Renbrook School

Infobox Private School
name = Renbrook School


motto= Scientia est Mater Sapientiae ("Knowledge is the Mother of Wisdom")
established = 1935
type = Co-ed, Privatereligion = None
head_name = Headmistress
head = Jane C. Shipp
city = West Hartford
state = CT
country = USA
campus = 75 acres
enrollment = 530
faculty = 89
ratio = 6:1
year = 2007
colors = Royal Blue and White
mascot = Freddie the Hawkhomepage = [http://www.renbrook.org Renbrook.org]

Renbrook School is an independent, private day school in West Hartford, Connecticut.

History

Renbrook was founded in 1935 by Mr. and Mrs. John Lee of Farmington and seven other families, with the aim of a progressive school in the spirit of John Dewey. Originally named the Tunxis School, it began classes at 1234 Albany Avenue in West Hartford with three teachers and 17 students (nursery school through grade four). Florence Greene, the first headmistress, would serve in that role for the next 32 years.

The school was soon renamed the Junior School, and grew rapidly in the next two decades, moving twice in its early years. By 1956, the Junior School enrolled 240 students, and was outgrowing its home. In 1958, it moved to the estate of Frederick Brant Rentschler, founder of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, leasing the property for $1 a year. In appreciation, the Junior School renamed itself 'Renbrook', the original name of the Rentschler estate. The school remains at that location today.

The school would expand to ninth grade in the 1960s. The school started s summer day camp, Summer Adventure, in the mid-1970s. In 1996, the Faye Belden Rentschler Foundation merged with the school.

Basic Facts

Founded: 1935

Headmistress: Jane C. Shipp

Students: 530

Faculty: 89

Student/Teacher Ratio: 6 to 1

Grades: Beginning School: 3's [3- and 5-day programs] , JK, K; Lower School: Grades 1-5; Upper School: Grades 6-9

Campus: Seventy-five acres of woodlands, wetlands, fields and gardens; four athletic fields, a high-and low-ropes course; three playgrounds, plus a natural pond for science study and winter sports. Teaching space includes 10 buildings, nine science and technology labs, six music and art studios, two theaters, a dining commons, and the Alan N. Houghton Library.

Mascot: Freddie the Hawk

Sports: Football, Soccer, Field Hockey, Hockey, Basketball, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Recreational Squash, Ski Team, Outdoor Adventure. The ropes course for the Outdoor Adventure is the oldest and largest ropes course in the country. A new options is quiditch

Rival: Kingswood-Oxford School

Summer Programs: Renbrook is home to the award-winning summer camp "Summer Adventure".

Music Program: Renbrook has and continues to have a very successful music program with 95% of its students participating in some type of music in the school.

Member: CAIS, NAIS, the SPHERE consortium, the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce

Notable Alumni

*Samantha Magee '98 (Olympic Silver Medalist; Rowing)
*Ben Ripple Founder of "Big Tree Farms" in Bali.
* Mark Kershner Fly Fisher in Colorado, once dated Miss Montana = Renbrook Slang =

*Dress Down Day: Days during which students may deviate from the dress code and wear jeans, t-shirts, etc.; often these days have a theme students must follow, or cost a small amount of money to be eligible for participation.
*Interms: Mid-term reports (given halfway though each of the 3 terms) which provide an informal assessment of each student's progress.
*Renbrookian: one who attends Renbrook is known as a Renbrookian.
*Renbrook Tie: An assumption by students that intrascholastic games generally result in a tie; this belief has proven quite valid through the years, especially concerning the annual Capture-the-Flag games.
*SIMI: Students Interested in Multicultural Issues, is a group where students join to talk about issues involving many topics and towards the end of the year hold a dance and an open forum for the rest of the Upper School.
*The Masked Avenger: A previous, unofficial school mascot who, clad in dark robes, would run screaming through the hallways throwing peppermints.
*"Straight to the google": phrase created by Mr. Scherer and his eight grade class of 08'

External links

* [http://www.renbrook.org Renbrook School]
* [http://www.bigtreefarms.com/] ]