Purnell School
| Purnell School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 51 Pottersville Road Pottersville, New Jersey, (Somerset County), 07979  United States |
|
| Information | |
| Motto | Fides Et Fidelitas |
| Religious affiliation(s) | no affiliation |
| Established | 1963 |
| Head of school | Ayanna Hill-Gill |
| Faculty | 25 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 95[1] (2008-09) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 8:1 |
| Campus size | 83 acres (0.34 km2) |
| Color(s) | Red and Blue |
| Team name | The Griffins |
| Accreditation(s) | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Graduates | 1,292 |
| Website | www.purnell.org |
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The Purnell School is a private all-girls boarding high school located in Pottersville, within Bedminster Township, New Jersey, about an hour west of New York City, and two hours north of Philadelphia. The Purnell School is a member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.[1],
Contents |
[edit] History
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It was in December 1963 that a not-for-profit corporation, Purnell, was established; and its founders were named: Lytt Gould, President, Sis Gould, Secretary, Hap Johnson, Treasurer, and Ethel Stringfellow as the corporation's original Vice President. It was Carroll who had contacts within the Bernardsville community which led to the purchase of the 83-acre (340,000 m2) Bassett Farm in Pottersville. Though the farm was not for sale, Carroll managed to convince Mr. Bassett that it was the ideal spot for the new school.
After renovations, which were done primarily by the Gould family, all five Founders, and their various friends, began recruiting the first students to Purnell. Ethel Stringfellow knew of girls who would be better placed at Purnell than at Chapin; Lytt had made many contacts as a Head; and numerous "teas" were hosted in the New Jersey-New York-Connecticut area at which prospective students and parents could learn of Purnell. The new Headmaster had hired eight teachers.
In September 1965, Headmaster Lytt Gould and Associate Head Sis Gould greeted the first entering class of 18 students. The following year, a second class was added, and again a third, so that in June, 1968, Purnell celebrated its first graduation.
Today Purnell has over 1,200 alumnae around the world.
[edit] Academics
Graduation requirements include 4 years of English, 3 years of math, science and history, 2 years of foreign language, and classes in performing and studio arts.
In addition to traditional classes, students also participate in the Affinities Program, a set of seminars designed to help students find and use their strengths developed by Jenifer Fox and featured in Your Child's Strengths, Viking www.strengthsmovement.com.
Each February, traditional classes are suspended and the school has Project Exploration, a mini-term during which students choose one class to focus on for the entire three-week period. Recent Project Exploration courses have included trips to France, Mexico, Costa Rica, the school’s musical production, Culinary Arts, Mass Media, Equine Studies, Animals and Society, Maritime Studies, Interior Design, and many more.
[edit] Athletics
Purnell offers a variety of competitive and non-competitive sports throughout the year. Competitive sports include soccer, volleyball, tennis, dance synthesis, basketball, lacrosse and softball. Non-competitive sports include horseback riding, circuit training, dance sport, personal conditioning, yoga and golf.
Purnell competes in the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association - Division B
[edit] Arts
The Johnson Art Center is where our[who?] studio arts held. Classes range from drawing, collage, pastels, ceramics, photography, oil painting and fashion design.
Each spring the school holds E.B. Osborn Artists in Residence weekend in which various artists come to the school and work with students in workshops. It’s a great opportunity for students to get advice and hands on experience from the artists.
The Carney Center for performing Arts is a 179 seat theater. Student performing groups include Ad-libbers, Dance Synthesis, Ringers- hand bell choir and Shoots and Strawberries, the choral group.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c School Search
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 40°42′58″N 74°43′05″W / 40.716°N 74.718°W
