Germantown Academy

Germantown Academy is America's oldest nonsectarian day school, founded on December 6, 1759 (originally named the "Germantown Union School"). Germantown Academy (also referred to as "GA") is now a K-12 school in the Fort Washington suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., having moved from its original Germantown campus in 1965. In addition, the school shares the oldest continuous football rivalry with the William Penn Charter School, which celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2006. This year, the 2007-08 school year there are 1,122 students in the entire school and over 250 faculty and staff. There are 592 boys and 530 girls. About 18% of the students at this moment are parts of groups considered minorities. 100% of GA graduates go to college.

Lower School

According to the GA website, the Lower School program strives for a school environment wherein children are respected as individuals, while also learning to be a part of a team. A progression of classroom expectations and curricular demands has been developed to address the varying needs of children who cover a broad span of ages and abilities.While the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic are the principle work in all of the classrooms, teaching in the Lower School requires that children are active learners. Lower School faculty believe active participation leads to discovery and internalization, and individual creativity and expression is strongly encouraged. Opportunities for social interaction are of paramount importance in the classrooms. There are currently 376 students in the Lower School. The student to teacher ratio is currently 14 to 1 in the Lower School.

Middle School

The Alter Middle School was built in 1997 funded by the Alter Family. There are currently 261 students in the Middle School. The student to teacher ratio is currently 8 to 1 in the Middle School.

Upper School

The Upper School curriculum, according to the mission statement of the school, promotes curiosity, reasoning and questioning, imagination and aesthetics, understanding of others and oneself, clear communications, broad applications of knowledge, and satisfaction in learning. Students are required at minimum, five credits per year and at least four years of English, three years of Math, Science, History, and Language, and two years of Art. Generally speaking, GA classrooms are characterized by a significant degree of informality, and the school prides itself on the close relationship between the teachers and the students. There are currently 485 students in the Upper School. The student to teacher ratio is currently 8 to 1 in the Upper School.

Conduct in the upper school is governed by the Honor Code, a system where students agree to a set of rules, and where, in the case of an infraction, students are judged by an honor council consisting of teachers and peers.

GA/PC Day

Heres a map of the GA campus:

Campus Map

campus map
Found at http://www.germantownacademy.net/Library/InfoManage/Guide.asp?FolderID=3337

Tuition

These are the prices for the 2008-09 school year:

Pre-K (noon) $13,530Pre-K (3 PM) $17,050K (Noon) $13,600Kindergarten $17,090Grade 1 $18,360Grade 2 $18,370Grade 3 $18,420Grade 4 $20,635Grade 5 $20,895Grade 6 $22,300Grade 7 $22,300Grade 8 $22,300Grade 9 $24,280Grade 10 $24,280Grade 11 $24,280Grade 12 $24,280
Financial Aid: $1,570,000 each year

Alma mater

Notable alumni

*Caroline Doty Class of 2008. UCONN womens basketball player
*Jazz Ricci Class of 2001. Colorado bartender of the year 2004,2006, and 2007.
*Matt Walsh Class of 2002. NBA Basketball player, most recently of the New Jersey Nets and former member of the Florida Gators men's basketball team.
*Maddy Crippen Class of 1998. USA 2000 Summer Olympics swim team.
*Chase Rubin Class of 2004. Entrepreneur.
*Alvin Williams Class of 1993. NBA basketball player.
*Bradley Cooper Class of 1993. Actor from films/shows such as "Sex and the City", "Alias", and "Wedding Crashers", "Wet Hot American Summer.
*Mark Nori Class of 1992. Assistant Coach, SF 49ers. Former NFL offensive lineman with Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and NY Giants
*Marc Gordon Class of 1991. Actor, Comedian, Writer American Pie 2, Malcolm in the Middle,.
*David Wharton Class of 1987. Olympic Silver Medalist (Seoul, 1988) in the 200 swimming Individual Medley.
*Michael F. Gerber Class of 1990. Pennsylvania State Representative.
*Princess Superstar (born "Concetta Kirschner") Class of 1988. Musician in a genre she calls "flip flop."
*Brothers Jason and Matthew Olim Class of 1987. Founders of the Internet music store CDNOW.
*Robin Bissell Class of 1986. Actor and producer in/of such films as "Pleasantville" and "Seabiscuit".
*Mike Richter, New York Rangers goaltender - left in 1983 to pursue a hockey career.
*Pam Brady Class of 1985. Screenwriter and television producer, best known for her work on South Park.
*Patrick Dillett Class of 1983. Grammy winning record producer for Mariah Carey, David Byrne, Mary J Blige, Mike Doughty, and They Might Be Giants.
*Eric Lipton Class of 1983. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author, currently with the New York Times.
*Brian L. Roberts Class of 1977. CEO of Comcast.
*R. Foster Winans Class of ??. Journalist and author involved in 1980s financial scandal.
* Robert Asher Class of 196?. CEO of Asher's Chocolates.
*Robert R. Labaree Class of 1961. Chairman, Music History and Musicology, New England Conservatory of Music. PhD, Wesleyan University;
*Martin "Cruz" (William) Smith Class of 1960. Award winning novelist. Author of "Gorky Park" and many others. Was known as Bill.
*Frederick Crews Class of 195?. Literary critic, University of California, Berkeley professor, and noted anti-Freudian.
*Connie Mack, Jr. Class of 1928. Son of Philadelphia Athletics manager, Connie Mack, and subsequently owner of the team.
*Bill Tilden Class of 1915. Controversial tennis star.
*McKay Morris Class of 191?. Broadway stage actor
*Thomas Sovereign Gates, Sr. Class of 1891. University of Pennsylvania president
*Owen Josephus Roberts Class of 1891. Associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.
*Clifford Isaac Addams Class of 1891. Artist, painter, apprentice to James M. Whistler.
*Nelson McAllister Lloyd Class of 1891. Newspaper editor, author, and folklorist.
*Emlyn Lamar Stewardson Class of 1880. Architect responsible for several buildings on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
*Frederick Winslow Taylor Class of 187?. Efficiency expert and inventor of Scientific Management.
*Alfred C. Harmer Class of 1843. U.S. Congressman and shoe manufacturer.
*Robert Montgomery Bird Class of 1824. Playwright and physician
*Fernando Bolivar Attended 1822. Venezuelan diplomat, nephew and adopted son of South American revolutionary Simon Bolivar.
*George Washington Parke Custis Class of 179?. Step-grandson "and" adopted son of President George Washington.

Notable members of the faculty

*Jeff Preston, Health and Physical Education, ex-marine and former captain of U.S. Tomahawks National Team (rugby league) playing in over 50 test matches in the U.S., Australia, and England and member of the U.S. Eagles National Team (rugby union) touring Fiji in 1998: cofounder of the Philadelphia Fight Rugby League Club.

Notable members of the class of 1760

Each year the Germantown Academy alumni society accepts nominations for and subsequently elects non-alumni into the honorary class of 1760. This class is named in commemoration of the founding of the academy. The honor is bestowed upon those who have had an outstanding contribution to the academy.

* Edward J. Piszek, cofounder of Mrs. Paul's Kitchens, friend of Pope John Paul II, and credited with stamping out tuberculosis in Poland during the 1960s [http://users.erols.com/mietek/test/show_news.php?id=news040404.html] .
* Richard Shoulberg, swim coach for eighteen Olympians..

* Jim Fenerty, basketball coach, athletic director, and history teacher. Coached many college and professional basketball players. He has over 400 wins.

Notable faculty pre-dating the class of 1760

* Amos Bronson Alcott, headmaster 1831–1834.

References and further reading

* Archivist Edwin N. Probert II. [http://www.germantownacademy.net/Library/InfoManage/Guide.asp?FolderID=3344 The GA Bell, its Belfry and Their History] .
* Archivist Edwin N. Probert II (Winter 1999–2000). [http://www.germantownacademy.org/aboutga/history_traditions/profiles/Roberts/portrait.shtml Owen Josephus Roberts: A Short Retrospective on a Favorite Son] . "The Patriot."
* Head of School James Connor. [http://www.germantownacademy.net/Library/InfoManage/Guide.asp?FolderID=3345 The GA Flag] . Excerpts from a speech delivered at the September 2003 Flag Raising Ceremony.

External links

* [http://www.germantownacademy.net/ Germantown Academy's Website]
* [http://www.germantownacademy.net/Library/InfoManage/Guide.asp?FolderID=1249 Members of the Class of 1760]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.137514,-75.220106&spn=0.012031,0.011354&t=k&hl=en Satellite image from Google Maps]