St. Mary's Academy

We have been thrilled with our daughter's first year as a 6th grade student at St. Mary's Academy. She is our third child, and our first to go outside Denver's public school system (both traditional and charter). As any parent with multiple kids may share, children have individual needs, and what was best for our daughter smaller class sizes, more individual attention, and consistent and warm encouragement within a structured academic environment meant that we felt she needed a different option than her older siblings. We could not be more pleased.What do we love most about SMA? Most importantly, as much as middle school is never going to be the highlight chapter of any child's autobiography, our daughter genuinely enjoys going to school, no matter how reluctant she appears. The teaching at SMA has been terrific. The smaller class sizes allow her teachers to really get to know and spend time with her and they understand when to nod empathetically and provide a little leeway, and when to gently hold the line and ask for more responsibility and commitment. There is a structure and rigor to classrooms at SMA that is couched in a warm and bright environment where learning and achievement are valued.The fit at a school stretches far beyond academics, and the culture at SMA has been outstanding. Our daughter was welcomed into a brand new social environment by her peers -- often girls who had been at SMA for several years, but who still embraced new students. She has been encouraged to join teams and activities in which she had no experience, and these have been some of the highlights of her year. Lastly, the communication from SMA's administration has been excellent. Even on difficult topics, they are clear on what they believe and why they choose a specific course of action, and they have always acted fully aligned with the interests of their families, The values of SMA are not used to constrain and limit behavior, but instead are a structure on which the school slowly builds, piece by piece, students with exemplary habits and character.We hope to be part of the SMA community for years to come.

Middle school can be hard. And it was for our happy-go-lucky, smart, curious daughter. She was not thriving at her middle school (not to the fault of the school, just not the right vibe) and at the last minute to consider a switch for high school and luckily, we listened to the advice of our friends and looked at SMA. I'm not kidding when I tell you her eyes lit up when I picked her up from her shadow experience! We enrolled her for freshman year, and of course had trepidation about starting high school, and all girls? How would that work? It is, by far, the best decision we've ever made for her. The teachers and staff are so supportive and truly want the best for the girls. They are almost forced to succeed. And then the "girl-power" supportive community they foster brings the girls so close. Of course, there are occasional high school issues, but overall, the girls are constantly rooting for each other. School spirit is so high, and I"m a true believer that no boy drama leads to less girl drama! SMA also allows the girls to be involved in almost anything they want. The relatively noncompetitive atmosphere allows them to dip their toes into all kinds of new activities. There are plenty of AP and honors classes to choose from and academics have been top notch. They girls succeed in so many areas, but academics are first among them. From National Merit Finalists to national championships in DECA, countless scholarship recipients, and girls admitted to Ivies and local schools and everything in between. There are plenty of girls who go on to play sports in college as well. Most importantly, these kids have FUN! They have so many traditions that go back decades, and also snack attack days when they have food brought in by parents, fun music in the hall between classes, just to name a few. I truly believe high school will bring my daughter lifelong friends and fond memories. I just can't say enough about the "vibe" at St Mary's Academy. Go Wildcats!

St. Mary's Academy has provided a wonderful high school experience for our daughter. The academic rigor is unmatched, and the block schedule provides a unique opportunity for students to double up in a subject area of interest. SMA teachers are among the most talented and caring of all, taking time to get to know students and push them to be their best. The college counseling program is unlike any I've seen at a high school. By starting the conversation in freshman year and slowly building it, when students reach senior year, they feel prepared and educated about the process, taking much of the pressure off. The community at St. Mary's is welcoming, engaged, and hard-working, making for an ideal environment to spend your high school years. We can't say enough great things about SMA!

When we were looking for high schools for our oldest daughter (now a junior), it was in the midst of COVID. Since we couldn't be on any of the campuses, all of the recruiting and information sessions were virtual. The information sessions for many private schools felt very curated and choreographed. I remember listening to a Q&A with St. Mary's girls, and they seemed so honest and forthright. They were confident. They were secure in their own voices, and they were FUNNY! They had a clear sense of agency. They all seem to know who they were. This was enormously refreshing. These were my daughter's people. Then we found Ms. Ishwari's (the SMA Head of School) COVID blog. When I read it, I was overwhelmed by Ishwari's words- she was so in tune with the fears, anxieties, motivations, and challenges of being a young woman trying to find herself and her purpose during COVID: the push-pull between being trapped at home and fears about stepping into the world. The blog was written by someone who obviously thought and felt and knew a lot about educating powerful young women, and who also maintained a strong sense of compassion throughout the most difficult of times. Ishwari's compassion guided SMA through COVID with a clear vision, and priorities that put mental and physical health first, while staying committed to rigorous academics. This year, we've been looking at schools with our second daughter. Through this process, we've been reminded that there is so much heart on campus: the warmth, generosity of spirit, support, cheerleading, genuine affection, and respect that the students, faculty and administration have for each other makes SMA truly a remarkable place. The faculty brings a wealth of skill and passion for diverse subjects, which is evident in the collaborative and congenial classroom dynamic. Academics are as aggressive as any other private school in Denver, and as rigorous as students choose to make them. The school's commitment to both 'subject mastery' and social-emotional/ academic balance is evident at every level from administration, to faculty, to students. SMA's ongoing commitment to STEAM means that our daughter can explore the intersection of art and science in new and innovative ways. The school values and encourages student voice on campus. Students are given the tools and environment to work effectively across groups with diverse perspectives, opinions, and beliefs, from a place of respectful discourse. SMA is truly an activator for the next generation of thought leaders.

We LOOOOOVE St. Mary's Academy!!! It is the most warm, inclusive, supportive, friendly community, while at the same time offering incomparable academic instruction and unparalleled leadership opportunities. Our daughter is happy every day! She loves her teachers, her friends, what she is learning, and how she is learning. SMA celebrates its students and their individuality, their power and their sensitivities. Students are encouraged to rise up in everything they do, without creating harmful and unnecessary stress and pressure. Our daughter and her friends have a saying, "only at SMA" to recognize the unique and. incredibly special experiences they have daily. SMA challenges its students to become change-makers in the world, and that they do. We cannot adequately describe the beautiful gift of St. Mary's Academy in our lives and in our daughter's life.

We have had a wonderful first year of high school at SMA. Our daughter has thrived in the highly-personal and student-focused learning environment that SMA provides. The faculty are incredibly talented and committed to helping each young woman be their best and explore their areas of interest, no matter how varied or specific they are. Ms. Ishwari's leadership has been an integral part of the strong culture of community and empowerment for these young women and families. SMA creates many opportunities to thrive in its core values of faith, justice, community, and respect. They have an extremely broad variety of clubs and student-run programs that students can readily engage in including Model UN, DECA, Robotics, Speech and Debate, Diversity, Outreach and so many more. They also have a wide variety of sports and other after-school programs students can explore as part of a team. We are very happy with the choice our daughter made to make SMA her high school home and highly recommend it as a place for young women to grow academically, socially, and personally!