A: Laurel School educates both boys and girls ages 3-5 in its Early Childhood Center, Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten. It serves all girls from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

A: Laurel School has two campuses. The main suburban campus, located at 1 Lyman Circle, in Shaker Heights, OH houses all grades on 11 acres. The Fairmount Campus, our “outdoor classroom”, located at 7420 Fairmount Boulevard, Russell Township, OH is 140 acres of woodlands with world-class athletic fields, high and low ropes course, trails, outdoor pavilion and our Magic Tree House.

A: Yes, all girls in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade wear a uniform. Laurel girls have worn uniforms since 1907. It’s sends a powerful message to the girls that what she thinks is more important than what she wears. In each division, Primary, Middle, and Upper School, the students have a varied approach to the uniform. This strengthens the feeling of community.

A: Laurel girls are not only smart, they are diverse. They are involved in athletics and the arts. Laurel offers 11 sports in the Upper School and 9 sports in the Middle School. Over 70% of students participate in athletics. There are at least 2 theater productions each year in the Upper School and 2 in the Middle and Primary Schools. Last year’s spring performance involved girls grades 3-12. There are also over 30 clubs and organizations available. Each Laurel girl has a community service requirement she must complete before her senior year.

A: At Laurel, we know girls: how they learn, what they think and feel, what they need, and what helps them thrive. The faculty are experts in girls’ education and are trained to use the teaching methods that work best for girls—our faculty are experts in teaching girls.

A: College placement is 100%. In 2006 we had 10 National Merit commended and 8 National Merit Finalists. When a young woman graduates from Laurel she has a solid academic background, support from the Laurel community and confidence to go to college and beyond. Our girls attend a wide variety of colleges throughout the country and internationally. Our experienced college counselor has a relationship with the college admission officers and looks to provide our students with the best fit for college taking into consideration many factors.

A: When most people visit Laurel for the first time they remark on the sense of community. And that’s something we pride ourselves on. We know that girls learn better when they relate to their teachers and feel comfortable in their environment. It’s the personal connections that our teachers make to then challenge and support girls to excel.

A: We encourage Laurel girls to dream. At Laurel we have the right environment to encourage girls to Dream and feed their creative spirit. The environment also encourages girls to be independent thinkers and to discover who they are and who they want to be. We Dare Laurel girls to learn from their mistakes, it’s the process of getting to the right answer, not necessarily the right answer that teaches the most valuable lesson. It is about being resilient. Laurel girls Do it all; try out for the play, join the speech and debate club, and participate in a sport they’ve never played before. Because our girls are supported they are able to do things they might never have done otherwise.

A: Laurel prides itself on the diverse community. Walking through the halls is like walking through a little “Model United Nations”

A: Miriam: At Laurel, you feel that you become friends with everyone; it’s my home away from home. If you need extra help, your teachers WANT you to come into their offices and talk to them. You’ll see students during free periods in teacher offices talking like old friends. You could go up to anyone in the school and have a conversation with them, and no one would be fazed by it! We also have this system set up in both middle and upper school where sophomores are paired up with seniors, freshmen with juniors, 5th with 7th, and 6th with 8th for ‘big and little sisters.’ It’s so much fun! It gives you someone to look up to or look out for. I’m a senior, and I still talk to my big sis from when I was a freshman and sophomore! We also have a lot of school spirit at sporting events, theater performances and even speech and debate competitions.

A: Katie: There are many traditions at Laurel. Upon entering Middle School, each girl is assigned a team, green or white, which she keeps for all of her years at Laurel. Throughout the year, there are various green and white competitions like toilet paper design and Jeopardy and at the end of the year there is a final Green and White Field Day. The community at Laurel is very welcoming. Being a smaller school, the connections between each girl are stronger. The teachers are also very welcoming and open to offering extra help. In addition, each girl has an advisory consisting of about 10 other girls and a teacher. These groups meet about once a week.

A: Katie: In the Primary School, girls wear jumpers with white polos or turtlenecks. They can also wear pants in the plaid pattern of the jumper. In Middle School, there are three skirts. There is a dark green plaid, a light green kulatz and dark green solid skirt. Girls can also wear khakis or navy pants. In the Upper School, there are also three skirt options. There are still the light green kulatz and the dark green solid skirt, however, there is a different plaid skirt. Girls can also wear khakis or navy pants. In all three schools, girls may wear brown or black shoes with a low heel. Miriam: We also have three different Laurel polos in the Middle and Upper School- navy, white, or green, and we can wear sweatshirts or sweaters that are either plain or say Laurel. Once you become a senior, you can wear college sweatshirts which is one of our senior privileges.

A: Miriam: Everywhere…. Between friends, youth groups, dances, neighborhoods… you meet them everywhere. Katie: Laurel is connected with other schools. There are dances held at other schools that Laurel is invited to. Laurel also connects specifically with University School (all boys’ school nearby), such as the Glee Club concert in the spring and participating together with guest speakers.

A: Katie: Laurel offers many sports. The fall sports are soccer, cross country, golf, tennis, field hockey and volley Ball. The winter sports are basketball and swimming & diving. The spring sports are track and field, lacrosse and softball. Miriam: And in the past few years, our soccer, field hockey, basketball, and track teams have been very successful! There are always spots available and we love new team members! If you play a sport you can get a semester worth of gym credit, and you only need six to graduate. If you play any outdoor sports, you get to compete on our amazing fields at the Fairmount campus. You’re spoiled after playing on our fields and will never want to play anywhere else!

A: Katie: Laurel offers both Visual and Performance Arts. The visual art classes available are Ceramics, Advanced Ceramics, Computer Art and Design, Drawing and Painting, Advanced Drawing and Painting, Advanced Studio Art, Photography, Advanced Photography and Publications. The performance art classes available at Laurel are Glee Club, Choir, Dance Exploration, Theatre Dance, Acting and Scene Study. There is also Chapel Theatre Club. Miriam: We also have a school play in the fall and a musical in the spring. A lot of the girls are in choir and go on to be in glee club or out acapella group “Bad In Plaid”. Some dance or perform in Orchestra. A lot of girls love photography, we even have our own dark room!

A: Katie: I don’t think that there is as much pressure as if the school was co-ed. I also think that there is less drama and it keeps social aspects more separate from academics. Miriam: I can roll out of bed, throw on a skirt, brush my teeth, and go to school. You really don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing because everyone is wearing the same stuff and you don’t have to ‘look good’ for anyone.

A: Katie: Because of the strong connection with alumnae, internships are accessible. There is also a new program this year called Protégé. It’s an internship, mentorship and research assistantship program for students with alumnae and professionals in a field you might want to study later on. There are also plenty of options for community service throughout the city. Miriam: Laurel has so many connections outside our walls that it’s almost impossible not to get involved. You can travel to Honduras to help build homes with a Laurel family who started a foundation for Honduran children or work at the Cleveland Food Bank. Laurel provides you with an entire folder filled with community service options around the Cleveland area.

A: Miriam: Depending on your individual interests, you can accelerate and challenge yourself by taking AP classes that, can lead to college hours or class credit in college. We offer the KAP (Kenyon Academic Partnership) classes where you get Kenyon college credit! I take AP biology, physics, KAP English, AP Calculus AB, and Spanish conversation and composition. Katie: Many girls take advantage of the AP and KAP classes offered at Laurel. I take Regular U.S. History, AP Latin Vergil, AP Spanish, Honors Physics, AP BC Calculus and AP English.

A: Katie: The classes are challenging but manageable. For an average AP or Honors class, I have about one hour of homework a night. In a non-AP or Honors class, there is about 30-60 minutes of homework a night. Miriam: Your course selection dictates how challenging your work is. You can expect to work hard in all of our classes, but the honors, AP, and KAP courses challenge you beyond a normal college prep class. I am not saying that they are too challenging…they require a big commitment; if you have the opportunity, take that hard class because it’s definitely worth the extra work. I usually get between 2-4 hours of homework a night. It really depends on the time of year and how fast you work. During midterms and finals, I definitely spend more time on homework. If I use my free periods wisely, i.e. not socializing, I can get home with only having about an hour of homework. Weekends are not that bad if you keep up with the work during the week. If you have a huge assignment due on Monday, you’ll probably be working a few extra hours over the weekend.