Head of School
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Jacksonville, Florida Head of School Introduction The Bolles School is a nationally renowned, independent day and boarding School serving 1,680 students in Pre-K through grade 12 on four campuses in Jacksonville and surrounding communities. A leader in academics, arts, and athletics, the School is firmly rooted in the principles that have characterized its community and traditions for nearly 80 years: pursuing excellence through courage, integrity, and compassion. The vast resources and expert instruction available to students as they explore and hone their individual interests and strengths are embodied in the School’s motto -- All Things Possible -- and students eagerly embrace the myriad of opportunities available to them both in and out of the classroom. The Bolles School was established in 1933 as a military day and boarding School for boys in grades 7 through 12. The School dropped its military affiliation in 1962 and became coeducational in 1971. After the merger with the all-girls Bartram School in 1991, Bolles created a separate middle School facility for grades 6 through 8 and a girls boarding program. The School opened a campus in Ponte Vedra Beach in 1999 to serve students from the Beaches area in Pre-K through Grade 5. Academics Bolles employs more than 400 full and part-time faculty, staff, coaches, administrators, and seasonal employees -- including 147 full-time teachers -- all of whom are integral to providing an exceptional educational experience. The School’s outstanding faculty are experts in their respective fields; more than 90 faculty members have master’s degrees, including 11 faculty who have received a Ph.D. In addition, the average experience of the teaching faculty is 14 years. Average class sizes of 15 and a student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to 1 allow for individual attention and support. With teachers serving as their instructors, guides, and mentors, students at The Bolles School participate actively in their education through hands-on experimentation, field trips, research, debate, competition, and classroom learning. In the fall of 2013, the Board of Trustees approved a multi-year, ambitious technology initiative. A Chief Technology Officer with extensive experience in educational technology was hired to lead the multi-million dollar project. The goal is to place Bolles at the forefront of educational technology to enhance THE BOLLES SCHOOL Head of School students’ experience and understanding of technology and to better prepare them for college and life. The Lower School, which encompasses pre- kindergarten through fifth grade, serves a total of 458 Mission Statement children on two campuses -- one on twelve acres in Ponte Vedra Beach and the other, Whitehurst, adjacent The Bolles School prepares to the Upper School’s San Jose campus. Lower School students for college and life by teachers create an intimate and innovative learning inspiring achievement, integrity, environment in which students build upon their natural confidence, and compassion in sense of exploration and begin developing the personal an academic community values that will guide them as they progress through dedicated to nurturing mind, school and life. Students receive a firm foundation in body, and soul. reading skills, writing, math, science, and social studies with further enrichment in foreign language, physical Accordingly, Bolles provides an education, the arts, technology, and library skills. unequaled breadth of Notably, the School recently implemented Science and opportunities and experiences Technology for Children, a new curriculum that focuses which enable every student to on using real-world experience to discover scientific optimize his or her unique concepts and develop skills, as well as the Best Practices interests, abilities, and talents. Using a Workshop model, a language arts program that blends direct instruction in language arts with greater opportunities for students to practice skills. Furthermore, in 2009-2010, Bolles was the first school in the area and among the first in the state to adopt Singapore Math, and has been a resource for other schools in the area implementing the Singapore Math program. The Middle School includes 424 students on the Bartram Campus, located about 20 minutes from the Upper School campus. Teachers create opportunities for students to continue developing their identities, independence, sense of responsibility, time management, and communications skills. Middle Schoolers are encouraged to explore and expand their interests in a variety of areas while also preparing to take on the academic challenges of Upper School. Recent enhancements to both the curriculum and classrooms have been made with an eye toward ensuring that courses are age-appropriate, particularly with regard to the ways in which pre- and early adolescents learn best. In addition, a new language lab has provided additional computers for all classes and served as a platform for delivering Schoolshape, a web-based language lab, to Bolles students, who are the first in the nation to use the program. The Upper School, with 789 students on the San Jose Campus, is the culmination of all that Bolles offers in educational excellence and college preparation. Within the accelerated and demanding academic environment, students are challenged to excel and experience the satisfaction of personal achievement. Advanced Placement courses are available in more than 20 areas, and honors courses are offered in each discipline as well. Specifically, the Upper School teaches courses in six languages including Chinese and Japanese, science courses such as physical science and neurobiology, and mathematics from algebra to robotics engineering. Upper School technology facilities include a multimedia room, two computer labs, 2 THE BOLLES SCHOOL Head of School science labs and lecture hall, and the Internet Room. Bolles graduates consistently place in the top 10% of Advanced Placement scores achieved throughout the country. In 2010, Bolles students exceeded the School’s historical average with an overall pass rate of BOLLES 97%, and 51% received a score of 5. For the classes AT A GLANCE of 2011 through 2013, the middle 50 percent of scores for the SAT range from 1620 to 1970, and the middle Enrollment: 1,671 50 percent of ACT scores vary from 23 to 29. Since Upper School: 789 2007, 44 Bolles students have been named National Middle School: 424 Merit Finalists, with 17 of those students earning Lower School: 458 National Merit Scholarships for their success on the Boarding: 90 students PSAT. Bolles has also produced Morehead-Cain and Campuses: Jefferson Scholars, and recently, our first Rhodes San Jose Upper School and Scholar. Whitehurst Lower School (52 acres) Bartram Middle School (24 acres) One hundred percent of Bolles graduates go on to Ponte Vedra Lower School (12 acres) attend a four-year college or university. The School provides a comprehensive college counseling program Faculty: that begins in the ninth grade and is committed to 275 full- and part-time faculty & staff helping students connect with institutions of higher 147 full-time teachers education that will be the best fits for their aspirations, interests, and skills. Juniors take tests such as the More than 90 faculty members have master’s degrees; 11 faculty have Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Career received a Ph.D. Inventory as part of the process of discovering themselves and becoming empowered to make wise Average Class Size: 15 decisions about their futures. Student-to-teacher ratio: 11 to 1 Bolles alumni matriculate to a number of the top-ranked colleges and universities in the country. Colleges with Tuition: multiple enrollments over the past four years include Upper: $22,050 Auburn, Florida State University, University of Florida, Middle: $21,400 Lower: $9,250 - $16,900 University of Georgia, University of Alabama, Georgia Boarding: $45,030 Tech, Davidson College, Duke University, Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, University of Southern Financial Aid: $3.5 million, plus $1.1 California, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard million in faculty and staff remission University, to name a few. The Class of 2013’s 192 graduates and one post-graduate student were Budget: $36 million accepted to 174 colleges and universities and are now attending 85 different colleges and universities around Endowment: $16 million the country. Together, they were offered, or qualified for, more than $2.7 million of merit-based scholarships Annual Giving: $1.35 million for their first year of college, amounting to nearly $11 million over the course of their four-year college careers. 3 THE BOLLES SCHOOL Head of School Arts, Athletics, and Other Activities The Bolles community believes that traditional academics are only one component of the educational experience and development of the whole child, and every day the School is alive with activities in arts, athletics, service, and student clubs. The Arts. Exploration of the arts is encouraged through both academic classes and extracurricular programs in the areas of instrumental and vocal music, dance, drama, and visual arts. Approximately 85% of the Bolles student body participates in over 100 performances and gallery shows within the fine and performing arts department each year. Lower School students are exposed to general instruction in music, drama, and art, and Middle Schoolers’ pursuits gradually become more focused and specialized as they progress through the division. Bolles Upper School students