McDonogh School

McDonogh is a nondenominational, coeducational, college preparatory school educating students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade. McDonogh School is a community that finds joy in work, in play, in discovery, and in the realization of personal potential. Strong, mutually respectful relationships inspire a passion for teaching and learning, a dedication to personal integrity, and a commitment to excellence. Embracing diversity of background, culture, and thought, the school builds upon its founder's original mission to provide life-altering opportunities and to develop in students the will "to do the greatest possible amount of good."

McDonogh School embraces its mission “to provide life-altering opportunities and to develop in students the ‘will to do the greatest possible amount of good.’” The school is committed to graduating young people of strong character who are prepared to face the future and be a force for good in the world. In order to precisely articulate the values that define strong character, members of the faculty and administration created the McDonogh Character Compass in 2009. The Compass, which hangs in every PK-12 classroom, provides a shared sense of direction for every child and adult who is part of the McDonogh community.

The core virtues of respect, responsibility, honesty, and kindness comprise the four compass points. They are guiding principles for the daily actions of members of the school community. These four values are emphasized in the daily interactions among the people in our community. Across grade levels, teachers and coaches proactively build learning environments that lead to positive behavior and explicitly teach students to interact in constructive ways.

The Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools have division-specific guidelines for behavior, but all guidelines align with the Compass values. In the Lower School, the Learning for Living initiative not only teaches students about values, but it also shows them how to apply and practice those values in their everyday lives. Middle School students and parents are asked to sign an honor pledge annually that states students will tell the truth in all situations, present work that is truly their own, ask permission before handling or using another’s property, recognize that each person has a unique value, and treat each person with respect and care. The Upper School has an Honor Code that directly states “I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will respect the rights and well-being of myself and others.”

At McDonogh, the faculty, staff, and administration are dedicated to educating both the minds and hearts of students. Our goal is to graduate young men and women who have both the knowledge and skill sets needed to succeed in college and beyond, but also the strength of character necessary to make the world a better place.

The concluding sentence of McDonogh School's mission statement reads, "Embracing diversity of background, culture, and thought, the school builds upon its founder's original mission to provide life-altering opportunities and to develop in students the will 'to do the greatest possible amount of good.'" In accordance with our LifeReady vision and mission, McDonogh promises to educate its students to succeed and lead as globally—and culturally—competent individuals, thus students will emerge as people of character who are exceptional communicators and who honor diversity in all its forms. We are dedicated to providing a learning environment that is based on mutual respect, understanding, and kindness. In so doing, we reflect our commitment to diversity to the world at large.

Children educated at McDonogh emerge as young men and women of character who are exceptional communicators and who honor diversity in all its forms. Both independently and with others, our students learn to pose their own questions and grapple with complex problems creatively. We believe that preparing children to be “life ready” is the ultimate objective of each student’s experience at McDonogh.

The academic program at McDonogh School is founded on the belief that all children want to learn. Our program seeks to develop each child's potential through authentic learning experiences that engage his or her sense of intellectual and emotional ownership. The mission of our program is to prepare students to be "LifeReady," ensuring that they develop imaginative, curious, and analytical habits of mind in a rigorous academic setting. We prepare them to take risks in order to enter - and to better - the complex world in which they live. Through the close, compassionate relationships between students and teachers who celebrate and respond to each child's individual needs, McDonogh's program is dedicated to producing citizens who enter the world as resilient, lifelong learners of strong character.