The Field School

Infobox Private School
name = The Field School


type = Independent School
religion = Non-sectarian
established = 1972
head_name = Headmaster
head = Dale Johnson
city = Washington, D.C.
country = USA
campus =
20 overall acres
4 buildings
enrollment = 310 (grades 7-12)
class = 11
ratio = 6:1
colors = Blue and Gold
mascot =Falcon
conference = Potomac Valley Athletics Conference (PVAC)
homepage = [http://www.fieldschool.org www.fieldschool.org] |

The Field School is a preparatory school in Washington, D.C., located in the old Cafritz mansion on Foxhall Rd. The school teaches 7th-12th grade, with about 310 students attending.

Philosophy & Mission

The school was founded on principles of "mutual respect", close relationships with teachers, and independent thinking and learning. Its' three core values are:
Self Discovery
Skills of Mind
Generosity of Heart

History

The Field School was founded in 1972 by Elizabeth Ely. Originally housed above Regina Cleaners in the Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle neighborhood, the school had 44 students. Two years later, in 1974, the school's student population had more than doubled to 97, which the school's small location could not accommodate. Field found a new home, an old house nearby, but movers were not in the budget. That spring, students, faculty, and parents carried the school's belongings, including the furniture, up the street to the new location.

Field continued to grow at its new location. Field bought another house across the street, and the two houses were used for the now 220 of Field's students. In 1993, Field was accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. This accreditation came with publicity and credibility for the school, but also the requirement of a new campus, according to the Association. The school began frantically raising money, and in 1998, discovered the Cafritz mansion and the 10.5 acres of land that accompanied it.

Field began construction on the new campus and began using it in 2002. The new campus included a gymnasium and playing field, firsts for Field, as well as new science labs and dedicated studio spaces for art, photography, ceramics, and, later, music. In 2004, Dale Johnson was appointed to the position of Head of School, and in 2006 Elizabeth Ely retired. In 2007, a three-year strategic plan was created by school leadership with assistance from the community as a whole, which encouraged Field to:
*Teach students expansively
*Achieve diverse community
*Celebrate the faculty
*Proclaim the school
*Establish financial strength

In late 2007, the school's new logo was released. The logo depicts the facade of a part of the original Cafritz mansion.

Campus

The Field School is located on the grounds of the Cafritz mansion. The campus has four buildings:
*The Aude building, named for the first word of the school's motto, which contains the main office and other administrative offices as well as faculty offices, classrooms, an art room, and a publications lab.
*The Cafritz building, the original mansion of the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz. This building contains administrative and faculty offices, classrooms, the school's library and media center, and gathering spaces, including the original Cafritz living room and the middle school lounge.
*The Sapere building, named for the second word of the school's motto. This building contains faculty offices, classrooms, and science labs, as well as a 400-seat blackbox theater and gym.
*The Wonder building, named after the school's original campus. This "building", which is really the basement of the Sapere building, is home to science labs, locker rooms, a photography lab and darkroom, a music room and recording studio, and the school psychologist's office.

Programs

Winter Internship

The Winter Internship Program requires every student to arrange and complete a productive volunteer internship every February for two weeks. This carefully organized program, more than 30 years old, has a dramatic impact on our students and community. Students begin the year in small groups with a teacher, learning how to seek an internship that will educate him or her in business, the arts, education, government, community service or some other area. These carefully monitored internships help Field to use our wonderful city as a huge classroom and help students to learn beyond the traditional realm of books and tests.

Arts

Studio Arts Program has every student using his or her creativity every day of every year. Field has always believed that students learn best in all their classes if they take time every day to mold clay, sing, paint, play the drums, work in a darkroom -- activities that use a different part of the brain and heart. Students are not expected to become artists (though several in every graduating are drawn in that direction), but they are expected to learn that creativity is a natural part of a complete education.

Individuality

Advanced Placement (AP)

Field used to offer a small number of AP classes but found that they were not benefiting the students. AP classes are based on the AP exams, which stress the necessity for students to learn and memorize a huge swath of facts. Field classes, instead, stress the skills of writing, thinking, discussion, analysis and problem-solving — and Field takes extra time in class to practice those skills rather than rush through more facts. Colleges know this about Field and accept our students despite — or more likely because of — this trade-off.

chool Day

The school day runs from 8:00 (for middle school) or 8:50 until 2:45, with sports beginning at 3:00. There are six academic periods in the day for upper schoolers, while the middle schoolers start one period earlier then get an end-of-the-day advisory period. All students get a mid-morning 15-minute break, then eat lunch together at noon. After lunch, there is an activity period that hosts study halls, clubs, weekly "honors" seminars and various meetings. Our after-school sports program keeps most kids busy until the mid-to-late afternoon.

Honors

Offered during our after-lunch activity period, these extra-small seminar classes meet once each week. They provide students (either those with a B+ GPA or higher or those who petition into the program) with the chance to study a subject beyond the traditional Field curriculum. Teachers (and sometimes teachers with students) choose a subject of particular interest to them or a subject with which they have particular expertise, then design a class for particular grade levels that emphasizes discussion.

Field honors seminars are pass/fail, but they allow students to challenge themselves in a special way and to spend more time with a particular teacher. The classes appear as "honors" on students transcripts and allow students to demonstrate their engagement with their studies and with particular topics.

College Acceptance

Field places every student in a college or university — everything from Ivy League schools to small liberal arts colleges to art schools. Nearly 80% of the Class of 2007 was accepted into first-choice schools, as students are steered to schools that are the right schools for them. Recent matriculations include: Bard College, Haverford College, Drew University, Yale University, Bryn Mawr College, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, Oberlin College, Guilford College, Hamilton College, Carleton College

Notable alumni

*Craig Wedren
*Justin Theroux
*Jennifer Herrema
*Spike Jonze

References

*cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =A Brief History of The Field School
work =
publisher =The Field School
date =
url =http://www.fieldschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=50589
format =
doi =
accessdate =2008-06-07