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1958-1969

In 1958, the vestry of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church authorized the opening of St. Timothy’s School. Headmaster and rector of St. Timothy’s Church, Father George B. S. Hale, Mrs. Carolyn Hale and Ms. Virginia Lambert, assembled in the Parish Hall of the church. The school began with sixteen children enrolled in kindergarten. The first Christmas Pageant was held in December 1958. The next year a first grade was added, and each consecutive year the next grade was added until the school was a full program K-5th grade. In 1960, Hale Hall was constructed. In 1963, Junior Kindergarten (pre-K), Art and a French classroom were added. Stuart Hall was also built at this time. By 1970, there were two additional buildings: Tracy Hall and Sharpe Hall. The grades now included PreK – 7th grade. Choral music, piano lessons, art and athletics were added to compliment the academic program. In the late 1960’s the Friends of St. Timothy’s, a parent support organization, was formed. A yearbook shows enrollment in 1969 to be four hundred students.

1970-1979

On December 15, 1970, St. Timothy’s School became the first, non-public elementary school to receive accreditation from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.  In 1971, Marcia Hall and the gymnasium were constructed.  Organized sports teams were participating in conference play and cheerleading was a popular activity.  Dances, art shows and music presentations were held in the gymnasium.  Also in 1971, the grade levels increased to include 9th grade.  The high school grades were first located in Marcia Hall, but it soon became apparent that another campus was needed.  In 1972, Father George B. S. Hale High School was founded as in independent Episcopal school and grades 9-12 moved to a location on White Oak Road.  Eighth grade was moved to the Hale High School campus in 1977; seventh grade was moved in 1978.  St. Timothy’s School, now often referred to as the Lower School, continued to thrive as a Pre K – 6th grade elementary school.  Students came not only from Raleigh, but also from Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Wendell, Knightdale, Louisburg, Hillsborough and Youngsville.  In addition to the core academic program, music, drama, art and physical education were part of the weekly schedule.  The Pumpkin Parade began in the mid-1970’s while the Christmas Pageant continued its 20 year tradition.  St. Timothy’s School was admitted and earned its Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation in 1972, making it the first nonpublic elementary day school to be accredited by SACS .  Father Hale continued as the headmaster at all grade levels.  Mr. Thomas L. Smith was principal from 1970 – 1974; Mr. Ernest C. Perry was principal from 1974 – 1977; Ms. Beverly Brown was principal from 1977 – 1980.  The school celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 1978.

1980-1989

During the 1980’s, St. Timothy’s School, now a well-established elementary school serving grades PreK-6th, continued to offer a structured, traditional education to its students.  The school celebrated its Silver Anniversary, 25 years, in 1983 with a big birthday party.  Father Hale, still the headmaster and rector of the church, along with Mrs. Hale, also celebrated their 25 year involvement with the school.  The Friends of St. Timothy’s sponsored its annual Gym Fair, a carnival/fundraiser for students and their families.  Balloon Day, sponsored by the student council, began during the 84-85 school year.  Mrs. Margaret Evans was principal from 1980-1985; Father Richard Losche was the principal from 1986-1988 and Mrs. Jane Knox became principal in 1988.

1990-1999

In 1990, the sixth grade was moved to the Hale campus.  Now encompassing grades 6th-8th, St. Timothy’s Middle School was opened with Mrs. Jane Knox as principal.  Mrs. Knox served as principal of both the lower and middle schools until Spring 1991 when Mrs. Margaret Evans returned to assume the duties of upper school principal.  Mrs. Knox stayed on as principal of the lower school until 1993.  In 1992, Father Hale retired as the rector of St. Timothy’s Church and in 1993, he retired as Headmaster of St. Timothy’s School.  That same year, Mrs. Evans was named Headmistress of St. Timothy’s School.   Father Jay James was called as rector of St. Timothy’s Church in 1994; his role also included chaplain of the school and chairman of the school board.  Fifth grade was moved to the Hale campus, joining the middle school, in 1994.  In the fall of 1995, Mrs. Evans became ill and Mrs. Carol Ashworth was named interim Headmistress for the 1995-1996 school year.  The 1995-1996 school year was the last year of the Junior Kindergarten program, which was discontinued to make more room the Kindergarten program.  In the summer of 1996, Mr. Michael S. Bailey was named Headmaster.  The school now included over 400 students, organized into five classrooms per grade level; grades K-4.  Beginning in 1997, Mr. Bailey began a two year stretch of making significant improvements to the classroom buildings, many of which had not been updated since they were built in the 1960s.  Flooring, lighting, interior painting and exterior enhancements were done in each classroom building; the library was reconfigured to include a new, state-of-the art computer lab; the gymnasium had exterior work, new flooring and new bleachers; the offices were moved to make way for better classroom configurations and multiple landscaping projects were tackled.  Additionally, a second computer lab was added and each classroom was outfitted for internet access.  In 1997, St. Timothy’s School embarked in a joint capital campaign with St. Timothy’s-Hale School (now the name of the independent middle/high school).  The goal of Carpe Futura was 3.5 million dollars, with 6/7 going to building new high school facilities;  the 1/6 portion designated for St. Timothy’s School was primarily used to replenish the reserve facility fund which was being spent on the campus improvements.

2000 – present

In 1999, the first annual fund drive was held for parents, faculty, relatives and friends of the school.  In the summer of 2000, the school made its first acquisition of new property in several decades.  A lot and house on Gates street, adjacent to the back side of the campus, was purchased, allowing for the possibility of expansion.  In 2001 a parking lot and driveway project was completed.  A long-range facility planning committee was formed in conjunction with the church to address future changes to the campus.  Four hundred plus students attended the school in grades Kindergarten – Fourth.  The curriculum was re-written to reflect current trends in teaching and learning styles, with an emphasis remaining on the core subjects of reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies.  Special programs included art, music, Spanish, physical education, computer, and a hands-on science lab.  Fourth graders ended their years at St. Timothy’s with an overnight beach trip, filled with fun, fellowship and learning.  During the 2001-2002 school year a new character education program was launched.  At the Heart of St. Timothy’s:  Faith, Hope and Love was designed in cooperation with the chaplain and the faculty to better align the chapel services and integration of values education in the classroom.  It’s possible that St. Timothy’s had one of the first “character education programs” dating back to its founding years and long before it was addressed in public schools.  However, the new program is a recommitment by the school to continue the tradition of educating the whole child: spirit, mind and body. 

The 2002-2003 school year was the 45th school year in the history of St. Timothy’s School.  In November 2002, the former St. Timothy’s-Hale (now St. David’s) announced that it would add its own elementary school to the White Oak Road campus.  In response, St. Timothy’s Board of Trustees voted to add fifth and sixth grade back to St. Timothy’s School, with seventh and eighth to be added for the next two years.  In December 2002, the school held the 45th performance of the Christmas Pageant.  A Founders’ Day was held to recognize the achievements of school founders, Father and Mrs. Hale.  Mrs. Hale was presented with a framed picture of the very first kindergarten class, which she taught.  Father Hale was presented with a gold whistle, a reminder of his years in the carpool line directing traffic.   The Hales were awarded the Order of the Long-leaf Pine, the highest service honor of the state of North Carolina.

In 2003, a capital campaign, Building for Our Children’s Future, was underway to provide funding for a new, 2-story building that would house grades 1st-8th, administrative offices, media center, science and technology labs.  The building would replace three aging structures, Tracy Hall, Sharpe Hall and Stuart Hall.  Additionally, Marcia Hall was completing renovated to provide a new Kindergarten Center.  

In 2004, St. Timothy’s received the National Blue Ribbon School award by the U. S. Department of Education. Founded in 1982, the No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon School Award is presented annually to schools of excellence across the country by the U. S. Department of Education.  Thousands of schools across the nation applied for this prestigious award; only 280 in thirty-nine states received the award in 2004. In order to be eligible, schools must either demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement or produce national standardized testing scores in the top ten percent.  St. Timothy’s students scored in the top five percent on the Stanford-9 Achievement test.  Having met the testing requirements, the faculty and staff of the school collaborated to complete the rigorous application process representing a thorough self-evaluation.  The Council of American Private Education (CAPE) nominated St. Timothy’s School and other independent schools for the award. When evaluating nominations for overall school quality, the Department of Education looked for challenging standards and curriculum, evidence of excellent teaching strategies, ongoing professional development by teachers and staff, family and community partnerships that contribute to school quality and high or improving student performance on measures of achievement.
By the 2005-2006 school year, St. Timothy’s was once again a K-8th grade school with nearly 500 students.  Middle school faculty were hired to teach literature, grammar, math, history, science, Spanish and Latin.  Additionally, new electives were added for grades five-eight including, yearbook, band, chorus, art, technology, debate, drama and journalism.  The lower school, grades kindergarten-fourth, continued to provide a firm foundation in the core curriculum and students moved seamlessly into the middle grades, having been well-prepared for new challenges that middle school brings. In all grade levels, integrated technology, aided by new state-of-the art facilities, and presentation skills were the focus of curriculum enhancements.  Faculty embraced the use of a variety of media as students composed and presented materials in various subject areas.   Annual overnight field trips included the fourth grade beach trip, the sixth grade Charleston trip and a final eight grade trip to Washington, DC.  

The school adopted a new mascot, the Titan, and The Titan Athletic Club was founded in 2003. Students in grades sixth-eighth participated on nine different competitive sports teams. The Friends of St. Timothy’s begin holding an annual Founders’ Day Celebration to raise funds for various projects, including new buses and technology equipment.  Student Council sponsored various contests and fundraisers, including the traditional Balloon Day, and also added an all-school Spirit Week.  National Junior Honor Society inducted its first members in 2005.

The first phase of the capital campaign successfully raised $3 million, with 78% of the parent body participating.  The new building was dedicated on May 2, 2006 during a consecration service conducted by Father Jay C. James, Father George B. S. Hale and The Right Reverend Robert W. Estill.  The St. Timothy’s School eighth grade class graduated June 2, 2006 and Father Hale served as their keynote speaker.

2007-2008 - The Golden Anniversary Year

The school celebrated its 50th Anniversary during the 2007-2008 school year.  A new theme was launched to kick off the celebration year - St. Timothy's School:  Where Strengths are Valued, Traditions are Honored and Successes are Celebrated.  Events included an all-school Birthday Party in September, an Evensong service honoring Father and Mrs. Hale, the late Margaret Evans, Father James and Mr. Mike Bailey in November and the 50th presentation of the annual Christmas Pageant in December.   The culminating event was the "Fifty and Fabulous" Anniversary Gala held at the Carolina Country Club in May.  Over 400 alumni, parents, faculty and friends gathered for a grand evening of celebration, dinner, dancing and auction.