Who We Are

St. Stephen's Episcopal School is a caring, diverse, accepting community, inclusive of all faiths and grounded in the Christian tradition, which nurtures moral growth and values the potential and dignity of every human being. St. Stephen's welcomes students, faculty, and staff from many religious backgrounds and practices. As an Episcopal school, we  

Residential Life

Boarding life at St. Stephen's is a constant adventure. Guided and supported by a houseleader and a team of house parents, boarding students learn to manage their time between meals, classes, studying, sports and activities. Weekends are action packed, with Gene Phillips and the residential staff planning numerous events and outings. Life in a boarding school centers on community and fosters an awareness of personal responsibilities and rights. Sharing living space means sharing experiences, tolerating differences, and acquiring a sense of values about relationships. Rules enable positive communal life in the residence halls. Each resident is personally responsible for observing these rules.  

Dorm Life

Boarding students at St. Stephen’s live under the supervision of house parents and assisting faculty members. Girls live in Freeman, Marshall House and Allen House. Boys live in Wycliff, the Greggs, Sage and Towner. Students are responsible for keeping their personal possessions and rooms in order. Rooms are routinely inspected to see that they are neat and clean. Students supply their own linens, blankets, pillows and towels. Room decorations such as spreads, curtains, pillows, pictures, posters and plants are permitted within reason and the bounds of good taste. Radios and stereos are permitted if used in accordance with hall regulations. Common rooms feature a television and living room furniture. Student rooms are furnished with beds, mattresses, desks, desk chairs, dressers and locking doors.  

Proctors

Responsible, capable junior and senior students selected by the head of school, residential faculty and students serve as proctors and provide peer supervision of the dormitories. Proctors make sure residents do their share to make boarding life pleasant and help residents adjust to boarding-school life. Faculty members who live in apartments and houses adjacent to the residence halls provide adult supervision.  

Feeling at Home at School

Student rooms are furnished with beds, mattresses, desks, desk chairs, dressers and locking doors. Common rooms feature a television and living room furniture. Each dorm also has a small kitchen and laundry machines for student use. Students supply their own linens, blankets, pillows and towels. Room decorations are permitted within reason and the bounds of good taste. Computers, iPods and cell phones are permitted during non-class hours and times other than evening study hall.  

Internet Access

All residence hall bedrooms and all common rooms have high-speed Internet access for student use. Web access is monitored through campus-wide content-filtering software. Computer use and Internet access are also restricted at certain times of day, such as after lights-out.  

Life Outside the Classroom

At St. Stephen’s, what happens outside the classroom is just as important as what happens inside. From athletics, to travel abroad, to student clubs and organizations, our students engage in activities that shape well-rounded individuals, bring the school community together, and connect kids to the world at large. Physical activity plays a key role in student life, whether through recreational or competitive athletics. Our students participate in team and individual sports at some of the finest facilities in the Southwest. St. Stephen’s fields teams in football, baseball, field hockey, track basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer and swimming, with teams competing in the Southwest Preparatory Conference. And our comprehensive dance and outdoor wilderness programs offer even more ways for students to get physical. For students seeking to pursue and further their creative talents, opportunities abound in the visual arts, music, dance, theater and film. These include an advanced film program, an intensive Theatre Focus program, a student dance company, as well as choral and instrumental student ensembles. Student works are exhibited in an on-campus art gallery and our modern performing arts facility hosts both student and professional performances.  

Academics

The foundation of the St. Stephen's experience is the school's rigorous academic program. Long acknowledged as one of the region's pre-eminent college-preparatory schools, St. Stephen's has emerged as a national leader in preparatory education, and its graduates consistently go on to study at the country’s most prestigious colleges and universities. The St. Stephen's academic program is designed for able, motivated young people who plan to attend college. Much is asked of these young people in terms of time, dedication, and effort while at St. Stephen's. In return, they receive a world-class education from teachers who are deeply committed not only to teaching but also to the success and well-being of their students. Small class sizes and personal interaction with faculty, both in and out of the classroom, ensure that every student can develop his or her potential to the fullest.  

Athletics

The Athletic Program is an integral part of the overall educational process at St. Stephen’s. Through sports, students are taught the value of hard work, discipline, team building, sportsmanship, and other values that help develop a child’s character. A large part of our self-esteem is derived through positive athletic experiences. At St. Stephen’s, we will provide every student-athlete an environment in which students achieve not only athletic success but also lay the foundation for success in life.  Athletic trainers work with the health center nurses to coordinate the orthopedic care of all student-athletes.  

International

The International Program office is a busy place. All day long students drop by for individual and group tutoring, to check on travel plans, grab a snack, surf the Internet, make weekend plans, and just hang out with friends in a place that is welcoming and fun. The International Program office assists in all academic matters, directs a host family program (dinner and weekend visits), and plans numerous trips and other social activities on and off campus. Many international students are members of FACES, a multicultural student’s discussion group that meets weekly to discuss issues concerning diversity and multiculturalism that affect the entire campus.  

Health & Wellness

The mission of Health Services at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School mirrors that of the school itself: we are committed to developing the whole person — mind, body and spirit. Our goal is to approach both physical and mental health challenges of the students entrusted to us in a preventative and holistic way. By linking the services of the medical and counseling staffs we believe we can best accomplish this mission in a proactive and collaborative approach. Health Services Co-Directors are Gretchen Inman, head nurse, and John Dugan, director of counseling. Together they coordinate health curriculum and programming for both middle and upper schools, through classes, workshops, brown bag discussions with parents, and special speakers and presentations. They bridge counseling and medical concerns in both divisions by serving on Health Team, a group that meets weekly to provide a safety net for any student evidencing a particular emotional or medical need. Medical services are under the direction of Dr. Kerry Rhodes.