Educational Approach

a teacher helps a first grade student at St. Elizabeth's School

The curriculum at St. Elizabeth’s School is designed to promote a love of learning in a safe and supportive environment, one that lays a foundation for lifelong learning. Children learn and grow as students through our personalized core curriculum, stimulating courses in the arts, foreign language, faith studies, community service, and hands-on learning experiences.

St. Elizabeth’s School maintains a commitment to a low student-to-teacher ratio, with an 8:1 ratio in grades K–8. This dedication is evident in core classrooms, where each has a lead teacher and an assistant in grades K–5, resulting in one of the lowest ratios among prominent private schools. Research supports the educational benefits of lower ratios, indicating improved academic and personal outcomes. St. Elizabeth’s emphasizes the significance of this approach in laying a strong learning foundation early in life, contributing to lifelong learning and success. The combination of a high-quality faculty and low student-to-teacher ratios is a defining feature of the school's education philosophy.
ELA at St. Elizabeth's School

Teaching and Learning Principles at St. Elizabeth’s School

These principles guide our decision-making in curriculum, instruction, and assessment, ensuring our practices align with our mission and are informed by research and culturally responsive teaching.



We believe that:

Therefore, we:

Every child has unlimited potential, and all students can learn and grow

  • Understand each individual child’s strengths

  • Provide multiple entry points and support for learning

  • Offer myriad ways to demonstrate understanding

  • Set high standards and celebrate growth

Curiosity and a culture of exploration lead to authentic lifelong learning

  • Integrate real world issues into the classroom

  • Implement project-based learning for deep understanding

  • Create opportunities for student voice and choice 

  • Ask open-ended questions and embrace mistakes

Learning is a partnership between students and teachers

  • Clarify and contextualize learning goals

  • Use data to inform instruction and provide actionable feedback

  • Facilitate self-assessment, reflection, and goal-setting

  • Offer multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery

Strong relationships and classroom culture drive achievement

  • Intentionally build strong relationships among students and teachers

  • Create interactive learning experiences

  • Address the whole child: academic, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual

  • Use responsive and restorative strategies to promote positive behavior

Students learn best in a safe, focused, and inclusive environment

  • Maintain organized, efficient classrooms

  • Enforce fair and consistent accountability

  • Provide opportunities for positive academic and social choices

  • Reflect on our cultural lenses & value home cultures

  • Develop a curriculum of "windows and mirrors" for representation and perspective-taking

Courageous conversations create changemakers

  • Encourage reflection on personal and others' cultural perspectives

  • Examine bias and injustice in our community/ world

  • Model respectful communication and advocacy