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The Soulard School

43 Employees | 19 Years

The Soulard School is a community dedicated to educating its children so they can be empowered academically, grow emotionally, and build authentic connections.

Mission Statement

The Soulard School (TSS) is a community dedicated to educating its children to be empowered academically, grow emotionally, and build authentic connections.

The Soulard School is a public charter school serving St. Louis City. TSS has been a model for innovation and inclusivity in elementary education for nearly twenty years. Our interdisciplinary curriculum creates learners who are engaged, curious, and creative. TSS is a top-ranked Missouri Charter School based on 2022 MAP and 2022 APR scores.

TSS fosters an environment of belonging that inspires learners to make a difference for themselves and their communities.
Our model is based on four pillars of DEI+B, Child Well-Being, Integrated Studies, and Community Engagement. Through our programming and social-emotional curriculum, TSS creates a school culture that respects and values all students, fosters understanding, and incorporates health & wellness.
Programs include:

  • A Nutrition & Culinary Arts program that provides all students with free, healthy, and balanced lunches that students help cook and are paired with weekly nutrition education
  • Buddy circles/small groups of peer mentoring and support
  • Co-teaching model with low 12:1 student to teacher ratio
  • Arts-centered with violin instruction

Impact

Established in 2005, The Soulard School grew from The Little School and Gym, an early childhood program. At that time, the founding staff and families worked hand-in-hand to create a different type of schooling for their children.

Through this partnership, an elementary program rooted in the practices and values of early childhood emerged, specifically the ideas that learning can be active, playful, and joyous, that developing social-emotional health and well-being is valuable, and that empowering children to problem-solve for themselves and with their peers independently is worthwhile. This “different type of schooling” is felt as visitors, students, staff, and parents explore our halls and observe our classes in action.

In 2019, our elementary (K-5th) program transitioned to a charter model, while our early childhood program remains independent. The charter structure allows us to offer a tuition-free education to elementary students across St. Louis City, removing barriers for families to participate in our approach. We seek families looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting, a place where the classroom is welcoming, and learning is dynamic.

Dana Brown Charitable Trust has awarded grants that have allowed us to grow our resources and expand services. We are grateful for the awards, one large grant allowed us to renew our Library. TSS students are curious learners and active readers, especially in their self-directed study time. Our library is a focal point of the school, with bookshelves lining the school’s central corridor. It is an expression of our values that literacy is a priority. The library is a bustling and active area as a gateway to literacy and learning in our classrooms and beyond.

Most recently, TSS was awarded a collaborative grant, with City Greens Market offering a food sovereignty program. This student-led initiative empowers and educates, addressing access to quality food, healthy living, and sustainable practices. Program objectives included Holistic Food Education, Empowered Leadership, Equitable Access, Community Outreach, Sustainable Sourcing, Practical Learning, Culinary Exploration, Environmental Stewardship, and Local Protein Integration.