1. Maryvale Preparatory School For Girls
City: Brooklandville, MD
Category: Education
Telephone: (410) 252-3366
Address: 11300 Falls Rd.
Description: Begun in 1945 by the Sisters of Notre Dame De Namur as a boarding school, Maryvale had only 12 students when it opened. That was OK by the sisters, however, whose mission was to set up a school that was small by design so each girl would receive a lot of individual attention. Staying true to the sisters’ mission, only 380 day students are enrolled in grades 6 through 12. The campus, on 115 acres with sprawling woods, nature trails, streams, and waterfalls, is an idyllic setting for a school. Citing a competitive college preparatory curriculum, Maryvale’s academic focus encourages girls in mathematics and the sciences. A Science and Student Center was completed in 1997 and houses computer and science labs. Maryvale boasts a championship-winning athletic department, strong in field hockey, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, and softball. Its choruses produce two musicals each year. Community service is an important part of every Maryvale girl’s life, with ample opportunities to take part in fund-raising for breast cancer research, foreign missions, and other charities. Girls also serve meals at a Fell’s Point soup kitchen at least once a month. Parent involvement is strong in this school along with traditions such as the Mother/Daughter Liturgy and the Father/Daughter Dinner Dance.
2. The Park School
City: Brooklandville, MD
Category: Education
Telephone: (410) 339-7070
Address: 2425 Old Court Rd.
Description: The Park School was founded in 1912 as a progressive school, located on a 100-acre tract of land, and is one in which children are guided toward moral behavior, self-discipline, and intellectual achievement. Park is a nonsectarian, independent, coeducational day school. A 27,000-square-foot science, math, and technology center opened in 1997, and the middle and upper schools have been renovated to better support Park’s seminar style of teaching. Park students have a record of achievement in advanced level mathematics. Enrollment in upper level math courses is high: 45 percent of Park’s current senior class has taken or is taking an AP calculus course; 99 percent elect to take four years of math. Park placed first in Maryland Mathematics League contests over the last 10 years; Park placed first among private schools in the Baltimore area for eight years and second for the other two years.