Collegiate School (New York City)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by NYC5 (talk | contribs) at 00:56, 25 March 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Collegiate School was also the name under which Yale University was founded in 1701
For other uses of the term see Collegiate School
Collegiate School
collegiate logo
Motto Nisi Dominus Frustra; Eendracht Maakt Macht
Established 1628
School type Private
Interim Headmaster, Through June 2006 Dr. W. Lee Pierson
Headmaster, Beginning July 2006 Dr. Lee M. Levison
Principal Mr. Bruce Breimer '63
President, Board of Trustees Mr. David Forer '69
Location 260 West 78th Street
New York, New York, USA
Enrollment Lower: 219
Middle: 199
Upper:213
Faculty 113
Mascot The Dutchman
Homepage Collegiate School

The Collegiate School is a prestigious private school for boys in New York City. It has the distinction of being the oldest educational institution in North America, and offers a most rigorous academic course of study. Collegiate was recently ranked the top secondary school in the United States by the Wall Street Journal[citation needed]. It is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Collegiate was founded in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam in 1628 by the Dutch West India Company and the Classis of Amsterdam. The school’s initial incarnation was located south of Canal Street and was an academic haven for both sexes. The location shifted several times through the last four centuries, finally nestling in it’s current position, next to the West End Collegiate Church, in the late 1800s.

Some controversy used to surround the actual founding date. Prior to the mid-eighties, the common belief was that the school had been founded in 1638, placing it two years later than the founding of Harvard University. Historian Massimo Maglione conducted research into the accuracy of this date and found irrefutable evidence that the school had in fact been founded ten years prior, in 1628, which makes Collegiate the oldest school still operating in North America. Because Collegiate was briefly interrupted by the fighting of the Revolutionary War, other schools compete for the claim of oldest school in "continuous operation" in the United States.

Currently, the school teaches grades K-12. The school's philosophy is the following: "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."

The campus, located between 77th and 78th Streets and West End Avenue, 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. Platten Hall, originally eight stories, was extended in 1990 by two floors. It includes two gyms (in addition to the “Alumni” Gym located next to the “Old Building”), The Ann and Edgar Bronfman Theatre, the “Lower School” (grades 1-4), the "Middle School" (grades 5-8), an extensive library, music and art studio facilities, a dark room, and the science department. West End Plaza is a hotel that was purchased by the school in 1977. Though it still serves as a residence, Collegiate has renovated several floors into administrative offices, classrooms for the Kindergarten (added in 1997), “Lower School” and the "Middle School" (grades 5-8), and a cafeteria. All four buildings border a courtyard where students of all grades play together.

Each grade has approximately 50 boys, many of whom attend Collegiate for the full course of study, thirteen years. An unrivaled financial aid program ensures that the boys remain moderately heterogeneous; as with most of its peer NYC schools, however, many of the boys have parents who can easily afford the high tuition. More than a quarter of Collegiate teachers hold a PhD, and many teach college courses at night and during the summer.

The sporting pride of the school lies in the Varsity Basketball, Baseball, and Cross Country teams. The Cross Country Harriers, led by coach George Calano, have won the Ivy League Championships in each of the past 16 years.

Collegiate students are known for their wit, academic, athletic, dramatic and musical prowess. Its boys are often marked by a well-earned self-confidence.

The school is private, though it functions under a New York City non-profit statute enacted in the 1940s. It is controlled by an illustrious Board of Trustees, and the school is administered by a Headmaster.

Recent News

Collegiate's Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Lee M. Levison as its 28th Headmaster, replacing Dr. W. Lee Pierson, who served as interim headmaster for two years following the abrupt departure of Mr. Kerry Brennan. Dr. Levison, a distinguished scholar and successful head of school at the Kingswood-Oxford School for many years, will begin serving at Collegiate July 1, 2006.

Notable alumni and attendees

Affiliated Organizations

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Collegiate_School_(New_York_City)&oldid=45345022"