The Summit at a Glance

Mission

To challenge every student, faculty and staff member: to share fully the gifts that have been given to them by God; to grow in grace and wisdom; to develop spiritually, academically, physically, socially, and artistically; and to become people of character who value and improve the world they inherit.

About the School

An independent, Catholic, coeducational, college-preparatory school, founded in 1890 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Campus: 24 acres in Hyde Park; 16 acre Athletic Complex off I-71.

Montessori Program

• Only independent school in area offering full Montessori preschool experience
• Multiple options for 2-6 year olds to include half-day & full-day academic & enrichment programs in private school setting.
• All Head Teachers hold masters in Montessori Education
• Phonics Instruction begins at age two accelerating each child's literacy development
• World Language Instruction begins in Kindergarten
• Summit Kindergartners typically score above 90% on national standardized testing
• Enrichment Programs include Cultural Studies, Geography, Science, & Art; research shows child exposure to these areas accelerates curiosity & love of learning.
• Summer Camp/Childcare before & after school programs continue child development
• Year Round Montessori School program available
• Public speaking, theatrical performances & small group collaboration projects develop communication & social skills critical to long term academic success
• Kindergartners are reading & writing short stories prior to first grade which leads to an accelerated start in lower grades
• Private Piano & Violin lessons for Kindergartners by accomplished & professional musicians
• Summit's celebrated Character Education Program develops self-discipline, empathy, respect for others, honesty, resilience & confidence in each child

Lower – Grades 1-4

• Literacy concentration includes explicit, systematic phonics instruction & exposure to rich literature instilling life-long learning within a culture that values language in all forms.
• Literacy, Math & Science Specialists work with faculty & students providing enrichment & ensuring focus on each individual learner & maximizing one's potential.
• Widely praised Writing Program where writing mechanics are taught & research skills are developed
• Mathematics Program utilizes best research-based practices through National Council of Mathematics & focuses on critical thinking, problem-solving & deep, conceptual understanding.
• Science Specialist leads curriculum in state of the art science labs where students learn observation, prediction, data collection, experimentation, inference, application of data, interpretation, analysis & how to form a hypothesis.
• World Language Program includes Spanish & French, exposing students to language & culture.
• Digital Student Profile for each child allows faculty to mentor & to enable self discovery & personal commitment to a student's own educational plan.
• Leadership & Service Programs where students learn to be good citizens & see the value of applying their talents & intelligence for the good of their community & society.
• Numerous athletic programs that include football, lacrosse, volleyball & soccer.
• Fine arts facilities include an art studio with kiln, music studio & access to the school theater.

Middle – Grades 5-8

• Extensive Writing Program where mastery of the three to five paragraph essay is stressed through MLA format, culminating with 8th grade research paper.
• 7th & 8th grade Ohio State Championship Power of the Pen team, 5th & 6th grade Power of the Pencil teams & several published authors.
• Language of Literature Program strengthens inferential comprehension, evaluation appreciation & creative thinking; Concentration in Grammar & Vocabulary.
• Math Program designed to integrate critical thinking & problem solving skills necessary for students to take Algebra I & Geometry; Math Specialist supports grades five & six.
• Inquiry led science instruction within state of the art laboratories & beyond to include Cincinnati Zoo, Woodland Altars, & Ohio state champion Science Olympiad teams.
• World Language Program includes Chinese, French, Latin & Spanish with intensive practice in basic language skills, listening, speaking, reading & writing.
• Expansive Music offerings that include vocal performance, band, & general music classes where students strengthen listening skills, study music history & theory.
• Art Program focus on painting, batik, sculpture, animation, architecture, photography & ceramics.
• Leadership & Character Education Programming where students learn to see the value of applying their talents & intelligence for the good of the community & society.
• Competitive Athletic Program with no cut policies which allows every student the opportunity to participate on a team.
• Digital Student Profile for each child allows faculty to mentor & to enable self discovery & personal commitment to a student's own educational plan.
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Upper – Grades 9-12

• Superb writing & research paper program where every student is required to write 5-7 research papers prior to graduation
• Nationally recognized writing program where summit students are published in Concord Review, literary guide that publishes top 3% of papers submitted nationally from high school students.
• Extensive Advanced Placement offerings in 20 subject areas with over 87% of Summit students taking courses prior to graduation
• Formal Oratory Program (Chapel Talks) where every student works collaboratively with a faculty member to compose & deliver a personal reflection to the Upper School community.
• Harkness Philosophy in select subject areas where students share, discuss & discover, whether the subject is a novel by William Faulkner or atomic & molecular structure - There are no lectures.
• Comprehensive Fine Arts Program that includes Graphic Design, AP Portfolio, Photography, Sculpture, AP Music Theory, Vocal performance a cappella choral repertoire, ensemble singing techniques, instrumental music & theater arts.
• 21st Century Leadership Program where every student participates in a servant leadership model
• Digital Student Profile for each student allows faculty to mentor & to enable self discovery & personal commitment to a student's own educational plan.
• Four year personalized college counseling program led by a four person team, 94 recent graduates accepted to 167 different schools & earned over 13 million dollars in merit scholarships.
• Highly competitive athletic programs with 84% student participation & 72% winning percentage among 20 Varsity sports & 11 Junior Varsity Sports.