This vision guides every choice we make and shapes each student’s experience. What follows is a look at who we are, what we stand for, and how we prepare students to thrive.
Mission
An exceptional education that inspires a deep love of learning, a strong moral compass, the commitment to serve, and the confidence to lead.
Motto
Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.
Strategic Plan:
Prepared to Thrive
Our strategic plan—Prepared to Thrive—is the result of a schoolwide effort to envision the future of education at SLS. It was shaped by the voices of students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and trustees, and grounded in research and reflection. At the center of our work was one guiding question:
What will students need to thrive—now and into the future?
The result is a clear and actionable vision for SLS—a plan that ensures we stay true to our mission while evolving with the world our students are entering. The best schools don’t just keep up with change. They prepare students to meet it with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
Four Interconnected Priorities
At the heart of our strategic plan are four powerful priorities—each essential and transformative, uniting in a singular soaring ambition: to cultivate an education that launches graduates into the world not just ready—but truly Prepared to Thrive.
Leading with Humanity
Leading with Humanity is the next evolution of St. Luke’s long-standing commitment to leadership education—now a 5–12 program combining classroom learning and one-on-one mentoring to help students lead with confidence and purpose.
In Middle School, students explore identity, values, and ethical decision-making through reflective discussions and hands-on, community-focused projects. In grade 8, they begin Compass—a mentoring experience that continues into Upper School, helping them reflect, clarify what matters, and map their next steps.
In Upper School, programs like the SLS Leadership Institute—an immersive overnight retreat—equip students to lead teams, clubs, and classrooms. Open to all rising 10th–12th graders, it helps students strengthen their voice, skills, and impact.
Throughout Middle and Upper School, three core areas—Global Education, Equity & Inclusion, and Service Leadership—broaden students’ perspectives and deepen their leadership journey.
Learning that Lasts
Our rigorous academic program balances traditional and innovative approaches—and keeps students at the center of it all. SLS teachers create immersive, challenging experiences where students don’t just study ideas—they do something with them.
That’s why they build a human cell the size of a classroom, recreate history with 3D printing, launch service projects, and invite war veterans to campus. It’s also why SLS was the first school in our area to introduce a required Emerging Technology curriculum for grades 5–8—preparing students to think critically, solve problems, and engage with the technologies shaping their future.
Learning here is creative, meaningful, and made to last.
Community Well-Being
Thriving starts with belonging. At SLS, well-being is a priority—because when students feel safe, supported, and known, they’re more open to challenge and growth.
We’re actively engaged with our community—gathering student feedback, using tools like Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER programming, and partnering with data-driven initiatives such as Harvard’s Making Caring Common. Through this work, we continually drive toward a culture of empathy, trust, and connection—supported by faculty, staff and families who help every student feel they matter.
Foundational Excellence
To help students thrive, a school must thrive too. That’s why SLS invests in the people, programs, and places that make our community strong—and why our strategic plan focuses on four key priorities.
A bold Master Campus Plan ensures our spaces reflect our values and support evolving needs. A refined enrollment strategy attracts academically motivated, mission-aligned students while expanding access and spotlighting distinctions like our Unmissable Middle School. Mission-inspired programs—including expanded summer offerings—invite more families into the life of the school. And we fuel it all by attracting and retaining exceptional faculty and staff through competitive compensation, an inclusive culture, and meaningful opportunities for growth. Together, these priorities keep SLS strong—for every student, now and in the future.
Vision for Inclusive Excellence
In 2017, the Board of Trustees approved the Vision for Inclusive Excellence that states: “Every individual in our community belongs, is valued, and has a stake in the life and purpose of St. Luke’s.”
Our Vision for Inclusive Excellence Equity and Inclusion at SLS
