CHESHIRE ACADEMY
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Reasons Why
Choosing Cheshire Academy may be the most important decision of your life.
High school is so much more than just the next step on the path of doing what’s expected. It’s four important years of your life that can make all the difference in the person you’ll become. How can you make the most of them?
You can use these years to explore who you are and discover how you learn best. Make it your mission to experiment with new ideas and activities. Expand your understanding of people and cultures from all over the world. Connect with teachers and mentors who are passionate about your personal success.
There’s no better place than Cheshire Academy to do all that. And we’d like to share a few reasons (41 to be exact!) why that’s true.
1 Because we want you to come just as you are We’re not looking for students who have already figured out the quickest path to top grades and test scores. At Cheshire, we don’t believe that education is about trying to fit some stereotype of an ideal student. In fact, there is no typical Cheshire student. We have ambitious scholars, and we have students who haven’t yet come into their own academically. There are students who know exactly what they want to study in college and those who are still searching for the subjects they love. We have fabulous athletes and students who are happiest reading a novel sitting under a tree. Artists and musicians and computer buffs. There are students who are comfortable speaking out in class, and others who have plenty to say but have not yet gained the self-confidence to speak up. What all our students have in common is a dream of success. And what we offer is dedicated attention to each student’s unique goals, challenges, skills and talents. At Cheshire, students discover where they want to go and our faculty makes sure they get there.
Come as you are. And go anywhere.
2 We can show you the way to the edge of space Science teacher Ray Cirmo believes that students need to see authentic applications of what they learn in class. “It’s all about making science a more tangible experience. If it’s not real life, then it’s not worth doing.” That’s why his AP Physics class took a break from the books to construct and launch a platform designed to ascend to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere powered by a helium balloon. Cameras and a GPS device were mounted to the platform to track the balloon’s flight, collect atmospheric particles and record the curvature of the earth from the edge of space. After approximately two hours and 120,000 feet, the balloon burst (as planned) and parachuted back down to earth, where it was tracked, recovered and analyzed by a triumphant class of real world scientists.
LEFT FROM TOP: (1) Students design a radar reflector to ensure the high altitude platform can be detected
by airports and planes. (2) Mounting cameras to platform. (3) Discussing stability issues and mounting scenarios for electronic equipment. (4) Designing the interface between the platform and the parachute. RIGHT FROM TOP: (1) Recording site information before launch. (2) Sealing off the sounding balloon.
(3) Platform lands in a tree after returning to earth. (4) A successful launch and recovery!
3 Diversity
It’s not just a goal at Cheshire—we’ve been this way
since the 1850s when international merchants, traveling to New Haven to trade
“In my math
their goods, began enrolling their sons here. We have boarding students and
class we have
day students; domestic students (from 13 different states) and international
13 students and
students (from 22 countries); athletes, actors, aspiring politicians, future CEOs,
nine different
scientists and poets; and a healthy mix of religions, cultural backgrounds and
nationalities.”
sexual orientations. You continually bump into different perspectives and
JUNIOR
traditions. It’s a big part of what makes Cheshire such an interesting place to be.
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The Cheshire status quo “Kids aren’t afraid to be different here. At other schools, people feel they need to be normal, stick to the status quo. Here, you can just be yourself—that’s the status quo here.” FRESHMAN
5 Expand your view: International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) In 2011, Cheshire Academy became the first independent school in Connecticut to offer the IB Diploma Programme. Developed in Switzerland in the 1960s, the IB is known worldwide among colleges and universities as one of the most prestigious college prep experiences available anywhere. We decided to become an IB World School because the IB perfectly complements the educational principles Cheshire has always believed in. The fundamental goals of the IB program—diversity, internationalism and open-minded ness—have been hallmarks at Cheshire since we opened our doors over 220 years ago. The IB curriculum emphasizes the importance of developing an international perspective through (among other topics) the study of history and literature from around the world, analysis of scientific and economic issues with global impact, and intensive study of a second language. The Cheshire curriculum has always emphasized oral and written communication skills. The IB program underscores the importance of these skills, requiring students to learn to write persuasively about mathematical topics, present scientific research and write a fantastic comparative literature analysis. The IB program is rigorous, relevant, and pushes students farther than they’ve ever gone before. Ask any of our IB participants—they’ll tell you that the experience is well worth the effort (#8 just the right challenge)! Visit www.cheshireacademy.org/ib to get all the details about the IB program at Cheshire.
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Small class size The average class size at Cheshire is 12, and many are as small as six or seven. That means there is never a row in the way back of the classroom. And while that may sound a little unnerving, we guarantee you’re going to love it. Because such small classes mean that you and your teachers really get to know each other well. They recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and tailor their teaching to the ways you learn best.
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“The cookies are amazing!” Don’t take our word for it. That’s a direct quote from a junior who’s been enjoying them for three years. Welles Dining Commons serves three meals every weekday (and brunch and dinner on the weekends). And the food is so good you’ll see that teachers and staff— families in tow—rarely miss a meal!
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Just the right challenge It’s remarkable, given the small size of the school, that Cheshire offers such a wide range of academic options. And we encourage you to try as many as you can. Participate in the Roxbury Program (see item #20), college-level seminars, honors and AP courses, standard-level courses or the International Baccalaureate program (#5). There are ELL classes (designed for English Language Learners), the Art Major program (#15) and opportunities to design your own course with an independent study (#31). “The range of levels and types of courses caters to your needs. Instead of taking all advanced classes or all lower level classes, you can mix and match, find out what you’re good at,” says a junior day student from Cheshire.
9 Afternoon Program: From varsity sports to Varsity Players Three seasons, four years—that’s twelve opportunities to do something amazing during the Afternoon Program. This is your chance to try out activities you never imagined yourself doing. Everybody’s welcome to try any sport because we field teams from beginner level to varsity. In the off-season, join the Varsity Players and see what it’s like to act in a play or join the backstage crew. Or try community service. Fencing. Yoga. Dance. Ropes Challenge course. Aerobics. Snowboarding. Twelve seasons aren’t nearly enough!
10 Cheshire (Singing) CATS Otherwise known as Cheshire Academy Through Sounds vocal ensemble. The award-winning Cheshire CATS perform vocal music from pop to jazz, holiday to gospel, and madrigals to student originals. Instrumental groups include jazz/rock band, string ensemble and woodwind ensemble.
Cheshire Varsity Players strut their stuff in a recent production of Chicago.
11 Competitive fencing
12 National Signing Day Every year, the Cheshire athletic community looks forward to the first Wednesday in February to see which of our talented graduating athletes will sign letters of intent to play college football at an NCAA college or university.
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Six-lane, 24-meter indoor swimming pool
14 Cheshire (Fighting)
Cats (or, a list of our competitive athletic teams) • baseball • basketball (boys) • basketball (girls) • cross country (boys) • cross country (girls) • fencing • field hockey • football • golf • lacrosse (boys) • lacrosse (girls) • ski & snowboard • soccer (boys) • soccer (girls) • softball • swimming • tennis (boys) • tennis (girls) • track & field • ultimate frisbee • volleyball (girls) • wrestling • independent study for students who would like to pursue a passion off campus such as gymnastics, figure skating, ice hockey, etc.
15 You can be an art major
If you’re a serious visual artist, you can apply to be an art major. You’ll be assigned your own personal studio for the year and your coursework will be based on typical college entrance portfolio requirements. You will immerse yourself in the creative process, receive one-on-one coaching from our professional artist faculty members, prepare for an on-campus art show in the school gallery and make slides of your work—activities usually reserved for college-level art courses. And when it’s time to prepare your college applications, your portfolio will be ready to go. If you want to attend a great art school after Cheshire, our faculty and advisors know how to help you get there. In recent years, our graduates have been accepted at the Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Pratt Institute, Maryland Institute College of Art, Savannah College of Art and the UCLA School of Architecture.
16 Cutting-edge keyboarding Keyboard lab class, music technology and piano master class all take place in our innovative keyboard lab. It features 10 professional keyboards and workstations, each equipped with software for composition, mixing and sharing. You can learn to do anything from inventing variations on “Chopsticks” to creating and orchestrating your own compositions.
Every six weeks, a new exhibit by a professional artist is installed in our school gallery. At the opening reception, the artist comes to give a talk about the work and techniques used. It’s a great way for art students to learn about what’s going on in the greater art world while getting some new ideas for their own work.
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Professional art exhibits
18 Independence
(if you want it)
There are so many choices, so many ways to test your sense of independence. Not only do you choose your courses, but many courses are offered at a range of levels and—with the help of your advisor—you will decide what suits you best. There are dozens of after-school extracurricular activities and competitive sports. There are clubs and committees and service opportunities. Every day you choose how you’ll use your free periods. Ultimately, it’s up to you to figure out what your priorities are and where you want to put your greatest effort. (And boarders experience the true test of independence—not just living away from home, but actually doing their own laundry!)
19 Support
(when you need it) But being independent is definitely not the same as being on your own. Teachers, advisors, coaches, dorm parents—and even your fellow students—are all paying attention to how you’re doing, and rooting for your success. There is lots of support and extra help built into the program at Cheshire: • Advisor meetings three times each week • Extra help periods built into the daily schedule • Math lab • Writing center • Roxbury Academic Support Program • Peer tutoring Or just ask—any faculty member will be happy to help!
20 Roxbury Academic Support Program Here’s a typical comment from a student in the Roxbury Academic Support Program: “I didn’t think I would ever go to college because I was so overwhelmed. I wasn’t doing well in my classes. But as soon as I came to Cheshire I realized, I’m smart. I can do this. I can go to college. I can have a career.” Students all learn differently. And two of the most important questions every student must answer are, how do I learn best? And, what strategies will allow me to reach my potential and achieve my goals? That’s what our Roxbury participants—one out of every eight Cheshire students—focus on every day. In one-on-one meetings with their Roxbury coaches, students master the techniques they need to address challenges with organization, attention, memory or self-confidence. The outcomes may seem like magic, but they are just the results of brain science–based, proven methods to help students understand and make the most of their particular learning styles. And the best part? Roxbury students feel absolutely no sense of stigma or awkwardness about being in the program.
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Just for girls Sometimes girls just need to get away from the hustle-bustle of coed life and find a comfortable space to talk about the topics on their minds, listen to an inspiring female role model speak about her experiences—or just indulge in some relaxation and joking around. That’s what the Coleman Group, open to all female students, is for. Recent Coleman events included a symposium called “Superwoman: Women in Nontraditional Roles,” a conversation about diversity issues and a hot fudge sundae-fest.
22 One of the largest outdoor challenge courses in New England Low and high ropes elements, rock wall, zip line, flying squirrel and nearly 30 more challenge elements. Swing from the trees!
23 It’s traditional That is, there are a lot of traditions that students always look forward to (and alumni always feel nostalgic about). Some favorites are Convocation (the annual welcome procession down Main Street led by a bagpiper), Thanksgiving Community Dinner (for the entire Cheshire community, along with our neighbors from the Hillside Village senior community), Spring Fling (a celebratory carnival mega-event complete with ice cream, cotton candy and teacher-dunking booths), Spirit Night (pep rally extravaganza) and Arts Day (student- and visitor-produced performances and exhibits pop up all over campus).
SPRING FLING
CONVOCATION
INTERNATIONAL FAIR
FORMAL FRIDAY
PROM
24 The blue and the gray Formal Fridays—blue blazers and gray slacks or skirts required—commemorate the school’s history of accepting students from both sides during the Civil War. They’re also good practice for a future profession in the “real world.”
25 Beautiful campus
ME
NH VT
Boston MA
CT
Hartford
Cheshire Academy New York City
PA NJ
Philadelphia
Great location Our location in Cheshire has—or is near—
RI NY
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New York: 93 mi / 150 km Boston: 128 mi / 206 km Hartford: 26 mi / 42 km New Haven: 16 mi / 26 km Philadelphia: 188 mi / 303 km Washington, DC: 320 mi / 515 km
just about anything you could want. Cheshire is only 20 minutes away from the restaurants, universities, college sports teams and shopping malls of both New Haven and Hartford, and we frequently organize visits. It’s less than an hour from Bradley International Airport and only two hours away from the airports of Boston and New York. Walking distance from campus is the village of Cheshire, with favorite hangouts for coffee and conversation or a frozen yogurt.
MD DE
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Welcoming community
Ask any four students
what they like best about Cheshire, and at least three will talk about the warm, family-like community. As in these three:
“People say it a lot but
“Everybody knows each other. There
“It’s not cliquey;
it’s true. You feel a
are always dogs running around, fam-
everyone comes out
sense of community
ilies with little kids on campus. The
to support everyone’s
and everybody is
headmaster always has his dog with
activities—drama,
friendly and kind.”
him. It’s a family-like community.”
sports or whatever.”
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Cultural connections Easy proximity (less than an
• Yale Repertory Theatre
hour) to these world-class
• Yale University Art Gallery
cultural institutions, theaters
• Yale Center for British Art
and museums:
• Shubert Theater
• Long Wharf Theatre
• TheaterWorks
• New Haven Symphony
• The Bushnell Performing
Orchestra • Peabody Museum of Natural History • UConn Huskies, Yale Bulldogs and Quinnipiac Bobcats New Haven’s Shubert Theater
Arts Center • The Mark Twain House & Museum • Hartford Stage • Wadsworth Atheneum
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Simosa Multipurpose Turf Field and Beautiful 104-Acre Campus Cheshire’s newest athletic field is lined for football, field hockey, girls and boys lacrosse and soccer. It features a 6-lane track with an 8-lane straightaway, is lighted for night games and has a high-tech sound system.
30 Dorm life At least one faculty house head lives in an apartment in each dorm, as well as several faculty dorm parents, with their families and pets. All the adults are deeply involved in dayto-day dorm life—and the students become extensions of their families. After-dinner study hall is strictly observed, but during other times of the evening and on weekends, dorm activities are limited only by the imaginations of students and dorm faculty: games, cookie baking, football watching, discussion groups, holiday parties, paint ball, shopping expeditions, trips to local movie theaters, visits to concerts, theaters or museums in nearby cities‌ if kids will enjoy it, we can make it happen.
31 Independent study Every now and then a student chooses to delve deeply into a discipline beyond Cheshire’s course offerings. Faculty members serve as advisors for independent studies, in which the student designs and customizes his or her own course of study. In recent years, students have created independent studies in advanced digital imaging, game theory, advanced music composition and circuits and electronic—just to name a few.
The Cheshire Academy Library has 23,000+ volumes, 40+ database resources and 5 fabulous librarians who can’t wait to help.
“Independent study projects are remarkably successful at exposing our students to entirely new, dynamic and interesting material that very few high school students ever get the chance to experience.” JULIE ANDERSON, ACADEMIC DEAN
32 Helping Hamlet’s headaches Cheshire students will tell you that one of the best things about the academics here is the way teachers make learning engaging and fun. English teacher Diane Cook’s Studies in Narrative Voice course is a perfect example. As part of studying Hamlet, students were asked to create a dialogue between Hamlet and any character they chose from literature, film, television or even the campus community. This character’s mission: to help Hamlet navigate one of his many thorny problems. Students invented hilarious exchanges involving Hamlet and characters ranging from Yoda (who offered profound counseling on strength and fate) to the Dean of Students (who urged Hamlet to cheer up and get involved in on-campus service activities). The exercise helped students understand and empathize with Hamlet while bringing life and humor to the play. And where else would a student have the opportunity to demonstrate a connection between one of Shakespeare’s great plays and the Nickelodeon series Go, Diego, Go!?
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Rizzolo-Larson Venture Grant Any college or university would be proud to offer its students what Cheshire Academy offers: a chance to earn up to $5,000 to fund an original, creative, beyond-theclassroom, summer project. Past grant recipients have studied migratory patterns of sea turtles in Costa Rica, attended soccer goalie camp, worked with street children in Delhi, India, and participated in acting workshops at the Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University. How would you use $5,000?
34 “The teachers are like a second set of parents to you.” (senior) In a good way! They’re never too tired or too busy to help you when you need help. They understand your strengths and weaknesses better than you do and they believe in your potential. They want you to be successful and happy. They expect a lot from you, but at the same time, you know that they care about you no matter what.
35 The Pillars of Bowden At the turn of the 21st century, a group of faculty and students worked together to articulate and describe our shared values. They came up with eight principles—inspired by the eight pillars that support Bowden Hall, the oldest building on campus—that we believe provide strength and support to the Cheshire community: respect, responsibility, citizenship, caring, civility, morality, fairness and trustworthiness. They are present in all that happens on campus—emblazoned on banners, discussed in classes and dorm meetings and genuinely expected of—and by—students and faculty.
37 Postgraduate year (PG) program Every PG student has a different reason for coming to Cheshire for an extra year of college prep. Some are here to become stronger athletes in order to be better candidates for a college athletic program.
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Others come to improve their grades or take more advanced courses as they work toward admission to a competitive college. Some just want one more year to serve as a stepping stone between high school and college. There is one thing that all our PG alums agree on,
Leadership opportunities
though—the extra year spent developing their skills, abilities and maturity was the ideal preparation for a challenging, successful college experience and future career.
The abundance of student-led initiatives and on-campus organizations offers dozens of leadership opportunities, from the just-for-fun as in Chair of the Candy Club (mission: to introduce students to treats from around the world) to the very serious Citizenship Committee (our council of students and faculty, responsible for hearing disciplinary cases throughout the year). Students here frequently surprise themselves by uncovering leadership abilities they never knew they possessed.
38 Find your future: the college match Joanne Letendre, director of college counseling, wants to help every Cheshire student “find a school where you will be successful but challenged, where you will feel comfortable but also be willing to take a risk so that you can grow and develop.� Like everything else about a Cheshire education, the college counseling program focuses on each student as an individual. Everyone has a different approach, timetable and goal for the college search and our college counseling staff finds the best way to shepherd each student successfully through the process. We offer a comprehensive program to help students (and their parents) find the right match, beginning sophomore year with seminars on the basics, on-campus college fairs, visits from admission teams, application workshops and one-on-one coaching. Because we want all our students to be as happy in college as they were during their high school years at Cheshire! Visit www.cheshireacademy.org/college to see where our students go to college and university.
Every April, we host over 150 representatives from colleges and universities around the country at our college fair. Students learn about a vast array of options and participate in mock interviews with real admissions counselors.
39 Here’s what parents have to say about Cheshire Academy (Isn’t it wonderful when you can agree?) “CA took a girl who was not that interested in school and turned her into a student who thrives in that environment. Ivy League, here she comes!” “The IB program was the main reason I pursued Cheshire. And the main reason my son was interested in Cheshire is because of their fabulous football program. Once we learned about the Roxbury Program, I knew that the tools my son needed to excel would be provided and there was no question in my mind that we had found the place for him.” “Cheshire Academy provides that perfect balance in which the faculty both supports and challenges the students to prepare them to excel not only in college but also in the world.” “I would tell anyone who asked that it was the best use of my money that I could ever imagine.” “The Roxbury Program gave us hope when we were utterly frustrated and didn’t know what we were going to do next. They had seen our situation a hundred times before and knew exactly what to do.” “It’s the best thing to happen to my child academically ever.”
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You will build up your risorius (and your vocabulary)
It’s the technical term for
“laughing muscle” and it will definitely get a workout at Cheshire. As one student says, “Every day you’re going to have a huge laugh at least once.”
CREATIVE: CHENEY & COMPANY; PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN MULDOON, BOB FALCETTI, SANTOS CARDONA, TOM PICH
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Because… We could go on for at least as many reasons as we have students at Cheshire Academy. Come visit and see for yourself. Ask our students.
We know you’ll discover reasons of your own! Find out more or schedule a tour: +1-203-439-7229 cheshireacademy.org admissions@cheshireacademy.org
Cheshire Academy does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, admissions procedures, scholarship or loan programs, and athletic or other school-sponsored programs.
Cheshire Academy was founded in 1794 and still stands in its original location. Bowden Hall, (pictured here and on the front cover) the iconic campus building with eight pillars and a bell tower, was erected in 1796. It is still in use today.
CHESHIRE ACADEMY 10 Main Street Cheshire, CT 06410 +1-203-439-7229 cheshireacademy.org