Looking Forward

After persevering through a tumultuous year— for everyone, worldwide—Cheshire Academy welcomed a new academic year brimming with positive change and possibility.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES.

In 2020, it felt like time stood still as we collectively watched and waited to see what impact the growing pandemic would have. At Cheshire Academy, we pondered the “what-ifs”: Would all classes need to go fully remote? Could our sports teams still play? What would happen to our special sense of community? Yet, we forged ahead, confident of better days to come.

Thanks to the resilience and diligence of students, faculty, and staff, we were able to maintain in-person classes, and our athletic teams played all year. We emerged from the fog of uncertainty not only with our community intact but also with a renewed sense of energy and vigor.

As we started the 2021-2022 school year, last year’s worries were mostly in the past. Our students came back to campus, in-person, to everything that makes the Cheshire Academy experience so unique and compelling. In Admission, we had one of the strongest years ever, with a 40% increase in applications from domestic boarding and day students, and healthy enrollment with students from across the country and around the world all making CA their “home-away-from-home.” Our strategic planning efforts have set exciting new initiatives in motion across campus from the classroom to campus life and from finances to facilities. Here, we update you on all the positive developments.

Future-Focused Learning

Students returned to Cheshire Academy in the fall to find more than a few changes in the academic program. They began with a new schedule adjusted for later start times throughout the week, which the American Academy of Pediatrics, the AMA, and the CDC all recommend as optimal for adolescents and their specific sleep patterns. Classes are also meeting less often (three times a week), in longer blocks, to allow for more active learning and to better prepare students for the pace of college. Passing time between classes has been increased to accommodate afterclass questions and create greater opportunities for students to connect with faculty.

“This schedule is about supporting students now while also preparing them for success in college,” says Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Rachel Wright. “It’s a less frenetic pace for students that also gives them increased independence and experience managing their classes, cocurricular activities, and study time. Our emphasis on helping students define their individual paths to college has been fortified. This sets us apart and truly makes a difference in students’ lives.”

In the classroom, students found a redesigned academic experience with new grade-level themes and focus—exploration and reflection in 9th and 10th grade, and purpose and passion in 11th and 12th. There are new full-year elective courses for the upper grades and new integrated core classes for the lower grades. Students can also choose from several interdisciplinary seminars and have increasing say in designing their individual curriculum and methods of assessment.

We will continue to lead as one of a small group of schools in New England to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme®— IB for short—a compelling reinvigorated alternative to the AP that is highly regarded by colleges and universities throughout the world. The IB is known for its rigor and explicit emphasis on creativity, synthesis, critical thinking, and deep understanding.

In addition, Cheshire Academy’s signature Roxbury Academic Support Program has been refined through an enhanced educational coaching model. The program assists students, of all levels, in meeting the rigors of a college preparatory program by focusing on five core components:

• Executive function skill building

• Learning strategy instruction

• One-on-one student-instructor sessions

• Goal setting, assessment, and progress monitoring

• Ongoing two-way communication among all stakeholders

“This refined, comprehensive approach is designed to empower students to discover, master, and utilize tools and strategies that allow them to capitalize on their strengths, support areas of challenge, and become more productive learners,” notes CA alumna and Roxbury Director Elisa Laudati ’05, MS, SYC.

Expanding Experiences and Support

Similar thoughtful adjustments have been made in the cocurricular realm, starting with a new approach to community service. “Our plan is to tie service to existing groups, such as residence halls, sports teams, and student clubs and activities,” says Head of School Julie Anderson. “A sports team, for example, may decide to host a skills clinic for younger children, while students involved in the school play or musical could opt to run a theater workshop. It’s a way of creating more authentic service experiences while also strengthening our on-campus community.”

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have also been strengthened to promote a greater sense of belonging and foster safe spaces where students can learn more about themselves, each other, and the world. Plans call for expanding DEI affinity groups and providing more ways for students to engage in honoring and celebrating different cultures and backgrounds throughout the year. In addition, students and alumni will have the opportunity to pair up through the recently formed Alumni of Color Mentoring Network.

To capture the prowess, focus, and competitive edge displayed by the CA Cats, the school introduced a new visual athletics and activities sub-brand: the Cat’s Eye. More than merely a logo, this extension of the CA brand expresses the attitude, caliber, and character within Cheshire Academy students, whether on the playing field or stage, or in the studio and the community.

In athletics, there is also a renewed commitment to signature sports (football, basketball, and lacrosse) and to the experience of female athletes. The department has added a senior woman administrator (SWA) to its staff to ensure the female voice is represented when making decisions about sport and play, a practice common in collegiate settings. This comes in a year when the school welcomed new female coaches for soccer, lacrosse, and volleyball, all of whom have played or coached at NCAA Division I institutions.

A Priceless Education, Priced Less

Building on all this positive momentum in academics and community life, Cheshire Academy has taken the bold step of rethinking tuition by introducing an updated, realigned tuition structure.

“We conducted an extensive study of tuition as part of our strategic planning process,” explains Anderson. “From 2009 to 2019, while average incomes in the U.S. rose approximately 15% and the Consumer Price Index rose by 20%, day and boarding tuitions at private schools rose, on average, more than 40%. In essence, during a decade when everything became moderately more expensive, the sticker price for a private school education increased dramatically. This can’t continue.

“Historically, independent schools are slow to change—particularly in Connecticut, which has the highest tuitions in the nation—but we felt that now is the time to be proactive. We understand that many families are looking for better options for their high-school-aged students. Our hope is that our tuition reset will encourage more families to choose Cheshire Academy.”

Starting with the 2022-2023 academic year, day tuition will be reduced significantly—by nearly a third—from $42,320 to $29,850, an amount better aligned with the income levels of families within the region. Instead of the typical annual increase of 3 to 4%, seven-day boarding tuition will be reduced by 10%, from $63,600 to $57,250. Five-day boarding tuition is slightly discounted from the seven-day tuition to $55,250.

The international boarding student fee will be adjusted to $10,000, reflecting the ongoing expanded support international students receive to successfully acclimate to the country and the school. With the changes in tuition and fees, we are providing a more robust, comprehensive program of support and services to all international students. These benefits will enhance the experience as we renew our appreciation for and commitment to worldwide cultures and traditions:

• Supervised room and board for ALL school vacations except winter break (Dec.-Jan.)

• Airport transportation, including early arrival and late departure when needed

• Weekend activities and special events, local day and overnight trips

• ELL, SAT, and TOEFL support services

• Regular updates and meetings with the Head of School

• Assistance with and management of the visa process

• Personalized university and college counseling for each student and family

The tuition reset is a major adjustment designed to encourage more families to consider the kind of personalized, life-changing education that Cheshire Academy provides. “With this plan, we are aligning value with pricing while better meeting the needs of students and families,” Anderson continues.

“All CA families will pay less next year than they are paying right now. The tuition reset won’t affect financial aid. Families will still be able to apply for and receive tuition assistance based on their demonstrated need and the calculation provided to us by School and Student Services. As an added benefit, the new tuition structure will allow our financial aid budget to go further, bringing a greater number of students into the CA family.”

The cost of operation still remains higher than the tuition families pay. However, through sound fiscal management, a growing endowment, and decades of generosity of alumni, parents, parents of alumni, foundations, and friends, CA can meet the gap and offer scholarships and financial aid to qualified applicants.

Over the past four years, the school has raised more than $10 million toward scholarships, financial aid, academic programs, capital projects, endowment, and unrestricted support, helping to ensure accessibility and continued innovation. Most recently, CA has also received commitments of more than $5 million toward the critical maintenance and stewardship of new and upgraded campus facilities.

Focus on Facilities

Cheshire Academy’s 104-acre campus is in line for some updates through a two-phase renovation process. Students and families have already seen phase one started: a $4.1 million undertaking to add and upgrade athletic playing surfaces, which began this fall. Scheduled for completion in 2022, the effort replaces the artificial turf and track surfaces of the Simosa Field and Track, which had reached the end of their lifespan.

A second, completely new all-purpose turf field is also being built to provide more space, increase equity for boys’ and girls’ teams, and give multiple teams the ability to play simultaneously. The new turf will primarily support the football, lacrosse, softball, and soccer programs. In addition, three new tennis courts are being built adjacent to the six existing courts at the Markin Tennis Center, which will allow varsity and JV teams to hold concurrent matches.

“These projects continue the strong track record of athletic excellence at Cheshire,” notes Director of Athletics Jim McCarthy. “The numbers speak for themselves: 70% of the student body participates in the athletic program, and 43% of Cheshire Academy’s Class of 2021 has gone on to play a sport in college, compared to the national average of 7%.” Planning has already begun on phase two of the renovation initiative: a new field house and theater complex in place of the existing Arthur Sheriff Field House. This innovative complex will broadly meet the needs of the school community through new and renovated spaces for athletics, the arts, and community-shared activities and programs. While design concepts are in the formative stages, we continue to consider and map out the campus master plan for all facilities.

Groundbreaking on the estimated $25 million project is expected to take place in spring 2022. Once completed, it will offer 21st-century improvements and additions that serve all students and give the entire school community a place to gather.

What’s Old is New

Since 1794, Cheshire Academy has been innovating, adapting, and thriving as it meets the evolving needs of students and families. For more than 227 years, we have responded to world events, cultural shifts, and market fluctuations. We have enhanced teaching and learning to incorporate the best practices of the day while delivering programs, curriculum, and services to our students. This is thanks to attentive, adaptable faculty and staff who are always available to students and prepare them for meaningful lives filled with opportunity. Students graduate from CA over-prepared for college, where they go on to excel and lead.

“Our goal with all these changes is two-fold,” Anderson concludes. “First, we will innovate our curriculum and student experience around the skills, capacities, and mindsets that will enable our graduates to flourish in college and as global citizens in the 21st century. We also will maintain the singularly supportive heart of a Cheshire Academy education that allows each student to explore, achieve, and grow beyond where they imagined possible, each on their own individual path. As a school, we see what parents see in their children, and we are always looking forward just as we encourage students to look forward. Once again, in our third century, we are historically ahead of our time.”