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Install knowledge and values for a lifetime through a superior education with a classic curriculum enriched by the inclusion of ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic diversity, and by the resources of our urban community; and shape our  students' intellectual emotional, social, physical, and spiritual gifts by maintaining high academic expectations and ethical standards, and by encouraging and teaching moral and religious values, respect, service, and discipline in a climate of enthusiasm and joy. So reads our mission statement. Our curriculum begins with St. Richard's Mission Statement and continues with our Operational Commitments:
St. Richard's Operational Commitments
- To serve children of demonstrated academic ability whose needs can be met in a challenging, structured classroom
- To seek new knowledge and technology which will improve the students learning as we choose curriculum content from classic and modern masterworks and insights of many cultures
- To promote imagination, creativity, critical thinking skills, and time management in all areas of the curriculum
- To strive to provide the finest academic education with superior, caring faculty
- To be rich with traditions celebrating learning and our community life
- To set and maintain high standards to encourage and measure the performance and participation of the students
- To welcome students from all faith communities
- To understand that learning occurs best with varieties of opportunities and when it can be emotionally positive
- To exercise active commitment to the community in which we are located to maintain a spirit of mutual respect among parents, students, faculty, and friends of the school
- To seek new knowledge and technology which will improve the students learning as we choose curriculum content from classic and modern masterworks and insights of many cultures
 This web page will give you information on St. Richard's curriculum that not only encompasses the intellectual and the academic, but also the processes for formation that encompass human excellence for which this independent Episcopal school strives. Since April 2006, a group of educators, board members, and parents have begun conversations around what they believe comprise the pillars of success for St. Richard's School: Classic Curriculum with Innovative Methodologies, Leadership, Global Readiness, Civic Responsibility, and Faith.
Click on this page to see the specific curricular offerings that not only help us to back up our Mission Statement, but also to show ways in which we are unique in serving our learners, Pre-K 3-8, and, therefore, the larger community. You can also email Carolyn Lausch, Academic Dean, at clausch@strichardsschool.org for more information. Thank you for your interest.
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?Study time isn't just for homework anymore.? Did you see this article in The Indianapolis Star mid-August? A Bloomberg Poll shows that 56 percent of teens ages 12-17 do at least one other thing while studying. In fact, 21 percent say that they keep busy with at least three tasks in addition to their school assignments. Psychologists and educators worry that students are taking longer to complete assignments while absorbing less information. Some scientists fear that multitasking could even stunt the development of adolescent brains.
?The ability to give up instant gratification in favor of long-term goals, for example, is largely controlled by the prefrontal cortex, the brain's ?executive center.' That's the same area of the brain that, among other things, determines correct social behavior and steers attention from one task to another?repeatedly choosing video games or instant messages from friends over homework, might hinder that develop.? (Jordan Grafman, chief of cognitive neuroscience at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
While some students who study report passive diversions such as listening to music, many others report active diversions such as talking on the phone, going on the Internet, and instant messaging. The article concludes that many students are not learning subjects in the depth they need to and could be stunting development of their brains. Certainly something to think about!
Carolyn Lausch, Academic Dean
St. Richard's School Academic Honor Roll/ First Term - December 2008
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