Five Advantages of a Newark Academy Education
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FIVE ADVANTAGES of a NEWARK ACADEMY EDUCATION A GUIDE FOR PARENTS GRadeS 6-12 LIVINGSTON, NEW JERSEY WWW.NewaRKA.edu FIVE ADVANTAGES of a NEWARK ACADEMY EDUCATION Intellectual Power, Intellectual Play Sparks igniting young minds Global Thinking, 360° Perspective Looking into the world, not over it Each Valued, All Celebrated Individuality embraced creates a thriving community Trust Given, Respect Returned Independence in thinking — concern for others in action Inspiring Teachers, Memorable Mentors Compelling in class, caring beyond it Afterword FIVE ADVANTAGES of a NEWARK ACADEMY EDUCATION oneadvantage Intellectual Power, Intellectual Play “Newark Academy teachers want you to challenge yourself academically, but they’re not afraid to say that they also want you to be happy.” —JANET ROBUSTO, PARENT At Newark Academy, the mind matters or, more accurately, what matters is the development of the mind through intellectual engagement. NA students are academically successful, not because they’re pressured but because they’re stretched. As students navigate their educational journey, Newark Academy provides the roadside assistance they need. Thought becomes their vehicle, hard work their fuel, greater understanding their destination, and stress a hitchhiker best left by the side of the road. CLOSE-UP Tables Turned Surrounding Newark Academy’s Hark- ness table, a class of seventh graders is energetically dissecting a Jack London story when poet, English teacher, and— for the moment—discussion facilitator Betsy LaPadula draws a link to a con- temporaneous piece of literature. “Only connect,” she quotes, borrowing a line from Howard’s End to broach the theme of human connection. It is a theme already on display. The Harkness table is a conduit for connectedness, a table of process much more than a table of content. It is, as LaPadula describes, a “specially In another room, bubbling sixth graders These scenes, and others like them, shaped and beautifully crafted piece of stand behind a horseshoe of desks, play out every day in every grade and furniture that symbolizes the sense of tongues at the ready. This is Deb Tavares’ every subject throughout Newark common ground, of egalitarianism, of science class, and they have embarked on Academy. Whether sitting around a open dialogue (and open minds) that an experiment to determine the effects of Harkness table or standing around we wish to inculcate in our students.” licking versus sucking on the mass, tex– desks, clustered in small-group work or Around the table, students do not look ture, and color of Tootsie Pops. The young spread out along the woodland trail, NA to her as the sole authority figure. They scientists embrace the experiment with students get involved in, take control of, look to each other for insights and to seriousness of purpose as well as appetite, find joy in, and connect to the process themselves for inspiration. and their observations are rock solid. of learning. CLOSE-UP This IB-lieve Like AP, the International Baccalaureate Rigorous Newark Academy courses achieve balance in their lives. Success is comprises advanced courses that include many in the internationally evidenced by NA graduates who are well- can lead to college credit. Unlike its American cousin, IB can also be recognized International Baccalaureate prepared college students at competitive— pursued as a unified “diploma program” (IB) and nationally recognized Advanced and varied—institutions as well as thinking, offering a global focus, international Placement (AP) programs. But challenge discerning citizens of the world. recognition, deep assessments, and is also found in classes from Advanced Encouraging serious students doesn’t a class called Theory of Knowledge, which helps students make Acting to Vertebrate Zoology, Math 6 mean that students are always serious, interdisciplinary connections while Honors to English 12: Genius and Insanity, however. Fun and funny matter, too. tackling epistemological questions. and everything in between. This breadth Newark Academy knows that when Here’s what the Newark Academy of options enables NA’s intellectual focus students enjoy the learning process and community is saying about IB: to be adjusted to bright students with are engaged in it, they learn more. From “The holistic image of IB goes different needs and interests. energetic class discussions where students along with the holistic image of Newark Academy and fits the Students are encouraged not only to are “intellectually bouncing around,” as one ethos quite well.” delve deeply into subjects they know and delighted teacher described, to students’ –Chris Davis, student love, but also to explore the unfamiliar. And Morning Meeting presentations that get “IB was attractive in that even if it just as they are taught to pursue academics the whole school laughing, a dynamic wasn’t right for our kids, it would with purpose, so they are urged to pursue educational environment results from attract a caliber of students that interests beyond academics in order to nimble minds well tended. would be great to be with, be around, and be stimulating.” –Carolyn Simpson, parent “IB gives you a different perspective of the world and encourages you to travel, intellectually and literally, and to meet the ‘other.’” –Maria Teresa McNeilly-Anta, faculty FIVE ADVANTAGES of a NEWARK ACADEMY EDUCATION twoadvantage Global Thinking, 360° Perspective “Not only can I play the sports I love, interact with people who are welcoming, and take challeng- ing classes, but I’m meeting people from all over the world. I’m broadening my circle of friends with people who have been places that I haven’t been and had experiences that I haven’t had.” —AHLIA BETHEA, NINTH GRADE If having a “global orientation” conjures images of learning about the world at large, then Newark Academy is a committed global orienteer. From the mission statement’s aim of creating “ethical, intellectual, and civic stewards in the global environment” to the many internationally minded programs that help achieve that goal, NA helps students navigate unfamiliar terrain with an eye to broadening their worldview. But the school also goes beyond this meaning of a global perspective. Here, going global means far more than studying a foreign language or even experiencing a different culture. NA students are taught to look at all topics, even those close to home, from different angles. Thanks to its location close to New York City, Newark Academy benefits from a cosmopolitan school community “I think the diverse student whose members expand one another’s population allows the horizons while expanding their own. The international heritage of many NA families students here at Newark (see “International Relations,” below) creates a Academy to have more rich educational environment that reflects the complex, multifaceted nature of today’s society. experience with what the world is really like. People need the experience of interacting with people of different cultures.” —KevIN ChAN, NINTh gRAde A bevy of programs also exposes students to different issues and ways of life. All ages enjoy the annual International Dinner and the Global Speaker Series, which brings experts on such topics as eradicating polio in India, directing plays in Romania, and living without academic freedom in Zimbabwe. In the upper grades, opportunities expand to include optional International Baccalaureate and off-campus semesters as well as a multi- week immersion experience in which every student takes part. True to form, however, even CLOSE-UP International Relations In a typical year: 3% of students come from outside the U.S. 6% have dual citizenship. 15% have lived in other countries. 16% are fluent in a foreign language. 19% speak a foreign language at home. 29% have at least one parent born or raised abroad. 9 3 % have traveled outside the U.S. CLOSE-UP A Long History of Looking Forward Founded in 1774, Newark Academy is older than the United States, but its outlook is decidedly 21st century. The NA of today doesn’t resemble the all-boys’ school begun by an advisor to George Washington. Burned by the British and rebuilt in Newark in 1792, the Academy moved to Livingston in 1964 and became fully coed in the required immersion is tailored to student 1971. More recently, new facilities for interest, and participants can opt for a cultural the arts and athletics and a newly adopted master plan are helping to immersion abroad or a wilderness immersion ensure that NA’s bricks and mortar in the United States. Community service will continue to support its forward- similarly expands student understanding thinking, globally minded program of through individual projects and school- study. Equally striking, this venerable sponsored events, such as tutoring and an institution is neither stuffy nor elitist. “It’s not an old boy network,” explains annual field day for Newark schoolchildren. an administrator, “despite the fact In a typical year, NA students perform more that we’re one of the oldest schools than 12,000 hours of service. in the state, if not the country. The Within the curriculum, the Academy’s focus is less on where you come from global orientation is likewise varied, stretching and more on who you are and where you’re going.” This approach keeps beyond language and humanities courses. A the student body fresh, bright, and science teacher links the study of water to the energetic and the school looking to importance of potable water in developing the future while remaining proud of areas. Field trips and other experiential its past. learning opportunities get students to look at topics differently and to experience and experiment firsthand. The common thread is the development of an expanded, multifaceted perspective on the world and each student’s place in it. “Newark Academy does a really good job of giving kids a solid foundation so they can manage that very fast-paced, very interconnected, very diverse world that they’re going to face.