Concord Academy

"Concord Academy" redirects here. For the special needs school in Memphis, Tennessee, see Concord Academy (Memphis).

Concord Academy
Main Gate
Location
Concord, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates	42°27′33″N 71°21′17″W
Information
School type	Private
Religious affiliation(s)	None
Established	1922
Status	Open
Faculty	61
Gender	Co-ed
Enrollment	373 (60% Day, 40% Boarding)
Average class size	12
Student to teacher ratio	6:1
Campus size	39 acres (160,000 m2)
School Color(s)	Green
Mascot	Chameleon
Average SAT scores	2061
Endowment	$40 million
Graduates	5,051+
Students of Color	23%
Acceptance rate (2008)	32%
Website	www.concordacademy.org

Concord Academy is a coeducational, independent, college preparatory school for grades nine through twelve, located in Concord, Massachusetts. Founded in 1922, the school currently enrolls 373 boarding and day students from eight countries and twenty states.

Academics

Concord Academy ranks in the top tier of U.S. boarding schools for student SAT scores.

Concord Academy’s curriculum includes classes such as:

• Applied Chemistry: Neurochemistry
• Applied Physics: Meteorology
• Advanced Physics: Electromagnetism
• Creative Nonfiction and the Art of the Essay
• The "Hidden Luminous": Writing and Reading Poetry
• Latin American Literature: Magical Realities
• All Under Heaven: Early Chinese History

Athletics

Concord Academy students play on twenty-eight teams in twenty-three sports; about 75 percent of students play on at least one team each year. Teams compete in the Eastern Independent League (EIL).

Athletic offerings are as follows:

Fall

• Girls and Boys Cross Country
• Cross Country
• Girls Varsity Field Hockey
• Girls and Boys Golf
• Girls and Boys JV Soccer
• Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer

Winter

• Girls JV Volleyball
• Girls Varsity Volleyball
• Girls and Boys JV Basketball
• Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball
• Girls Squash
• Boys Club Squash
• Boys Wrestling
• Girls and Boys Alpine Skiing

Spring

• Boys Baseball
• Girls and Boys Varsity Tennis
• Girls and Boys Varsity Lacrosse
• Girls and Boys Sailing
• Girls and Boys Ultimate Frisbee
• Girls and Boys Club Track

Boarding/day hybrid

In the 2009–2010 school year, Concord Academy's student population consisted of 217 day students and 156 boarding students.

Campus

Concord Academy's primary campus is located on 39 acres (160,000 m²) between Main Street and the Sudbury River in the center of Concord, Massachusetts. Concord Academy’s campus includes eleven historic houses on Main Street, all built as family homes between 1780 and 1830.

Elizabeth B. Hall Chapel. This nineteenth-century meetinghouse is considered a landmark on campus. It was transported to Concord from Barnstead, New Hampshire in 1956. Today it serves as a meeting place three times per week for the entire Concord Academy community.

School mascot

Concord Academy's mascot is the chameleon, chosen for the adaptability it implies. Excerpted from "Leapin' Lizards", Winter 2008 Concord Academy magazine:

“It’s unclear how or why the chameleon was chosen, or exactly when that happened, but “the critter” has been associated with the school for more than eighty years. When Philip McFarland was researching A History of Concord Academy: The First Half-Century and A History of Concord Academy: The Wilcox Years, alumnae told him that the chameleon dates from the era of Elsie Garland Hobson, who was headmistress from 1922 to 1937, and that it was used as a symbol before becoming the title of the school’s literary magazine, first published in December 1927... Over the years, the chameleon has been used in a variety of ways—most notably on the school ring, but also on the cover of the literary magazine, in recognition of contributions to Annual Giving, on stationery, pillows, bags, pens, mugs, and clothing . . . True to its nature, the chameleon has adjusted with the times. It remains an important part of CA—an enduring legacy and a symbol of how adaptable the school’s graduates can be while still maintaining their individuality.”

Publications

• The Centipede, Concord Academy’s student newspaper, is published approximately eight times a year.
• The Chameleon, a literary and artistic magazine, is published annually.
• The Scallion, a satirical newspaper playing on the title of The Onion (a scallion is also called a green onion, alluding to Concord's school color), has published as frequently as six times a year and as infrequently as never. Its slogan: “Yeah. We Said It.”
• The Gentleman's Standard, a journal on world events and politics written from the perspectives of highly conservative and traditional intellectuals.
• Concord Academy magazine, the school’s alumnae/i magazine, is published three times a year and is sent to more than 8,000 graduates, parents, and friends of CA.
• Drop, a magazine that reviews, critiques and recommends the latest music that students are listening to.

History

Concord Academy was established as a school for girls in September 1922. Enrollment grew gradually from three in 1924 to twenty in 1948. The school's headmistress for the first 15 years was Elsie Garland Hobson, followed by Valerie Knapp (1937–40) and Josephine Tucker (1940–49). Tucker imposed the advisor system and ended the giving of prizes at commencement. Under Elizabeth Hall (1949–63), student population increased, especially. Mrs. Hall shape in the boarding department, and the Academy's reputation as an independent high school grew. Under David Aloian (1963–71), Concord Academy was regarded as "perhaps the finest independent secondary school for girls in the country".

1981—Thomas E. Wilcox named headmaster

1984—Elizabeth B. Hall Chapel dedicated

2000—Jacob A. Dresden named head of school

2004-05—Renovation and expansion of Elizabeth B. Hall Chapel

2007—Purchase of additional 13.6-acre (55,000 m²) property near main campus

2009—Richard Hardy named head of school; began July 1, 2009

Notable alumni

• Drew Gilpin Faust – 28th and current President of Harvard University
• Caroline Kennedy – Author, attorney, daughter of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline
• Queen Noor of Jordan – Widow of King Hussein of Jordan
• Peter R. Fisher – U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, 2001–2004
• Julia Glass – 2002 National Book Award-winning author of Three Junes and The Whole World Over
• Julia Preston – Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at The New York Times
• Charlie Grandy – Television writer, producer, winner of two Emmy Awards and two Writers' Guild Awards for Saturday Night Live; nominated for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Office
• Larry Goldings – Jazz pianist, organist, composer, and 2006 Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album Individual or Group for Trio Beyond - Saudades
• Sebastian Junger – Author of The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
• Ed Droste – Founding member of the band Grizzly Bear
• Nina Rothschild Utne – Chair and CEO of Utne Reader
• Tom First – Co-founder of Nantucket Nectars
• Anita Lo – Award-winning chef and owner of Michelin-rated restaurant Annisa
• Susan Minot – Author of Monkeys, Evening, and Folly
• Matt Taibbi – Columnist for Rolling Stone
• Theo Stockman – Broadway actor

Notable teachers

• Elizabeth B. Hall, after serving as headmistress from 1949 to 1963, went on to found Bard College at Simon's Rock in 1964, the nation's oldest and most prestigious college early entrance program.
• Kevin Jennings taught at Concord Academy from 1987 to 1995, where he was chair of the history department. In 1988, he and a student founded the nation's first gay-straight alliance at Concord Academy, which is still an active club in the school.

References

Philip McFarland, A History of Concord Academy: The First Half-Century and A History of Concord Academy: The Wilcox Years

External links

• Concord Academy's Web site
• Concord Academy’s philosophy on Advanced Placement courses: “Taking a Hard Look at Advanced Placement,” by Patty Hager, Concord Academy magazine
• “The Science and Art of Teaching” by Head of School Jacob A. Dresden, Independent School magazine
• Boarding School Review
• The Association of Boarding Schools