April gave us a powerful reminder of what's possible when Katy Perry goes to space.

And while the world marveled at the incredible feats of human endeavor, a similar spirit of innovation was fueling the launches of new independent and private school websites.

If you're searching for fresh ideas to ignite your own school's web design, content strategy, and user experience, prepare for liftoff. From St. Francis High School's high-energy video montages to Colorado Academy's theme of "boundless possibility," these schools are celebrating the launch of their sites and sharing their stories in compelling new ways.

Here's a look at the latest private school websites that have taken flight with Finalsite. 'Cuz, baby, you're a firework.

John Bapst Memorial High School

John Bapst's new website opens introducing visitors to John Bapst's commitment to academic excellence and a vibrant student life through a display of the school's branded royal purple color and a slideshow of high-impact images from across campus.

News and events are highlighted, followed by student testimonials with supportive quotes, and clear calls to action to inquire, apply, support, or learn more about careers at the school. The site includes a handful of special design and content elements, such as:

• A college slider that automatically rotates through the colleges and universities John Bapst students have attended.
   
• Branded call-out text that incorporates the school's signature purple into the page design.​
   
• The site also makes use of forms, whether it's for alumni to leave a class note or for prospective students to submit an inquiry to the admissions office. Each branded online form is mobile-friendly and embedded directly on the page.

There's a wealth of information and resources about its international program, what it's like to live on campus, and details about the Bangor, Maine area, all specifically designed for international families planning to attend the school. Congratulations to John Bapst on the launch of their new website!

Prince Of Peace Christian School

The new Prince of Peace Christian School website is now live and focused on telling the school's story through enhanced design, user experience, and content. There's a lot to celebrate, but here's some of the new features to take an even closer look at:

• Engaging Hero Section: The homepage welcomes visitors with a dynamic video montage showcasing scenes from school life and events throughout the year.
   
• Beautiful Imagery and Creative Design Elements: High-quality imagery in the hero sections and throughout the site enhances the user experience and elevates the overall quality of the pages. You'll also notice beautiful design touches throughout the site, including gradients that flow into custom-designed images and rounded corners on images for a warm, inviting feel.
   
• Dynamic Scrolling: As users explore the homepage, they'll encounter fixed scrolling elements that highlight fast facts and keywords reflecting the school's values.
   
• Effective Testimonials: Video testimonials from parents, students, and teachers offer firsthand perspectives on what makes the Prince of Peace community so special.
   
• Clear Divisional Navigation: A well-organized tab section provides easy access to information about the school's different divisions and programs. From there, users can easily navigate to learn more about signature programs, athletics, admissions, and campus life.
   
• Integrated Directories: The site seamlessly integrates with the school's directory, allowing users to connect with faculty and staff, such as Arts and Athletics team members, directly from their respective departmental pages.
   
• User-Friendly Calendar: The calendar makes it simple to browse upcoming events with:
  • Month, day, and week views.
  • A calendar category legend for easy filtering by division or department.
  • Keyword search functionality.
     
• Custom Timeline: The History page features a custom timeline that highlights key moments in the school's history, complete with with supporting descriptions and branded photos.
   
• Enhanced Content Display: Check out these specific examples of how content is presented in engaging ways:
  • Custom styled videos
  • Custom Posts on the arts page
  • Custom image buttons on the academics page
  • Post filtered grid found on its divisional pages
  • Custom layered container on the support page

St. Francis High School - NY

St. Francis High School’s site opens with a video montage that captures the energy and culture of the school, showcasing classroom activities, student performances, and scenes from around campus.

The homepage presents the school's mission: to prepare young men from diverse backgrounds to achieve excellence. It also highlights the school's core values, commitment to student success beyond high school, and dedication to developing student confidence. Student testimonials illustrate the St. Francis experience, from classroom learning to sports and personal development.

For easy navigation, the right-hand side of the homepage offers quick links to important pages for applying, supporting the school, and accessing resources for parents and alumni. As users scroll down, they'll find news stories and a calendar of events, for a glimpse into the vibrant life of the campus.

The website's athletic pages provide more information and resources, including details on campus facilities and teams. Users can explore each team's schedule, get the latest updates via an X integration, and find in-depth information about each team.

Congratulations to St. Francis High School on the launch of their new site!

Colorado Academy

“Boundless possibility” perfectly captures Colorado Academy’s new website, inviting users to embark on a journey of discovery and the transformative power of learning. Right away, the homepage highlights what Colorado Academy calls "the CA difference," focusing on key aspects like its international community, academic freedom, growth, and a culture of caring.

These ideas are complemented by a design element featuring fast facts that users can scroll through to learn more about academics, athletics, college preparation, and other programs.

A standout feature is the interactive campus map right on the homepage, which allows users to explore the school's facilities and buildings. The homepage also includes video testimonials from school leadership and opportunities to learn more about the school's classroom experiences and traditions. 

Guided by Finalsite Studio Advantage for messaging and design, more highlights include:

• For prospective families, the website simplifies the inquiry process with a Finalsite Enrollment form that collects essential information and kicks off that seamless enrollment experience.
   
• A convenient side panel on the homepage provides quick access to the latest news, social media posts, and calendar events, keeping visitors connected to the pulse of campus life.
   
• A user-friendly "hamburger" menu offers further exploration of the school's culture, admissions, experiences, and "beyond the classroom" opportunities, along with quick links to alumni pages, ways to support the school, and career opportunities. 
   
• A lot of wonderful custom design and content, like its beautiful timeline, full-width image cards, post grids in the news section, and image sliders on the classroom pages.
   
• While the site showcases the wide range of all Colorado Academy offers, the interior pages are just as well-organized and clear. Design elements like color blocks, testimonials, quotes, accordions, and tabs effectively organize content, preventing information overload. A detailed search bar, quick links, and a "How Do I" FAQ section help users find information quickly. 

Subtle animations add a lot of visual interest, too, like as the school's shield that appears on icon hover and carefully placed star bursts. As a creative nod to Colorado and the school's mascot, the website's footer features a group of roaming Mustangs. Beautiful site!

Orion STEM Schools

Founded to be the first of its kind, Orion STEM Schools hasn't even officially opened its doors yet, but its new website thoughtfully presents its commitment to innovation in STEM education.

The site accomplishes so much even without the benefit of having years of history to fall back on for content, news stories, or alumni testimonials, but it still accomplishes a lot in how it presents the opportunities it will provide. The site establishes the school's brand well with a design that incorporates features like:

• Comfortable green tones that bring together design elements and text, while pops of secondary colors double as headings.
   
• An "At a Glance" section with fast facts and icons that use the secondary color palette.
   
• Calls to action to inquire, visit, or apply.
   
• Social media integration with the latest posts from Facebook, Instagram, and X, branded as "The Orion Pulse."
   
• A colorful, illustrated landscape in the footer.
   
• Action-oriented phrasing like "Discover," "Join," "Learn," "Experience," and "Belong."
   
• Bright, large images and supporting content from Finalsite Posts that expand on its differentiators.
   
• Last but not least, its information is organized with accordion folders, which improves the user experience, especially on mobile devices.

It's an exciting time for the school—looking forward to see it develop even further!

Sequoia Grove Charter Alliance

Sequoia Grove Charter Alliance has launched its new website, designed to showcase its distinctive take on education across its three schools, all united by a shared vision and mission.

The site builds a unique visual identity through its use of a muted color palette and custom-designed imagery. These visuals, often molded into shapes and designs similar to topographical maps, reflect the schools' focus on celebrating of each student's individuality.

A key aspect of Sequoia Grove's approach is the structure of its schools. The schools operate without traditional physical buildings or classrooms. Instead, teachers engage with homeschool families in person, choosing meeting locations that suit their needs, like libraries, parks, or coffee shops.

The website emphasizes the commitment to supporting a homeschooling experience, with images and text that underscore the alliance's emphasis on collaboration, flexibility, and choice, aiming to involve both students and parents as active partners in the learning journey. While the school system doesn't have a "traditional" home base, it's wonderful to see how the site functions as on online hub for those experiences.

A particularly clever use of Finalsite Posts allows the schools to introduce prospective families to current students, showcasing their diverse talents and aspirations (like explorer, professional dancer, nurse, chef) and illustrating how the personalized approach supports their unique learning paths.

The site also features a social media integration to share the latest posts from Facebook, and provides a news and calendar feature to keep the community informed about school happenings, no matter where students find themselves learning.

Congrats to Sequoia and all the other schools on their recent website launches with Finalsite!
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. At Finalsite, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.