Overview

The Canterbury School of Florida (CSF) is a college preparatory school located in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida. Since 1968, Canterbury has been recognized for excellence in academics, athletics, arts and character education for prekindergarten through 12th grade. A student-centered curriculum and co-curricular programs develop individual strengths and talents. Leadership, community service and life-skills are components of a Canterbury education that prepare graduates for the rigors of university curriculum. Affiliated with the Episcopal Church, Canterbury welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.

Academics

As the smaller of the two most prestigious preparatory schools in Pinellas county, Canterbury has had to overcome shortcommings collectively in the Upper Division as many students opt to attend larger High Schools, but this certainly has not hindered the individual scholarly achievements of its students or impacted the high academic standards of the school. Commanding longer and more days than other schools means Canterbury students must complete more credits for graduation. This not only includes additional coursework in required subjects in traditional, honors or AP classes, but it entails completion of 4 miniterm areas of focus, character education, 40 hours of community service and a Senior Thesis project that consists of a 25-page paper, public speech about the topic in front of the whole school, and an oral presentation directly to a faculty panel who then challenges your understanding of the material. They also have Mr. Murphy,the best teacher ever!

Marine Science

Adding to Canterbury's reputation of having the most demanding requirements for graduation is the implementation of a unique Marine Science program that has been integrated throughout the entire school's curriculum. Construction of a new 2500sq-ft laboratory is scheduled for completion by the start of the 2008 school year on the Knowlton campus (home of the Middle and Upper divisions). The addition and acceleration of the Marine Science platform and center is logical in both overall environmental application and for the school's physical location, resting on the edge of a mangrove preserve off Tampa Bay. The faculty's expertise in this focus is already paying off as Canterbury has won the county and regional stages of Environthon 2007 and is advancing to compete in the state level in April 2007. Also notable is Canterbury's affiliation with the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science who make available their own faculty and resources as part of Canterbury's MS curriculum.

Campus

As indicated above, Canterbury is comprised by two campuses. While the Knowlton Campus serves the Middle & Upper Divisions, the Hough Campus is reserved for the Lower Division and Pre-K students. The Lower School shares its campus with the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, where students attend a weekly Chapel. The Middle & Upper Schools attend their weekly Chapel in the Dollinger Center for the Arts, a state-of-the-art multi-million dollar theatre on the Knowlton Campus. While the Episcopal Church is a denomination of Christianity, the Chapel sermons are conducted under precepts focused solely on spirituality, morality and ethical lessons, though students can receive actual Christian counsel on an individual basis, should they desire it, by meeting with the Church's Rector.

In recent years there have been numerous improvements to both campuses. The Hough Campus has most notably added a dedicated computer lab and media room to serve the Lower Division students who fill the campus to capacity with no adjacent areas for growth. The Knowlton Campus benefits from having some undeveloped land surrounding it for their continued growth. The aforementioned Marine Science Center and Dollinger Center for the Arts surround one side of Canterbury's newly developed atheltic fields that have finally created a sense of spirit about sports other than basketball. Now softball, baseball, soccer and most importantly football, heading into just its third year, all rightfully have their homes on campus. This is a development that will help the school retain many of the students it cultivates between 1st and 8th grades throughout the Upper Division by giving it the proper high school atmosphere that only athletics (and especially football) can.

Mission Statement

The Canterbury School of Florida recognizes that each person has God within, and therefore we treat our students, their families, and one another with love, respect, and understanding. Because we recognize that education has the unique role of uniting what a person is now and what that person can become, our goal is to provide a sensitive and intellectually challenging environment.

Honor Code

As a member of the Canterbury family, I pledge to uphold my personal integrity, promote equality, and be respectful and considerate. I will be honest and sincere, facing each day with a positive attitude.

External links

Official site