St. Catherine's School (Richmond, Virginia)

For other schools of the same name, see St Catherine's School (disambiguation).

"St. Catherine's School for Girls" redirects here. Not to be confused with St. Catharine's School for Girls.

St. Catherine's School
Address
6001 Grove Avenue Richmond , Virginia 23226 United States
Coordinates	37°34′16″N 77°31′17″W
Information
Type	Private, day, college-prep
Motto	Quæ Teneamus Perdimus, Quæ Demus Nobis Sunt (Latin) (What we keep we lose; only what we give remains our own.)
Denomination	Episcopal
Established	1890
Oversight	Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
Head of school	Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff
Teaching staff	103.5 (on a FTE basis)
Grades	Early Learners (age 3)–12
Gender	Girls
Enrollment	978, including 30 junior kindergarten (2016-17)
Student to teacher ratio	9.1
Color(s)	Gold and white
Athletics conference	Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association
Nickname	Saints
Rival	The Collegiate School
Yearbook	The Quair
Website	www.st.catherines.org
St. Catherine's School
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Virginia Landmarks Register
Location	6001 Grove Ave., Richmond, Virginia
Area	14.9 acres (6.0 ha)
Built	1917
Architect	Hobart Upjohn
Architectural style	Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	07000400
VLR No.	127-5886
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 04, 2007
Designated VLR	March 7, 2007

St. Catherine's School is an independent Episcopal diocesan school in Richmond, Virginia, USA, for girls age 3 through grade 12. It is the oldest private, all-girls school in Richmond and the only independent all-girls school in Virginia for age 3 - grade 12. St. Catherine's is the sister school to St. Christopher's. The two schools have a Coordinate Program which includes joint events for the lower and middle Schools and shared classes in the upper school. St. Catherine's competes in 15 different sports as a member of the Virginia League of Independent Schools. The school holds a fund raising event on campus each spring called "Daisy Days". The event is open to the Richmond community. The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2008.

History

The school was founded in 1890 by Virginia Randolph Ellett, known as Miss Jennie, during the middle of Richmond's New South movement.

In 1917, the school was incorporated and moved to its present site in the Westhampton area of Richmond. It was sold to the Episcopal Church in 1920 and renamed for St. Catherine, the patron saint of young women, especially those undergoing education. Virginia Randolph Ellett, who had relinquished her headship some years before, continued to teach and live at the school until her death on 9 April 1939 in her home built on campus. She was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Since 1957, members of the graduated classes of St. Catherine's are invited to make their debut at the Bal du Bois, held annually at the Country Club of Virginia.

Notable alumnae

• Catharine F. Easterly (1988), judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
• Molly Haskell (class of 1957), film critic, author
• Tinsley Mortimer (b. 1975), American socialite
• Darley Newman - producer, TV host, writer (class of 1997)
• Kristin Rossum (b. 1976), poisoner sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her husband
• Lee Smith (1963), author

External links

• Official web site