Steward’s mission is to prepare students for college and for life. Our mission is also a blueprint for all that we do to inspire and nurture Spartans of all ages, from junior kindergarteners to newly minted graduates. 

On our fields and stages, in our classrooms and labs, and in the wider community, Spartans discover that innovation is central to the Steward experience. Here, students are encouraged to challenge themselves, find meaning and purpose through community connections, and be open to new ways of thinking. Under the guidance of dedicated teachers, Spartans play an active role in shaping the world of tomorrow!

Below you’ll find a sampling of the Steward-centric ways our students learn, grow, and thrive. 

Inside and outside the Bryan Innovation Lab, Spartans in all divisions delve into fresh perspectives of experiencing the world. From cooking lessons to engineering to robotics to laser printing to gardening: The Bryan Lab encourages hands-on experimentation and fosters practical problem-solving skills.

Upper Schoolers have opportunities for skill building, plus the possibility of earning a credential that will prepare them for college applications and future careers. The program partners faculty and students with successful local entrepreneurs. A key part of the program is a creative brief, a process in which students create an outline of a plan to address the challenges of a local business. Entrepreneurship skill-building is woven throughout Steward’s curriculum with programs such as Mini Economy Market Day in Lower School and the Middle School Entrepreneurship Club. 

This credentialing and diploma endorsement opportunity (the first of its kind among Richmond-area independent schools) offers hands-on experiences for students to reflect on their leadership styles and collaborate with peers. Leadership students explore ideas that can have a positive social impact as they learn to become effective, empathetic leaders and change-makers. The Leadership Program has ongoing partnerships with the leadership programs at local universities, including the University of Richmond and Virginia Tech. 

The outdoor Play Workshop is the canvas for our youngest Spartans to develop social/emotional skills, a growth mindset, and self-exploration. It builds the foundation for literacy while sparking creativity, teamwork, and resilience. (Plus, it’s a lot of fun!) 

Our Lower School teachers use evidence-based approaches to teaching reading and mathematics. Students’ learning is hands-on and multi-sensory, which helps to bring abstract concepts to life in tangible ways. For example, our phonics instruction in JK-third grades utilizes the Orton Gillingham methodology where students learn concepts through a multi-modal approach. Our math curriculum prepares students to be independent learners, problem solvers, abstract thinkers, and accurate computers. Students are nurtured in developing flexible thinking and number sense, which are the foundations for later math instruction. Math talks give students opportunities to express their mathematical thinking and recognize that there are often multiple pathways to solving a given problem.

Middle and Upper Schoolers meet weekly in small groups with their advisors. Advisors and advisees stay together within their divisions, which helps to create strong, meaningful relationships. This is another way that Steward ensures that all students are seen, heard, and valued. 

The Middle School advisory program builds community by fostering positive relationships and providing a space for students to develop and strengthen their socio-emotional skills. Activities include team-building games and door-decorating contests, assembling activity kits for hospital patients, serving breakfast at the Reinhart House (a home-away-from-home for families whose loved ones are being treated at St. Mary’s Hospital), and discussing the positive and negative effects of social media. 

Upper School advisors collaborate with class coordinators to view the planned curriculum and discussion topics in advance of advisory sessions. Upper School advisory is grade-based, which allows advisors to tailor lessons and curriculum. For example, each year our National Honor Society students (grades 11-12) visit ninth-graders to talk about planning for exams and to offer study tips. 

In individual meetings between students, their parents, and the student’s advisor or grade-level teacher, Middle Schoolers advocate for themselves, hone their communication skills, and reflect on their academic progress. Students prepare for the conferences by assembling a portfolio of select items from their school work to showcase those skills. They lead the whole conference, talking about what they have learned and the study techniques they have developed. Goal setting is also an integral part of the meeting, and parents are invited to ask questions.

Each winter, every member of the senior class has the opportunity to take the stage in the Lora M. Robins Theatre and deliver an original speech to an audience of their peers, teachers, and families. This beloved tradition has been with us since the school's founding. Not only is it considered a rite of passage at Steward, but it also reinforces our belief in the importance of public speaking skills and the ability to craft a sincere and passionate message.