Stories

During our in-service professional learning day in August, we reflected on six years of curriculum development since launching our summer grant program in 2021. What began that year as a group of only eight teachers has grown into a cohort of twenty-four summer grant participants, all working to strengthen and elevate our academic program.

Joining Charlotte Prep as director of philanthropy this year, Katie Keels brings 14 years of advancement experience, 11 of which were spent at a K-8 school. Read our Q&A to discover what inspires her approach to philanthropy and her vision for nurturing a joyful, community-centered culture of giving.

Last week, a parent told me that her child begs to come to school and doesn’t want to leave at the end of the day, something she never felt as a kid. That conversation offered a great image for what I want our theme to be this school year: Mattering. 

The upcoming break provides a great opportunity for our faculty and staff to dive into reading they may not have had time for during the school year. While their summer reading lists will surely include a few fun beach picks, many are also exploring titles that will inspire their work in the year ahead, whether through books on pedagogy, young adult novels, or picture books they may bring into their classrooms. See what our faculty and staff are adding to their summer stacks.

We are so proud of the Charlotte Preparatory School graduating class of 2026! These students have shown themselves time and time again as exceptional scholars, athletes, and artists. But more importantly, they model the values of our core pillars, and that is the lifelong mark of a Prep graduate that they will carry with them.

Lauren R. recently received news of her acceptance into the prestigious and highly competitive Walnut Hill School for the Arts for musical theater!

Have you ever sat through a presentation that felt like it lasted a century? The Ignite movement seeks to end boring presentations forever, and in Charlotte Prep’s leadership class, 8th graders are learning to craft Ignite-inspired presentations of their own.

From interviewing campus staff to doing deep research, students in Mrs. Gilmartin and Mr. Stedman’s classes are hard at work on their monthly newspapers.

In our classrooms, we do not “teach to the test” or hang the threat of end-of-grade exams over students’ heads as motivation to participate in learning. Engagement and participation are driven by relationships, meaningful learning experiences, and students’ interests, strengths, and curiosity.

As parents, we are the primary architects of our children’s internal landscapes. While we do not create their inner dialogue entirely, we are the most significant contributors to how they speak to themselves.