St. Christopher’s School
In 1911 Dr. Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne founded St. Christopher’s School, an independent school for boys from Junior Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Three years later, the school moved to its present site on St. Christopher’s Road, a campus that includes athletics, arts and after-school care facilities. The school was first named Chamberlayne School and was located on Grove Avenue . The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia established a system of church schools in 1920 and changed the name of Chamberlayne School to St. Christopher’s School.
The school is most easily defined by its commitment to academic excellence, where the boys are challenged to communicate effectively, to think critically, to use technology, and to succeed in college. The objective is to prepare graduates for real life and to present them as unique and talented future leaders of the Richmond community. The school also operates on the concept of “educating the whole boy” and so engages the boys in non-traditional curriculum programs that encourage them to build character.
The program to develop the boys’ spiritual lives is achieved in a variety of ways. In the Lower School (Junior Kindergarten through fifth grade) the counselor leads a gathering called Missionary Society Chapel, where participants worship, tell stories from the Bible, create stories according to teachings of the Bible, and several times during the school year invite a charity spokesperson to explain to the boys how they can help in that program. In Middle School (sixth through eighth grades) leaders organize chapel programs, Bible classes, ethics discussions, and community service as a way to teach boys to be responsible individuals. In Upper School , members gather every school day at the chapel, and three times a week they have brief service meetings where guest speakers, counselors, and faculty speak about important life lessons.
The state-of-the-art athletic facilities at St. Christopher offer one of the few indoor tracks and indoor tennis courts in the area. The school fields competitive teams in cross country, soccer, tennis, swimming, and other sports along with a conditioning program and coeducational outdoor programs offered in conjunction with St. Catherine’s School.
Fine and performing arts facilities include different programs for the Lower, Middle and Upper School . An annual musical production, Joni Rodman Dance Theatre class, beginning strings, beginning band are some of the classes and programs offered for the boys in the Lower School . In the Middle School, together with the Middle School girls from St. Catherine, participants perform an annual dramatic production. In the Upper School , together with the girls from St. Catherine’s School, participants perform three plays every year. The boys are also auditioned in order to be part of the Beaux Ties, an a capella singing group.
St. Christopher’s School
711 St. Christopher’s Road
Richmond , VA 23226
Sources:
St. Christopher’s School Website
Profile prepared by Lilian Martins
December, 2007
