Agnes Irwin School
Encyclopedia
The Agnes Irwin School is an all-girls', non-sectarian, day school for students in grades PreK-12. The School has been a leader in girls' education since 1869, when it was founded by Miss Agnes Irwin
of Philadelphia. Agnes Irwin, a great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin
, later became the first dean of Radcliffe College
. The campus moved to Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
in 1933, and then moved to its present location in Rosemont
in 1961.
). The campus borders Villanova University
and is just minutes from Bryn Mawr College
.
A Multicultural Board has been formed to promote diversity in the school. It is made up of elected members and they discuss methods they can use to discuss racial conflicts in school and society.
program. Upper School requirements include English (4 years), History, Math, Science and Language (3 years), Arts (1 year), Community Service and Physical Education. Academic profile for the Class of 2006 includes: SATs: Verbal-655, Writing-671, Math-661; 28% honored by the National Merit Scholarship Program
; 61% taking 5 or more AP
’s and honored by the AP Scholars Program; 50% enrolled in AP math and/or science; 21% were recruited for college athletics. Agnes Irwin is consistently ranked among the best schools in the Philadelphia area. http://www.phillymag.com/articles/philadelphia_magazine_top_schools_2006/; http://www.phillymag.com/articles/class_acts/?show_ad.
Lynne Myavec - Director of Middle School
Donna Lindner - Director of Lower School
Kim Beamon - Director of Student Support Services
Wanda M. Odom - Director of Marketing & Communications
Tom Weissert - Director of Technology
Sally Keidel - Director of Admission and Financial Aid
Deanna W. Mayer - Dean of Students
Kevin McCullough - Director of Finance and Facilities
Connie McEvoy - Director of College Counseling
Sheila Pauley - Director of Athletics
Margaret Welsh - Director of Development
Additional costs include uniforms, textbooks, and lunch (optional).
High Speed Line.
, Multicultural Resource Center, National Association of Independent Schools.
run by the Agnes Irwin School between June 15 and July 31, 2009 for boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 18. This camp offers both academic courses for credit and other various classes such as art
and sports. Kids can enroll for a full day, which is from 9 to 5:30, or they can enroll in each class individually. There is also an optional lunch program. Each class is taught by professional artists, instructors, or teachers.
Agnes Irwin
Agnes Irwin was an American educator, best known as the first dean of Radcliffe College from 1894–1909 and as the principal of the West Penn Square Seminary for Young Ladies in Philadelphia, later re-named, in her honor, The Agnes Irwin School, from 1869-1894...
of Philadelphia. Agnes Irwin, a great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, later became the first dean of Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
. The campus moved to Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General...
in 1933, and then moved to its present location in Rosemont
Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Rosemont is a community in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Main Line lying partly in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and partly in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Part of the geographic area is served by the Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, ZIP code...
in 1961.
Location
Rosemont, PA, 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Philadelphia and two miles (3 km) from Exit 13 on Rte. 476 (the Blue RouteInterstate 476
Interstate 476 is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania designated between Interstate 95 near Chester and Interstate 81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor through eastern Pennsylvania....
). The campus borders Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
and is just minutes from Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
.
Campus
Eighteen acres in a suburban setting including a self-contained Lower School with its own gym, dining room, library, and arts, science and music rooms. The Middle School, Upper School, Arts and Science Center, Libraries and Gym/Fitness Center are interconnected buildings. The campus also includes five tennis courts, three playing fields, three playgrounds and an outdoor dining area.Enrollment
- PreK-12: 665
- Lower School (PreK-Grade 4): 220
- Middle School (Grades 5-8): 219
- Upper School (Grades 9-12): 241
- Average class size: 10-16
Diversity
Students of minority ethnic groups represent 19% of the student body. More than fifty girls have parents for whom English is a second language. The School is not religiously associated, and all faiths are honored and respected.A Multicultural Board has been formed to promote diversity in the school. It is made up of elected members and they discuss methods they can use to discuss racial conflicts in school and society.
Academics
Agnes Irwin offers a rigorous liberal artsLiberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
program. Upper School requirements include English (4 years), History, Math, Science and Language (3 years), Arts (1 year), Community Service and Physical Education. Academic profile for the Class of 2006 includes: SATs: Verbal-655, Writing-671, Math-661; 28% honored by the National Merit Scholarship Program
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
; 61% taking 5 or more AP
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
’s and honored by the AP Scholars Program; 50% enrolled in AP math and/or science; 21% were recruited for college athletics. Agnes Irwin is consistently ranked among the best schools in the Philadelphia area. http://www.phillymag.com/articles/philadelphia_magazine_top_schools_2006/; http://www.phillymag.com/articles/class_acts/?show_ad.
Administration
Anne Weeks - Director of Upper SchoolLynne Myavec - Director of Middle School
Donna Lindner - Director of Lower School
Kim Beamon - Director of Student Support Services
Wanda M. Odom - Director of Marketing & Communications
Tom Weissert - Director of Technology
Sally Keidel - Director of Admission and Financial Aid
Deanna W. Mayer - Dean of Students
Kevin McCullough - Director of Finance and Facilities
Connie McEvoy - Director of College Counseling
Sheila Pauley - Director of Athletics
Margaret Welsh - Director of Development
Tuition
- Pre-K $17,850
- Kindergarten $19,490
- Grades 1-4 $20,200
- Grades 5-8 $23,060
- Grades 9-12 $27,300
Additional costs include uniforms, textbooks, and lunch (optional).
Scholarships
Over $1.5 million in scholarships is distributed annually to 17% of the girls in K-12 who demonstrate financial need. Approximately 50% is dedicated to Upper School girls, 30% to Middle, and 20% to Lower. The average award is $12,000.Transportation
Twenty school districts provide free bus transportation to Agnes Irwin. In addition, the school is located within a mile of the Villanova stations for the SEPTA Regional Rail Paoli/Thorndale Line and the NorristownNorristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
High Speed Line.
Extracurricular
Thirteen varsity sports including basketball, crew, cross-country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, squash, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball. Performing arts include dance, drill team, choral and instrumental groups and dramatic and musical productions. Visual Arts include studio art, ceramics, photography and media arts. There is an active Community Service program and an incredible amount of clubs.Accreditation and associations
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools, National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, Cum Laude SocietyCum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
, Multicultural Resource Center, National Association of Independent Schools.
Notable alumnae
- Caroline Furness JayneCaroline Furness JayneCaroline Furness Jayne was an American ethnologist. She wrote the best-known book on string figures, String Figures and How to Make Them: a study of cat's cradle in many lands, 1906....
, Ethnologist - Karen HeppKaren HeppKaren Hepp is an Anchor & Reporter at WTXF in Philadelphia.She co-anchors Good Day Philadelphia. from 4:30 to 7 A.M on weekday mornings. She joined the station in November, 2010 as general assignment reporter. Before that, she worked at WNYW-TV anchoring Good Day Wakeup...
(1989), News Anchor/Reporter - Tory BurchTory BurchTory Burch is an American fashion designer, business woman and philanthropist who was born, raised and educated in the Philadelphia metropolitan area....
(1984), Fashion Designer - Pat McPherson (1953), Executive Officer of the American Philosophical Society, former Vice President of the Mellon Foundation, former President of Bryn Mawr College
- Betty Shellenberger (1939), one of the members of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- Dorothy Harrison EustisDorothy Harrison EustisDorothy Leib Harrison Wood Eustis was an American dog breeder and philanthropist, who founded The Seeing Eye, the first guide-dog school for the blind in the United States....
(1904), established The Seeing EyeThe Seeing EyeThe Seeing Eye, Inc. is a guide dog school that is located in Morristown, New Jersey in the United States. It was founded in 1929 as the first guide dog school in the country...
, an organization dedicated to training guide dogs to help the blind - Agnes RepplierAgnes RepplierAgnes Repplier was an American essayist born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her essays are esteemed for their scholarship and wit.-Essay collections:*Books and Men *Points of View...
(did not graduate), Essayist
Summer Session
Summer Session is a summer campSummer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
run by the Agnes Irwin School between June 15 and July 31, 2009 for boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 18. This camp offers both academic courses for credit and other various classes such as art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and sports. Kids can enroll for a full day, which is from 9 to 5:30, or they can enroll in each class individually. There is also an optional lunch program. Each class is taught by professional artists, instructors, or teachers.