Second Baptist School

The school is a “self-supporting ministry” of the Second Baptist Church of Houston. As such, members of Second Baptist Church receive discounts on tuition. Lower school students attend chapel once a week where they pledge to the American and Christian flags and the Bible. Middle School students attend a contemporary chapel service once a week. Upper School students are required to take Bible studies classes each year. Student “Professions of Faith” are encouraged and publicized.

SBS is located adjacent to Second Baptist Church on a 42-acre campus replete with nearly 1 million square feet of buildings. It is located in the Memorial area of Houston just south of the exclusive Houston Country Club and Racquet Club. It is fairly equidistant between Beltway 8, Loop 610, I-10, and the Westpark Tollway.

The admissions process for middle and high school students includes six steps:

1. online application
2. family application
3. academic information – teacher recommendations and grades
4. standardized testing
5. interviews
6. shadow a currently enrolled student for upper school applicants

Required tests for Pre-K through 4th grade include the WPPSI (or WISC for K-4) and a group evaluation. Additionally, applicants in grades 1-4 must also complete the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Applicants for grades 5-12 must take the ISEE test appropriate to the grade for which they are applying.

For the ISEE for grades 6 and 9, we recommend that applicants target a stanine of 5 or better in all test sections.

General Academic has more than 16 years of experience helping thousands of students prepare for the ISEE. Inquire about private tutoring or register for ISEE prep courses starting December 21st at our Rice Village Study Lounge.

The Lower School curriculum is self-contained meaning that students stay in one room while the same group of teachers covers all of the subjects in the curriculum. The Middle and Upper Schools are departmentalized. Academic track differentiation begins in 7th grade when students have different math class options. Honors classes are offered beginning in the 9th grade. SBS offers 16 honors classes and 15 AP classes in the Upper School.

Interim Term is a two week period in March which gives students the opportunity to pursue interests outside of a standard school curriculum such as domestic and foreign travel, community service, cultural programs, and internships.

The school requires 23 credit hours to graduate; one credit is equivalent to one year of study: English (4), Math (3), Social Studies (3.5), Science (3), Foreign Languages (2), Fine Arts (1), Economics (.5), Computer (1), Communication App. (.5), Electives (2.5), Physical Education (1.5). Bible instruction is required each year.

No information is available at this time about Second Baptist School’s accommodations for students with special needs.

SBS provides instruction in Spanish and Chinese Mandarin. Foreign language instruction is offered beginning with kindergarten Spanish (but is discontinued from 1st through 5th grade). Spanish is offered continuously through Advanced Placement Spanish Language. French is offered beginning in 9th grade. Students may currently study Mandarin through Honors Level II; the school continues to add levels each year as Chinese only replaced its French offering in 2012.

Music and art instruction begin in Pre-Kindergarten where students benefit from weekly instruction. In addition to visual art in Middle School, students also have the option of band choir, acting, and drama. The Upper School arts department offers seventeen classes including AP Studio Art (Drawing, 2D Design, 3D Design). Photography is also available. In music, students can participate in choir, band, marching band, string ensemble, and music theory.

In the Lower School, weekly computer instruction begins in Kindergarten. As of 2011, students in 5th through 12th grade benefit from the school’s “one-to-one” MacBook program. SBS owns the computers and provides students with new computers every three years. Students are not allowed to bring their own laptops to school even if it is a MacBook. Since the computers are owned by the school, there is no additional charge outside of existing tuition fees. SBS is an “Apple Distinguished School,” for its use of Apple technology in the classroom and throughout the curriculum.

In the Middle and Upper Schools, the student council is comprised of class and school wide representatives. Mathematically inclined middle school students can join the math club. There are a number of other clubs ranging from academic team to debate to key club to language clubs and Model U.N. Qualifying students may participate in the National Honor Society and French, Latin, and Spanish language honor societies.

Athletic facilities include three gymnasiums, weight room, locker rooms, and multipurpose fields: baseball field, softball field, football, and soccer field. The school fields teams across eleven sports: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, football, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track, and volleyball. SBS is a member of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

Parents who are interested in volunteering should join SBS’s Parent Association.