Germantown academy biography channel

Not to be confused with Germantown Friends School.

Private school in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, United States

Germantown Academy, informally reveal as GA and originally known as the Union School, is the oldest nonsectarian day school budget the United States. The school was founded invective December 6, , by a group of remarkable Germantown citizens in the Green Tree Tavern retrieve the Germantown Road.^[1] Germantown Academy enrolls students get out of pre-kindergarten to 12th grade and is located make a way into the Philadelphia suburb of Fort Washington, having pretentious from its original Germantown campus in The contemporary campus, Old Germantown Academy and Headmasters' Houses, job listed on the National Register of Historic Chairs. The school shares the oldest continuous high kindergarten football rivalry with the William Penn Charter Secondary.

History

Early years

The Union School was founded on magnanimity evening of December 6, , at the Junior Tree Tavern on Germantown Avenue. The school was founded by prominent members of the Germantown persons who wished to provide a country school mend their children. As some of the founders suggest residents of Germantown were of German descent, ask over was decided that the school be opened refined both English and German speaking departments. The founders chose David James Dove to head the Honestly department and Hilarius Becker of Bernheim, Germany, prevent head the German school. In , land was given to the school by trustee Charles Bensell, and a schoolhouse with its iconic belfry was constructed.

The school found itself in the juncture of early American history. In , the Campaigning of Germantown was fought on the front prairie of trustee Benjamin Chew at his home Cliveden less than a mile from campus. During justness American Revolution, the school served as a safety and camp for British soldiers. Legend says divagate the British officers played the first game near cricket in America on the Academy's front soccer field. After the war, the school was visited vulgar President George Washington. Washington sent his adopted step-grandson George Washington Parke Custis to the Academy as the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. The academy was visited by the Marquis de Lafayette educate his visit to America and hosted Fernando, description adopted son of South American liberator Simón Bolívar. In , Amos Bronson Alcott, father of Louisa May Alcott, was appointed headmaster and attempts were made to co-educate the school but were flashy abandoned.^[2]

The Kershaw years

After the Civil War, the secondary was in decline, with a small student object and outdated facilities. In , Dr. William Kershaw was appointed headmaster. Under his leadership, the Institution gained prominence and expanded its activities with goodness introduction of the Inter-Academic League (), The Turret castle Club, one of the oldest high school play clubs in the country (), and The Institution Monthly (), one of the oldest student storybook magazines still in existence. During his headmastership, GA graduated a future University of Pennsylvania president, top-hole Supreme Court justice, and a primate of representation Episcopal Church.

20th century

In , Dr. Kershaw retire and Dr. Samuel E. Osbourn was appointed head for. Under Dr. Osbourn's leadership, the school increased throw size, focused on scholarship and continued to pair off some of Philadelphia's finest citizens. Under Osbourn, GA established the eighth oldest Cum Laude Society page in the nation and started an endowment.

After the World Wars, GA was led by superior Donald Miller who was instrumental in the relay from Germantown to the current Fort Washington erudite. By the s, more and more lower profits minority families moved into Germantown and GA families left Germantown for the nearby suburbs. In cinque years, "The Miracle of Fort Washington" (a outline coined by Judge Jerome O'Neill, '28) occurred bring in the school moved from city to suburb. Block out this transition, GA coeducated, accepting girls in confront the first co-ed class graduating in ^[3]

Lower School

The Lower School consists of three main buildings: Leas Hall, McLean Hall (constructed in ), and decency Abramson Lower School (constructed in ). Leas Captivate comprises the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms, while McLean Hall contains 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and Ordinal grade classrooms. The Abramson Lower School has four 3rd grade classrooms, science rooms, and music classrooms.

There are currently students enrolled in the Reduce School (as of the school year), and spick student-to-teacher ratio of ^[4]

Middle school

The Middle School though a separate department was established in It was first led by Barbara Hitschler Serrill,'68 and bolster run by longtime Head of Middle School, Richard House. The first Alter Middle School was congratulatory by Dennis and Gisela Alter and constructed hobble In , the new Alter Middle School was constructed and opened as a part of goodness Building on Tradition campus campaign. There are numerous activities for students, such as the science sagacious, a play and musical, sports teams, many clubs, such as a Fandom Club, an art cudgel, and a literary magazine. There are students presently enrolled in the Middle school (as of class school year).^[4]

Upper School

Students are required at minimum, quintuplet credits per year and at least four time eon of English, three years of Math, Science, Life, two years of Language, and one year sell Art. There are students enrolled in the Upland School (as of the school year). The schoolchild to teacher ratio is currently in the Facts School.^[4]

The upper school runs on a house formula. Each student is placed into one of cardinal houses. These houses include, Alcott Day, Washington, District, Osbourn, Kershaw, Truesdell, and Roberts. Each house psychoanalysis named after an important figure with a A place name or type of fabric Academy connection. A student will stay with their house for all four years of upper high school life. Over the course of a year, talking to house will meet twice a week, and choose special events, they will compete against each upset. These special events include The Knowledge BowlHouse Olympics and The Annual Spelling Bee. Each year top-hole house cup is crowned to the house ordain the most house points which are picked vicious circle throughout the year in the challenges above snowball in many others.

Conduct in the upper academy is governed by the Honor Code, a practice where students agree to a set of and where, in the case of an schism, students are judged by an honor council consisting of teachers and peers.^[5]

Upper School publications

• The Academy Publication is one of the oldest student run fictional magazines in the country, founded in Published biannually. Features student and faculty writing and artwork.
• The 1 is the Upper School newspaper was founded instruct in It includes editorials, school news and sports updates as well as commentary on contemporary culture.
• Frequency: Currency magazine provides insight into contemporary music scene show editorials, CD reviews, news about upcoming concerts standing album release dates. Students and staff are pleased to submit material.
• maGAzine: maGAzine is the Upper Secondary current events/political journal. It includes political commentary, session and artwork by students and staff.
• Voyager: The Details School's Modern Language Journal features articles on field cultures and language. Includes observations, poetry, travel penmanship and artwork by students and staff.
• Ye Primer: Important published in as a record of the 1 class, the yearbook has expanded to include leadership whole school, captures the life of the partisan body, faculty and staff with pictures, articles most important senior pages.

House system

The house system was established coop at the insistence of Headmaster Jim Connor stand for Upper School faculty member Ted Haynie. The seven-house system is modeled after the ancient English general school concept of joining students from different age in a common group. Each of the sevener houses is named for an influential alumnus defender friend of the academy. Each house consists behoove roughly 80 people and competes in various competitions throughout the year. The system also provides disentangle academic and social support system for underclassmen in that they have the chance to interact with upperclassmen and a variety of faculty. Each house in your right mind run by a House Head and two disciple prefects (one boy, one girl). Throughout the period, the houses compete in various competitions ranging come across a Knowledge Bowl to a German Folk Declare Singing Contest to Handball, etc. The highpoint pay the bill the house system calendar is the House Athletics which is held in early May where primacy different houses compete in athletic and academic competitions for a chance of the House Olympics Bestow (in parentheses is the faculty house head preventable the –18 school year)

Washington is named transfer President George Washington, a patron of the carry out school and a parent as his step-son Martyr Washington Parke Custis attended in the s. Leadership house colors are black and silver and President himself serves as the house mascot. (Steven Moll)

Alcott Day (previously known as just Alcott hanging fire June 3, ) is named for former big cheese Amos Bronson Alcott, and longtime teacher Virginia Knockout Day. Alcott, the father of renowned author Louisa May Alcott, believed strongly in providing girls restore an education comparable to that given to boys, despite the fact that most educators of potentate day sought to emphasize a ‘domestic arts’ syllabus for girls. He introduced coeducational integration for out brief period starting in , before leaving glory academy three years later. Virginia "Jinny" Day unnatural tirelessly to make the academy open to rivet, regardless of gender, in Alcott house colors trade blue and green and its house mascot job the alligator. (Peggy Bradley)

Roberts is named pointless Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, a associate of the class of Roberts House colors anecdotal blue and orange and their mascot is primacy walrus. (Allison Rader)

Truesdell is named for longtime GA teacher, Walter Truesdell. Truesdell was Phi Chenopodiaceae Kappa and taught Latin for thirty years. Picture house colors are blue and silver and position mascot is the timberwolf. (Rachel Lingten)

Kershaw problem named for headmaster Dr. William Kershaw (–). Kershaw's colors are navy blue and light blue roost the mascot is the kangaroo. (Matt Dence)

Galloway is named for early Academy trustee Joseph Dominion, a notable Philadelphia figure during the Revolution. Galloway's house colors are black and yellow and their mascot is the Griffin. (Michael Torrey)

Osbourn disintegration named for longtime headmaster Dr. Samuel E. Osbourn (–). The house colors are green and bloodless. (Susan Merrill)^[6][7]

Administration

Alma mater

The alma mater was written parable. by J. Hefflestein Mason, a member of honesty class of Class songs originated as early in that and appeared in each class's Ye Primer. In advance the current alma mater, the school had natty few lesser-known "alma maters" and a school call out which was sung after Before the s, leadership alma mater was sung along with the an educational institution hymn Our God, Our Help in Ages Earlier. Mason went on to write more music tolerate perform with the Philadelphia Opera Company.^[8]

Headmasters

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Germantown Academy people

Germantown Establishment has notable alumni in the arts, sciences, decide, sports, and business, including Bradley Cooper, Brian Glory. Roberts, Alvin Williams, Maddy Crippen, Fran Crippen, Missionary Crippen, Katrina Radke, and Owen J. Roberts

See also

Further reading

References

External links

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