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SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY
INNOVATIVE LEADERS | BREAKTHROUGH THINKERS | IMAGINATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS
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Welcome to SCH Academy.............................................................. 1 Our Mission and Our Commitment................................................. 2 We Believe: The Foundation of an SCH Education.......................... 4 Our Distinctive Programs............................................................ 16 The Lower Schools...................................................................... 18 The Middle Schools...................................................................... 20 The Upper School........................................................................ 22 Athletics...................................................................................... 24 The Arts and New Media.............................................................. 26
WELCOME TO
SCH ACADEMY SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY’S PROGRAM IS INFORMED BY WHAT TODAY’S STUDENTS NEED TO THRIVE IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND AND IS SUPPORTED BY NEARLY 300 COMBINED YEARS OF ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP IN BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ EDUCATION.
Through a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum grounded in project- and passion-based learning, SCH students build resilience and a sense of agency while gaining an unparalleled intellectual foundation for lifelong learning and growth. Students who attend SCH experience a robust, state-of-the-art academic program intently focused on preparing them for their future. Those willing to be challenged, work hard, cultivate an independent mind, and exercise their creativity and curiosity will find the SCH curriculum engaging and rewarding. At the same time, they will discover a nurturing and stimulating learning environment led by a dedicated, passionate, and highly educated faculty. At SCH, the community created by students and faculty is authentic and strong. It is a community in which each student’s unique gifts and capabilities are respected and valued and given just the right combination of challenge and support to ensure that each student thrives.
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OUR MISSION
At Springside Chestnut Hill Academy we educate students to be innovative leaders, breakthrough thinkers, and imaginative problem solvers. We challenge students to learn in powerful new ways, engage in active inquiry, hone skills of creative and analytic thinking, and celebrate the joy of discovery. Through a rigorous college-preparatory program grounded in project- and passionbased learning, we prepare our students for their future as active learners and responsible global citizens. Blending the best of single-sex education and coeducation, we empower and prepare our young men and women to meet challenges with courage, integrity, and respect. OUR COMMITMENT
We believe that excellence in education thrives within a diverse and open community. By diverse, we are not talking exclusively about race or ethnicity, but about the full range of human experience and difference and how we encourage its expression within our community. We are all different, but in most ways we are the same. This is the first and most important lesson we learn from embracing diversity. Acknowledging and respecting the experiences and perspectives of others is also the first step toward building an authentic, vibrant community and to enlarging ourselves. At SCH Academy, our students, faculty, and staff members feel free to be who they are and contribute to our shared school experience. In turn, each of us grows from listening to and knowing each other.
SCH does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin its employment practices or in the administration of its educational policies, admissions procedures, scholarship program, athletic and other school programs, retaining the right to make admissions and retention decisions on the basis of the school’s ability to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities.
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IT IS NO LONGER ENOUGH FOR STUDENTS TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THE TRADITIONAL LIBERAL ARTS SUBJECTS OFFERED IN THE STANDARD COLLEGE-PREPARATORY CURRICULUM OR TO BE WELL VERSED IN THE ANALYTICAL AND CRITICAL-THINKING SKILLS THAT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS HAVE HISTORICALLY TAUGHT.
Today’s students need an academic experience that continues to be rigorous and comprehensive but is fully oriented to the broad-ranging expectations that define today’s world. At SCH, our students acquire a strong academic foundation and excellent studentship skills within a culture of creativity and innovation that encourages them to ask questions, explore, test conceptual boundaries, and devise their own solutions. They’re taught to think boldly and to persevere, even if first efforts fail, in this way building the intellectual stamina and emotional grit that is so important to success at school and in life. By the time they complete their academic journey, our students have acquired a superior college preparation and have gained confidence and expertise in areas to which most students are not exposed until college or beyond, giving them a significant advantage in the competitive world that awaits them.
A CLOSER LOOK AT SCH, STUDENTS STUDY SHAKESPEARE, GEOMETRY, AND ANCIENT HISTORY, IN ADDITION TO LEARNING 21ST CENTURY SKILLS SUCH AS PROGRAMMING, ENGINEERING, INTERVIEWING, ORAL PRESENTATION, AND LEADERSHIP.
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WE BELIEVE... PREPARING TOMORROW’S LEADERS DEMANDS AN EDUCATION BEYOND THE EXPECTED
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AT SCH, TEACHERS ARE PRIMED TO LOOK FOR DOOR-OPENING MOMENTS—THOSE TIMES WHEN A STUDENT’S INTEREST OR CURIOSITY IN A TOPIC PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING AND DISCOVERY.
Letting a student’s interest guide the acquisition of knowledge—what we call passion-based or personalized learning—is not a new concept in education. It was advocated by John Dewey, one of the early fathers of educational reform, who observed that “interests are the signs and symptoms of growing power” and “dawning capacities.” Our faculty understand the enormous potential of these moments and are always on the lookout for ways to build on a budding interest. At SCH, students enjoy regular opportunities to explore a curriculum topic through the lens of their interest. A group of Middle School boys organized a semester-long independent architecture study prompted by their interest in learning more about the ancient buildings they had learned about in Prima Lingua class. One Upper School student created a video about ice skating jumps to demonstrate the physics laws of work, power, and energy. Supporting students in their passions and allowing them the freedom to explore a curricular topic using the pathway of a personal interest can be an empowering and gratifying experience—one that can continue to open doors for a lifetime.
Dr. F-J fostered an amazing place for my growth in the [film] field. The equipment I had access to is the same as what you will find in film schools and professional workplaces. She provided me with the ability to speak the language of film, allowing me to communicate with experts everywhere. ~ Graduate Steven S., now attending film school at New York University.
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WE BELIEVE... A PASSION-BASED APPROACH OPENS THE DOOR TO LEARNING
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STORY CORNER: REAL-WORLD PROBLEM SOLVING
RAIN RAIN GO AWAY As part of their half-year unit on water, 3rd grade girls learned about the impacts of stormwater runoff and the many creative ways they can reduce it. After doing research online, they visited various places around campus to study the different stormwater control systems used by the school. They also studied interactive models, such as rain barrels and rain gardens, and public art solutions, such as the zigzag downspout sculpture created by a local artist on the side of the Cherokee Campus building. After learning about the many options available, the girls designed and built their own stormwater management systems. Working in teams, they first wrote about their concept and its special features; next they drew a schematic; then they built prototypes in the Physics Lab using recycled and natural materials such as soil, gravel, plastic containers, foam, and cardboard tubing. “It was frustrating at times,” admits nine-yearold Madison, “but when it was accomplished, it was exciting.” At the end of the project the girls presented their prototypes to an audience of classmates, faculty, administrators, and a civil engineer doing work for the school. “I want students to hone their problem-solving skills through project-based learning,” explains Lower School for Girls science teacher Marianne Maloy. “I think it’s powerful learning for them to take a realworld problem, apply their skills to it, and present their solution to an authentic audience. It gives so much more meaning to their work.”
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WHEN STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO FOLLOW THEIR CURIOSITY AND ENCOURAGED TO FIND THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS, THEY ARE MORE ENGAGED IN THE EXPERIENCE, AND THE LEARNING IS LIKELY TO BE MORE MEANINGFUL AND LASTING.
At SCH, our students are active participants in their educational journey. Our student-centered approach is complemented by the incorporation of design thinking and project-based learning in their learning experience. Design thinking is a creative problem-solving process that incorporates brainstorming and a focus on the end user or audience for whom you are seeking a solution. Project-based learning is a hands-on small-group activity that asks students to apply what they’ve learned to solving an open-ended problem or challenge related to what they’ve been studying. Whether it’s Kindergartners designing and building a chair that meets their teacher’s criteria for the “ideal chair” or a 6th grade math class organizing a Probability Carnival featuring games they’ve created based on probability theory, student-centered learning at SCH nurtures independence, generates a deeper engagement with the subject matter, and helps students see the real-world relevance of their curricular subject matter.
The teacher is not delivering content but helping students find it for themselves; we become facilitators in the discovery process. ~ Sarah McDowell, Chair, History Department
WE BELIEVE... STUDENTS SHOULD LEARN IN POWERFUL NEW WAYS
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HELPING STUDENTS DEVELOP A STRONG ETHICAL CORE BEGINS IN THE EARLIEST GRADES AT SCH THROUGH PROGRAMS SUCH AS RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM THAT TEACH SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR WORKING EFFECTIVELY TOGETHER AND RESOLVING PROBLEMS.
We help our students develop the courage to do what’s right and to meet challenges from a position of self-knowledge, confidence, and strength. These important skills are nurtured in every aspect of school life, from the playground and athletics to advisories and the classroom. Service activities in all divisions encourage students to think of themselves within the context of a larger community and to care about the needs of others. The school enjoys long-term associations with a number of local nonprofit organizations, from the Schuylkill Valley Nature Center and Germantown Crisis Center to United Cerebral Palsy, which our students regularly support through their service work. In Upper School, students have an opportunity to expand their service efforts abroad, traveling to countries as diverse as Ecuador, Ethiopia, Cambodia, and New Zealand to work with communities and on special projects. The school’s Multicultural and Diversity Festival and Upper School Day of Understanding provide opportunities to celebrate the diversity of backgrounds and experiences that make up our school community and the importance of supporting and respecting these differences.
LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/GRIT to view a video on how SCH builds resiliency.
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WE BELIEVE... CHALLENGES SHOULD BE MET WITH COURAGE, INTEGRITY, AND RESPECT
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STORY CORNER: MINDSET FOR SUCCESS
TURNING A DREAM INTO REALITY Fifteen-year-old Rekha D., a committed environmentalist, had an idea to host a climate change conference to empower young women like her to make a difference. Over a period of a year and half, Rekha worked with social entrepreneur, SCH parent, and CEL VI mentor Anne S. Under Anne’s guidance, Rekha researched the level of interest in her idea among her targeted audience, developed and executed a marketing plan to reach that audience, and organized the details of the actual conference, including inviting the speakers and workshop leaders. In April 2015, more than 75 girls from public and private schools around the region attended the first-ever Girls Climate Change Summit where they heard presentations on climate change issues, learned how their actions affect the environment, and discussed what they could do to foster change in their communities. For her efforts, Rekha received the Henry H. Meigs Leadership Award from the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education and a $500 award from the GRinCH program (Green in Chestnut Hill), which supports sustainable practices. In an interview with the Chestnut Hill Local during the conference, Rekha said, “I never thought it would be so much work, but it’s been an incredible learning experience. ... I think it’s important that we realize we have the power to change what’s happening, and that youth are the people to do that.”
AT SCH, WE HELP STUDENTS BUILD THE SKILLS AND HABITS OF MIND THAT WILL ENABLE THEM TO UNLEASH THEIR CREATIVITY, OVERCOME CHALLENGES, TAKE INTELLECTUAL RISKS, PERSEVERE IN THE FACE OF OBSTACLES, AND BE OPTIMISTIC. WE CALL THIS THE “ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET.”
Students also learn about the importance of grit and resilience in and out of the classroom. Through assignments and projects, on the athletic fields, and in advisory discussions, the benefits of these life-affirming attitudes are explained and their development encouraged. The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership’s Venture Incubator (CEL VI) offers students from 4th to 12th grade the opportunity to exercise this mindset working on a real-world project of their choosing, whether it’s a social enterprise or a commercial product. A semester-long elective course, the CEL VI experience exposes students to the rigor and discipline of venture initiation as they work one-on-one with community leaders and faculty mentors through the steps that will help them bring their idea from concept to reality. I learned that it’s important not to give up and to understand that it might not be easy but you have to keep on trying. It pushes you to work hard. It was a challenge but I really liked that challenge. ~ 4th grader Aanika B., reflecting on her CEL VI experience
A CLOSER LOOK Since its inception, 100s of students have participated in the Venture Incubator, developing ideas ranging from a sanitizer pencil sharpener and a classroom noise monitor to a school-based fitness and nutritional program for students in underserved communities. LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/CELVI to view students’ reflections on their Venture Incubator experience.
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WE BELIEVE... IN CULTIVATING A MINDSET FOR SUCCESS
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My husband and I chose this school because it was clear to us that each student counted, whether or not they are an “A” student, a great athlete, an artist, or a musician. the school is dedicated to providing opportunities for all of its students and to giving talented individuals the ability to harvest those talents. ~ Claudia and Jay S. P’16
There are a lot of great choices for schooling in our region. We did a lot of research and decided that SCH was the best choice ... cutting-edge learning programs; competitive athletic teams with first-class facilities; caring, nurturing faculty and staff; a diverse student population. SCH Academy has exceeded our expectations and enriched our lives. ~ Steve and Jennifer D. P’16, P’16, P’19
After-school trail walk through the Wissahickon.
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SCH ACADEMY’S DISTINCTIVE PROGRAMS OFFER EXPERIENCES THAT
ENRICH OUR STUDENTS’ LIVES
AND OPEN EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR FUTURE.
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ANALYSIS • PROJECT PLANNING • PRESENTATION SKILLS • EMPATHY • RESEARCH • COMMUNICATION • STEWARDSHIP * PROGRAMMING • DESIGN • CREATIVITY • PROBLEM SOLVING • PROTOTYPING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • AGENCY • CONFIDENCE • INDEPENDENCE • OUTDOOR SKILLS •TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE •ENGINEERING •DESIGN THINKING • SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP * ANALYSIS • PROJECT PLANNING • PRESENTATION SKILLS • EMPATHY • RESEARCH • COMMUNICATION • STEWARDSHIP * PROGRAMMING • DESIGN • CREATIVITY • PROBLEM SOLVING • PROTOTYPING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • AGENCY • CONFIDENCE • INDEPENDENCE • OUTDOOR SKILLS •TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE •ENGINEERING •DESIGN THINKING • SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • ANALYSIS • PROJECT PLANNING • PRESENTATION SKILLS • EMPATHY • RESEARCH • COMMUNICATION • STEWARDSHIP * PROGRAMMING • DESIGN • CREATIVITY • PROBLEM SOLVING • PROTOTYPING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • AGENCY • ANALYSIS • PROJECT PLANNING • PRESENTATION SKILLS • EMPATHY • RESEARCH • COMMUNICATION • STEWARDSHIP * PROGRAMMING • DESIGN • CREATIVITY • PROBLEM SOLVING • PROTOTYPING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • AGENCY • CONFIDENCE • INDEPENDENCE • OUTDOOR SKILLS •TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE •ENGINEERING •DESIGN THINKING • SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • CONFIDENCE • INDEPENDENCE • OUTDOOR SKILLS •TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE •ENGINEERING •DESIGN THINKING • SELFDIRECTED LEARNING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • ANALYSIS • PROJECT PLANNING • PRESENTATION SKILLS • EMPATHY • RESEARCH • COMMUNICATION • STEWARDSHIP * PROGRAMMING • DESIGN • CREATIVITY • PROBLEM SOLVING • PROTOTYPING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • AGENCY • CONFIDENCE • INDEPENDENCE • OUTDOOR SKILLS •TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE •ENGINEERING •DESIGN THINKING • SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • AGENCY • CONFIDENCE • INDEPENDENCE • OUTDOOR SKILLS •TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE •ENGINEERING •DESIGN THINKING • SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP * ANALYSIS • PROJECT PLANNING • PRESENTATION SKILLS • EMPATHY • RESEARCH • COMMUNICATION • STEWARDSHIP * PROGRAMMING • DESIGN • CREATIVITY • PROBLEM SOLVING • PROTOTYPING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • AGENCY • CONFIDENCE • INDEPENDENCE • OUTDOOR SKILLS •TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE •ENGINEERING •DESIGN THINKING • SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP • ANALYSIS •
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SANDS CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP
GLOBAL TRAVEL PROGRAM
At SCH, we believe that the skills and habits of mind of entrepreneurial thinkers and doers are important and essential to a student’s professional and personal growth. This “entrepreneurial mindset” is at the core of our CEL program, but is also woven throughout the student experience at SCH. It is an approach to education that will help our students see new possibilities in their work and who they are, and embrace the belief that they can make a lasting impact in the world around them.
The Global Travel Program embodies our school’s commitment to fostering global citizenship in our students and to developing young people who are capable of interacting compassionately, ethically, and successfully with diverse peoples and cultures around the world. Through the program, students learn to think critically about their roles as global citizens in an increasingly interconnected world and gain a deeper understanding of new people, places, and cultures. Trips are focused in three areas: language and cultural immersion and exchanges, meaningful service-learning experiences, and field research and experiential study. Trips are aimed at building international partnerships, enriching and extending students’ curricular studies and awareness of global issues, and providing experiences, such as field research, not available to students on campus.
The CEL program enhances the school’s core curriculum by offering classes in new areas of study that help build our students’ skill sets and mindsets, preparing them for higher education and the world beyond it. The CEL classes are offered to students in 5th through 12th grade in five categories: Coding, Design, Research and Communication, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship.
LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/CEL to view a video about the CEL curriculum. A CLOSER LOOK One of CEL’s most popular offerings is the Venture Incubator, a combination of resources, project support, and direct one-to-one mentoring of students pursuing passion-based learning.
LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/GLOBAL to view a video about our Global Travel Program. A CLOSER LOOK SCH is a member of the Global Education Benchmark Group, a consortium of independent schools at the cutting edge of global travel programs. SCH’s program is recognized for its thoughtful and intentional design and its integration with the curriculum.
ENGINEERING AND ROBOTICS
From their earliest years at SCH Academy, students learn to become creative designers and problem solvers through a school-wide engineering and robotics curriculum that is one of the few of its kind in the country. Through a combination of project-based instruction shaped by the Stanford University design thinking process and competitive challenges through the international FIRST robotics program, students are asked to imagine creative solutions to problems and opportunities, design their solutions through the use of high-speed prototyping, and build their solution in one of our well-equipped labs. Whether constructing a LEGO castle in 2nd grade, designing and manufacturing a marketable consumer product in Middle School, or programming milling machines to make parts for human-sized robots in Upper School, SCH students are learning important skills for the 21st century while having a lot of challenging fun.
LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/BOTS to view a video of Upper School robotics’ build season. A CLOSER LOOK SCH offers 14 robotics teams: 8 Lower School teams, 4 Middle School teams, and 2 Upper School teams. SCH graduates have gone on to the top engineering programs in the country, including Brown, Caltech, Carnegie-Mellon, Columbia, MIT, Penn, Rensselaer, Rose-Hulman, Worcester Polytechnic, and the service academies.
NEW MEDIA
OUTDOOR PROGRAM
The new media program, part of the Arts and New Media Department, was created with the belief that all students need new media skills to be literate in our digital world— able to communicate, present, author/make, and behave as responsible digital citizens. We build these skills through creative projects driven by each student’s interests and passions and through classroom experiences designed to help students become digital creators.
Providing opportunities to experience our natural surroundings firsthand helps students build confidence and independence, offers new perspectives on classroom studies, and develops a greater appreciation and respect for nature. Through this exposure, our students become more comfortable and confident in new and unfamiliar surroundings.
Students interested in furthering their new media skills can avail themselves of the latest technologies in video production, music production, creative coding, design and fabrication, 3D design, interactive design, architecture, photography, and animation. SCH Academy was the first independent school in the area to offer video production as an Upper School elective in 2007 and the first to offer classes in design and fabrication beginning in 2014. SCH new media graduates have been accepted into major film, new media, music composition, and broadcasting schools and regularly win awards at area filmmaking competitions. LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/NEWMEDIA to view a student-created video. A CLOSER LOOK Since 2010 SCH students have won six awards from the WHYY Youth Media Awards Film Festival and the Greenfield Youth Film Festival, including first place in the Narrative and Animation categories.
At the edge of the SCH campus is one of the nation’s 600 natural landmarks—Wissahickon Valley Park. All SCH students make regular trips down to its creek, along its trails, and through its woods as they develop their sense of environmental stewardship, learn about sustainability, enjoy its natural beauty, and study the challenges facing this native habitat. Being so close to one of Philadelphia’s treasured natural areas and being able to take advantage of the lessons and resources it offers has become an important and valued component of our academic program. LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/OB to view a video about the 9th grade Outward Bound adventure. A CLOSER LOOK As our students grow older, they travel farther afield. In Middle School, students practice navigation and galley cooking as they sail the Chesapeake Bay and hone their outdoor camping skills on multiday excursions to the Eastern Shore and Poconos. In Upper School, they participate in a freshman bonding experience designed by Outward Bound.
GREEN FOOTPRINT
SCH is proud of its significant and enduring commitment to environmental sustainability. Our green footprints— over more than two decades old—are purposeful and intentional. lnitiatives extend from the classroom to our school roofs and from our cafeterias to the Wissahickon Watershed. Through active engagement, SCH students become passionate environmental stewards and thoughtful agents for change. By being active stewards of our gardens, campus, and the adjacent Wissahickon, our students learn hands on about the environment and how to care for it. Our green initiatives include a half acre of solar arrays on our Cherokee Campus roof, a gold LEED-certified science and technology building, 2-Star Green Restaurant certification, extensive water management systems beneath our athletic fields, student-led waste initiatives, and designation as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School.
LEARN MORE Go to sch.org/GREEN to read more about our sustainability efforts. A CLOSER LOOK SCH is the first school in Pennsylvania to be a Certified Green Restaurant through the Green Restaurant Association. Starting in the fall of 2015, SCH cafeterias will no longer carry disposable plates, cups, or silverware and instead will use reusable products for meal service.
THE LOWER SCHOOLS The Lower School divisions, comprising a Lower School for Boys and Lower School for Girls, give each child the opportunity to learn in an environment free from gender stereotypes. On both campuses, the faculty cultivate nurturing communities to support students’ emotional and intellectual growth. Our program combines a rigorous academic preparation and comprehensive social-emotional education with a supportive and engaging environment to introduce students to the world of learning.
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Through meaningful, authentic experiences and a challenging academic program, Lower School students develop the leadership, communication, and cultural competency skills that will support them in their continued studies and pursuit of their dreams. By the time they graduate from Lower School, SCH students have developed into confident and eager learners equipped with the fundamental skills they will need for the more sophisticated academic challenges of Middle School.
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A Comprehensive Outdoor Program An exciting variety of trips and outdoor adventures offers Lower School students an opportunity to develop outdoor skills, build confidence and independence, and gain a greater appreciation of the intrinsic value of nature. Trips are focused in four areas: Developing Outdoor Skills, Exploring the Wissahickon Valley Watershed, Broadening Horizons: Curriculum-Based Destination Trips, and Parent/Child Bonding: Building New Skills. Together.
Using Technology to Enhance Learning and Communication Lower School students are introduced to a wide range of technologies, including iPads and laptops in the classroom, as well as a diversity of design and presentation software. Using these technologies, students become adept researchers, content creators, and presenters.
Project-Based Learning Project-based CEL learning experiences are integrated throughout the Lower School curriculum, helping to forge core 21st century skills such as effective communication, project management, critical thinking, problem solving, research, and data analysis. Projects present openended challenges, requiring students to use their creativity and collective knowledge in devising a solution.
Social-Emotional Learning Through research-based programs such as Responsive Classrooms and Second Steps, Lower School students build their social competencies, practicing cooperation, collaboration, assertion, and empathy. They learn the importance of character, citizenship, compassion, and other central values.
We are confident that our kids are in capable hands. The teachers appreciate that trust because it frees them up to do what they do best and what they love most—focus on the children. ~ Bethany M., P’20, P’22, P’25, P’26
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THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS In SCH Academy’s Middle School for Boys and Middle School for Girls, students learn to become independent, responsible learners and to hone their studentship skills. They manage their own schedules as they move from class to class and find ample opportunities to exercise their emerging interests through participation in student council, service, and activities. In this transformational period of students’ development as learners, we emphasize the process as well as the content of learning, recognizing that the skills students develop through their search for knowledge are as important as the knowledge attained.
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While Middle School is a time to solidify foundations through core studies, this is also a time for students to explore new horizons and discover budding passions. Under the skilled guidance of our Middle School faculty, students develop the confidence to branch out socially and intellectually, manage an increasingly challenging curriculum, take healthy risks, and exercise empathy and respect for others. By the time they graduate from Middle School, our students are prepared for the academic rigor of what lies beyond and ready to express the unique potential that lies within them.
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Community and Bonding through Class Trips Learning from and experiencing the outdoors is an important part of the Middle School experience. Class trips punctuate the Middle School years, helping to build class unity and providing experiences they might not otherwise have. Many students cite their outdoor and trip program experiences as among the most memorable of their Middle School years.
Exploring Outside the Classroom Opportunities abound for Middle School students to try new pursuits—on the playing field, on the stage, and in a broad range of learning environments. In this way, students develop the confidence to act and are empowered to use their intrinsic talents as artists, authors, musicians, scholars, scientists, “techies� community activists, and more.
Honing Skills and Entrepreneurial Thinking Middle School students enjoy classes through the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. These classes focus on specific 21st century skills and topics identified as important for college and employment, including collaboration and teamwork, interviewing and oral presentation, prototyping, coding, economics and finance, and research, data, and analysis.
Opportunities to Serve Students learn they are part of a larger community through opportunities to serve, both within and beyond the school, in activities ranging from food collection and recycling to working with children at the United Cerebral Palsy Association and helping to clean up the Wissahickon.
Navigating friendships, schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and social life is tough on its own and even more challenging while dealing with the changes that occur during adolescence. It is our mission to be our students biggest advocate during this time. Through rigorous academics, a strong focus on core values, and a supportive environment, we provide the perfect balance that will help them become their best selves. ~ Saburah Posner, Dean of Students, Middle School for Girls
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THE UPPER SCHOOL Upper School at SCH is a coed experience. In these last four preparatory years, students assume increasingly greater responsibility and independence while building toward college-level academic expectations and performance. Guided by a deeply committed faculty and supportive college counseling staff, students complete their core academic work and choose from an exciting array of electives and actvities that will help them build strong academic resumes that speak to their strengths and earn them entrance to the nation’s top colleges and universities. Through their Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership courses and electives, as well as in project-based work within their core classes, students deepen their problem-solving and leadership skills, exercising
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the resilience, perseverance, and initiative they have been encouraged to develop during their time at SCH. At SCH Upper School students will find unlimited opportunities to learn through deeper engagement in the things they love, whether it’s creating a thought-provoking video, crafting a scientific experiment, developing an idea with mentors from the business community, or competing on the athletic field. Through these collective experiences, both in and out of the classroom, SCH students develop the intellectual discipline, skills, and selfconfidence that ensure their readiness for whatever challenges they may face in college and beyond.
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College Counseling The SCH College Counseling Office believes that students’ unique passions, strengths, and quirks are at the heart of the college process, a journey during which students, their parents, and their counselors work together to identify colleges that will nurture students’ interests and foster their continued self-discovery. Three full-time college counselors with a combined 60+ years of experience ensure that each student is well known and enjoys easy access to counselor support. During 9th grade, students meet with the college counselors as a class to learn about transcripts, summer opportunities, and extracurricular pursuits—information that will help each student to plot a purposeful course through the next three years. In the
LEARN MORE Visit sch.org/COLLEGE to fina a link to our latest matriculation list.
winter of the 10th grade year, students are assigned to an individual college counselor and begin the self-reflection process that will help identify their appropriate college targets. During their junior and senior years, students attend regular college counseling classes and enjoy unlimited one-onone time with their individual counselors, during which they are pushed to think deeply about who they are and who they want to become. This line of questioning leads students to find the colleges that are true “fits,” institutions where the intellectual and emotional growth that began at SCH will continue to blossom. Student Leadership Leadership is a dynamic and important part of Upper School life. Each of the five leadership councils (Community, Events, Honor, Service, and Student) has gradelevel representatives determined by a combination of election and appointment, and all Upper School activities have a leadership team. To facilitate the development of leadership skills, all student leaders take part in biannual short- and long-term goal-setting activities and meet regularly with the Dean
of Student Life to review goals, discuss program, and reflect on the challenges and opportunities of leadership. It is the difficult, sometimes messy, and rewarding tasks of leadership that challenge our students to grow and prepare them for the world beyond SCH. Activities and Clubs Students have ample opportunity to participate and take leadership roles in extracurricular activities. In addition to the leadership councils, there are an array of activities and clubs to match almost any interest. Activities are student- led organizations that work towards a clearly defined product or goal. Activities include Cappies (theatre group), Gay Straight Alliance, Mock Trial, Model UN, Robotics, Student Ambassadors, Writing Inquiry Center (student-to-student writing assistance), and Yearbook. Clubs are student-led organizations that are driven by the interests and passions of those students involved in them. Among the club options are Animal Rights, Campus Lantern (newspaper), Ceramics, Chess, Fashion, French, International, Mediation, Performing Arts, Players (drama troupe), PUB (literary journal), Political Debate
and Philosophy, SCHAGE (SCH Advocates for Gender Equality), Sénégalité, United Cerebral Palsy, Ultimate Frisbee, and Voices (diversity group). Advising Upon entrance into Upper School, students are placed into groups of 10-12 and paired with a faculty advisor. The heart of the advisory program is the relationship that develops between students and advisor over the four years of Upper School. Advisories meet on average twice per week and spend time working on studentship skills, discussing topics such as current events and the responsible use of social media, setting goals and reflecting on experiences, and bonding over breakfast. Advisors oversee the academic and extracurricular life of their students and act as the first point of contact on campus for students’ families.
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ATHLETICS At SCH we stress teamwork, sportsmanship, personal commitment, a striving for excellence, and how to win and lose with honor and dignity. Knowing that participation in athletics improves students’ self-confidence and overall health, our coaching staff is committed to fostering each student-athlete’s confidence, decision-making skills, sense of responsibility, and leadership skills—qualities that will serve them well throughout life. The Athletic Department seeks to provide each student with a sense of affiliation, motivation, and accomplishment
by balancing challenge and demand with support and encouragement. We hope that by taking advantage of the many positive experiences that sports have to offer, each participant will enjoy his or her time on the playing fields and courts and will take with them memories that will last a lifetime. By encouraging broad participation in sports, our Athletic Department also seeks to generate a sense of pride within the student body, the faculty, and the larger school community for its teams and the overall school.
We consider athletics an important part of the overall learning experience and continue to embrace, encourage, and teach all that is good about sport. ~ Mike DelGrande and Christina O’Malley, Athletic Directors
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SCH ACADEMY’S CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE
The goal of the SCH athletics program is to provide a “Championship Culture” experience for the entire SCH community. This Championship Culture is the result of every individual’s pursuit of excellence in everything they do—whether at practice or in a game. It is defined by leadership, vision, core values, standards, and commitment. Through diligence, teamwork, and a program vision from all of our teams, we pursue this culture daily. SCH multisport student-athletes who are academically, athletically, and socially striving for success are the building blocks for our Championship Culture. Coaches and administrators foster our Championship Culture by sharing the responsibility of leading the entire SCH community—administrators, coaches, student-athletes, faculty and staff, parents, and alumni.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS
UPPER SCHOOL SPORTS
Middle School students are required to do a sport or PE two out of three seasons. Multiple team levels are available in most sports based on demand.
Upper School students can avail themselves of 18 sports, 15 of them offering junior varsity and varsity levels. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are required to do a sport or PE two out of three seasons; seniors are required to do one. Multiple team levels are available in most sports based on demand.
BOYS SPORTS Fall
Winter
Spring
Cross Country Football Golf Soccer
Basketball Ice Hockey (Coed) Squash Wrestling
Baseball Lacrosse Tennis Track
Fall
Winter
Spring
Cross Country Field Hockey Soccer Tennis Volleyball
Basketball Crew (8th/Developmental) Ice Hockey (Coed) Life Sports/Fitness Squash
Golf (Developmental) Lacrosse Softball Track
GIRLS SPORTS
Fall
Winter
Spring
Boys/Girls Cross Country Field Hockey Football Boys Golf Boys/Girls Soccer Girls Tennis Girls Volleyball
Boys/Girls Basketball Boys Ice Hockey Boys/Girls Indoor Track Boys/Girls Squash Boys/Girls Swimming Wrestling
Baseball Boys/Girls Crew Girls Golf Boys/Girls Lacrosse Softball Boys Tennis Boys/Girls Track
A CLOSER LOOK In the past five years, SCH has had 149 student-athletes named to 1st Team All-Inter-Ac, 7 to AllAmerican, 9 to 1st Team All-State, and 15 to 1st Team MASA.
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THE ARTS AND NEW MEDIA Fueled by the passions of our students and dedicated to nurturing an appreciation for the rich legacy of artistic expression throughout the world, SCH Academy’s arts and new media curriculum provides an impressive breadth and depth of experience for students Pre-K–12. Our faculty are working artists who not only teach integral skills, but foster their students’ ability to take risks and develop ideas. Students have the opportunity to explore their artistic interests through regularly
scheduled classes but also through after-school programs and an innovative community arts program. Our new media program, offering courses such as 3D modeling, digital art, coding, and graphic design, enables our students to extend their creative abilities into the newest dimensions for arts expression. New media skills are a bridge into interactions with other disciplines, and we actively engage in STEAMbased projects.
Through an appreciation of the arts and the making process, students learn to ride the wave of failure and success—an integral part of bringing ideas into the world and becoming the creative thinkers and doers of tomorrow. ~ Dr. Ellen Fishman, Chair, The Arts and New Media Department
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MUSIC
NEW MEDIA
PERFORMING ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
Through the study of music and musical performance, SCH Academy students learn essential skills including how to communicate, collaborate, and listen while engaged in the musical language of world cultures.
The new media program was created in the belief that all students need to be literate in our digital world. New media skills include learning technologies to communicate, present, author, and become a responsible digital citizen.
The SCH performing arts curriculum combines a practical theatre education with the exploration of interdisciplinary connections and development of effective communication skills.
The heart of the visual arts program is the making of art, which allows students to be artists and experience the frustrations, risks, and joys of the creative process, to make discoveries, achieve something original, and experience pride of ownership.
CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH ART STORY CORNER COMMUNITY ARTS IN ACTION
SCH Academy believes strongly in the public benefits of art and seeks out partnerships with local organizations and artists through which students can work collaboratively and share their creativity with the larger community. The 2014 Philadelphia Science Festival opened with a music and high-tech light show created and produced by more than 50 highly talented teens from SCH Academy, Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia, and the Saint Francis de Sales School youth orchestra, Play On, Philly! Remix Interactive was a student-led public art initiative combining music and technology and providing a powerful real-world learning experience. Not only did the students get hands-on experience in creative collaboration, music composition, a range of new media, performance, and software design, they also learned firsthand
the challenges, frustrations, and excitement of producing a large-scale public art event. "At SCH we look for opportunities that give our students a chance to apply their knowledge in non-academic settings," explains Dr. Ellen Fishman, chair of the SCH Arts and New A CLOSER LOOK Media Department. "The authenticity of these experiences tends to deepen their learning and make it more long lasting.�
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BEING RESILIENT IS KEY. WHEN ONE DOOR SHUTS AND ANOTHER ONE DOESN’T OPEN,
YOU HAVE TO GO OPEN IT YOURSELF. ~Betsy S., 11th grade participant in the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Venture Incubator
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INNOVATIVE
BREAKTHROUGH
LEADERS THINKERS
IMAGINATIVE
PROBLEM
SOLVERS
SCH
springside chestnut hill academy
500 West Willow Grove Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19118-4198 215-247-4700/7200 | SCH.ORG