FAQ
How many students attend St. Luke's School? How many per grade?
What is the student/faculty ratio?
Where is St. Luke's School located?
How do I get to the School?
How do I apply?
In what grades do you accept new students?
How many people apply to Kindergarten? Junior Kindergarten?
What is your birthday cut-off for applications?
What is your sibling/legacy policy?
What standardized tests are required for admission?
How much does it cost to attend St. Luke's?
Are scholarships available?
How do I apply for financial aid?
What facilities are available?
What about the School's size?
Is this primarily a neighborhood school?
What is the School's commitment to diversity?
How do students get to school?
What are school hours?
Is there extended day?
What is the School calendar?
Where do students go after St. Luke's?
How involved are parents?
How is the religious identity of the School expressed?
Is there a dress code?
What is the School's relationship with the Church of Saint Luke in the Fields?
How many students attend St. Luke’s School? How many per grade?
There are currently approximately 205 students at St. Luke’s School. There is one homeroom for each grade, from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8.
There are typically 15-18 students in the Junior Kindergarten class with two head teachers. In Kindergarten, the class size is increased to approximately 23 students with two head teachers. This class size remains relatively constant in Grades 1 – 8.
What is the student/faculty ratio?
The overall student:teacher ratio is approximately 6:1. In Grades 1 – 4, children learn in full groups, half-groups, and small-groups. In Grades 5 – 8, the program becomes increasingly departmentalized; students learn in full groups and half groups. There are special area teachers for foreign languages, art, music, technology, science, library, religious education, and physical education.
Where is St. Luke’s School located?
St. Luke’s School is located on an historic garden block at 487 Hudson Street in Manhattan’s West Village, a sub-section of Greenwich Village that neighbors the Hudson River. It is at the intersection of Hudson and Grove Streets, one block south of Christopher Street. Directions
How do I get to the School?
St. Luke’s School is easily reached by foot, by public transportation, or by car. Directions
How do I apply?
For a complete description of the application process, please visit the Admissions section of this website. You can download the admissions application and mail it to the School. You should apply one year ahead of the anticipated entry. December 1 is the deadline for applications for Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten for the following September. Applications will be accepted after the admissions deadline only if there is an opening in a grade.
In what grades do you accept new students?
The main entry points for new students are in Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten. Applications are accepted for any grade for which there are anticipated openings. For entrance in September 2010, we are currently accepting applications for Junior Kindergarten-Grade 7.
How many people apply to Kindergarten? Junior Kindergarten?
We do not share statistical information. Be assured that there are multiple openings each year in these grades and we are eager to add to the school community qualified students of all faiths and backgrounds whose families embrace the School’s mission.
What is your birthday cut-off for applications?
September 1 is the birthday cut-off date. We expect that children entering Junior Kindergarten will be age four by 9/1/10; and students entering Kindergarten will be age five by 9/1/10. Parents of children with summer or fall birthdays are encouraged to work with their early childhood directors to determine school readiness.
What is your sibling/legacy policy?
St. Luke’s offers an early notification policy to siblings, children of alumni, children of faculty and staff, and children of parishioners. We adhere to the early notification program established by the Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY). You can find complete information on the sibling and legacy admissions process and deadlines by clicking on “How to Apply” under Admissions.
What standardized tests are required for admission?
All students applying to Junior Kindergarten to Grade 7 must complete standardized tests administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB).
How much does it cost to attend St. Luke’s?
Tuition and fees for 2009-2010 range from $27,750-$30,525..
Are scholarships available?
Financial aid is available and is based on financial need. Currently about 21% of the students receive financial aid.
How do I apply for financial aid?
The financial aid program seeks to make the School accessible to as many families of varying economic backgrounds as possible. Students at all grade levels are eligible to apply for financial aid .
What facilities are available?
The School is located on an historic garden block that it shares with The Church of Saint Luke in the Fields. The School campus consists of the main school buildings built in 1928 and 1955, a large outdoor playground, a student garden, an annex off the playground, and access to the grounds and Church. Facilities include:
• Spacious, sunny classrooms that face the green spaces of the Church/School grounds
• Newly renovated science lab
• Newly renovated art studio
• Fully equipped music room
• Grace Sawyer Library with over 18,000 volumes
• Media and Technology Lab
• Dining Room
• Gymnasium
• Auditorium/Theatre
• 2 outdoor playgrounds
• Student garden
What about the School’s size?
St. Luke’s is small by design and intent. Our alumni tell us that its size is a tremendous strength. We are large enough that students can have a variety of friends, yet small enough that everyone is well known. In this environment, children form positive relationships with classmates and teachers, with older children, and with younger ones. Children are challenged both academically and personally. They learn to work with each other, to appreciate and negotiate differences, and have leadership opportunities. They develop a sense of responsibility for their learning, for the quality of their interactions with others, and for being active contributors to their community and wider world.
Is this primarily a neighborhood school?
In a zip code analysis of currently enrolled students, we learned that 60% of the students come from downtown Manhattan. Because the School is directly across from the Christopher Street PATH station, there are students from New Jersey. Many children live in Brooklyn and Queens. There is one child from Staten Island, and there are some students from both the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan.
What is the School’s commitment to diversity?
It has always been a part of the mission of St. Luke’s School to be a diverse community. Families from a variety of racial, ethnic, national, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds and sexual orientations are represented in our community. The current enrollment includes 31% students of color. 21% of the students receive financial aid. We actively embrace multicultural themes in our curriculum, and there is a focus on social issues, human rights, equity and justice in the upper grades. There are active Diversity Committees for both parents and faculty.
How do students get to school?
Some students walk or are driven to school by a parent or caregiver. Children who take a subway or bus are entitled to a student MetroCard. Manhattan residents can request free Yellow School bus transportation from the Board of Education.
What are school hours?
The School playground is open for arrival each day at 8:00 a.m. and the school day begins promptly at 8:20 a.m. Junior Kindergarten – Grade 1 are dismissed at 2:30; Grades 2 - 3 are dismissed at 3:00; and Grades 4 – 8 are dismissed at 3:20. All children are dismissed at 2:30 on Fridays.
Extracurricular activities such as sports teams and the St. Luke’s Choristers take place on various days of the week between 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. The After School Program provides enrichment classes, supervised study, and childcare daily until 6 p.m. at an additional fee.
Is there extended day?
Yes. The After School Program is filled with enrichment programs and is available until 6 p.m. at an additional fee.
Upper School students (Grades 5-8) often remain after school to participate in the interscholastic athletic program. They are also permitted to study in the Grace Sawyer Library, work in the computer lab, or meet with teachers on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays until 4:30 p.m.
What is the School calendar?
St. Luke’s School follows the calendar of the Guild of Independent Schools of New York. Click on Calendar and News for details. Parents are reminded that regular attendance at school is extremely important for children at all grade levels. We ask all parents to plan family functions in accordance with the schedule of holidays and vacations.
Where do students go after St. Luke’s?
In your admissions packet and on the website, you will find a list of schools to which recent graduates were admitted. Graduates attend a variety of competitive private, public and parochial schools. The vast majority of students choose an independent day school in New York City. Others attend boarding school, a specialized public school such as Stuyvesant or Bronx Science, or a parochial school such as Fordham Prep.
How involved are parents?
Parents are valued members of the St. Luke’s School community. They provide critical perspectives about their child’s school experience; clear and open home-school communication is encouraged. Parents volunteer in a variety of ways. They volunteer in the Grace Sawyer Library, chaperone Lower School field trips, and share family and cultural traditions. An active and involved Parents Association provides funds to support the School’s programs through various events such the annual Christmas Fair, and offers parent education forums on topics of interest. The Diversity Committee provides educational forums and assists the School in living its mission to be an inclusive place for all children and families.
How is the religious identity of the School expressed?
St. Luke’s School actively seeks and serves families of all faiths. Our goal is to affirm and nurture students in their own spiritual lives, whatever their religious tradition. The religious education program takes a global approach to spirituality; classes are held once a week beginning in Grade 1 and are designed to help children learn of many traditions. Children attend Chapel from one to three times a week that is based on the Episcopal liturgy adapted to the changing needs and traditions of an interdenominational student body and faculty.
As an Episcopal School, we have a commitment to the integrity and responsibility of the individual, and to the importance of learning how to live and learn well within communities of diverse age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, race, religion, and socio-economic status. We are charged with helping children to respect themselves, learn about and respect each other, and experience joy in the world around them. We are each witnesses, in that it is what we do on a daily basis that holds the most significance. We believe in helping children learn how to use their gifts in ways that help others. Therefore, active participation, service, and respect for all are emphasized in school life.
Is there a dress code?
Students are expected to come to school in comfortable, clean, and age-appropriate clothing. Students do not wear uniforms at St. Luke’s School.
What is the School’s relationship with The Church of Saint Luke in the Fields?
St. Luke’s School is a part of the larger corporation of The Church of Saint Luke in the Fields that founded the School in 1945. The governance and fiduciary responsibility for the School is delegated by the parish vestry to the School Board in accordance with the By-Laws of the St. Luke’s School Board.
School events such as Chapel, Commencement, and special performances take place regularly in the church. Likewise, the School building is used for church and community functions. Choristers from St. Luke's School sing each Sunday under the direction of the Church's Director of Music. Together, the Church and School sponsor a community tutoring program for public elementary school children, “GO at St. Luke's,” that includes Saturday morning sessions during the school year. All of the plantings on the block are maintained by Church volunteers, including the renowned garden of St. Luke’s that is open to the public daily.
This unique relationship provides wonderful opportunities for mutual support, enrichment, and service.
