Why Stone Ridge?

We are more than a school.

We are a community of learners, friends, educators, and leaders.

We have the Goals to live by.

As part of a global family of the Network of Sacred Heart schools, Stone Ridge provides a family life. For current students, it offers a place to thrive whether in academics, athletics, or the arts. For alumnae, it provides a roadmap for life. Stone Ridge uniquely holds a key ingredient — a set of Goals. As any Stone Ridge student from Grade 1-12 can tell you, the five Goals of Sacred Heart education: Faith, Intellect, Social Action, Community, and Growth, provide a framework for our girls to become stronger women and to make a difference in the world.

Cranes

 

student squats down on golf course

 

We have opportunities for ALL to thrive.

A girl who loves theater but isn’t interested in sports? We’ve got a spot for her on stage. A girl who aspires to be a doctor or an engineer? She will fit right in. An athlete for all three seasons? Come join our team! No matter a girl’s current interests, strengths, and weaknesses, Stone Ridge will help her grow in ways she never thought imaginable. Just take a look at our thriving alumnae, who are amazing women succeeding in life. Many of them will attest to the positive foundational skills they learned at Stone Ridge.

We teach that we are more than ourselves.

Stone Ridge believes and teaches the importance of actively thinking about and caring for others and the earth. Inherent in the five Goals of Sacred Heart education, we teach and live compassion. Whether helping those in need through Lower School classroom projects to support those in need, or serving through Social Action with their Upper School classmates for an entire day at local nonprofits twice a month, our girls will experience and understand the life-changing benefits of serving others.

teacher points to something in creek as young students look on

 

Two students standing to deliver presentation in class

 

We are rigorous in our academics.

Our girls are here to learn. We challenge our girls. We stretch them to think and write and research and communicate and compute to their fullest capabilities. And we do it in healthy, age-appropriate ways. Learners move on to new topics only until they’ve mastered the current one. Whether through The Project Approach in Preschool or an AP course in the Upper School, our girls will delve into topics that excite and stretch them. We know our girls are excelling in academics because we see it in their test scores and in the impressive list of colleges they get accepted to each and every year.

We are a community of faith.

We are Christ-centered. Prayer is a part of each and every day. Girls are taught Catholic teachings and participate in Mass and the Sacraments. And, we embrace the questions. We are compassionate and understanding that faith is a personal journey that comes to us in the unique ways that God has planned. We respect ALL faiths. We have a significant percentage of girls who are not Catholic.

 

student at podium during mass

 

Teacher points to presentation as students listen

 

We have first-class teachers.

The majority of our teachers hold Masters degrees and many have Doctorates. Teaching is their passion and helping our students not just learn but excel is their goal. They are patient, they are communicative, and they care.

At Stone Ridge we invest in hiring the right teachers and investing in continued professional development for our teachers and staff to recognize and understand a student's individual learning styles. We partner with parents to help students capitalize on their strengths while developing strategies and skills in areas that present more of a challenge. The school learning specialists, counselors, and the nurse work with teachers and parents to provide support for academic, social and health needs.

We have a robust visual and performing arts curriculum.

Be it 3D ceramics, dark-room photography, oil painting or charcoal sketching, your daughter will have the opportunity to express and hone her artistic skills through a variety of visual arts course offerings in the Upper School and weekly art classes in the Lower and Middle Schools. Equally robust are myriad opportunities for those interested in the performing arts. Be it music and movement for the little ones, dance, orchestra, strings, choral groups and full scale theatrical productions for the middle and upper schoolers, your daughter will get the chance to shine on the stage.

student in ceramics

 

Track

 

We are #GatorStrong.

2022 Lacrosse Regular Season Champions, 2022 & 2020 Washington Metro Interscholastic Swim & Dive Champions. 2022 & 2020 Swimming & Diving Independent School League (ISL) Champions. 2020 & 2019 Mid-Atlantic Girls Hockey League - Ice Hockey Champions. 2021 Regular Season & 2019 ISL Tournament Field Hockey Champions. 2019 ISL Tournament Tennis Champions - A Division. 2019 Cross Country MoCo Private Meet School Champions. 2019 Swimming & Diving National Catholic HS Champions. 2018 Cross Country ISL Champions. 2018 ISL Director's Cup (Lewis Cup) Champions... and the list goes on! All rooted in providing a positive student-athlete experience, our Gators develop a lifelong love of remaining physically and mentally healthy through active sport participation. Our success is a byproduct of focusing on the student experience, and in doing so we have created a sustainable environment of excellence, no matter the parameters.

We have a beautiful campus.

Our campus is cheerful, it is beautiful and it is peaceful. It has lush grass and shady trees. It is spacious. It is welcoming. The new campus walk offers opportunity to build community. And, the inside spaces are just as lovely, offering conducive spots to learn and grow, quiet nooks to study and relax, and open communal spaces for gathering with friends.

 

Campus Walk