Calvert School facts for kids

Calvert School is a private school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was started in 1897 and teaches both boys and girls. Students attend from kindergarten (called Fifth Age) through eighth grade. The school is not connected to any religion. Calvert School is a member of important groups like the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). It is also part of the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS).

School History

Calvert School began in 1896. Four families in Baltimore hired a German teacher, Fraulein Martha Auguste Schurmann. She taught kindergarten classes for their children. The first classes were held above a drug store. In 1899, the school hired its first Headmaster, Virgil M. Hillyer. He was a graduate of Harvard University.

How the School Was Designed

The current Lower School building on Tuscany Road was designed by Virgil Hillyer. He worked with Laurence Hall Fowler on the plans. Hillyer wanted big windows in the classrooms. This made the rooms bright and pleasant for the children.

He also added special details to the building. For example, the ends of benches in the assembly hall have animal carvings. These carvings were like figures used long ago to keep away bad spirits. Lockers were decorated with pictures of pears, jugs, or cups. Each picture helped teach one of Hillyer's favorite lessons. Many of these original details are still at the school today.

Important Dates in Calvert School's History

• 1896 – The school started as a German kindergarten for four children.
• 1897 – The Boys’ and Girls’ Primary School officially opened with fifteen students.
• 1899 – The school's name was formally changed to “Calvert Primary School of Baltimore City.”
• 1901 – Students moved to a new building on West Chase Street. It even had a garden on the roof!
• 1903 – The first group of students graduated from Calvert School.
• 1907 – The well-known Calvert silhouetted head logo was created.
• 1924 – Calvert School moved to its current location on Tuscany Road.
• 1979 – The school added more space for a Library, Science labs, Art rooms, and a Planetarium.
• 1987 – The Luetkemeyer Wing, a new section of the school, opened.
• 1997 – Calvert School celebrated its 100th birthday!
• 2000 – The school decided to add a Middle School.
• 2002 – The Middle School officially opened.
• 2004 – The first group of students graduated from the Middle School.

Leaders of the School

• Virgil M. Hillyer (1899–1931)
• Donald W. Goodrich (1931–1940)
• Edward W. Brown (1940–1967)
• William Kirk (1967–1983)
• Merrill S. Hall III (1983–2004)
• Andrew D. Martire ’83 (2004–2013)
• Andrew Holmgren (2013–Present)

What Students Learn

As of 2016, Calvert School teaches over 600 boys and girls. This includes students from Fifth Age (kindergarten) through eighth grade. In the Lower School, students are grouped by their age, not by traditional grades. Students learn important subjects like reading and math. They also learn a foreign language and the special Calvert Script handwriting.

When students reach seventh grade, they start preparing for high school. In eighth grade, students meet with a special coordinator. This person helps them choose and apply to high schools.

Student Leadership and Support

Middle school students can join a leadership program. Starting in seventh grade, students can apply to become school leaders. These leaders might be Calvert Captains or help with the Diversity Club. They can also be part of the Black & Gold Committee.

Middle school students also have a Middle School Advisory program. Each student is part of a small group with a teacher. This teacher helps keep track of the student's schoolwork and how they are doing socially. They meet three times a week for about 25 minutes.

Students at Calvert School also work on different projects. These projects can include cleaning streams or writing letters to soldiers. The projects are designed to fit the age group of the students.

Sports and Physical Education

Lower School students have physical education classes several times a week. When children reach Ninth Age (around 9 years old), they join special teams. These teams are called the Crows, Canaries, Hoppers, or Crickets. Boys and girls are in separate groups. They compete against each other in sports throughout the year.

The Middle School offers more than twenty sports teams. These teams play during three different seasons. Over 90% of middle school students play on a sports team. Sports include football, field hockey, soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. Fifth graders can also join an intramural program, which means they play sports just for fun within the school.

Home Instruction Program

Calvert School's Home Instruction Division was started in 1905. It was created by the first headmaster, Virgil Hillyer. This program was one of the very first of its kind. It allowed students to learn at home using Calvert's lessons.

The homeschooling program grew a lot over the years. By the 1990s, over 10,000 students each year used it. These students were from all 50 states and many countries around the world. In 2001, the homeschooling program became Calvert Education Services. In 2013, it was sold to a private owner. Calvert Education Services is no longer connected to the day school.

Famous People Who Went to Calvert School

• Julie Bowen, an award-winning actress.
• John Rawls, a famous philosopher.
• Frances Scott Fitzgerald, a writer and daughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• John Waters, a film director, writer, and artist.
• Eric Puchner, a novelist and short story writer.
• Frank Deford, a sportswriter and novelist.
• Carol Graham, an expert in public policy and author.
• Peyton List, an actress and model.
• William P. Carey, a philanthropist and businessman.
• Keith Flaherty, a doctor and professor at Harvard Medical School.