A Coeducational Independent School for Grades Six through Twelve Providing an Exceptional Preparation for Higher Learning and for Life
P W T a L
Powerful Ways of Teaching and Learning
an ambitious educational vision
At Morristown-Beard School, we know our students are capable of remarkable accomplishments: analytical and conceptual thinking; clear, cogent writing; imaginative problem solving; breathtaking creativity. They are capable, in short, of exactly those powers of mind that life in the decades to come will so urgently demand. To help build these abilities, we employ approaches that combine the time-tested tradition of the liberal arts with the best in research-based innovation. We embrace active and interactive learning. We encourage authentic exploration. We redefine rigor. Instead of accelerating content coverage and adding tests, we strive to develop sophisticated cognitive skills, to spark connections, to analyze and synthesize. We stubbornly maintain that some of the most valuable lessons any student can acquire fall beyond the scope of the multiple-choice exam. When a visitor enters one of our classrooms, the sense of engagement is palpable. Our students are here to learn, true partners with faculty in a shared adventure. In this supportive environment, young people find safety to take the risks that are essential in order to expand their personal horizons and realize their full potential.
1
meaningful connections
26
Personal Learning
Engaging Deeply
A Supple Tool
Classes at Morristown-Beard average just 12 students, and the result is profound: an intimacy in the learning environment and an intensity. Faculty are able to differentiate their teaching, shaping lessons to meet the needs of individual students or small groups. Classes are alive with meaningful exchange in which everyone takes part. Teachers know each and every student in their care.
Each year 600 U.S. colleges administer the National Survey of Student Engagement, and so does MBS, the nation’s first secondary school to do so. The survey measures factors found to correlate with successful learning, from Academic Challenge and Enriching Educational Experiences to Student-Faculty Interaction. Remarkably, in each key area, the data show MBS students experiencing significantly greater engagement than their college counterparts— an impressive validation of our educational approach.
At MBS, many discussions start with the iPad: “Grab your iPads and let’s analyze video from our last dance class.” “Let’s download some models from international climate scientists.” “Let’s hear Martin Luther King in his own words.” In short, “Let’s make the walls of the classroom disappear.” Across campus, technology enriches learning every day in ever-expanding ways, starting with a program that puts this supple, powerful tool into the hands of every student.
3
Learn to Write, Write to Learn At MBS we recognize writing as an invaluable life skill and also an effective way of exploring new ideas and mastering challenging material. When we write—whether about literature, chemistry, history, or music—we reach a deeper understanding of the subject. This is the insight behind Writing Across the Curriculum at MBS and our Writing Center, signature programs inspired by approaches pioneered at the university level.
A Home to Best Practices Among independent schools, MBS was an early leader in developing its Learning Center, and today that center plays a valued role in supporting students of every age and ability level. A staff of full-time Learning Specialists coach students in strategies for success and promote best practices in teaching and learning across campus. From an eighth grader meeting the challenge of algebra to an Advanced Physics student intent on converting her B to an A, the Learning Center helps each student find the next level of success.
remarkable resources
5
Advanced Challenges
Conceptual Understanding
The MBS curriculum offers abundant challenge for the most talented of students. Options include Advanced Placement classes in each major academic area plus Advanced Seminars, another form of college-level course. Small discussion-based classes with just 4-8 students, these seminars cover a fascinating array of topics, which change each year, from Introductory Arabic to Business Ethics and from Social Psychology to Medical Breakthroughs.
Rather than memorizing facts, science classes at MBS focus on understanding key concepts. Rather than skimming vast oceans of content, we dive deeply. In biology, for instance, an extensive unit on cancer leads to the study of DNA, genetics, and cell function, all viewed through the lens of this one highly relevant topic. As they explore, students learn how scientists think and how to interpret the work they produce, essential skills of lasting value.
journeys of discovery
community
The Warmth of MBS
Strengths of Character
Ask students what sets MorristownBeard apart and most will cite the warmth of the people, the feeling of family. This is a community welcoming to newcomers and a wonderful place to form friendships. It is also the perfect setting for academic achievement. We know, instinctively and from research, that people perform best when they feel at ease and know they belong. They explore most broadly and experience most fully when they are among people who care about and support them.
A complete education is about so much more than academic success. At MBS, we seize every teachable moment—and there are thousands each day—to nurture the values of respect, responsibility, integrity, courage, compassion and humility. We look to engender habits of mind we know will serve our students well for life. These include a strong work ethic, a desire to learn, open-mindedness, selfreliance, and creativity.
7
A Grand Home to the Arts
Wide Horizons
To sense the energy surrounding the arts at MBS, simply step inside Founders Hall. Along with music and dance studios, you’ll find our main stage theater, a beautiful 630-seat professional-caliber facility. The building is alive with creative activity: student dancers, actors, and musicians inspired by the setting and by a faculty of passionate professionals. Equally strong facilities, including an extensive digital media lab, support the visual and digital arts.
MBS students encounter a striking breadth of opportunities in the arts, from digital filmmaking and music production to tap, ballet, and jazz dance, to strings ensembles, architectural drawing, and the design of original apps in IOS programming. Well over 50 courses are offered in the Middle and Upper Schools, with many cocurricular activities. Every student will find options to explore here, and dedicated artists have every chance to excel.
the arts
9
A Shared Philosophy At MBS, athletics is an integral part of the life of the school. More than 80 percent of our students play at least one sport, and 80 percent of head coaches also serve as faculty members. As a result, what happens on the playing field every afternoon becomes a natural extension of the learning day. Our athletes honor the same values we embrace in the classroom. Our coaches aspire to the same ideals as our teachers: to help all our young people find the very best in themselves.
The Chance to Play— and Win Counting teams at the varsity, JV, freshman, and Middle School levels, MBS fields some 50 squads in 20 sports. Every student has the chance to play here, whether an accomplished athlete or a novice trying a new sport. Our program is not only inclusive, but also excellent, vying consistently for conference and state titles and sending multiple athletes on to NCAA College level programs each year.
athletics
11
marking milestones
Change and Growth Middle School is a time of transformation, from milestones in cognitive development to new social roles. At MBS, our Middle School teachers have a deep understanding of these years of change and growth. They teach here because they love the unique energy and outlook of Middle School students. At MBS, we believe that grades six through eight—like every year of learning and life—should be a joyous time, combining fascinating challenges, new experiences, hard work, and fun.
the middle school Combining warmth and support with academic challenge, the Middle School meets each student at his or her individual level of development and ability and helps each to flourish.
Intimate Scale
Study Skills
An MBS Middle School education is an experience on a personal scale. Classes average just 12 students, and every faculty member knows every student in the grade level. As a result, teachers guide and monitor the progress of each student individually, and the classroom atmosphere is interactive and engaging.
One of the key goals of the Middle School is to help children build academic skills essential for success in later years. Teachers integrate a focus on effective study skills into their classes. In addition, all sixth graders complete School Success Strategies, a distinctive course developed by the MBS Learning Center that guides each student in understanding how he or she learns best and in developing effective approaches for engaging in the classroom, studying independently, completing assignments, and staying organized.
At the same time, the school presents students with a broad range of opportunity. As part of the larger MBS community, students enjoy a beautiful college-like campus including outstanding specialized facilities for athletics and the arts.
Academic Foundation The Middle School curriculum provides a solid grounding in each core content area: English, mathematics, science, and social studies. In addition, it features a rigorous and excellent writing program that spans the disciplines; language instruction in French, Spanish, and Latin; and a rich exposure to the arts. Every student takes fine and performing arts each year, with choices including dance, chorus, concert band, theater, and media arts. Small class sizes allow teachers to present each student with the level of challenge that will inspire his or her best work. In addition, in some cases, students who progress exceptionally quickly can pursue more advanced courses offered by the Upper School.
Engaging Experiences The Middle School curriculum features many learning experiences that go beyond the traditional, an approach effective in engaging the attention and energies of students at this age. For one assignment, students might make a documentary film rather than drafting a traditional report. They Skype with friends in Honduras or visit Paris on a virtual field trip—or take real trips to Washington, D.C., sustainable farms, or Quebec. In one fascinating project, sixth graders launched an unmanned boat, the Crimson Tide, laden with sensors and instruments, on a transatlantic voyage of discovery, then tracked its progress together.
Athletics The Middle School offers an active interscholastic sports program for boys and girls, with competition in baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and track & field. The focus is on participation, skill building, and fun, and practices are scheduled conveniently into the school day. Some 90 percent of Middle Schoolers take part in at least one sport.
13
the upper school The MBS Upper School brings together talented and dedicated faculty, students who are eager to learn, and a wealth of educational opportunities, both in and beyond the classroom.
An Individualized Education The Upper School successfully supports students with a diversity of interests, goals, and aptitudes. Classes are small, and teachers seize the opportunity to engage directly with each of their students. Again and again, students describe the school community as a family. This sense of intimacy combines with a universe of opportunity: a broad selection of electives, independent projects, clubs, sports, and activities. As a result, each MBS student experiences the school in unique ways. Each develops his or her own transcript of achievements, writing his or her own story of learning and growth.
Challenge and Variety The Upper School curriculum offers courses to challenge every student and satisfy an enormous range of interests. Along with Advanced Placement courses, Advanced Seminars provide the chance for college-level studies, featuring a changing lineup of fascinating topics. In addition, in grades 11 and 12, students choose from single-semester electives that allow exploration into areas of personal interest. These range from Constitutional Law and Medieval Studies to Creative Writing and British Poetry, to Forensic Science and Genes and Society, to name just a few. Independent Studies provide another popular option, bringing together a faculty member and one or two students to pursue a topic of their choosing. Recent titles have included Neuropsychology, Computer Modeling, and Sound and Lighting Design.
14
Our innovative Humanities Program in the freshman, sophomore, and junior years merges the traditional subject areas of English and history to create an engaging experience of both literature and history, encouraging students to find connections among diverse cultures, works of literature, and time periods.
Academic Resources The MBS Learning Center represents an outstanding asset to all the school’s students. A well-resourced center with a long track record of success, the Learning Center offers drop-in assistance to those seeking help with particular assignments and serves students in need of ongoing support on a scheduled basis. The center’s Learning Specialists help students perform to their full potential by improving study skills, developing strategies for success, and growing in self-understanding and independence. They also coordinate with the MBS faculty to monitor students’ progress and partner on professional development activities. The Writing Center supports students and faculty as they pursue a goal central to an MBS education: excellence in writing. Modeled on university writing centers, the MBS center offers workshops and faculty and peer feedback. It also supports the school’s Writing Across the Curriculum program, which integrates substantive writing experiences into science, math, wellness, history, and performing arts courses.
The Arts
Athletics
MBS offers students in the arts the chance to collaborate with faculty members who are themselves accomplished performers and artists, to sample from dozens of elective courses, and to pursue creative work in state-of-the-art spaces equipped with professional technology. The range of opportunities is extraordinary. Students pursue Studio Art through the AP level. They study digital graphic design, photography, or music production. They experiment with special effects and produce original films. They take to the stage in spectacular musicals, explore the world of theater tech, and study instrumental or vocal music and varied forms of dance. They perform with the jazz band, the woodwind choir, or the strings ensemble.
The MBS sports program brings together many strengths: excellent coaching, high levels of student participation, an emphasis on the development of each athlete, and a steadfast commitment to sportsmanship. The program welcomes multisport athletes and encourages new competitors looking to build skills. Crimson teams compete with considerable success against a challenging schedule of rivals. Facilities highlights include three turf fields, two gyms, a competition-surface track, and an indoor swimming pool.
Whatever their choice, student artists not only experience the thrill of creative self-expression, but also develop discipline, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
Cocurricular Opportunities Beyond class, MBS Upper Schoolers take part in many clubs and activities, and their involvement fuels a powerful school spirit. Opportunities include everything from a Student Government Association with a real voice in school life to an honored literary magazine, to the Sustainability Club, the Film Club, and Young Men of Color. Students dedicate thousands of hours to community service, whether launching blood drives on campus or spring break service trips to other states. They also turn out in enthusiastic numbers for Coffee House mini-concerts in Wilke Hall and our Contemporary Music Workshops—two annual blockbuster performance events spotlighting MBS talent. Like so many school activities, these events are organized and run by students, reflecting their energy and ideas.
Boys sports:
Girls sports:
Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Ice Hockey Lacrosse Skiing Soccer Swimming Tennis Track & Field
Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey Golf Ice Hockey Lacrosse Softball Skiing Soccer Swimming Tennis Track & Field Volleyball
15
college counseling The MBS College Counseling staff supports students and their families every step of the way through the college admission process, as expert partners and energetic advocates.
With three full-time counselors to serve graduating classes that typically number close to 100 students, we offer a highly individualized counseling program, with a philosophy that can be summarized in one word: “fit.” Our aim is to help students find schools that match their personal strengths and goals—schools where each will thrive. We offer a robust array of services and resources, from events for ninth and tenth grade families introducing the college process, to visits from more than 100 colleges and universities each year, to essay writing workshops, to Naviance, a powerful software tool. We also host a case studies program in which representatives from a variety of colleges and universities simulate admission committee discussions, revealing their priorities and concerns. The heart of our process, however, is our individual work with each MBS family starting in the student’s junior year and continuing through graduation. Year after year, we see MBS students attend an excellent range of colleges and universities, and we find that many have success in gaining admission to the most selective schools. These results reflect not just effective college counseling, but a great education. MBS students present themselves well and impress colleges because they are genuinely impressive young people, ready for great things in higher education and beyond.
16
Admission
Kelsh Wilson Design www.kelshwilson.com
We are delighted that you are interested in learning more about Morristown-Beard, and we’re eager to help. The best way to start is by planning a visit. We offer group tours, information sessions with the heads of our Middle and Upper Schools, Open House events, and for those interested in applying, individual interviews. For dates and times, check the Admission page of our website or call us at 973-539-3032. We look forward to seeing you!
www.mbs.net
Morristown-Beard School 70 Whippany Road
Morristown, NJ 07960