St. Catherine's School (Richmond, Virginia)

Loated in Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine's School is an Episcopal diocesan day and boarding school for girls in grades K-12. It was founded in 1890 by Virginia Randolph Ellet and is a sister school to St. Christopher's, offering substantial co-educational opportunities in the Upper School.

St. Catherine's is a college prepratory school with an advanced and innovative curriculum and an emphasis on critical thinking and prepares graduates for the most selective colleges in the country. There are currently about 820 students enrolled. With a tuition of $16,610 for Upper School day students, it is the most expensive secondary school in Richmond. The school's official colors are gold and white and teams compete in the League of Independent Schools. A long-standing rivalry exists between St. Catherine's and The Collegiate School.

St. Catherine's stresses both athletics and the arts. The new Anne Whitfield Kenny Sports and Fitness Center opened in 2003, and boasts 70,000 sqare feet of space. The facility includes workout areas with weights and cardio- vascular machines in addition to an 8-lane 25 yard pool with one-meter diving, three basketball/volleyball courts, a jogging track, a sports medicine center, and a multi- purpose room. St. Catherine’s has competitive teams in basketball, cross country, field hockey, indoor track, lacrosse, soccer, softball, spring track, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. Field hockey and track teams continually win LIS and state championships. The Grace Moore Fine Arts Center includes a ceramics studio, a dark room with 10 enlargers, and a bright and spacious art studio. The Rennolds Art Gallery in Turner Hall features exhibits by regional and national artists, school faculty, and students. The School's string-quartet in residence is the Oberon Quartet, made up of musicians from the prestigious Richmond Symphony. Ampersand is the theater organization, and an advanced curriculum in theatre and technical theatre provides instruction in topics ranging acting and construction to design and directing. Also, McVey Theatre on the St. Catherine's campus houses a spacious dance studio.