Advanced Placement
St. Gregory offers fifteen AP courses. In 2009, St. Gregory students took a total of 101 AP exams in fifteen subject areas. On these exams, seventy percent received a three or higher.

School & Community
St. Gregory College Preparatory School, which was founded in 1980, is a nonsectarian day school of 280 students in grades six through twelve. All academic courses are taught at the honors level and fifteen Advanced Placement courses are offered. The average class size is fifteen students.

Need-based financial aid is a crucial component of our philosophy. In 2009-10, the school awarded more than $875,000 in scholarships and thirty-eight percent of our students received some form of aid. Special scholarships are part of an ongoing community outreach program.

Philosophy Statement
St. Gregory believes in educating the whole child (intellectual, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, aesthetic) in a supportive, student-centered school community that values the rigors and joy of learning and the dignity, self-worth and potential of each individual.

Mission Statement
St. Gregory challenges its students to pursue excellence in character, scholarship and leadership.

In this pursuit, St. Gregory strives to foster these guiding principles: character built on personal integrity, compassion and respect; disciplined scholarship grounded in intellectual curiosity, independent thought and effective communication; and the development of courageous, civil and responsible leadership. The goal of this pursuit is a lifelong commitment to learning and service to others.

Guiding Principles
St. Gregory assumes that all students will strive daily to demonstrate character, scholarship and leadership. St. Gregory students have rights, privileges and responsibilities as members of the school community. Students’ rights and privileges are dependent upon fulfillment of their responsibilities. Students are expected to behave at all times in a manner that contributes positively to the welfare of the St. Gregory community. St. Gregory students agree to abide by four guiding school principles: honesty, respect, responsibility, and safety. Should a student choose to violate this agreement it will be considered a very serious offense and can lead to detention, suspension, disciplinary probation, and/or dismissal.

Accreditation
St. Gregory is accredited by and a member of the Independent Schools of the Southwest.
St. Gregory also maintains membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, Educational Records Bureau, and the National and Rocky Mountain Associations for College Admission Counseling.

Faculty
There are thirty-five members of the St. Gregory Middle and Upper School faculty. Seventy-four percent hold advanced degrees. Among those are four who have PhDs.

Academics
All courses are offered on a modified block schedule, allowing each period to meet every other day for seventy-five minutes.

The typical academic course load is six courses per semester, one of which may be performance or production based. Grades are issued at the conclusion of each semester in mid-January and in early June.

Technology
St. Gregory understands that to be competitive in a rapidly changing global marketplace students must have new knowledge and skills including: global awareness, economic and entrepreneurial proficiency, ITC and media literacy, critical thinking, citizenship, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

National Merit Recognition
Since 2005, twenty-one students have been named National Merit Commended students, eighteen students have been named National Merit Semifinalists and nine have been named National Merit Finalists.

Graduation Requirements
Students are required to earn twenty-four academic credits in the following subjects:

• English: 4 years
• Mathematics: 3 years (grades 9-12)
• Foreign Language: 3 years of one language (a minimum of 2 years in grades 9-12 - French, Spanish or Latin)
• Science: 3 years (laboratory sciences)
• History: 3 years (Modern World, European, United States)
• Fine Arts: .5 in Survey of Art/Music, .5 in a performing/studio art course
• Electives: Remaining credits

In special cases, requirements may be waived or adjusted with the consent of the faculty.

East African Studies Class and Senior Internship in Kenya
The class and internship provide students with a strong knowledge and understanding of East Africa’s history, cultures, national language, and natural environments. The culmination of this class is a two-week internship in Kenya where students live in a rural setting and assist in public schools.

Community Service
St. Gregory College Preparatory School is committed to providing students with opportunities to engage in community service; these experiences are essential to the development of character, scholarship, and leadership. In order to help our students live this philosophy, St. Gregory School has adopted hourly requirements for each grade level. A goal of St. Gregory is to make volunteering a normal and regular activity, and one that is both rewarding and fun.
Hourly requirements by grade level:
6th and 7th grade - 8 hours per year
8th to 10th grade - 10 hours per year
11th and 12th grade - 15 hours per year

Senior Internship
Each senior organizes and executes a three-week internship project focused on a career interest or in a social service area. Seniors select faculty members who advise them throughout the internship process. Students are engaged in the internship activity at least thirty hours a week, and they may not receive compensation for their work. Completion of the internship includes submission of an abstract, a self-evaluation, and a twenty-minute oral presentation

Challenge Course
Students participate in a challenge course curriculum designed to enhance communication, strategic thinking, trust, leadership, and group dynamics. In the spring of their junior year, students are invited to apply to be trained and serve as Peer Leaders during their senior year. This group of seniors participates in an extensive training program to learn the hard and soft skills necessary for facilitating students through the challenge course programs.