St. George's School, Newport
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| Motto | Sapientia Utriusque Vitae Lumen |
|---|---|
| Established | 1896 |
| Type | Private coeducational secondary, boarding |
| Affiliation | Episcopal |
| Headmaster | Eric F. Peterson |
| Students | 342 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | Middletown, Rhode Island, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Mascot | Dragon |
| Rival | Middlesex School |
| Website | www.stgeorges.edu |
St. George's School is a private, Episcopal Church-affiliated, coeducational boarding school in Middletown (next to Newport), Rhode Island, USA. The school was founded in 1896 by the Rev. John Byron Diman, a member of a prominent Rhode Island family. It sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and is known for having a beautiful campus. It is a member of the Independent School League and one of five schools collectively termed St. Grottlesex. The school is mentioned in F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic first novel, This Side of Paradise.
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[edit] Mission Statement
In 1896, the Rev. John Byron Diman, founder of St. George's School, wrote in his “Purposes of the School” that:
"The specific objectives of St. George's are to give its students the opportunity of developing to the fullest extent possible the particular gifts that are theirs and to encourage in them the desire to do so. Their immediate job after leaving School is to handle successfully the demands of college; later it is hoped that their lives will be ones of service to the world and to God.”
[edit] The Hilltop
The school's suburban campus is familiarly known as "The Hilltop", as it is located on the top of the highest hill on Aquidneck Island. The campus is also known for its magnificent view of First, Second, and Third Beach (which was part of the campus during the early twentieth century).
- Memorial Schoolhouse - The main academic building in which most classes are held in subjects other than art, music and science. The Study Hall, on the second floor of the building, is where the biweekly all-school assemblies are held.
- Old School - The oldest building on campus, Old School serves a variety of purposes. The first floor serves as the office of the Head of School, Eric Peterson, as well as many administrators and admissions counselors. To the East, the Main Common Room serves as a meeting space for any purpose, and a popular lovers' spot. The Faculty Lounge and kitchen are attached to the Main Common Room. On the second and third floors are Old School (girls) and Red (boys) dorms.
- DuPont Science Building - Hosting all science classes, it houses laboratories for all physical sciences, and is close by to the observatory. It also has a large technology classroom used for presentations.
- King Hall - The School’s dining hall, it serves three meals daily. The main dining room features flags from every nation represented by a St. George's student.
- Chapel - A classic Gothic chapel built in 1928 with John Nicholas Brown's donation and designed by Ralph Adams Cram, the whole school congregates in the Chapel for two services weekly, one religious and one in which a senior or faculty member gives a meaningful speech. In 2005, the Chapel organ was completely renovated, and now it also features a choral practice space and a new pipe organ. Once a week the elite chapel choir, consisting of nearly 80 students, sings. The choir is led by Dr. Gesualdo, known fondly as "Doc G" by the various members of the choir.
- Little Chapel - The Little Chapel is the domain of the Brass Ensemble and the office of Tony duBourg. Affectionately known as "TduBs", the cantankerous conductor provides music "Non-lessons" and humorous stories to his proteges.
- Hill Library - Contains more than 40,000 volumes and 75 periodicals. The library is a popular place among students to study during evening study hours. Students can also borrow DVDs and videos from the Library’s collection.
- John Nicholas Brown ’18 Center - Named in honor of the school's illustrious alumnus John Nicholas Brown ’18, the Brown Center was dedicated in the spring of 2005. It houses the College Counseling Offices on the main level, deans’ offices on the second floor (director of studies, dean of students, dean of faculty), and the bookstore, Geronimo office, mail room and summer school office on the lower level.
- Sixth Form House - Originally used as the school gymnasium in 1903, it became a Schoolhouse in 1911. Dormitory rooms for school prefects were also once located in the building. Currently the business office, alumni/ae development office, and publication office are housed in Sixth Form House.
- William H. Drury and Richard Grosvenor Center for the Arts - home to St. George’s 450-seat theatre, where drama productions, musical performances, and lectures are held. The building also features two drawing studios, painting studio, scenery shop (used by Stage Crew for the drama productions), ceramics and photography studios, two computer labs, black box theatre, exhibition gallery, and many soundproof practice rooms.
- Charles A. and Carol J. Hamblet Campus Center - Named in honor of the 10th headmaster and his wife, the Campus Center was dedicated in the fall of 2004. It includes a grille with a tasty menu available during the off-hours of King Hall, a great room that is the site of many of the school's smaller special events, a game room, and a meeting room.
- Dorrance Field House - Built in 1987, the Field House includes four indoor tennis courts, three basketball courts and a ninth of a mile indoor track. This facility is also used for various social and academic functions such as Middlesex Dinners, Parents weekend events, college fairs and other student entertainment nights.
- Hoopes Squash Center - The state-of-the-art Joseph C. Hoopes Sr. Squash Center, housing eight international glass-backed courts, was completed in 1996. Using the German made ASB court system, it is the finest facility of its kind in the country and serves during the summer months as the home for American Champion Mark Talbott’s Squash Academy. The Talbott Squash Academy is the official training center of the U.S. Squash Racquets Association and served as the site for both the National Junior Squash Championships in 1996 and 1998 and the Men’s Squash Softball Championships in February 1997.
- Stephen P. Cabot and Archer Harman Ice Center - The $4.5 million Stephen P. Cabot and Archer Harman Jr. Ice Center, completed in November 2000, features two new first-class ice hockey facilities, and St. George’s is now one of the few New England schools to provide dual rinks for its hockey teams. Originally built in 1954 as an outdoor rink and enclosed in 1968, the Cabot Memorial rink has new boards, a completely new surface (200’ X 85’) and a new roof.
- Norris D. Hoyt Pool - The Norris D. Hoyt Swimming Pool is an eight-lane pool with overflow gutters and a Colorado Timing System. Completed in the fall of 2004, the pool holds a large balcony seating area as well as many deck level glass viewing windows.
- Ted Hersey Track - The track is all-weather, completed in the fall of 1996 by the same firm that designed and surfaced the Brown and Harvard University tracks. It is a six-lane, 400 meter oval, with an eight lane sprint chute along the east side. All St. George’s field events are held on the inside, with the exception of the javelin throw. It includes the high jump area at the northern end of the oval, the discus throw area at the northwestern corner, the shotput throw area at the northeastern corner, the long and triple jump parallel along the western straight-away and the pole vault way parallel to the eastern straightaway. The area inside the oval is the Redway Field and is large enough for a full, international-sized soccer field(360 feet by 225 feet). The track is named for the longest-serving (1952-2004) faculty member in school history, who founded the programs in cross-country and track and field.
- Blazer and Wood Tennis courts - Blazer Tennis Courts are hardcourt-surfaced courts located at the main entrance of the school. Both junior varsity teams host their games on these courts. The Wood Tennis Courts are six hardcourt-surfaced courts located across the street from the main entrance of the school. Varsity boys and girls use these courts during their home matches.
- Playing Fields - Beautiful playing fields for all sports around the campus. The 10 athletic fields include Crocker Field (used for Varsity Football and Girls' Varsity Lacrosse), Elliott Field (used for Varsity Baseball), a JV baseball field, two field hockey fields, four lacrosse/soccer fields, and a softball field.
There are five boys’ dorms and six girls’ dorms. Two or three faculty members live with their families in apartments within each of the buildings. All dorm rooms are wired for telephone and internet access, and each dorm has a common room equipped with a microwave, television, and DVD player.
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Boys' Dorms
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Girls' Dorms
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[edit] Daily life
Like most private schools in the ISL, St. George's operates on a six-day school week, meaning that classes meet on Saturday. Wednesdays and Saturdays, however, are half-days, with athletic games in the afternoons.
St. George's conducts the majority of its classes (with the exception of science and math classes) using the Harkness method, which encourages discussion between students and the teacher, and between students. The average class size according to the School's website is 10-12 students.
Rather than offering a Physical Education class, St. George's requires all its students to play sports for at least four terms of their Third and Fourth Form years, and for any three terms during their Fifth and Sixth Form years. These sports range from a New England-champion hockey team to a thirds lacrosse team.
Students attend Chapel twice per week. Once a week, Chapel requires formal attire, and there is either a communion or evening prayer service in accordance with the school's Episcopalian tradition. During the second service, a senior or faculty member speaks to the school community, giving a Chapel Talk.
In the evenings, meetings are held for clubs and activities including music ensembles like the Brass Ensemble and Choir, a cappella groups (the all-female Snapdragons, and the all-male Hilltoppers), the Debate Team, and other extracurricular organizations.
[edit] Traditions
- Zoo Day: A raucous school assembly occurring on Halloween, it was mockingly run by the Seniors posing as the faculty, and vice-versa. It was banned in 2005 after the Senior class violated certain faculty members' feelings. It is now replaced by the more kid-friendly Halloween Spooktacular.
- Middlesex Weekend: Middlesex School (the zebras) is St. George's athletic rival in the ISL. Each fall, on the final weekend of the season, every team plays against them. There are competitions in the week prior to see which form has the most school spirit. Banners are made, t-shirts are sold, and on Friday night a wooden zebra is burned in a bonfire while teams cheer it on.
- Diman Cup: John Diman, the founder of St. George's, also founded the Portsmouth Abbey, just a few miles up Aquidneck Island. Since the Abbey is not a part of the ISL, the two schools have created their own competition. Wins and losses are tallied over the course of all three seasons. Traditionally, the Abbey takes a lead in the fall, winning both soccer and football, while St. george's comes back in the winter to tie things up. Often, the winner is not decided until the final track meet of the spring.
- Pie Race: Begun by now retired science teacher Ted Hersey, the pie race is a 2.3-mile race in which most students of the school participate by wearing outrageous costumes or running in alternative manners. Mrs. Hersey baked the pies the winners received every year until the Herseys left the school in 2000. Prizes are given for fast running and also the best costumes.
- Winter Formal: An alternative version of prom, the Winter Formal usually sees the whole school in limos, tuxedos and formal dresses. For years, the dance was held in King Hall, then moved to a student's Newport mansion, before settling at Belcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island.
- Christmas Festival: A tradition that has existed almost since the inception of the school, it occurs on the last day before Christmas vacation. After a candlelit Chapel service where the story of Christmas is told in song and acted out by students, the entire school is ushered into King Hall to sing carols and eat dinner. Father Christmas used to hand out joke gifts to unsuspecting members of the school community, but that was also banned in 2005 and replaced with the Very Christmas Game Show.
- V Form Ski Weekend: The only official class trip at St. George's School, every January, for a long 3-day weekend, the juniors travel to a selected ski resort and spend the weekend in hotel rooms and skiing/snowboarding. 2006's destination was the Rivergreen Resort at Loon Mountain, NH.
- The Rock Guild: A collection of variations of rock songs performed by several groups of bands on campus. The two shows are held on Sunday evenings in the winter and spring.
- Casino Night: Once a year, on a Saturday night, the Campus Center Great Room is transformed into a casino replete with poker and blackjack tables, craps, and even the famous wheel of fortune. Dress for this event is necessarily outrageous.
- Headmaster's Holiday: When Spring comes to the Hilltop, the Headmaster chooses a random day in April, and declares a day of no classes. The current Headmaster, Mr. Peterson, has taken to sending funny emails to the school email system, and this year's was a 80's music triva quiz. Students generally get the Holiday when pristine weather occurs on the hilltop, so they can go down to the beaches and relax in the Quad.
- Spring Dance Weekend: A relatively new tradition, in which bands come to play at the St. George's campus over the weekend in various locations, such as the Quad, the Great Room, and King Hall. The student rock guild also performs on this weekend.
- Prize Day: The final day for the seniors as they graduate from St. George's School. Sixth formers have a chapel service with family members to begin the day and are accompanied by bagpipers as they process from the chapel out to the front lawn to join the rest of the school. Sixth formers are given their diplomas after the headmaster and the Prize Day speaker speak, the other prizes are handed out and the school song is sung. Typically, each sixth former gives the headmaster a small token in exchange for their diploma.
[edit] Sports
The school is a member of the Independent School League (ISL) and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC).
Recent Championships:
- Co-ed Sailing NESSA Team Racing Champions 2006
- Co-ed Sailing NESSA Team Racing Champions 2008
- Co-ed Sailing NESSA Fleet Racing Champions 2008
- Co-ed Sailing ISSA NATIONAL TEAM RACING "BAKER TROPHY" CHAMPIONS 2008
- Boys' Hockey, 2005 NEPSAC Div. II Champions
- Girls' Cross-Country, 2005 NEPSTA Div. III Champions
- Girls' Squash 2007 ISL Champions, Undefeated Season
- Girls' Squash 2008 ISL Champions, Undefeated Season
- Boys' Squash 2005 Team Sportsmanship Award
- Boys' Squash 2006 Team Sportsmanship Award
- Boys' Squash 2007 Team Sportsmanship Award
- Boys' Squash 2008 Team Sportsmanship Award
- Boys' Squash 2007 Individual New England Champion (Antionio Diaz Gonzalas Salas)
- Boys' Squash 2008 Individual New England Champion (Antonio Diaz Gonzalas Salas)
- Boys' Hockey 2007-2008 ISL Champions
In recent years, St. George's hockey and sailing programs have been especially successful with the boys hockey team winning New Englands two years ago and the sailing team placing third in the country at Nationals multiple times.
Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts is St. George's traditional rival. Three times a year athletes from the visiting school travel two hours by bus to compete against rival teams. The schools alternate each year to host the games, which conclude each regular, athletic season.
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Fall Season
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Winter Season
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Spring Season
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(*) -- Denotes Co-ed teams (|) -- Denotes separate, m. or f. teams
[edit] Music and drama
Currently, the school performs at least one major drama and one musical each year. Between major productions, students direct and perform one-act plays. In addition, students are able to take three different semester-long theatre courses, including two in acting and one in stagecraft.
Approximately half of the student body sings in one of the choruses. Chapel Choir, which requires its members to audition, is the school's largest musical group. The smaller male group, The Hilltoppers, and female group, The Snapdragons, audition motivated members from the school community. St. George's a cappella groups typically participate in Parents' Weekend and other school events.
The Schools maintains two ensembles and an orchestra. Playing for Chapel services and the New York Yacht Club's christening ceremonies, the Brass Ensemble plays mainly hymns and is led by conductor Tony du Bourg. The Orchestra plays classical music and is led by Jenny Chang, who also leads the Jazz Ensemble. The St. George's Jazz Ensemble plays jazz of various eras and composes its own pieces, which are then played at school functions.
At the Campus Center Grill, Coffeehouse Hours are held in the Great Room, and guitarists frequently play.
"Jerusalem" (Hymn 110) is the school's preferred hymn. It is sung frequently in Chapel along with the School Hymn, set to Duke Street, and the St. George's Day Hymn (Melita).
[edit] Extracurricular Activities & Clubs
There are other options for students that are not athletically-inclined. The Theater Department has a production every season of the year: in the Fall, there is a dance troupe that puts on several shows, including one on Parents' Weekend. In the Winter, the School Musical occurs, and at the end, hosts the school community, parents, and the local community for a 3-show weekend in March. In the Spring, the School Play is held in May.
For any of the seasons, students can be a student trainer, assisting the Sports Trainer in the Training Room. Students can also perform community service, or a special project.
The School has over 50 clubs.
[edit] The Red & White
The Red & White is the newspaper of the St. George's School community. A student run institution, it prints nine times a year on a monthly basis. The paper is a half tabloid, prints in black and white, and runs advertisements from local businesses. The paper is available for free to students and faculty, and, at a nominal fee, any member of the school's extended community can subscribe.
Founded in 1906, its goals were "to amuse" students and to "maintain [a] high standard" of journalism. The second longest existing publication in the school (The Dragon, the school's literary magazine is bestowed with that honor.), it has printed since its inception, with the exception of a ten year period between World War I and World War II.
[edit] Trivia
- Featured in The Official Preppy Handbook by Lisa Birnbach
- The Education of Charlie Banks (2007), co-starring Jesse Eisenberg and Eva Amurri, and directed by Fred Durst, was filmed on the campus of St. George's. The establishing shots of the Old School building, King Hall, and the Chapel were used to represent Vassar College, and the motion picture also filmed at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
- St. George's is often considered the best looking school in the ISL because of its oceanside campus as well as its students. Its nickname is "St. Gorgeous".
- One of five elite boarding schools collectively known as St. Grottlesex
- Listed in E. Digby Baltzell's "The Select 16: The most socially prestigious American Boarding Schools"
- Featured in Newsweek (26 September 1960) as one of America's elite boarding schools with the appointment of "Yaleman Archer Harmen, Jr." to Headmastership
[edit] Notable Faculty
- Dr. Patricia Lothrop, reviewer for the School Library Journal
- Mike Hansel, Rhode Island artist
- Roy Williams, former Vice President of the Inter-Scholastic Sailing Association
- Dr. A.R.G. Wallace, former Commodore of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island and Fleet Surgeon, NYYC
- Arthur F. Griffths, became president of Oahu College in Hawaii.
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Vincent Astor, Philanthropist, major holder in Newsweek Magazine, Member of the prominent Astor family
- John Jacob Astor VI, Major Investor, Member of the prominent Astor family
- John Jacob Astor V, Philanthropist, Owner of The Times Newspaper
- Billy Bush, Access Hollywood Anchor, host of an NBC prime-time show of Let's Make A Deal
- Prescott Bush, artillery Captain WWI, U.S. Senator from Connecticut 1953-1963, father of President George H.W. Bush
- Tucker Carlson, writer and former host of Crossfire on CNN followed by Tucker on MSNBC. Now pan-NBC political commentator.
- Philippe Cousteau Jr., founder of EarthEcho International, grandson of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau
- Howard Brush Dean III, MD, longest-serving Vermont Governor 1991-2003, Presidential Candidate 2004 and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee 2005-present
- Ogden Nash, famous American Poet and Writer
- Claiborne Pell, longest-serving Rhode Island Senator (in office 1961-1997)
- William Henry Vanderbilt III, Governor of Rhode Island, philanthropist
- Albert W. Merck Member of the Merck family, renowned in pharmaceuticals
- Robert David Lion Gardiner The last heir to bear the name of the family that has owned Gardiner's Island
- Whitney Tower, longtime horse racing journalist and former chairman of the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame
- John T. Dorrance Jr Chairman of the Campbell Soup Company
- Elky Wetherill Former 15-year president of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange
- Leonard Bacon '05, Well recognized Poet, Writer and Book Critic. Winner of Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1940
- John Nicholas Brown Philanthropist, Donor of the School's Chapel, member of the prestigious Brown Family of Rhode Island
- Robert E. Gross '15, Famous American Businessman in Aviation, Founder and President of the Lockheed Corportation from 1934 to 1956. Featured in the 2004 blockbuster hit The Aviator
- William C. Prescott, Jr. Headmaster of Wheeler School
- Jeremiah Ford II Department Director at UPenn, most famous for forming and bringing *University of Pennsylvania into the Ivy League.
- Laurence G. Leavitt Served as Headmaster of Vermont Academy for 25 years
- Julie Bowen, Actress
- Roger W. Straus Jr, was co-founder of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, a New York book publishing company
- Andrew Botsford Associate Editor and Arts Editor for The Southampton Press
- Harry Werksman Writer-producer for the third season of Grey's Anatomy
[edit] Notable Parents
- Harold Evans & Tina Brown, world-renowed journalists
- Nikolay Bogachev, CEO of Russian natural gas company TambeyNefteGaz, current leader of Russian Conservative Party
- Timothy Stack, American film & TV screenwriter and actor, has written several episodes of My Name is Earl
- Francis Irénée du Pont, Humanitarian, Scholar and Scientist. Donor of the St. George's Science Building and father of Edmund du Pont
| Members of the Independent School League, New England |
| Belmont Hill School | Buckingham Browne & Nichols | Brooks School | The Governor's Academy | Groton School | Lawrence Academy at Groton | Middlesex School | Milton Academy | Noble and Greenough School | Rivers School | Roxbury Latin School | St. George's School | St. Mark's School | St. Paul's School | St. Sebastian's School | Thayer Academy |
