Chadwick School

Chadwick School
File:Chadwick logo.gif Chadwick School Seal
Location
Palos Verdes Peninsula , CA United States
Information
Type	Independent
Religious affiliation(s)	Nonsectarian
Established	1935
Administration	Frederick T. “Ted” Hill, Headmaster Mark Wiedenmann, Director of Upper School Jeff Mercer, Director of Middle School Megan Scannell, Director of Village School
Faculty	96
Enrollment	816 students Village School(K-6): 315 Middle School(7-8): 158 Upper School(9-12): 343
Student to teacher ratio	8:1
Campus	Suburban 55 acres
Color(s)	Navy Blue, Carolina Blue, White
Athletics	22 CIF Varsity teams
Mascot	The Dolphin
Website	www.chadwickschool.org

Chadwick School is a K-12, coed, nonsectarian, non-profit, independent day school located in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. The school has a 5 star rating in terms of parent satisfaction.

Overview

Chadwick's current enrollment is under 900 students. Chadwick is divided into three sections: the Village School (K-grade 6), the Middle School (grades 7-8), and the Upper School (grades 9-12). Students represent a broad range of backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions. The scholars come from 30 different communities in Southern California, and 38% of the student body are people of color

History

The school was founded in 1935 by Margaret Lee Chadwick in San Pedro, CA. Then in 1938, thanks to generous donations from the Vanderlip and Roessler families the school moved to Palos Verdes, CA. Chadwick was an open air day and boarding school for 75 students. After the retirement of the Chadwick family in 1963, the school created a board of trustees. An endowment was set up of almost $20 million in 1968 to ensure the school’s financial stability. In 1972, Chadwick joined the Cum Laude Society. Since then, the school has grown with more buildings, a new gymnasium, and a performing arts center.

Accreditation and Membership

Chadwick School is accredited by and/or affiliated with the following organizations:

• The Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• The National Association of Independent Schools
• The California Association of Independent Schools
• The National Association of College Admission Counseling
• The National Middle School Association
• The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education
• The College Entrance Examination Board
• The Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs
• The Eucational Records Bureau
• The Cum Laude Society
• A Better Chance
• Round Square

Programs

Chadwick school aims to create students with strong character, self knowledge, and academic excellence. The low teacher-to-student ratio of 1:8 and intimate class environment allows student to form close relationships with their peers and strong bonds with the faculty. The school claims that students gain self knowledge through many co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. The school hosts 37 interscholastic sports teams as well as an outdoor education program. It has an extensive theater department with dance, orchestra, drama, and chorus. Chadwick hosts weekly community service outreach opportunities in the community as well as internationally. Students receive a broad curriculum that includes English, History, Science, Math, Foreign Language, and Fine Arts.

The Upper School hosts even more opportunities. Students have access to publications like the school newspaper, literary magazine, and the school yearbook, The Dolphin. The 2008-2009 Dolphin Yearbook Staff is led by Editors-in-Chief, Carolyn Ela andDieter Mackenbach. The Chadwick Yearbook is completely student-runned, designed, and produced. The Chadwick community is always amazed by the quality of the school yearbook, and under the direction of Carolyn Ela and Dieter Mackenbach, The Dolphin is expected to be nominated for several awards including one of the 2009 National Pacemaker Awards. In addition to student publications, there are 17 advanced placement courses offered to students in the Upper School. Of the faculty 60% have advanced degrees. The college counseling program oversees and preps students for every part of the application process. The director of the Upper School, Mark Wiedenmann, states that 100 % of Chadwick graduates gain acceptance to the top 10% of colleges and Universities in the United States. In addition, 80-90% of students gain acceptance to one of their top choices. The school’s mission statement says, “In all of its programs, Chadwick seeks to discover and nurture the special gifts each student possesses; to deepen each student’s understanding of the complexities of the world; and to inspire each to realize his or her full potential.”

File:NewDolphin.jpeg

Chadwick Athletic Logo

Athletics

The Chadwick Upper School is involved in athletics through the CIF Southern Section as a member of the Prep League. With 37 teams, Chadwick competes in 23 separate boys' and girls' sports. On average, almost 90.21% of Chadwick Upper School students participate in at least one sport each year. Historically, Chadwick's two main rivals have been Pasadena Poly and Flintridge Prep. The Gold Cup, one of California's oldest rivalry trophies, changes hands each year in the annual Flintridge-Chadwick football game. After a decade-long losing streak, Chadwick won the Gold Cup in 2004 on a last-second score by current Duke wide receiver James Brooks. That 2004 Chadwick football team had a winning team for the first time in over a decade with the help of James "JB" Brooks, Washington and Lee quarterback Daniel Kohl, Williams College Tight End Austin "Ace" Norris, Emory University Lacrosse Defensive Middie Christopher "CK" Kim, and Washington University Offensive Lineman Daniel "Bowser" Fishman.

In addition to the classic athletics, Chadwick has invested in an outdoor education program. Each year grades 7 through 12 are broken up into random small groups and complete a 1-to 3-week backpacking trip. It is a survival course. Guides are recruited from other notable programs like Outward Bound and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The Guides are also CPR certified, wilderness first responders, and carry satellite radios to contact logistics. The program aims to build self confidence, independence, teamwork, environmental appreciation, and strong critical thinking skills. Outdoor education is one of Chadwick’s most popular assets.

Admissions

Chadwick school has a very competitive application process with an acceptance rate of only 5.23%. Applications are available and must be completed in September. There are interviews, campus tours, ISEE testing, and student shadowing October through February. The admission decisions are sent out in March, and then the enrollment contracts are due in April. Yearly tuition ranges from $18,500 to $22,850 from village school to the upper school. Each year, the school awards more than $1.9 million in financial assistance and scholarships to ensure a broad cultural and socio-economic population.

Notable Alumni

• Lindsay Davenport
• Mike Lookinland
• Christina Crawford
• Brandon Lee
• Liza Minnelli
• Maureen Reagan
• Jann Wenner
• Andrew Dean Nystrom

Notable Teachers

• Ansel Adams
• Douglas Biedenweg - Discovery Channel Writer
• Martin Byhower - Co-President of the Palos Verdes-South Bay Audubon Society

In the media

Movies

• Mommie Dearest was filmed at Chadwick in 1981.

External links

• Chadwick School Official Site
• Great Schools inc
• Private School Review LLC
• School for Ethics and Global Leadership
• Malone Family Foundation
• Schoolyard inc
• Boojum Institute