Summary: A classical education means much more than the study of Greek and Latin. Its object of study is “the best that has been thought and said.” Above all, a classical education will push and keep wide open the two doors of higher learning: numbers and words. At Thomas Jefferson (TJ), you will learn Latin, Greek, and either French or Italian; you will read through and discuss a collection of books that are at once both timeless and timely; and you will write and face scrupulous line-editing almost every day, including while on vacations. On the other hand, you will also take an accelerated math sequence that culminates in AP calculus in either the junior or senior year. AP courses in science and history will also be required and will give you a head start on college. If you think you can’t do all this or if you think you have math anxiety or no imagination in reading, have faith! Practice and guidance will prepare you for pre-law or pre-med, history or computer science. We believe that you can do it, and we will help you through the hard parts. (We don’t pretend it’s not hard; we just think it’s necessary – and completely possible.) We don’t want a previous weak and lopsided background in high school to decide which door in life you choose to open. We want you to be able to choose freely. Liberal education, after all, has as its root and end freedom – freedom of the most important kind, intellectual freedom based on a head well filled and well formed. The job market will always be looking for that, and the world will always be better off for it. Finally, a classical education involves more than just the best books and study materials. It requires the active, patient, inspiring, demanding mentorship of well-educated adults who look for the best version of you. Plato needed Socrates, Alexander the Great Aristotle, and Thoreau Emerson. It requires a community of lively, motivated peers similarly engaged in the pursuit of the best and highest things. And it requires lofty goals to keep everyone looking up and ahead.

Department Director 003f400000GtDmjAAF

Student/Teacher Ratio: 6:1

Average Class Size: 12

Summer Programs: Offered

Full Time Teachers: 13

Number of AP Courses Offered: 12

Teachers Holding Advanced Degrees: 93.0%

Number of IB Courses Offered: 0

Learning Support

• Evening Study Assistance

English

• Classics
• Honors
• Literature
• Poetry

History

• Classical History
• Honors
• Medieval History
• United States History
• World History

Foreign Languages

• French
• Greek
• Italian
• Latin

Humanities / Social Sciences

• E

Sciences

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Science
• Environmental Science
• Physics

Math

Music

• Choral Music
• Music Appreciation

Performing / Visual Arts

• Animation
• Ceramics
• Dance
• Drama
• Drawing
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Publications
• Studio Art
• Theater Design
• 3-D Art

Special Programs

• Community Service

Dorm Life

Number of Dorms: 7

Average Students Per Dorm: 12

Number of Girls Dorms: 3

Number of Boys Dorms: 4

Dorm Amenities

• Laundry Facilities
• Wireless Internet

Other Dorm Amenities

Private bathrooms

Facilities

• Basketball Court
• Fitness Center
• Indoor Basketball Court
• Technology Center
• Volleyball Court

Other Facilities

• Athletic Field Tennis Courts

Clubs & Organizations

• Astronomy Club
• Chess Club
• Community Service
• Computer Club
• Dorm Proctors
• Drama Club
• Food Council
• Gardening Club
• Literary Magazine
• Mock Trial
• Newspaper
• Photography Club
• Student Activities
• Student Government
• Student Publications
• Yearbook

Summary: Each student takes a fine-arts course every year from September until spring break. These classes meet twice a week on Wednesday and Friday afternoons for 60 minutes. The fine-arts curriculum includes art- and music-history courses of various types, which give the students a basic knowledge of some major art forms and their importance in history and civilization. It also includes studio courses, which allow students to develop their own artistic skills. There are several opportunities for student performance and exhibition throughout the year, including a show of student artwork in the Visual Arts Gallery. Students are also required to attend performances of music and dance or visit galleries and museums depending on which course they are enrolled in. Every student participates every year in athletics, and the year is divided into three athletic seasons. Seniors are exempt from athletics for one trimester (their choice). Students can choose between team sports and individual or recreational activities.Because team sports require competition with other schools, they also require a greater time commitment with longer practices (one hour, four days per week) and afternoons devoted to scheduled games. TJ competes in the Missouri Athletic Conference (MAC), and our competition includes other small schools in the region. The chance to play on one or more of the varsity teams is offered to all students but forced on none. Students with special skills or interests may be permitted to pursue them off-campus in place of our offerings.

Arts Department Director: 003f400000GtDmkAAF

Athletics Department Director: 003f400000GtDmgAAF

Notable Achievements: 2012 national YoungArts award winner High School Collaborative Arts Program UMSL Girls Basketball 2012 Conference Champions

Arts

• Animation
• Ceramics
• Dance
• Drama
• Drawing
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Publications
• Studio Art
• Theater Design
• 3-D Art

Interscholastic Sports

• Basketball
• Soccer
• Volleyball

Recreational Sports

• Aerobics
• Basketball
• Tennis
• Weight Lifting
• Yoga
• Fitness

College Information

Percentage of graduates who attend college: 100.0%

Middle Percentile of SAT Scores	Reading	Math	Writing
25th percentile
75th percentile

Quotes From Alumni

Merit Scholarships: Offered

Students Receiving Merit Scholarships: 9.0%

Average Merit Scholarship: 2,850

Current Endowment Amount: $3,000,000