Milestone Year: Kirk Day School

A quarter of a century is a big milestone, one that Kirk Day School is celebrating this year. Founded in 1992, the Christian preparatory school in Town and Country serves students in preschool to sixth grade with its mission to provide an academically rigorous Christian education. There is no need for traditional gifts of silver. Instead, each graduating class is a more lasting, intimate mark of the school’s continued success.

“The school’s crowning achievement is its students,” says head of school Taylor Clement. “They go on to do incredible things.” Clement became only the second head of school in Kirk Day’s history when he took over for Sue Pitzer in 2015. He strives to keep the original mission intact. He says Kirk Day’s biblical foundation has not wavered in the past 25 years, nor has its dedication to challenging academics. “People think intellectualism and Christianity can’t coexist, but our students push for the best and develop an appetite for excellence,” he says. “Dorothy Sayers once said that no crooked table legs or ill-fitting doors ever left a carpenter’s shop in Nazareth. Mediocrity has never been part of Christianity.”

The students and graduates demonstrate this philosophy. According to Clement, most graduating classes have produced a valedictorian or salutatorian at their next institution. Director of admissions Jennifer Rush says 95 percent of students are admitted to private high schools, and 60 percent test into honors programs immediately. Rush personally understands the benefits of a Kirk Day School education; her three children have attended. “My kids are unique, and they learn in different ways,” she says. “Kirk Day has met their needs and challenged them in ways they need to be. The school prepares students to meet the academic rigors of high school and college, and also gives them a Christian foundation to navigate the moral and spiritual decisions they encounter.”

To keep its level of academic excellence high, Kirk Day also seeks to provide innovative learning experiences. Clement explains that over the past 25 years, that has meant incorporating more technology and improving the learning environment by promoting collaboration and mobility within the classroom space. Rush sees firsthand Clement’s impact on the school’s success. “He is very aware of different trends in education,” she says. “He has provided a way to prepare our students to be 21st-century learners.”

To commemorate its anniversary, Kirk Day is throwing a ‘Tartan and Thistle’ themed gala at the Missouri Athletic Club downtown April 20. Along with a celebration of everything the school has accomplished, there will be dinner and an auction. While proud of the school’s history and milestone, Clement is looking toward the future. He hopes Kirk Day continues to challenge students to grow academically and spiritually. “Our mission is to create learners who engage the world critically and in a Christian manner,” he says. “That’s not based on trends; it’s timeless.”

Founded in 1992 and located in Town and Country, Kirk Day School is an independent, coeducation, Christian preparatory school for students in preschool to sixth grade. Its 25th anniversary ‘Tartan and Thistle’ gala will be held April 20. Pictured on the cover with students, standing: event chair Allie Zumwalt, head of school Taylor Clement; seated: emcee Jamie Allman; CEO of premier sponsor Kingdom Capital Brandon Mann. For more information, call 314.434.4349 or visit kirkdayschool.org.

Cover design by Allie Bronsky | Cover photo by Kelly Johnson of Relic Photography

Pictured at top: Kirk Day School sixth-graders work collaboratively in class.
Photo: Kelly Johnson of Relic Photography