Episcopal Academy

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The Episcopal Academy
Ealogo.jpg Espicopal Acad int.JPG
Esse Quam Videri
("To Be Rather than to Seem")
Location
Newtown Square, PA, USA
Information
Type Private
Religious affiliation(s) Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Established 1785
Headmaster L. Hamilton Clark
Enrollment 1223 total

faculty = 164
Average class size 15 students
Campus Suburban
Color(s) Blue and White
Mascot Churchmen and Churchwomen

conference = Inter-Academic League
Rival The Haverford School and The Agnes Irwin School
Average SAT scores 661 Math; 650 Critical Reading; 676 Writing

athletics = 29 varsity teams  (2010)
Website www.episcopalacademy.org

The Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12. In 2008, it relocated from its Merion, Pennsylvania campus and Devon, Pennsylvania satellite campus to its new 123-acre (0.50 km2) campus in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.[1] Episcopal Academy has been consistently ranked as a top private school in the nation by various media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal. The Academy is affiliated with the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

The school instituted a new mission statement in 2010. The new mission statement is: "Challenging and nurturing Mind, Body, and Spirit, we inspire boys and girls to lead lives of purpose, faith, and intergrity." Character education is at the core of Episcopal's program and is based on the school's 10 Stripes, or virtues. These are: faith, honesty, self-control, courtesy, kindness, generosity, gratitude, courage, respect, and sportsmanship.

Contents

[edit] History

The Episcopal Academy was founded in 1785 by the Rt. Rev. William White at Old Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as an all-boys school focusing on education in Greek, Latin, religion, mathematics, and business. It was also a pre-missionary school. Its first campus was located on the east side of Fourth Street and was directed by Rev. John Andrews, D.D., the Academy's first headmaster. However, when Dr. Andrews and several of faculty members left to teach at the University of Pennsylvania in 1798, The Episcopal Academy was reconstituted as a free school. In 1816 it became a Second Classical Academy and a free school again in 1828, but at some points the Academy did not operate as an educational entity.

In 1846 the school was reconstituted yet again, this time as a Third Classical Academy, and has operated continuously since. In 1850, the school moved to a building at Juniper and Locust Street, and remained there until its 1921 move to the Merion, Pennsylvania, campus.[2]

[edit] Move towards co-education

While female students attended the Academy between 1789 and 1818, a plan for co-education was not implemented until 1974. In 1974, girls were admitted to kindergarten, and then to one higher grade each year thereafter. The class of 1984 was the first co-educational class to graduate from the Academy. Female students were admitted when the Devon lower school campus was added to the Academy.[2]

[edit] Alumni

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Academy Founder William White (Bishop of Pennsylvania) wanted EA to be a place to produce "leaders of society." Alumni have won Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, Pritzker Prizes and one a knighthood. Alumni have also been national sport stars, successful CEOs and presidents of corporations and businesses such as Hyatt Hotels, Young and Rubicam, Philadelphia Flyers. Notable alumni of the Academy include:

[edit] In art & media

[edit] In athletics

[edit] In business & technology

[edit] In government

[edit] Others

Stephen Decatur as depicted on an 1886 Silver Certificate

[edit] Current organisation and events

The Episcopal Academy today claims to have a 100% four-year college matriculation rate, numerous athletics teams, and a chapel program that meets every other day during the school year. The Academy's motto is "mind, body, and spirit" and it strives to enrich these three sectors in every student's life.

[edit] Administration

  • L. Hamilton Clark, Jr. -- Head of School
  • Geoffrey Wagg—Head of Upper School
  • Stephen Morris—Head of Middle School
  • Andrea Danial—Head of Lower School
  • Doug Parsons—Dean of Faculty
  • Cathy Hall—Acting Academic Dean
  • Brad Cates—Chief Financial Officer and Business Manager

[edit] Facilities

[edit] Move to the new campus

Episcopal Academy was located in Merion, Pennsylvania, from 1921 until it outgrew the site and it moved to Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, in 2008.[26] In June, 1998, the Episcopal Academy Board of Trustees directed the "active pursuit of a large tract of land in the western suburbs to serve as a long-term asset and a means of preserving future options."[citation needed]

With a $20 million donation the Board purchased a 123-acre (0.50 km2) tract of land in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania on Darby-Paoli Road (Pennsylvania Route 252).[26]

The $212.5 million project was completed in the summer of 2008 and opened for the 2008-2009 school year.[27] The architecture firms including Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Gund Partnership, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and RMJM Hillier "coordinated the materials used as well as the landscape layout of the campus, with its pastoral central quadrangle and collegiate-village scale".[citation needed] The Episcopal Academy sold its Merion campus to Saint Joseph's University who renamed it the SJU Maguire Campus.

[edit] Buildings

The new campus includes:[28]

  • An Academic Center, with a Middle School, Upper School, and Science Center.
  • A Lower School Building
  • A Campus Center, including the Annenberg Library
  • A Theater with Stadium Seating
  • A Chapel, at the Center of Campus
  • An Athletic Center, with a competition gymnasium and pool
  • Stadium Football Field
  • Black Box Theatre

[edit] Academics

[edit] Accreditation

The Academy is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools under the Academy's "Accreditation for Growth" protocol. The Academy's mission statement is:

"The Episcopal Academy educates qualified, motivated students to grow intellectually, physically, and spiritually, and to share their talents generously. We are a coeducational community of learners and teachers working to achieve excellence through a strong academic program, comprehensive athletics, and vibrant arts. Our school's Episcopalian heritage with its respect for all faiths forms the basis of our life together."

The Academy also maintains a Beliefs Statement, which is required by the Middle States Association. The Academy maintains the following beliefs:

  • The pursuit of learning is a work for a lifetime. Learning emerges from and builds on experience and discovery.
  • A healthy lifestyle, including appropriate education and lifelong physical activity, enhances individual mental and spiritual health. Athletic competition and sportsmanship contribute to the mental and spiritual well-being of individuals and communities.
  • Everyone has inherent worth as a creation of God.
  • Every individual shares responsibility for the community.
  • Individual moral integrity and a core of common values are essential to every community.
  • Mutual respect among people of varied backgrounds and perspectives leads to positive, beneficial relationships.
  • Individuals thrive in a safe, nurturing environment where they can be comfortable in taking risks and where they can develop their talents.

[edit] The 12-day schedule

The Episcopal Academy's upper school is a college preparatory program. It operates on a 12-day schedule, designed by Headmaster Clark at his previous school, Sewickley Academy in Sewickley, PA. Each period or "block" is assigned a letter from A-F or Z. G Block was renamed to Z Block in the 2003-2004 school year to favor time for lab periods. Except for Science classes, each class 'drops' once every twelve days. This drop always occurs the period after lunch, and unless currently under disciplinary sanctions or in their freshman year, students have a "free" during this block, where they are neither required to be in class nor in a study hall.

The year is broken into two semesters, with each semester representing one-half of a credit (a one-credit long course will meet during both semesters). Unless they have special permission from their form dean, students are required to take six classes a semester.

The middle school schedule also consists of twelve days, but Math and English have a less chance of dropping than other classes. Furthermore, the year is broken down into three trimesters, as compared to the Upper School's two semesters.

[edit] Graduation requirements

Graduation requirements are as follows:

  • 4 Credits (4 years) of English (senior spring semester elective included)
  • 3 Credits of Math (including Algebra 2 and Geometry)
  • 3 Credits of Laboratory Science
  • 3 Credits of History (including U.S. History)
  • 2 Credits of the same Foreign Language (the Academy offers French, Spanish, Mandarin, Ancient Greek, and Latin)
  • 1 Credit of Religion (1 Credit = two semester courses)
  • 1 Credit of Arts in at least two of the three areas; music, theater, and visual art. (1 Credit = two semester courses)

[edit] The college guidance program

Students begin meeting with their college guidance counselors during the winter and spring of their junior year. These meetings are "kicked-off" with one large class meeting in late January, where students find out who their counselor is and are lectured by a member of a college admissions office. Generally, each student is required to attend at least three one-on-one college guidance meetings, including one with the student's parent(s).

The class of 2006 continued the Academy's 100% matriculation to four-year colleges 'streak'. In 2005, 21 of 111 students (19%) matriculated to Ivy League schools, with two other students matriculating to the United States Naval Academy. In 2005, the Academy's average SAT scores were 646 verbal and 652 math. In that same year, 146 students took 266 Advanced Placement exams. 100% of students who took the Calculus BC, Spanish Language, Latin Vergil, and Physics B exams received what the college board considers a "passing" score (a 3 or above).

The school honored 27 National Merit Scholars in 2006: 9 Commended, 8 Semi-Finalists, 8 Finalists, and 2 Scholars.

[edit] Athletics

In addition the Episcopal Academy also has an athletics program. Both boys and girls teams compete in the Inter-Academic League. For boys this league includes the Haverford School, Malvern Preparatory School, Chestnut Hill Academy, Penn Charter, and Germantown Academy. For girls this league includes Penn Charter, Germantown Academy, Notre Dame Academy, the Baldwin School, the Agnes Irwin School, and Springside School.

[edit] The athletics requirement

The Episcopal Academy has a sports requirement which requires all students to participate in athletics during each of the three seasons. Freshman and sophomores are required to participate in at least two inter-scholastic sports with the option of participating in the "Fitness" option for one season. Juniors may elect to participate in the "Fitness" option for two seasons. "Fitness" consists of organized athletic activities three days a week and community service two days a week. Seniors are permitted to take a "Senior Cut", that is they do not have to participate in any athletics for one season so long as they never received an "unsatisfactory" effort grade in any sport during their four years in the Upper School.

[edit] Sports offered

The Episcopal Academy has the following sports teams at both the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels, some containing Freshmen and Third Teams:

Fall sports

  • Cross Country (boys and girls)
  • Field Hockey (girls)
  • Football (boys)
  • Soccer (boys and girls)
  • Tennis (girls)
  • Water Polo (boys and girls)
  • Crew (boys and girls)

Winter sports

  • Basketball (boys and girls)
  • Ice Hockey
  • Squash (boys and girls)
  • Swimming/Diving (boys and girls)
  • Winter Track (boys and girls)
  • Wrestling
  • Ultimate Frisbee (coed team)

Spring sports

  • Baseball (boys)
  • Crew (boys and girls)
  • Golf (boys and girls)
  • Lacrosse (boys and girls)
  • Softball (girls)
  • Tennis (boys)
  • Track (boys and girls)

Episcopal also offers intramural sports such as Paddle tennis and Fencing.

[edit] Episcopal Academy/Haverford School/Agnes Irwin Weekend

Every November, three Inter-Academic rivals (Episcopal's male students play Haverford, while its female students compete against Agnes Irwin) meet to compete against each other in cross country, football, soccer, field hockey, girls' tennis, and water polo. The venue alternates each year between the schools. The 2005 EA/Haverford/Agnes Irwin Weekend took place at the Episcopal Academy. The weekend is preceded by "Spirit Week." Spirit Week is marked by different dress days, including an "80's Day", a "Clash Day", and a "Blue and White Day". There is also usually an activity during lunch throughout the week, such as a tug-of-war and a school "Wing Bowl"[clarification needed]. Every year Episcopal students design a tee-shirt bashing Haverford and Agnes Irwin (and vice-versa), which is sold to the student body during Spirit Week. Recent years' ideas have included spin-offs of the "D.A.R.E" program and MasterCard commercials.

Spirit Week concludes with an Upper School Pep Rally on Friday. Classes end for the day at 12:40 and students converge on the football field for skits, music. Varsity sports practices immediately follow this Pep Rally, and students not involved sports help decorate the campus for the upcoming event.

On Friday, Episcopal and Agnes Irwin (female competitors) compete in cross country, soccer, field hockey, and tennis. On Saturday, Episcopal and Haverford compete in soccer, cross country, waterpolo and one of the oldest football rivalries in the nation. The girls compete for the "banner" and the boys compete for the "sweater" which is presented to the school which wins 3 of the 4 competitive events. In the event of a tie the schools split ownership of the banner or the sweater for the year.

EA/Haverford/Agnes Irwin Weekend, and the week preceding it, is a time of school spirit and comradery. Teams often meet on the Thursday night before for a team dinner. The actual events are attended by virtually the entire student body and a large number of parents and alumni. The weekend concludes with the "Can Dance" which is a dance that takes place at the school where the day's competitions did not.

In addition to the pep rally, a pump up video is made by Marc. T. Mandeville and his video crew consisting of select upper school students. First introduced by alum Christopher Pope, this video is played before the pep rally, and encompasses all the sports that will be played at EA/Haverford/AIS day. The video is made on professional film programs, such as Final Cut Pro. It usually takes around eight to ten weeks to create, including the filming process. In the past, DVD copies of the video were sold to benefit charity.

[edit] Episcopal Academy - Germantown Academy Day

More colloquially referred to as "EA-GA day", this day was started in the Spring of 2005 and features a Saturday of competitions, both varsity and junior varsity, of Episcopal Academy versus Germantown Academy.

[edit] Athletic reputation

As a co-founder of the oldest High School sport's league in America, the "Inter-Academic League," and in the second oldest school rivalship in the nation, (against the Haverford School, later adding Agnes Irwin School) Episcopal Academy athletic teams have gained a reputation nationally and locally for its stellar athletics. Recently, the boys basketball team, coached by Daniel Dougherty, gained national attention in 2005 and 2006, with full team effort including players Gerald Henderson '06 and Wayne Ellington '06. Both were nationally ranked high school basketball players. Henderson signed to play for Duke University while Ellington signed to play for the University of North Carolina. The team played at the Palestra twice during 2006, and the first of those two games was nationally broadcast on ESPN.

[edit] Community life

The Academy prides itself in the community it has created, and believes that its Chapel program is the central point of the community.

[edit] The Chapel Program

Upper School students meet once every other day for a morning chapel service in Christ Chapel. Middle School Chapel also meets once every other day for a morning chapel service in Christ Chapel. Lower School Chapel meets once a week, with each Lower School campus having a morning gathering in the campus' respective Chapel. The Chapel service at each Unit level of EA is typically thirty-minutes long and consists of hymns, prayers, and an address by the chaplain, a member of the faculty, a student, or a guest. An elected student vestry plans most aspects of the chapel program.

[edit] Community service

The Academy also runs an extensive community service program, and organizes weekly visits to a soup kitchen in Philadelphia as well as monthly visits to a nursing home and to a facility for adults with AIDS. The Academy also participates in a tutoring program where students help younger children with their homework after school. In addition, the Community Service office sponsors other special events throughout the year, including a clothing drive, a toy drive, and a blood drive.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The Future of Episcopal Academy". http://www.episcopalacademy.com/newcampus/. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  2. ^ a b "US Handbook: History and Traditions". Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080402075200/http://www.episcopalacademy.org/eax_mind.aspx?contentId=760&mode=0#_Toc108848338. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  3. ^ a b "A Quiz about Main Line Schools". The Main Line Times. 2008-09-03. http://www.mainlinetimes.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/SingleWeekly?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=%2FMLT%2FLife&r21.content=%2FMLT%2FLife%2FHeadlineList_Story_2429913. Retrieved 2008-12-26. [dead link]
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The Future of the Episcopal Academy". The Episcopal Academy. 2008. http://www.episcopalacademy.org/newcampus/files/aboutthemove/datasheet.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-26. [dead link]
  5. ^ Davis, Richard. "Adventures and Letters of Richard Harding Davis". http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/hst/biography/AdventuresandLetters/chap1.html. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  6. ^ "R.W.B. Lewis: Pulitzer Prize-winning literary scholar and critic". Yale Bulletin and Calendar. 2002-06-08. http://www.yale.edu/opa/v30.n32/story14.html. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  7. ^ "The Future of Episcopal Academy: About the Move". Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080402095054/http://www.episcopalacademy.org/newcampus/aboutthemove/pressreleases.html. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  8. ^ "Sarah Steele". http://imdb.com/name/nm1511685/. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  9. ^ [1]. Retrieved on April 16, 2010.
  10. ^ Santoliquito, Joseph (2007-07-25). "Barrage's Dougherty Still Saving the Day". The Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20070725_Barrages_Dougherty_still_saving_the_day.html. Retrieved 2007-12-19. [dead link]
  11. ^ "Kyle Eckel - Official New England Patriots Biography". The New England Patriots. http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=30951. Retrieved 2008-12-26. 
  12. ^ "Episcopal Academy star Eckel signs with Eagles". The Philadelphia Daily News. 2008-10-22. http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20081022_Eagles_-_Episcopal_Academy_star_Eckel_signs_with_Eagles__J_R__Reed_released.html. Retrieved 2008-12-26. [dead link]
  13. ^ "Wayne Ellington Profile". http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1113035. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  14. ^ "Gerald Henderson Profile". http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&cfg=bb&c=1&nid=1113053. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  15. ^ "Greg Isdaner ESPN page". ESPN. 2008. http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=13039. Retrieved 2008-12-26. 
  16. ^ http://www.drexeldragons.com/coaches.aspx?rc=185&path=mbball. Retrieved on April 16, 2010
  17. ^ "Tom Page 1956-2001". http://www.squashtalk.com/profiles/tompage2.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  18. ^ "Venturi's Venture" (Reprint). The Wall Street Journal. 2006-08-09. http://www.ea.pvt.k12.pa.us/Eax_NewsDetail.aspx?NewsId=205. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  19. ^ "Fitting Philly Pigs for Wings" (Reprint). Columbia Journalism Review. 2007-07-19. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20071013202312/http://gyroworldwide.com/hype.php?hype_entry=519. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  20. ^ "Read the Thanksgiving Chapel Address". The Episcopal Academy. 2007-11-20. http://episcopalacademy.org/Eax_NewsDetail.aspx?NewsId=332. Retrieved 2008-12-26. 
  21. ^ "John Yoo Interviewed about the Torture Memo". Esquire. 2008-05-12. http://www.esquire.com/features/john-yoo. Retrieved 2008-12-26. 
  22. ^ Slevin, Peter (2005-12-26). "Scholar Stands by Post-9/11 Writing on Torture, Domestic Eavesdropping". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/25/AR2005122500570_pf.html. Retrieved 2008-12-26. 
  23. ^ "John Yoo Comments on Suit Filed Against Him by Convicted Terrorist Jose Padilla". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 2008-01-15. http://joinourteam.philly.com/explore/MS_Yoo.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-26. 
  24. ^ "John C. Groome". Pennsylvania State Police. http://www.psp-hemc.org/groome/index.html. Retrieved 2010-08-23. "He was privately tutored growing up and graduated from the Protestant Episcopal Academy of Philadelphia in 1878. ..." 
  25. ^ "Stephen Decatur Biography". http://www.bookrags.com/biography/stephen-decatur/. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  26. ^ a b Gammage, Jeff (2007-10-21). "Episcopal Academy Prepped for Big Change". Philadelphia, PA: The Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20071021_Episcopal_Academy_prepped_for_big_change.html. Retrieved 2007-12-19. [dead link]
  27. ^ "The Future of Episcopal Academy: About the Move". Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080402095044/http://www.episcopalacademy.org/newcampus/aboutthemove/index.html. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 
  28. ^ "The Future of Episcopal Academy: About the Move". Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080402095049/http://www.episcopalacademy.org/newcampus/aboutthemove/mp.html#mp. Retrieved 2007-12-19. 

[edit] Further reading

  • Lyons, Robert S. (2010). On Any Given Sunday, A Life of Bert Bell. Philadelphia:Temple University Press. ISBN ISBN 978-1-59213-731-2

[edit] External links
Colleges and Universities
Public school districts
Private secondary schools
Formerly the Interacademic Athletic Association
Boys Schools
Girls Schools

Coordinates: 40°00′22″N 75°25′30″W / 40.006°N 75.425°W / 40.006; -75.425

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