The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine

The Cathedral School wishes a happy Diwali to all who celebrate. May this year’s festival of lights bring you warmth, joy, and positivity.

Happy Halloween from The Cathedral School! To celebrate, our 2nd graders made some spooky and delicious treats!

The Cathedral community gathered in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for our annual All Saints’ All Souls’ Evensong on Monday afternoon.

There were wonderful performances from both the Upper and Lower Schools and the Scroll of Remembrance, which contains the names of deceased loved ones and pets that have been written by our school community, was unrolled. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Cathedral hosted another author visit as part of its Book Fair season this past Friday, featuring another writer who is also a School alum. Sean O’Brien ‘88 shared an excerpt from one of the books in his “White House Clubhouse” series with students in grades 3-7. It’s a historical fiction series about two young girls who live in White House and go on a thrilling adventure through time. Sean also spoke about the influence Cathedral had on his writing career and shared a few photos from his old yearbooks.

Signed copies of “White House Clubhouse” and “White House Clubhouse: White House on Fire!” will be available at this year’s Book Fair hosted by the Cathedral Parents Association on October 30-31 in Synod Hall.

This morning, Kindergarten students had their annual Halloween parade! They donned their costumes and were cheered on by their fellow students, faculty, staff, and parents as they made their way around the building and onto the Front Porch. We eagerly await this beloved tradition every year and it never fails to spread joy here on the Close.

There’s nothing like a beautiful fall day on the Close.

Come see for yourself! Register for one of our two upcoming Open Houses at the link in our bio.

Cathedral students have the opportunity to use the iconic Cathedral of St. John the Divine as a classroom during their time on the Close. Last school year, 2nd grade students visited the Cathedral to view Anne Patterson’s “Divine Pathways” installation during art class.

Check out Cathedral Magazine at the link in our bio to learn more about this installation and many of the other incredible projects Cathedral students worked on last school year.

Butterflies on the Close! Kindergarten students cared for caterpillars in science class and learned about the stages of metamorphosis. This week butterflies emerged from their chrysalises and yesterday students excitedly released them into the Biblical Garden.

Putting Our Heads Together

In the Fall 2024 edition of Cathedral Magazine, our two Division Heads Laura Higgins and Delilah Lora-Arez sat down together to share their philosophies as leaders and educators at The Cathedral School.

To read their conversation and learn more about two of the people that make Cathedral such a special place, check out the newest edition of our magazine at the link in our bio.

Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize the cultures, histories, and contributions of Indigenous communities. Guided by our Mission and Core Values, we remember and honor those who occupied this land before us.

To all our community members who observe Yom Kippur, The Cathedral School wishes that you find peace and renewal during this year’s Day of Atonement.

Book Fair season is upon us, and we had two very special guests for our first author visit of the year. Cathedral alum Emma Straub ‘94 and her mother Susan Straub shared their book “Gaga Mistake Day” with kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students this morning. In addition to reading their lovely story about a child and their grandmother, Emma and Susan shared photos and stories about their time at Cathedral.

Signed copies of “Gaga Mistake Day” and many other wonderful titles for children and adults will be available at this year’s Book Fair hosted by the Cathedral Parents Association on October 30-31 in Synod Hall.

Each year, Lower School students bring their stuffed animals to chapel in honor of the Feast of St. Francis. At Cathedral, it’s known as the Blessing of the Stuffies and is a favorite tradition of our younger students.

Each year, the changing of the seasons on the Close serves as a gentle reminder of new beginnings and the passing of time.

The Cathedral School wishes a sweet new year to all who celebrate Rosh Hashanah. May this year bring joy, health, and new beginnings.

This past Thursday, Cathedral hosted a Partners Breakfast, welcoming in Admissions Directors from other schools in New York City to hear about our program. Those in attendance heard from administrators, staff, faculty, and several students from the Lower and Upper Schools who did a wonderful job speaking in front of the audience. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend, and don’t forget to register for one of our three upcoming Fall Open Houses!

Register at the link in our bio or at cathedralnyc.org

Upper School students showed incredible Courage yesterday by standing in front of their peers and giving their speeches for this year’s Student Council elections. Everyone did a spectacular job!

Thank you to everyone who was able to end yesterday’s Convocation in the Cathedral. It’s a fresh start for everyone and we’re looking forward to another wonderful year together!

We ended our week as we always do at Cathedral, with Lower School Assembly. We want to wish our entire community a great weekend, and we look forward to seeing you back on the Close on Monday!

Today was picture day at Cathedral! It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces on the Close.

This morning was the Upper School’s first chapel of the year. At Cathedral, we use chapel to help students develop spiritual literacy and explore questions of purpose and meaning. We ended today’s session with students born in August and September receiving their birthday stones–one of our favorite traditions!

Over the summer, Lower Schoolers were tasked with reading “The Word Collector” by Peter H. Reynolds. This week, students were tasked with creating their own word collection, and they decorated the driveway with their favorite words!

On this date in 1974, The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine became a coeducational institution, welcoming girls for the first time. Fifty years later, we are proud to celebrate this milestone in our history and recognize this moment as an important step in creating the gender-inclusive community we strive to foster each day—for Cathedral School students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, alumni families, and friends.

In recognition of all that has been done and all there is to do, we are proud to announce a series of events throughout the 2024-2025 academic year inviting all members of our Cathedral School community to engage in conversation related to gender, equity, and inclusion. Through these programs, we will continue to explore our history; reflect on the evolving role of gender in education across past, present, and future; and celebrate the leadership of girls and women within our School, the Close community, and the broader world.

As part of their Welcome Back festivities, our amazing Parents Association shared lollipops with students last week! It was a wonderful surprise, and we can’t wait for our first full week on the Close.

We’d love to see you at one of our upcoming Open Houses! Join us on October 15, October 26, or November 14. Learn more about The Cathedral School experience and the power of a K-8 education.

Register now at the link in our bio or at www.cathedralnyc.org.

Welcome Back! It was amazing seeing everyone return to the Close, and we’re looking forward to making our 123rd year our best one yet.