The Stanley Clark School is a private school in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

serving children preschool through 8th grade. Stanley Clark School has been recognized by the

Blue Ribbon Schools Program The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

, the highest award an American school can receive. The school also practices the

Reggio Emilia approach The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy and pedagogy focused on preschool and primary education. This approach is a student-centered and constructivist self-guided curriculum that uses self-directed, experiential learning in rel ...

, which is an educational philosophy directed at the development of young children. In 1958, Mary (Mollie) Bernard, supported by her husband, Leon, founded the Mary Reid Cleland School. The school was named for Mary’s grandmother, a school teacher in Scotland. While first founded for kindergarten and 1st grade, the school added grades each year, eventually serving grades K-8. Mary’s mission was to establish an alternative education for South Bend families at a time when public and parochial classrooms were frequently overcrowded and failed to provide the quality education Mary wished for her own children as well as others in the community. The result was a private institution that became a mainstay in the South Bend community. The Cleland School was renamed the Stanley Clark School in 1964 in honor of a prominent physician in the South Bend area. The headmaster is Melissa Grubb. As of the 2007-2008 school year, the tuition cost is around $14,000. The Stanley Clark School is known around the South Bend and Michiana areas for excellence not only in academics, but also for sports and other activities. Athletic activities are offered on a seasonal basis, and students may choose to participate competitively if they wish. Sports offered at Stanley Clark are ice hockey, basketball, dance, lacrosse, cross-country, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and intramural sports. During the summer, camp programs spanning a variety of subjects are offered to children up to age 16. The Stanley Clark School also has many clubs and teams, including Speech Team, Science Olympiad, MathCounts, and Spelling Bee. The school has done very well in all of these areas, and frequently travels to competitions held among area schools.

Awards and recognition

During the 1985-86 school year, the Stanley Clark School was recognized with the

Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

Award of Excellence by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a cabinet-level department of the United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and ...

. The Stanley Clark Science Olympiad team received 1st place in the state competition in 2008, and moved on to the Nationals in Washington D.C. The team finished in 21st place overall out of the 59 teams participating in the 2008 National Science Olympiad Tournament.Division B - Middle School
2008 National Science Olympiad Tournament. Accessed November 4, 2008.

References

External links

Stanley Clark School webpage
{{South Bend, Indiana Private schools in Indiana Educational institutions established in 1958 Schools in St. Joseph County, Indiana Education in South Bend, Indiana 1958 establishments in Indiana