THE ST. PAUL’S SCHOOLSThree small schools with big opportunities. The St. Paul’s Schools offers students a tight-knit community across grades and schools, while providing access to unparalleled opportunities found on a larger campus. Students McKayla, a third grader, Maddie, a seventh grader, and Kobe, a senior, share the aspects of St. Paul’s that make them excited to go to school every day.Third-grader McKayla is an enthusiastic student with a joy for learning. Though nervous to begin a new school in first grade, “I made so many new friends!” she shares. “Teachers and students treat each other with respect and really care about one another.” While she excels in math and reading, McKayla’s favorite place is the art room, where she feels encouraged to be creative. That opportunity for personal expression is central to what McKayla loves about St. Paul’s. “Everybody is different,” she says. “If everyone was the same, school would not be as fun. St. Paul’s lets you just be you!”In the girls’ middle school, Maddie takes advantage of all the opportunities St. Paul’s offers. A well-rounded student, she plays soccer, basketball, and golf, while also making time to be part of last year’s 5th & 6th grade theater production. This past spring, she won the annual Middle School Poetry Recitation contest, and she served her class as Code of Conduct representative on student government. Maddie cherishes the opportunity to be involved in so many facets of her school. “St. Paul’s lets you explore the things you’re passionate about,” she notes. “Everyone roots for each other for the individual things they love.”Senior Kobe is particularly reflective about his 13-year journey at the schools. “No matter how long you’ve been at St. Paul’s, everyone has someone,” he shared. For Kobe, a dedicated varsity baseball player, that someone is his longtime coach and teacher, AJ Barnhardt, a mentor who Kobe says has “been there through all the highs and lows, whether in class or on the field.” When he heads to college next year, Kobe, also a peer mentor for middle schoolers and an active member of the Black Awareness Club, knows that he’ll miss the bonds with his fellow students and teachers most. “We have events that bring all the schools together as one,” says Kobe. “Even though I am a senior, I have friends across all grades. It really does feel like a family.”This article is part of the 2024-2025 Guide to Baltimore Independent Schools.