Today @ 25 degrees is (or at least it feels like it is) the first true day of Spring. It is also the day, apparently, that ‘the email’ went out to the women of Manhattan regarding the wearing of brightly coloured jeans. Regardless of age, gender, body shape or ethnicity every woman in NYC has yellow, pink, lilac, peach, light green or light blue ankle jeans on today. The email also must have stated that only pastel flats were to be worn with this outfit. Ha! - Spot the tourist was easy to judge today … just look to see who is still wearing scarves and boots!
Today I had been invited by the Headmaster, Levi Levison, to visit Collegiate School www.collegiateschool.org/. Collegiate School, a day school for boys from K-12, is the oldest independent school in the United States. Tracing its origins to 1628, the school was established by the Dutch West India Company and the Classis of Amsterdam, the parent ecclesiastical body of the Dutch Reformed Church for the colonists of New Amsterdam.
According to its website, Collegiate School strives to educate each boy to reach his highest level of intellectual, ethical, artistic, and physical development. Drawing on what is known about boys' growth and learning, the school offers a rigorous K-12 program rich in opportunities for cultivating individual talents and interests in a climate of collaboration and respect. Collegiate continues its historic tradition in New York City of educating a diverse and talented student body and of helping boys to become independent adults and responsible citizens who will lead and serve. It has strong sports and music programs.
In 2007, The Wall Street Journal ranked Collegiate number one in the world in terms of percent of the senior class (50) matriculating to eight selective American colleges. In 2002, Worth ranked Collegiate third among the nation's independent schools in terms of percentage of graduates attending Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University.
Security, as one would expect at a NYC School, was tight. Once in the front door, I entered into a secure room with CCTV and had to provide photo ID, sign my name and then wait for the teacher receiving me to arrive. I was met by Chris Koble (Director of Technology) who took me to a conference room to discuss with me the College’s programs and plans. It seemed to me that Wesley and Collegiate are very similar schools in term of hopes and dreams and progress towards them using technology. Chris was keen to establish a relationship with Wesley College and I think they would be a good fit for us. They are a like-minded school but would provide a fascinating study in urban schooling. When Chris took me on a tour of the school it was hard to get used to the small spaces and tall buildings. Since by law here Grades 1-3 must be on the lower floors, we toured the school by going up the elevator!
Collegiate is located between 77th and 78th Streets and West End Avenue and consists of four separate buildings: The “Old Building,” Platten Hall, West End Plaza, and a new six-story extension that bridges Platten Hall with West End Plaza. The four-story “Old Building” is part of the original church and is home to the Upper School (grades 9-12). It includes two gyms (in addition to the Alumni Gym located next to the Old Building), the recently renovated Ann and Edgar Bronfman Theatre, the Black Box Studio theatre, the Lower School (grades 1-4), the Middle School (grades 5-8), a full-service library, music and art studio facilities, a dark room, two computer labs, a weight-lifting room, and the science department.
West End Plaza is a hotel that was purchased by the school in 1977. Though it still serves in part as a residence for teachers, Collegiate has renovated several floors into administrative offices, classrooms for the Kindergarten (added in 1997), Lower School and the Middle School and two cafeterias. All four buildings border a courtyard where students of all grades play various games ranging from Handball commonly played by the Lower School students to Courtyard Football played by the Middle School students to Courtyard Soccer played by the Upper School students. And it was just a ‘courtyard’ and every space in it was used to best advantage.
I liked this school as the boys were the focus. Despite a number of the buildings looking run down (they will be moving to a new school in a recently purchased building on 66th by 2020), it had a good feel to it. The boys were all busy doing their stuff, the teachers pleased to talk about their programs and showcase the boys’ work and all the class rooms seemed well-resourced. And their Middle School is Years 5-8 like ours. Fees here are $39,400 p/a (plus an expectation of an annual ‘giving’). Total number of students: 651 (Lower School: 228/Middle School: 197/Upper School: 226) Total number of faculty (full and part time): 112/ Doctoral degrees: 16/Master's degrees: 67. Mascot – an old Dutch pirate!
While I was busy with my school visit, Peter went shopping and brought home joggers, running pants, a tracksuit, 4 polo shirts and - from the thrift shop – 2 pairs of slacks, a spray jacket and 4 business shirts. Good job, Pookie!
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