Head of School Welcome

Choosing a school is a decision that will significantly impact your child’s success in college and in life. Parents frequently ask me, “Why choose an independent school like Morgan Park Academy?” The truth is, few among us at an early age know who they are and what their talents will be. For most of us, we do not know what we are capable of or where our talents lie until we are exposed to new experiences and given opportunities to try new things. This is exactly why a school like Morgan Park Academy excels.

In a small school where students receive personal attention, teachers know their students as individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses. At the Academy, our faculty specializes both in their subject matter and in the developmental stage of the students they teach. Drawing on this knowledge, the faculty sets high expectations—students are challenged to work hard and do their best. Our broad-based liberal arts curriculum is the foundation for student success, but it is not the sole ingredient.

Everyone has many opportunities to be involved, whether on stage or behind the scenes, on the ball field or in the laboratory. Students of all abilities can be the players—not just the spectators—when we stage theatrical productions, perform concerts, participate in a Model UN, or play soccer or volleyball, just to name a few. Morgan Park Academy students are encouraged to try new things and, in the process, they discover hidden talents and acquire new passions that may take them in unexpected directions.

In our rapidly evolving global economy, it may be difficult to imagine exactly what careers will be available to our sons and daughters during their lifetimes. What we do know, however, is that to succeed tomorrow, students today must learn to think critically and analytically, and to communicate clearly and persuasively. They must respect and celebrate each other’s differences, and at the same time learn to forge a common understanding so they can work together to make a positive difference in the world. This is why we present our curriculum through a global lens, and our community as a model for living diversity in a meaningful way.

Whether your child is just starting preschool or is already getting ready for high school and beyond, I encourage you to give your child a lifelong advantage by choosing Morgan Park Academy.  

Catherine Raaflaub, Ph.D.
Head of School