Saint Stephen School is a Roman Catholic elementary school located in Hamden, Connecticut. We currently serve students from 21 parishes and 10 neighboring towns. With 73% of our student population from outside the parish, we promote an inclusive environment which values the diverse backgrounds of all of our students.
The fundamental purpose of Catholic schools is to advance the educational mission of the Church.
Catholic schools educate diverse student bodies to form Catholic, person-centered, learning communities. They provide quality teaching through traditional and innovative educational programs infused with Catholic Social Teachings. Catholic schools also involve students to serve and support parish life and local civic communities. They strive to graduate students who are critical thinkers, productive moral citizens, and spiritual leaders. Catholic schools also recognize and appreciate parents as the primary educators of their children.
Saint Stephen School strives to teach the Good News, build a community deeply rooted in faith and foster in each student a compassionate awareness of the needs of others.
Ever aware of making the world a better place, the student is encouraged to seek academic excellence, to develop God-given talents and to be cognizant of the need for peace and justice in the world.
Saint Stephen School provides a unique environment in which the faith life of the faculty and students is nourished and the understanding, appreciation and acceptance of one another is recognized and developed.
Saint Stephen School is a Roman Catholic Elementary School in Hamden, Connecticut, serving students from 21 parishes and 10 neighboring towns. With a majority of our student population from outside the parish, we promote an environment of inclusion, which values the diverse backgrounds of all of our students within a close knit community rooted in faith.
We are dedicated to the ideal of teaching as Jesus by nourishing the God-given talents of our students through the pursuit of academic excellence, creative expression, and full preparation for high school. We instill an awareness and appreciation of Christs presence within their lives through daily prayer, family liturgies, prayer services, and an integrated religious curriculum.
We commit ourselves to educating the whole person through a social action ministry that encourages student involvement and develops a sense of responsibility for themselves, their local community, and the world.
Father Albert Taylor, first pastor of St. Stephen Church, founded St. Stephen School in September of 1964. Staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, the school served students from grades one to three from Hamden and neighboring towns. A grade was added each year until 1969 with the completion of eighth grade. 1970 marked the first graduation and the establishment of the Home School Association. Due to an area consolidation of Catholic schools in 1989, grades seven and eight were moved to a Catholic middle school and a kindergarten class was established. In 1990, an after school program was implemented, and a playground was constructed. Grades seven and eight were re-established at St. Stephen and a pre-kindergarten was initiated in 1992. This year also marked the formation of a coeducational sports program. Three years later, a School Board, Development Committee and computer center were established. During the 42 years since its inception, more than 700 students have graduated from St. Stephen School.