans, jean shorts, or blue jean overalls are not permitted except on a designated Blue Jean Day. Denim dresses; jumpers and skirts are always permitted.
• On P.E. day, children should wear pants, skorts, or shorts. Please have your daughter wear a pair of shorts under a dress or skirt on P.E. day.
• Hair accessories and jewelry can be distracting in the classroom and unsafe during movement activities. We encourage girls to keep these items to a minimum and leave it to a teacher’s discretion regarding whether certain accessories should be worn during the school day or not. Only small stud pierced earrings are allowed. The school will not be responsible for loss of jewelry worn to school.

Lower School
In a world full of “sameness” we, at St. Mary’s, value and promote individuality!  One way we encourage this is through our dress code. Choosing what to wear to school enables your daughter to express her unique style.  To help her select appropriate school clothing, guidelines are in place so that she can represent both herself and St. Mary’s with pride.  Neatness of appearance has a positive effect on work habits, behavior, and attitude towards schoolwork. Tennis shoes and socks are required daily in grades 1-4.  Shoes must have laces, velcro closures, or another secure closure. For 5th grade girls, any shoe with a back or strap are permitted.

• Next year, hair color outside of the natural range of hair colors will not be permitted in the lower school. This includes hair extensions that are outside of the natural color range. Please be mindful of this as you get ready to return to school.
• Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be no more than 5” above the knee. Leggings must be covered by a skirt or a dress. T-shirts with the St. Mary’s logo or other appropriate logos are permitted.
• Blue jeans, jean shorts, or blue jean overalls are not permitted except on a designated Blue Jean Day. Denim dresses; jumpers and skirts are always permitted.
• On P.E. or Creative Movement day, children should wear pants, skorts, or shorts.  Please have your daughter wear a pair of shorts under a dress or skirt on P.E. day.
• For safety reasons, no jewelry should be worn to school. Only small stud pierced earrings are allowed. The school will not be responsible for loss of jewelry worn to school.

Middle School

• Overall neatness: Excessively wrinkled, frayed, torn, or oversized clothing is too casual for school.  All clothing worn to school should be appropriately hemmed and tailored, even on jeans/shorts days.  Students should not wear clothing with holes, with threads hanging, or which have been cut-off.
• Tights, leggings, or jeggings may only be worn as pants on designated Spirit Days.  They may be worn under a skirt or dress any day.  Please note that while leggings worn to school may in actuality be workout attire, they should not look like it.  They should also be ankle length and should be accompanied by a top which covers the wearer’s “front-hind and behind.”
• T-shirts: Students may only wear solid color or print t-shirts to school, that is, t-shirts which are completely free of writing. T-shirts worn to school should look nice and not be overly faded, worn or wrinkled.  *On designated Spirit Days, students may wear St. Mary’s, college, or community-related t-shirts.
• Clothing length: Skirt and dress lengths vary as fashions change, but as a general rule, clothing should be no shorter than four inches above the top of the knee.  Undergarments should not be visible at any time; this includes shorts under dresses or skirts.
• Shoes: Please wear shoes that are comfortable and safe. No flimsy flip flops or shower shoes. Platform shoes or shoes with heels should be no higher than one inch.
• Students are not to wear platform shoes or shoes with heels higher than one inch.
• Jeans and shorts are not to be worn to school except on announced spirit days.
• Athletic wear and sleepwear, including sweatpants and flannel pants, are generally considered too casual for school.
• Tank tops and midriffs are not acceptable at school.  Also, students should make certain that the clothing they wear covers their bra straps.
• Student hair color is to fall within the traditional range of natural hair color.  Students are not to come to school with hair dyed in unnatural shades.                                           

Upper School
While this dress code allows girls to make choices about their dress, the faculty and administration reserve the right to make the final decision regarding appropriateness for school. Here are some specifics to keep in mind: 

• Overall neatness – Frayed, torn or over-sized clothing are not acceptable.
  For example, students may wear jeans of any color as long as they are not torn.
• Appropriate coverage and length – Dresses, skirts, and tops should be modest in length and coverage. Backless, tank, crop, and spaghetti straps are not allowed.  Undergarments may not be visible at any time (this includes shorts under dresses/skirts).

• Athletic wear and sleepwear, including yoga pants, leggings, spandex, sweatpants, and flannel pants are not allowed. 
• T-shirts with writing and all sorority/fraternity attire are not allowed.
• Dress code violations will be handled on an individual basis. The first violation is an educational opportunity to discuss the matter with the division head. Repeat offenders will be asked to call home for a change of clothing before returning to class. Continued disregard for the dress code will be considered defiance and may result in suspension.

FLIK Independent School Dining provides lunch service for St. Mary's students.  Girls have the option to purchase a Meal Plan or use a Declining Balance account which provides the flexibility to purchase lunch on some days and bring lunch when they choose.  A declining balance account is also used in Upper School to purchase a morning snack.  More information about FLIK Dining will be emailed to new families during the summer and will  include your daughter's dining PIN.

Lunch Times:
St. Mary's Place: 12:00 p.m. (Lunch is served in the classroom.)

PK: 12:20-12:50 p.m.
JK and SK: 12:40-1:10 p.m.

Grades 1, 2, & 3:  11:30 a.m.
Grades 4 & 5:  12:00 p.m.

6th Grade: 12:00 p.m.
Grades 7 & 8: 11:00 a.m.

Grades 9-12: 12:50 p.m.

St. Mary's Place through 2nd grade will be provided a nut-free snack each morning. Third through twelfth grade girls may bring their own snack each day.  Snacks brought from home must be nut-free. 

As a St. Mary's parent, you are automatically a member of the Parents Association. The PA's goal is to provide opportunities for parents to connect with one another, broaden their understanding of the school, and support our faculty and staff along with our students.

We invite you to browse our "volunteer opportunities" form linked below. 

PA Volunteer Opportunities

All-School Conference Day
Friday, October 25, 2019 is Parent/Teacher Conference Day for the entire campus.  You will receive an email so you can schedule your conference time(s).  There is no school for students on this day.

St. Mary's Place-5th Grades Conference Day
Friday, March 27, 2020 is Parent/Teacher Conference Day for SMP-5th grade.  There is no school for students in grades SMP-5th grade on this day.

All-School 2019-2020 Calendar

North Campus
St. Mary's Place through 5th grade have an 8:00 a.m.- to 3:00 p.m. school day.  Drop-off is available as early as 7:15, and after-care is available until 6:00 p.m.

South Campus
Grades 6-12 begin classes at 7:50 a.m. and dismiss at 3:15 p.m. Drop-off is available as early as 7:00 a.m.  Students in grades 6-8 must be picked-up by 3:45 unless they are enrolled in after-care.  After-care is available each day until 6:00 p.m.

Spirit wear sales will be available during orientations this fall and throughout the school year.

Summer reading for JK through 12th grades is here.

All Upper School students are required to bring a laptop to school each day.  For more information on this requirement, see our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) information document. Additionally, we often get questions from freshmen about supply lists.  In the Upper School, we do not distribute supply lists.  Most of the teachers will not require specific kinds of supplies.  For example, they will expect the girls to take notes, but will not necessarily require a specific type of notebook.  If specific supplies are required, the teachers will let the girls know what they need far enough in advance to purchase those items.