Headmaster: Peter J. Caldwell Head of Upper School: Darren M. Burns Morristown-Beard Director of College Counseling: Noreen L. Cassidy Senior Associate Director of College Counseling: Lindsay Johnson Associate Director of College Counseling: Joanne Goldberg School Associate Director of College Counseling: Lauren Laskey Profile: The Class of 2020 CEEB Code: 310845 Within a culture of support and collaboration, Morristown-Beard School students discover and develop their individual pathways to academic success and personal fulfllment while becoming enlightened, morally responsible citizens of the world. The School Community courses foreground critical thought and discussion, require students to work Morristown-Beard is an independent, coeducational day school serving students independently and are fexible enough to encompass a broad range of course from over 80 communities and nine counties in northern New Jersey. Tere are themes. In all Advanced courses, the level of reading, writing and discussion 593 students in grades 6-12, with an Upper School enrollment of 442. Tere equals that found in a frst-year college course. Both Advanced Seminar and are 103 faculty members, of whom 66% hold advanced degrees, of which 23 are Advanced Studies courses are designated with the prefx “AS,” indicating a doctoral. Te School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges level of rigor comparable to or exceeding AP courses. and Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools and is approved by the New Jersey State Department of Education. Earned Honors Model In keeping with the idea of a growth mindset and the awareness, defnitively Curricular Philosophy established by research, that intelligence is not fxed but capable of continuous MBS has fully embraced the “new” or “21st Century” paradigm for secondary growth in the proper learning contexts, we have created an “Earned Honors” education, as articulated by such thinkers and researchers as the late Grant model in many classes whereby students are not pre-slotted as “honors” or Wiggins, Sir Ken Robinson, Tony Wagner, and many others. Despite the “regular” but are placed in heterogeneous classes and given the opportunity challenges this new model poses to many traditional secondary school to earn honors on the basis of the work they produce. Te honors distinction assumptions and practices, its focus on skills over content, on critical and creative is not based on quantitative factors (i.e. “more work”), but is measured by the thinking over mere absorption of information, on critical reading and writing in qualitative rigor and analytical depth of the tasks undertaken to earn honors. all disciplines, and above all its foundation in a “growth” as opposed to “fxed” mindset, is supported by a wave of cognitive research and emerging best practices. Integrated Math Curriculum Our academic program has been steadily evolving for the past decade along Starting in the fall of 2016 and phasing in sequentially, the Integrated Math these lines, and we are justly proud of the progress we have made in preparing Program consists of three full year courses: Integrated Math 1, 2 and 3. our graduates to succeed in higher education and in the social landscape of the Combining both traditional and contemporary approaches and content, this future, both of which are themselves in the midst of complex, rapidly evolving structure represents an evolution in math curriculum design and allows students change. Our students, therefore, need to be understood and assessed in the light a much greater opportunity for growth and development in mathematical of these principles, as outlined in our Statement of Curricular Philosophy: thinking. While the program covers all of the traditional areas (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus), Integrated Math blends these Te Morristown-Beard curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, diferent strands of mathematics through each of its three levels and focuses independent thought, and intellectual risk taking. It supports cross-disciplinary on connections among formerly isolated topics such as algebra, geometry and connections and a holistic view of knowledge. It encourages integration of habits trigonometry. Tis approach reveals a more organic picture of the feld of of intentional speaking and writing so that students may develop and articulate mathematics and fosters deeper insight into its intricacies and beauty. Upon their ideas. Te curriculum is process-oriented, and teachers’ assessment of student completion of Integrated Math 3, students typically advance to either Functions work refects the means by which a student creates and learns in addition to fnal Analysis and Trigonometry or Mathematical Analysis Honors. product. Te curriculum at Morristown-Beard esteems the qualitative as well as quantitative dimensions of learning and supports students’ making connections to World Language Mastery Curriculum other areas of intellectual thought and the larger world. Te World Language department is in the midst of transitioning from a traditional curriculum that ofers numbered courses to a Mastery Curriculum. Te Mastery Signature Programs Curriculum in French, Latin and Spanish is designed to allow students to Advanced Seminar/Advanced Studies Program move forward through language at a pace that provides them opportunities In an efort to provide a rigorous alternative to the standardized curriculum for success. Te courses are defned by performance objectives rather than time and testing of AP courses, the Upper School ofers a suite of Advanced courses spent learning the language. Tese performance objectives provide information for seniors and selected juniors that equal or exceed AP courses in terms of for students about what they must consistently demonstrate to reach a particular conceptual challenge, complexity of material, development of critical skills level, putting them in control of their own progress. Students can move through and overall preparation for college academics. Tey are therefore the most the sequence at a pace that fts their language development, advancing past academically rigorous courses we ofer. Tese courses, which are either one levels if they demonstrate competence in the relevant benchmarks. Students semester (Advanced Seminar courses) or full year (Advanced Studies courses), who demonstrate extraordinary achievement in their language studies advance are proposed by faculty with a particular interest and expertise in a given feld to the Experienced level and either AP or Advanced Studies courses. At the and are subject to a thorough peer-review process, overseen by a committee Intermediate and Experienced levels, thematic courses (e.g. Spanish Trough of experienced teachers with college teaching backgrounds. Tese advanced Music and Film, French Cinema) are ofered. 70 Whippany Road • Morristown, NJ 07960 • Tel: 973.539.3032 • Fax: 973.539.1590 • www.mbs.net Test Scores (Class of 2019) Curriculum Notes Middle 50% Mean SAT Advanced Placement Program Chemistry, Deductive Logic: Applications and Evidence Based Students must fulfll required prerequisites and have Limitations, Financial Modeling, Motion Graphics Reading and Writing 610-710 661 departmental approval in order to enroll in any of the and Media Authoring, Plot Driven Comedy, and Math 580-695 638 12 AP courses ofered. With the exception of those Yemen’s Civil War. ACT taking Chemistry and United States History, the Composite 25-31 28 majority enrolled in AP classes are seniors. In addition Graduation Requirements to courses ofered, recommended juniors may also sit Te academic year is divided into two semesters during which a minimum academic load is six Grading System and Class Rank for the English Language and Composition exam. Grade point averages are unweighted and calculated based courses. While a total of 24 credits is required for on the system below. Passing grade is 60. A cumulative GPA Independent Study graduation, we encourage students to pursue their is not calculated, nor do we rank our students. Our Independent Study program encourages academic interests by going beyond the minimum Letter Grade Points students to explore areas of interest that fall outside requirements of: A+ 4.00 the traditional course catalog. Under the guidance A 4.00 English 4 years A- 3.67 of selected faculty members with a special expertise B+ 3.33 or interest in the feld, students work side by side to Mathematics 3 years B 3.00 develop a scope and sequence curriculum, create History 3 years B- 2.67 authentic class specifc content and create original C+ 2.33 assessments. Independent Studies are ideal for Science 3 years C 2.00 motivated, high-achieving students. Current topics World Language 3 years C- 1.67 D+ 1.33 include: Acting Technique, Aquaponic Systems, Performing/Visual 1 year D 1.00 Biokinetics, Coral Reef Ecosystems, Cosmetic & Digital Arts D- 0.67 F 0.00 Class of 2020: Junior Year Grade Distribution Grades A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- Grades A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- Humanities English 11 Fall * 5 19 19 16 3 1 Forensic Science * 1 2 Humanities English 11 Fall (H) * 5 12 25 4 Genetics and Biotechnology * 1 Humanities English 11 Spring * 8 14 26 10 2 1 Nutrition * 3 4 Humanities English 11 Spring (H) * 1 13 11 23 2 Sports Medicine * 4 2 3 3 1 English Electives * 7 6 6 English Electives (H) * 29 9 1 French 1 2 French 2 (H) 2 2 Humanities History 11 5 22 12 11 2 1 French 3 1 1 1 Humanities History 11 (H) 2 5 10 14 9 2 French 3 (H) 2 2 4 US History (AP) 2 3 5 5 French