South Kent School

South Kent School
Location
South Kent, CT, U.S.
Information
Type	Private, Boarding
Religious affiliation(s)	Episcopalian
Established	1923
Head of School	Mr. Andrew J. Vadnais
Enrollment	160 total 90% boarding
Average class size	12 students
Student to teacher ratio	5:1
Color(s)	Red and Black
Athletics	8 Interscholastic Sports
Mascot	Cardinal
Website	www.southkentschool.org

South Kent School is a private boarding school for boys in South Kent, Connecticut, United States. The school is located on a 500-acre (2.0 km²) campus in the hills of Litchfield County. It was founded in 1923 as a joint venture between Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, headmaster of Kent School, and two of his recent graduates, Samuel Slater Bartlett and Richard M. Cuyler. The current head of school is Mr. Andrew J. Vadnais, a Williams College graduate.

Enrollment at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year was 178 young men from around the world. About 50% of the students are from outside the United States, including Brazil, Bermuda, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Italy, Montenegro, Nigeria, Senegal, Serbia, Taiwan, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Academics

45 courses are offered in 2 primary divisions, Math/Science and Humanities. The school year is divided into three terms: fall, winter, and spring. Students normally enroll in five major academic courses each term. Accelerated courses, including advanced placement, are offered in several. To graduate, a student must earn a minimum of 18 credits, which include:

• 4 years of English;
• 3 years of mathematics;
• 2 years of a foreign language;
• 2 years of science, one of which has laboratory;
• 2 years of history, one of which is United States History;
• 1 year of art, and;
• 4 electives.

Student Learning Services

Student Learning Services is a support program for students who require extra help with their college-bound curriculum. It focuses on the individual’s learning style and works towards developing a boy’s further awareness and understanding of his learning process.

English as a Second Language

ESL is a program for international students to improve and/or reinforce skills in written and oral English. The focus is on structure, comprehension and conversation.

Athletics

Athletics facilities available to students include the Richard M. Cuyler ice rink, the Joseph J. Brown gymnasium, the Anne H. Funnell cross-country trail, hardcourt and clay tennis courts, a weight-training facility, numerous athletics fields, and the adjacent Tom Fazio-designed .

Alumni

• Jim Bellows (SKS 1940), Editor
• John Berryman (SKS 1932), Poet, (1964 Pulitzer Prize for "77 Dream Songs")
• Andray Blatche (SKS 2004), Washington Wizards, NBA
• Gordon Clapp (SKS 1967), Emmy-Award winning Actor and Tony Award nominee, best known for his role as Detective Medavoy on NYPD Blue
• Jack McClinton (born 1985), professional basketball player
• Chip Monck, Tony winning lighting designer and stage manager and announcer of the 1969 Woodstock Festival
• Robert B. Oakley (SKS 1948), Former US Ambassador
• Isaiah Thomas (SKS 2008), Sacramento Kings, NBA
• Dorell Wright (SKS 2005), Golden State Warriors, NBA

Publications

• The Pigtail: a student publication issued three-five times per year. The name of the paper is a reference to the nickname of the hamlet of South Kent as "Pigtail Corners" or simply "Pigtail". A slogan at the school for many years was "Pigtail Against the World".
• The Hillside: the SKS alumni magazine published twice annually.

South Kent in the news

Wall Street Journal USA Today Classbook.com County Times School CIO ESPN

Sources

• History of Kent, CT, Francis Atwater, 1897
• History of SKS, South Kent School official site

External links

• South Kent School official site
• Academics at South Kent School
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• Western New England Prep School Soccer Association
• New England Interscholastic Rowing Association