 | More than ever our nation needs responsible men and women who can meet the challenges of this world with confidence and embrace all its people with compassion. The next generation must include those who think critically and resolve to stand for what is good and right.
Our School cherishes academic rigor, encourages and praises meaningful individual achievement, and fosters virtue. Our independent education prepares young people for higher learning and for lives of purpose and service.
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Founded in 1859 by William Greenleaf Eliot, who also founded Washington University in St. Louis, MICDS is a nonprofit, independent, preparatory school offering non-sectarian education to qualified students regardless of national origin, race or religion. MICDS consists of the Ronald S. Beasley Lower School, for grades Junior Kindergarten-4; Middle School, offering a coordinate model of single-gender education in the core curricular classes, for students in grades 5-8; and the Upper School for grades 9-12. MICDS is recognized as one of the nation's leaders in independent education.
We are proud of our diverse and talented students who bring to us their passions for living and learning. Please take some time to view some statistics about our School.
Facts about our Alumni can be found HERE.
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Total Enrollment 2012-2013 = 1,246 students
Teacher:Student Ratio = 1:8
Average Class Size = 16
Upper School (grades 9-12) = 624
Middle School (grades 5-8) = 411
Lower School (grades JK-4) = 211
Coeducational JK-12; Middle School grades have a blend of single gender and coed classes.
MICDS JK-12 FACULTY PROFILE
77% have advanced degrees
Average tenure at MICDS: 11 years
Average # of years teaching: 17 years
57% female, 43 % male
SCHOOL COMMUNITY
MICDS creates a sense of community based on our mission that seeks and welcomes diverse backgrounds and perspectives as integral components of the foundation of excellence upon which our School is built.
• 49% of our students are boys and 51% are girls
• Our students come to us from many neighborhoods around the greater St. Louis area (representing 60 zip codes)
• 29% of our students identify themselves as students of color
• 2012-13 new students come from 103 different public, private, religious, and independent schools and preschools
• School-wide, 40 different languages and dialects other than English are spoken in our students’ homes
ELIOT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Eliot Scholars Program awards a $5000 merit scholarship open to a limited number of students entering grades 7 and 9. This merit-based aid recognizes academic excellence and the community contributions of students. Awards are based on academic transcript, and results of an Eliot Scholar test.
FINANCIAL AID
At MICDS, a substantial need-based financial aid program exists to provide assistance to those families whose financial resources cannot meet all tuition costs. During the 2012-13 school year, over $3.8 million dollars will be granted to 24% of the student body with an average award of $12,900.
A CAMPUS DESIGNED FOR LEARNING
MICDS sits on 100 acres designed to support an excellent academic experience for all the children who attend. Our Lower School students reside in their own small school, perfect for young learners. The Middle School has a central building with a science wing and the Freeman Arts Center. Upper School students learn in a more college-like setting with several classroom/lab buildings, an arts complex, and athletic learning spaces centered around a “quad.” All students, JK – 12th grades, benefit from the marvelous green spaces, athletic fields and facilities, theaters, outdoor science gardens and water areas, and the beauty of nature that surrounds us.
TECHNOLOGY
Our teachers understand that technology is a powerful tool that, when used responsibly, facilitates the development of an original, rigorous, and innovative curriculum. Technology allows us to differentiate and individualize instruction. Students create multimedia presentations, express themselves via blogs, wikis, and podcasts, gather real-world data, develop and test complex models, explore libraries and museums from around the globe and ultimately experience a truly 21st-century education. Grades 7th -12th students have a school issued laptop for their use.
WORLD LANGUAGE OPPORTUNITIES
Grades JK-6 study Spanish. After 6th Grade, choices expand to include French, German, Latin and Mandarin Chinese.
ARTS AND ATHLETICS
All students from JK through 8th grade experience a thorough grounding in physical education, creative movement, visual art, drama, and vocal and instrumental music as a regular and frequent part of their school life. Students in 9th-12th grades continue their study pursuing areas of special interest -- participation in the Athletics program is required for four years and Arts are required for two years depending on the area of study. 13 after-school sports are offered in grades 7-8 and 27 interscholastic sports are offered in grades 9-12 as well as an Essential Fitness program. Student athletes enjoy top-of-the-line facilities and coaching for training and competition.
COLLEGE COUNSELING
Our nationally-recognized college counseling program sets us apart from other schools in our region. At each grade level in the Upper School, students are encouraged to grow, to stretch themselves and to work hard to realize their dreams. Starting in grade 9, students work with one of our team of counselors to learn how to make informed decisions, to plan for the future, to make the most of their experiences and talents and ultimately select the college or university that will be the best fit. The four-year time frame ensures that students can take ownership of the process while still being able to rely on a system of support that is comprehensive and individualistic. The Class of 2011 matriculated to over 75 colleges and universities including each of the Ivy league schools.
COLLEGE TEST SCORES
SAT Composite MICDS Mean: 1910 National Mean: 1509
ACT Composite MICDS Mean: 29 National Mean: 21
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Consistently, year after year, MICDS is an active participant in the Advanced Placement program in the Midwest Region of The College Board. Each year approximately 250 students in grades 10 -12 take more than 500 AP examinations in up to 23 separate subjects. In the past three years, 85% received qualifying grades.
MICDS PARENTS ARE INVOLVED
The Parent/School Partnership recognizes and celebrates the fact that both parents and School support a child’s growth in unique and important ways. Our MICDS Parents Association is an active organization through which parents can become involved in many areas of the School. |
| |  Lisa LyleHead of School Lisa Lyle joined Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School (MICDS) in July, 2007 as Head of School.
Ms. Lyle came to MICDS from The Blake School, an independent, coeducational day school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At Blake, she served as Assistant Head of School for five years. Previously, she was a faculty member, as well as a Housemaster and Day Student Advisor at The Lawrenceville School, a coeducational boarding school in New Jersey.
Born and raised in Texas, Ms. Lyle graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in French Literature from the University of Pennsylvania. She later served as a Klingenstein Fellow and received a Master of Arts in Private School Leadership from Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.
Ms. Lyle has been described by colleagues as “an energetic, perceptive and extremely knowledgeable educator and leader who is passionate about education,” and as a visionary who believes “decisions are driven by what is best for the students.” She believes that schools provide us the chance to work at deliberately creating an ideal community. “We get to populate the community with those whose potential humbles us, and we gladly accept the responsibility to create the conditions that allow each to flourish. We get to prepare our students to become contributing citizens of the world, leading lives of purpose and service.”
Her energy, experience and commitment to education make her uniquely poised to lead MICDS well into the 21st century. Since her arrival, she has successfully helped the School launch a one-to-one computing initiative in grades 7 through 12, and instituted a new process for faculty performance review aligned with professional development objectives. She oversaw the development of the School's next multi-year strategic plan, and her emphasis on global education has helped MICDS develop cultural-immersion exchange programs with sister schools in other countries.
Ms. Lyle serves on the boards of the United Way of Greater St. Louis and the Independent Schools of St. Louis; she is on the Evaluation Review Committee of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States; and she is Chair of the Education Division, Private Schools, for the Arts and Education Council's 2010 Campaign. In addition, she is a member of the St. Louis Forum.
She is married to David Sanders and they are the parents of three children; daughter Myra, a senior studying art history at the University of Colorado; son Willy, a sophomore at the University of Vermont; and son Tucker, a student at MICDS. Her hobbies and interests include travel, hiking and skiing. She enjoys books, poetry, and loves to cook.
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Athletics (2011-12 School Year) | |