Durham Nativity School

Durham Nativity School (DNS) is more than a school. It’s a launchpad for tomorrow’s leaders. 

While students attend the middle school for only four years, they’re nurtured for 12 years by a support system of faculty, staff, and alumni committed to their future. The private, all-boys school in Durham, North Carolina, founded in 2001, cultivates its graduates to be tomorrow’s leaders by giving them the tools to achieve. 

“What really sustains the school is the mission and the belief in the young men who attend it,” says Tiffany Alrefae, Head of School. “We illuminate their potential, celebrate their progress and empower them to lead.” 

Students attend DNS from grades five through eight, though many are introduced younger. A  co-ed, fully endowed, summer reading camp is offered for children in grades one through six. 

DNS graduated its first class in 2005. Starting then, 97% of graduates have continued their education at independent, college-preparatory high schools. The school helps with the applications and admissions process to ensure its students find the right fit for their high school years and beyond. 

The Board of Trustees also implemented a high school tuition-assistance program. “Having connections and touch points potentially from first grade all the way through college graduation is creating pipelines of success,” Tiffany says. “We support our families every step of the way.” 

Tiffany Alrefae (right) serves as head of school at Durham Nativity School, a private, all-boys school in Durham, NC. 

Faculty and staff monitor the progress of graduates, provide mentoring in high school and college, and assist with summer internships and career development.  

Students at Durham Nativity School follow a rigorous curriculum that focuses on academics as well as physical and mental health and character development. 

DNS seeks boys from diverse backgrounds, with preference given to candidates eligible for the National School Lunch Program. Currently, the school enrolls 55 boys and has more than 200 alumni. 

During their four years at the school, students engage in a rigorous curriculum that promotes sound physical and mental health, artistic achievement, and character development. They also benefit from field trips, with spring 2026 travel taking sixth graders to Washington, D.C., seventh graders to Atlanta, and eighth graders to Florida for a coral reef restoration project. 

Additionally, DNS collaborates with YMCA Camp Sea Gull, the Emily K. Center, Hill Learning Center, and Thomas Mentor Leadership Academy. “It’s incredibly important to have these strong partnerships that, in turn, help our students get opportunities,” Tiffany says. 

DNS is a member of the TowneBank family, working closely with Cary Regional Banking Executive Patsy Johnson. “TowneBank has been instrumental in helping us provide access, particularly helping bring our turf field to life,” Tiffany says. 

The lighted soccer field in downtown Durham is used for recess and afternoon sports. “Having that for our students is a game-changer,” Tiffany says. “It’s a beautiful field that any private or public school would absolutely want as part of their campus.” 

Community service is another component of education at DNS. Students volunteer at food pantries, urban ministries, a nearby charter school, and a local nursing home. “We are really serving the future of Durham,” Tiffany says. “Part of what we want to instill in the young men is: “to those who have been given much, much is expected.” Service learning and engagement are an incredible part of what we do every day.” 

Durham Nativity School encourages students to form strong relationships that continue well after they graduate. 

That’s another reason why the school values its relationship with TowneBank. “TowneBank’s commitment to community engagement is in perfect alignment with our mission, what we do, and where we’re going,” Tiffany says. 

Dr. Joseph Moylan, a Duke University Hospital trauma surgeon, and his wife, Ann Carole Moylan, founded DNS to prepare students from low-income backgrounds to achieve and give back. Students maintain ties to the school long after graduation, and 93% of graduates attend college. One recent graduate earned a highly competitive QuestBridge scholarship, awarded to distinguished high school seniors, to attend Emory University. 

Tiffany adds, “Every graduate carries the light of opportunity forward – illuminating his path and our community’s future.” 

For more information, visit DurhamNativity.org.