The Pennington School
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| The Pennington School | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| 112 West Delaware Ave. Pennington, NJ 08534 |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Independent school Day and Boarding |
| Motto | Only The Excellent |
| Established | 1838 |
| Head of School | Stephanie G. Townsend[1] |
| Faculty | 102[2] |
| Enrollment | 99 (Middle School) 373 (Upper School)[2] |
| Campus | 54 acres |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Mascot | Harvey the Hawk |
| Affiliation | United Methodist Church |
| Information | 609-737-1838 |
| Website | www.pennington.org |
Coordinates: 40°19′43.02″N 74°47′39.75″W / 40.3286167°N 74.794375°W The Pennington School (TPS) is a private coeducational independent boarding school enrolling approximately 474 day and boarding students in grades 6 through 12.[2] The Head of School is Stephanie "Penny" G. Townsend, appointed to the position in 2006. In recent years over 20 nations have been represented in Pennington’s student body, from Nigeria to Belarus and the People’s Republic of China. The school is located in Pennington, in Mercer County, New Jersey, a small community midway between New York City and Philadelphia in the eastern United States.
TPS was founded in 1838 as the Methodist Episcopal Male Seminary, in order to secure "the education of the physical, the training of the mental, and the grounding of the soul in character."[3] However, while the school is still connected with the United Methodist Church and students are required to attend Chapel weekly, the school is effectively nonsectarian in nature.[4]
The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools[5], the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.
Contents |
[edit] History
Pennington was founded in 1838 in the midst of the Second Great Awakening as the Methodist Episcopal Male Seminary, a college preparatory school for boys. Pennington officially became a coeducational institution, The Pennington Seminary and Female Collegiate Institute, in the fall of 1854. The School was empowered by the New Jersey Legislature to confer the degrees of Mistress of English Literature and Mistress of Liberal Arts upon young women who had finished their course of study. However, in March 1910, it was announced that, with the coming fall, Pennington would again become a school for boys, reverting to the name Pennington Seminary. During the 1920s the school's name evolved to its present form, sometimes with the addition of "for Boys." It was not until 1972 that Pennington once again became a coeducational institution. In 1973, the Center for Learning, one of the nation's leading secondary school programs for children with language-based learning disabilities, was created within the school.[6]
[edit] Admission
Pennington is a selective boarding school, with an acceptance rate of 13% of applicants. As required by other college preparatory schools, prospective students must take the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), fill out an application, and go through an on-campus interview in order to be considered for admission.
[edit] Curriculum
In addition to multilevel courses in standard disciplines, Pennington offers a variety of course in all aspects of education. The Mathematics department offer courses from Algebra I to Calculus BC. The Foreign Language department offers classes in Spanish, German, French, Latin, an intorductory level course in Mandarin Chinese. The Science departmen offers many introductory and honors level common subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Physics. As well as numerous elective course such as Forensic Science, Genetics and Biotechnology, Oceanography, and Biology of the Brain. The History department offers courses in World History, US History I and II, Macroeconomics, Early African History, Asian History, Government and Politics, Law and Justice, and Sports History. The English department offers Engish I-II at both the standard and honors level, English III-IV, and AP English. Pennington also has an exceptional Arts program with many courses being offered in art, drama, and music. Additional course are being offered in areas such as Video Production and Technology. Pennington has adopted the Advanced Placement Program to encourage more in depth study in various areas. (AP) courses are offered in AP English Language and Composition, AP French Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Latin Literature, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP United States History, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Modern European History, AP Macroeconomics, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Studio Art and AP Music Theory.
Requirements for Graduation- All Pennington Students are required to fulfill a certain curriculum including a minimum number of classes in specific subject areas in order to graduate.
4 years of English
3 years of Mathematics
3 years of Science
3 years of History
1 year of Art (generally 4 quarter long classes such as Drama, Art, Music)
1 year of Religion (4 quarter long classes)
1 year of Health ( 4 quarter long classes)
1/2 year of Technology
1/4 year of Public Speaking
[edit] Athletics
Pennington Football competes in the Independence League, which is a league consisting of small schools from Pennsylvania and includes Bristol, Academy of the New Church, Lower Moreland, Jenkintown, and Springfield Township. Pennington also plays Hopewell Valley Central High School in an annual scrimmage. Pennington has one of the longest standing secondary school football programs in the nation, playing its first game in 1877.
Other Pennington sports usually play in the Patriot Conference, which consists of small prep schools throughout the state. When vying for state championships Pennington Athletics partake in the "Prep B" group, which also consists of small prep schools throughout the state, except for the Girls Soccer team and the Football team. Girls Soccer partakes in "Prep A" which consists of larger local prep schools, such as Peddie, Hun, and Lawrenceville. Football does not belong to a playoff system. Pennington athletics main rivals are Hopewell Valley Central High School (Pennington, NJ) and Princeton Day School (Princeton, NJ).
The Girls Varsity Soccer team finished the 2008 season as the #1 ranked team in the nation according to both ESPN RISE Magazine and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Finishing the season with an undefeated record of 18-0. Winning their 7th consecutive Prep A State Title and a 2nd consecutive Mercer County Tournament Championship
Pennington fields the following teams:
Fall: Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis; Water Polo (club sport)
Winter: Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Men's Ice Hockey, Men's Swimming, Women's Swimming, Winter Track (coed), Ski Team (coed)
Spring: Baseball, Golf (coed), Men's Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse, Softball, Men's Tennis, Track and Field (coed)
Notable Pennington Athletes
Girls Soccer:
Kylee Rossi '05 University of Tennessee- 2x SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2006, 2007), 2x Top Drawer Soccer College National Team (2006, 2007), 2007 Soccer Buzz Magazine 3rd Team All-American, 2004 NSCAA and Parade Magazine High School All-American, 2x NJ Prep Player of the Year (2003, 2004), Finished High School career with 98 goals and 64 assists
Amber Brooks '09 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill- #1 Ranked Girls Soccer Player in the Nation ESPN RISE and Top Drawer Soccer, 2007 NSCAA and Parade Magazine All American, 2008 NSCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year, 3x 1st Team NJ All Prep, 2006 NJ Prep Player of the Year, 2006 NSCAA Youth All-American. U20 US Women's National Team Pool Member
Heidi Sabatura '09 Villanova University- 2008 NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-American Team, 3x 1st Team NJ All Prep, 2007 NJ Prep Player of the Year, Top Drawer Soccer Player to Watch
Alexa Carugati '09 Villanova University- 3x 1st Team NJ All Prep, Top Drawer Soccer Player to Watch
Kaitlyn Kerr '10 Duke University- 2008 ESPN RISE Magazine 1st Team All-American, 2008 NSCAA Youth All-American, #45 ranked player in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer, 2x 1st team NJ All-Prep, 2008 NJ Prep Player of the Year. 2008 Gatorade New Jersey Girls Soccer Player of the Year. U17 US Women's National Team Pool Member.
Football:
Dominque Herald '07 University of Maryland- #6 Ranked Safety in the nation by Scouts Inc, #16 ranked player in NJ, 3x NJ All-Prep Selection, 2x All Area Selection
Peter Mercatanti '05 Catholic University of America - All Prep and All Area selection - Captain of the 9-2 2008 Catholic University team
Dontae Johnson '10- ESPN Scouts Inc. 2010 150 Watch List, MVP for safeties at the National Underclassmen scouting combine in NJ. 2008 NJ All-Prep Selction
[edit] Notable alumni
- Grant Billmeier center for the Würzburg Baskets in Germany and is a former player of the Seton Hall University Pirates in the Big East. Billmeier attended The Pennington School for his freshman year.[7]
- Rudy Boschwitz (1947): United States Senator, former chairman Republican National Committee.[8]
- Stephen Crane (1887): Writer (never graduated).[9]
- Samuel A. Dobbins (1814-1905), Republican who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district.[citation needed]
- John Franklin Fort (1852-1920), 33rd Governor of New Jersey, from 1908-1911.[10]
- William Mastrosimone (1966), Playwright.[11]
- James Fowler Rusling (Valedictorian, Class of 1852) Brigadier general in the American Civil War, author of "Men and Things I Saw in the Civil War Days", "Across America", and "European Days and Ways".[12]
[edit] Trivia
- Pennington has one of the longest standing secondary school football programs in the nation. Pennington football played its first game in 1877.[13]
Rudy Boschwitz was not the head of the National Republican Party. Rather, he chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 100th Congress.
[edit] References
- ^ The Pennington School Begins 170th Academic Year, The pennington School press release dated September 12, 2007. Accessed October 24, 2007. "Students and their families had numerous opportunities to interact with Head of School Penny bo benny kenny Townsend and other members of the faculty and administration."
- ^ a b c Pennington at a Glance, The Pennington School. Accessed October 24, 2007.
- ^ History of the Pennington School, accessed October 13, 2006
- ^ Chapel, accessed October 13, 2006
- ^ School Search, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed July 29, 2008.
- ^ The Center for Learning, Pennington School. Accessed October 13, 2006
- ^ Grant Billmeier, Seton Hall University. Accessed September 16, 2007. "Attended Pennington School as a freshman, averaging 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks... Chosen to the All-Prep First Team... Transferred to St. Patrick’s after his freshman year."
- ^ Congressional biography of Rudy Bochwitz, accessed May 14, 2007. "BOSCHWITZ, Rudolph Eli (Rudy), a Senator from Minnesota; born in Berlin, Germany, November 7, 1930; attended the public schools in New Rochelle, N.Y., and The Pennington School in Pennington, N.J."
- ^ Stephen Crane profile, About.com, accessed May 14, 2007. "Crane wrote his first short story, "Uncle Jake and the Bell Handle," in 1885, which was the year he enrolled in Pennington Seminary, where he stayed until 1887."
- ^ New Jersey John Franklin Fort, National Governors Association. Accessed September 30, 2007.
- ^ Saltzman, Simon. "Playwrighting for a Cause", U.S. 1 Newspaper, October 8, 2003. Accessed May 14, 2007. "A native of the Trenton area, Mastrosimone says he caught the writing bug when he was a student at Pennington Prep."
- ^ Lee, Francis Bazley. [1]. Accessed June 30, 2008.
- ^ Football's 125th anniversary at Pennington School November 1, 2004, accessed November 13, 2006
[edit] External links
- The Pennington School website
- History of The Pennington School
- Data for The Pennington School, National Center for Education Statistics
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