History

Columbus School for Girls was founded in 1898 by Mary Bole Scott and Florence Kelley, answering the need for a private school for girls in the wealthy Columbus neighborhood of Bullitt Park. Miss Scott and Miss Kelley were determined that their new all-girls school would not be a charm school, but a competitive college-preparatory school that would prepare its students to further their education at prestigious colleges and universities across the country. The school's first graduating class consisted of two girls, both of whom went on to Wellesley College.

Originally located in a small space on fashionable East Broad Street, in 1901 the school moved to the stately Georgian mansion known as "Parsons Place", located at the intersection of Bryden Road and Parsons Avenue. CSG remained at Parsons Place until 1953 when, due to its steady growth and need for larger and more modern facilities, it moved into a large mansion on South Columbia Avenue in Bexley. This remains the main campus for the school.

Further growth, ever-increasing demands for more modern academic facilities, and the need for more space for their athletic programs led to a major expansion of CSG's main campus in 1969. The school now has three campuses for use by its 630 students.

Faculty and accreditation

The current Head of School is Elizabeth Lee, who took office in July 2009 after the retirement of Dr. Diane Cooper. Before coming to CSG, Ms. Lee was the Head of School at Hockaday, a prestigious all-girls school in Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

. There are approximately 120 faculty and staff members, and the student-teacher ratio of 9 to 1.
Columbus School for Girls is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...

, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, and the National Association of Independent Schools.

Academics

CSG is unique in that it offers programs for children from literally newborn through 12th grade. The earliest program, called Parents and Children Together (PACT), is for children from birth to age 3 years and their parents.

More education starts at ages 3 and 4 years, in the Program for Young Children (PYC, CSG's version of preschool and kindergarten). The curricum includes introductions to language arts, social studies, math, science, and physical education.

The Lower School includes Forms I through V (1st through 5th grade). The curriculum for the Lower School includes courses in language arts, library research, math, science, Spanish, visual arts, general music, technology, an integrated studies program, and physical education.

The Middle School consists of Forms VI through VIII (6th through 8th grade). The curriculum in the Middle School includes language arts, library, math, science, Spanish, technology, physical education, music, fine arts, theater, health, history, and performance ensembles.

The Upper School is for students in Forms IX through XII (9th through 12th grade). The Upper School, like most high schools, has the broadest selection of courses. Courses offered include various literature, English, music, visual arts, acting, music ensemble, foreign language, ancient and modern history, technology, mathematics, science, and physical education classes.

Clubs and activities

CSG has over 30 academic and special-interest clubs for their students. The school's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL) and National Junior Classical League

National Junior Classical League

The National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...

 (NJCL). There is the opportunity for foreign travel, including a German foreign exchange student program. Students from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools can participate in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology

FIRST is an organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 to develop ways to inspire students in engineering and technology fields...

 (FIRST) Robotics Program, where they can actually build and program a robot.

Athletics

Athletic activities in the Lower School include field hockey, tennis, golf, volleyball, and basketball. For Middle and Upper School students, the choices expand to include field hockey, tennis, golf, track & field, swimming & diving, cross country, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, and soccer. The Varsity Girls' Field Hockey

Field hockey

Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

 team won the Ohio High School Athletic Association

Ohio High School Athletic Association

The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...

 State Championship in 1987. CSG's mascot is the unicorn

Unicorn

The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...

, and its team name is the Unicorns. The Unicorns are part of the Central Catholic League of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.