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Student Life

Beyond The Classroom

At Roycemore School, student life is as vibrant and diverse as our students themselves. From our youngest learners to our graduating seniors, every student is encouraged to discover their passions, foster meaningful relationships, and engage deeply with their community. Our extracurriculars allow our students to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom.

Explore Student Life by Division

Roycemore’s Upper School provides a dynamic environment where students prepare for college and beyond while enjoying a robust array of extracurricular and social opportunities. Student life is characterized by a strong sense of community, leadership development, and personal growth.

  • Clubs and Activities: Students can join or create clubs that match their interests, from Scholastic Bowl and DECA to esports, guitar club, and many more.
  • Athletics: Athletic opportunities, including basketball, cross country, track, and volleyball, encourage teamwork, school spirit, and physical fitness.
  • Advisory Program: A dedicated advisor helps students navigate academics, extracurriculars, and personal goals.
  • Events and Traditions: Highlights include the Upper School Picnic, Prom, Spirit Week, Lock-in, and Student Government social outings that build camaraderie and school pride.
  • Community Engagement: Volunteer opportunities, the Griffin Buddies program, and service-learning projects empower students to make a positive impact.

In Middle School, students are supported as they explore their identities, develop new skills, and build lifelong friendships. The Middle School experience at Roycemore is designed to foster independence and curiosity.

  • Advisory, HOUSE, and Homeroom: Small advisory groups ensure every student is known and supported. The mixed grade-level MS HOUSE Program provides opportunities to build camaraderie, leadership skills, and school pride. Through homeroom, students are supported within their grade level to be successful in the classroom and build essential skills for executive functioning and social-emotional intelligence. 
  • Clubs and Activities: Offerings such as Roots and Shoots (Environmental Club), Writing Weekly, chess, DnD, and more provide outlets for creativity, exploration, and relationship building.
  • Athletics: Participation in sports like cross-country, track, flag football, volleyball, and basketball fosters a spirit of teamwork, school pride, physical wellness, and healthy competition.
  • Field Experiences and Events: Students enjoy experiential, hands-on learning through trips to museums, theaters, zoos, and science centers. We have access to world-class experiences in the Greater Chicago Area, and we take advantage of them as much as possible!
  • Social Activities: Events like dances and game nights create opportunities for fun and connection outside of the school day.
  • NYC and DC Trip: Seventh and eighth-grade students look forward to their annual trip in the spring, which alternates between New York City and Washinton, DC. Three packed days of learning, adventure, and of course, fun!

Lower School at Roycemore is a place where curiosity is celebrated, and students are encouraged to ask questions, take risks, and grow both academically and socially.

  • Daily Routines: Structured yet flexible days include time for academics, recess, and creative exploration.
  • Specials Classes: Music, art, physical education, library, and French enrich the core curriculum.
  • Extracurricular Clubs: Lower School students can participate in free after-school activities to explore their interests outside of the classroom like gardening, cooking, and design club.
  • Additional Activities: Roycemore partners with several organizations to offer additional programs for students. These paid programs include Soccer Shots, Mudlark Theatre, Chicago School of Musical Arts, Chess Wizards, and more.
  • Community Building: Morning meetings and the Griffin Buddies program promote leadership, inclusion, and empathy.
  • Events: Highlights include the Family Dance, field day, and class musicals that showcase student talents.
  • Extended Day Program: EDP provides students time and space to build friendships and take advantage of unstructured play before and after school hours.

In our Early Childhood program, the youngest members of the Roycemore community thrive in a nurturing and playful environment. Designed specifically for children aged three to five, the program focuses on the foundational skills necessary for future learning.

  • Play-Based Learning: Hands-on activities and collaborative play help children develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
  • Specials: Young learners enjoy art, music, library, French, and physical education classes tailored to their developmental needs.
  • Outdoor Exploration: Daily outdoor time, rain or shine, encourages curiosity, physical activity, and a love for nature.
  • Family Engagement: Parents and families are invited to participate in classroom events and celebrations.
  • Community Engagement: Early Childhood families are encouraged to participate in the all-school, PK-12 community. Whether attending all-school events like Carnival or participating in the Roycemore Family Association, building relationships across divisions makes our small school unique. 
  • Milestone Moments: Traditions like the Junior Palio and special-themed days create lasting memories within the students' classroom community.

Events and Traditions

Several annual all-school activities bring the divisions of the school together, including Hour of Code, Roycemore Day, Palio, Spirit Week, Wassail, and the Young Evanston Artists Festival. Roycemore’s community is like a second home to the families who are enrolled.

One of our favorite traditions, and our oldest, is Palio. Palio is a whole-community effort to share and recognize our students’ athletic skills, from being able to bounce a ball five times in a row to performing incredible gymnastic flips and feats. These all-school activities bolster the strength of our community leading to greater student success.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Roycemore is a college preparatory school that recognizes and embraces the unique talents and attributes of each individual student. We believe that our differences are our strengths and provide us with opportunities to appreciate multiple backgrounds and perspectives. Roycemore’s students are gearing up to be the next leaders of the world and in order to be well-rounded, open-minded people, we believe that the educational experience must reflect the importance of connecting with peers from many backgrounds.  

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