City: St. Louis, MO

Category: Education

Telephone: (314) 995-7367

Address: 101 North Warson Road

Description: MICDS, a coed facility, is the result of a 1992 merger of two separate institutions: Mary Institute and Country Day School. Today MICDS offers a liberal-arts nonsectarian education for its 1,200 students from junior kindergarten through grade 12. The elementary school uses a developmentally interactive and interdisciplinary educational model that features a homeroom teacher who works with children in the core academic areas, and specialists in computers, science, studio art, drama, music, woodworking, Spanish, and physical education. Grades five through eight receive a unique blend of single-sex education—in mathematics, science, language arts, phys ed, and history—and coeducational learning in fine arts and foreign languages. High school students receive a challenging selection of academic choices, including Advanced Placement classes. The average class size is 16 students, and the pupil to teacher ratio is 8:1. There is a variety of activities, athletics, and opportunities to participate in the school’s arts programs, as well as a strong emphasis placed on community service at all grade levels. MICDS is another of the area’s heavy hitters when it comes to local athletics, producing competitive teams in lacrosse, crew, field hockey, water polo, and ice hockey, in addition to the major sports like football, baseball, and basketball.