Albuquerque Academy
Encyclopedia
Albuquerque Academy is an independent co-educational day school for grades six through twelve located in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, USA. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the New Mexico State Department of Education. Albuquerque Academy is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
. It is not to be confused with Albuquerque High School
, the first high school established in Albuquerque, which was originally named Albuquerque Academy.
Albuquerque Academy comprises three different divisions: the six-seven division (or "lower school"), the eight-nine division, and the ten-twelve division (both in the "upper school").
. In 1965, the school moved to its current site in northeast Albuquerque.
Between 1957 and 1964, the Academy received a large tract of undeveloped land north of Albuquerque, part of the Elena Gallegos Land Grant, from the Albert G. Simms
family. The western portion (from Wyoming Boulevard to the Rio Grande
) was sold to finance the creation of the current campus and the first endowment fund, and the present campus was created in the middle of the tract. The land east of the campus, reaching to the crest of the Sandia Mountains
, was sold later in a series of deals. First the section from the campus to Juan Tabo Boulevard was sold to create a second trust. Later, the City of Albuquerque attempted to facilitate a deal to sell the remainder to the Bureau of Land Management
by putting up a parking garage as collateral. The deal fell through and the Academy became the garage owner while still retaining the area.
In July 1982, the city purchased most of the land in a complex deal with the Academy and the US Forest Service. The City paid the Academy $23.9 million, raised by a bond
issue supported by a temporary ¼ percent sales tax
. The City retained part of the land, which is now the 640 acre (2.6 km²) Elena Gallegos Picnic Area/Albert G. Simms Park, located at the feet of the Sandias at the mouths of Bear and Pino Canyons. The 7,000 acre (28 km²) plus remainder of the purchase, most of it forest land in the canyons proper, was sold to the Forest Service, and is now part of the Cibola National Forest
and the Sandia Mountain Wilderness
. The Academy retained two parts of the tract, the larger adjoining Tramway Boulevard. The school set up the High Desert Investment Corporation
(HDIC) to develop this portion as the master-planned community known as High Desert. (The smaller portion, within Bear Canyon itself, is still used by the Academy for experiential education purposes.) HDIC then purchased a large tract of land in the northern section of Rio Rancho
, which it is currently developing as Mariposa
. The proceeds from the land sales and from HDIC have provided the Academy with a substantial endowment, which is used partly to defray tuition expenses and to subsidize a significant need-based financial aid program.
The school remained an all-boys school, with grades five through twelve, until 1973, at which time girls were allowed into grades nine through twelve. Part of the reason for the delay in allowing girls and for the gradual inclusion was that the Simms grant specified that the number of boys not decrease in order to make room for girls. The 5th grade was dropped in 1979, and the school became fully coeducational in 1984.
Today, the Academy has an enrollment of just over 1,000 in grades 6 through 12, with students drawn from throughout the Albuquerque metropolitan area and the state of New Mexico. The Albuquerque Academy celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2004-2005 school year with a year-long celebration of the school's history.
buildings, arches, and tile roofs.
firm of Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott and opened in 1991 along with the Science Building. The Library spire is the highest point on campus.
. (Another much smaller pendulum is located in Brown Hall on the East Campus). The Science Building was also designed by Howe and opened at the same time as the Library.
and soccer games and track and field
meets), the East Campus Gym (basketball
and volleyball
), and the Natatorium (swimming
and diving
). There are also several soccer, baseball
, and softball
fields, a 16-court tennis
complex, a cross country
course, a weight room, and basketball courts.
, rock climbing
, and canoeing
. The school's 270 acre (1.1 km²) tract in Bear Canyon is used for this purpose; trips also take place in areas throughout the state. The sixth grade students in 2008/2009 were the first sixth grade class in recent years to take an overnight trip in Bear Canyon. In addition the sixth graders also go on day trips, while the seventh grade class goes to Bear Canyon for a week. The 8th grade class takes a weeklong retreat to Manzano moutntain retreat in and the 9th grade class takes another weeklong backpacking
trip to various areas throughout the state. As a conclusion to the theme of group camping trips, the entire senior class also ventures to Manzano mountain retreat over the first weekend of school for additional bonding among the members of the grades, who have often been together for 7 years at the school. The campus also houses a low ropes course
, and a higher 60 ft (18 m) tower, with a harness swing attached, called the Alpine Tower. The older students are offered classes in outdoor leadership as well as kayaking
and tai chi chih
.
Albuquerque Academy prides itself on its 8:1 student/teacher ratio.
In 2009, 93 of 400 upper school students were named AP Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP exams taken in the spring of 2008. 31 out of 160 seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists. Academy Seniors received both New Mexico Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, given to two seniors, one male and one female, from each state.
Tuition (including lunch fees) for 2008-09: $16,189
Books: Cost ranges from $250–$500 per year, depending upon grade level
that has received numerous awards from the Albuquerque Tribune
and the New Mexico Press Women), Science Olympiad, Science Bowl
, and theater. Students are able to submit proposals to the 10-12 Student Senate to create a new club or activity, which nearly always approves activities.
The Academy sponsors a guitar quartet, an outgrowth of its renowned guitar program, which is prominent in the local music community.
The three longest sports state championship streaks by Academy sports teams are the 6-Peat Boys Basketball team (1989–1994) led by Coach Mike Brown, the 6-time state champion Boys Tennis Team (2004–present), and the 6-time state champion Boys Track team (2002–2007) led by Coach Adam Kedge.
Coach Kedge has also led the Boys Cross Country team to Nike Cross Nationals (formerly Nike Team Nationals) five out of the six years it has been in existence, most notably to a third place finish in 2007 and a fifth place finish in 2009.
In the spring of 2006, the orchestra, called the Chamber Players, was invited to attend the National Orchestra Festival in Kansas City, Missouri, where they received a superior rating.
In May 2010, the school's team won the US
DOE
Middle School Science Bowl
competition in Washington, DC. The team members were Andy Chen, Jason Frank Hou, Ben Zolyomi, Eric Li (team captain), and Raya Koreh (official alternate)...
Previous Academy Science Bowl teams had finished second (in 2006) and fourth (in 2009).
In addition to these optional extracurricular activities, all students at the Academy spend the final month of their senior year doing a "senior project," which is the culmination of the experiential education part of the curriculum. A senior project is usually an off-campus internship with a community sponsor; it can also be on-campus work with a faculty mentor, participation in a seminar, or it can be a completely self-directed project.
The Academy also offers a summer school program, which has a variety of classes including language, science, and art. The summer program usually runs from early June to mid-July, lasting 6 weeks (with a vacation for Independence Day). In addition to the academic offerings, the summer program includes a traditional summer camp
and athletic and aquatic camps.
The Speech and Debate team had held the state title for 24 straight years by 2010, but lost the title to East Mountain High School at the 2011 state championships by one sweepstakes point, taking second place. At the 2009 State Speech and Debate Tournament, Albuquerque Academy had five state champions, as well as winning Speech Sweepstakes, Debate Sweepstakes, and Debate Coach of the Year (Susan Ontiveros). The Albuquerque Academy style of Original Oratory is popular on the National Speech and Debate circuit, brought about by 2001 champion Yasmin Mashhoon and coach Randy McCutcheon. At the 2010 State Speech and Debate Tournament, Albuquerque Academy also won Speech Sweepstakes, Debate Sweepstakes, and had many state champions.
The school also has a successful mock trial program, qualifying at least one team for state competition every year since the program was rebooted in 2005. The Varsity team is the 2011 New Mexico State Champion team, meaning that it will be representing New Mexico at national competition in May 2011.
Sartans that has lasted for decades. Albuquerque Academy and St. Pius had evenly matched teams and were the largest two independent schools in the Albuquerque metropolitan area for years, fueling the rivalry which grew during the 1980s. Signs of the rivalry show up occasionally in acts of vandalism: St. Pius students apparently burned a large X into the Richard Harper Memorial Field at Albuquerque Academy (although this act was ascribed by some to students from La Cueva High School
). Also, Academy students allegedly defaced the statue on the St. Pius campus numerous times. In 2000, all of the fingers except for the middle finger of the statue were broken off. This caused public outrage from the faculty of both schools, and a member of the Academy varsity soccer team was blamed.
Most recently, students at St. Pius X High School defaced a memorial site of a deceased Academy student on the Albuquerque Academy campus and spray-painted other areas around the campus, inciting outrage from both Albuquerque Academy and the St. Pius administrations. Though the offending students were dismissed, numerous members of the St. Pius community publicly protested what they viewed as an unfair punishment.
A notorious event in the rivalry's history occurred on October 6, 1976, when someone, allegedly St. Pius students, set fire to Albuquerque Academy's wooden press box the night before their annual football game. Another well-known event occurred in 1996, when a St. Pius football center played with two buckles on his helmet that were made razor sharp by his father. One Charger football player was hospitalized with serious injuries. The New Mexico Activities Association determined that this was the work of an individual, with no evidence to show that other students were involved.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, USA. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the New Mexico State Department of Education. Albuquerque Academy is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
National Association of Independent Schools
The National Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1963, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boarding, and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary...
. It is not to be confused with Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque High School is a public senior high school near Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is a part of the Albuquerque Public School district. Enrollment at AHS stands at 1,803.-History:...
, the first high school established in Albuquerque, which was originally named Albuquerque Academy.
Albuquerque Academy comprises three different divisions: the six-seven division (or "lower school"), the eight-nine division, and the ten-twelve division (both in the "upper school").
History
Albuquerque Academy was founded in 1955 as The Academy for Boys in the basement of a small Albuquerque church by William B. S. Wilburn. The school was eventually moved into a facility that is today used by Sandia Preparatory SchoolSandia Preparatory School
Sandia Preparatory School is a private, secular college preparatory school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.In 1958, Barbara Young Simms began to investigate the possibility of starting a girls day school in Albuquerque. In 1965, she secured land, established a board of trustees and formed the...
. In 1965, the school moved to its current site in northeast Albuquerque.
Between 1957 and 1964, the Academy received a large tract of undeveloped land north of Albuquerque, part of the Elena Gallegos Land Grant, from the Albert G. Simms
Albert G. Simms
Albert Gallatin Simms was a United States Representative from New Mexico. He was the husband of Ruth Hanna McCormick who was a United States Representative from Illinois. He was born in Washington, Arkansas where he attended private schools and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville...
family. The western portion (from Wyoming Boulevard to the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
) was sold to finance the creation of the current campus and the first endowment fund, and the present campus was created in the middle of the tract. The land east of the campus, reaching to the crest of the Sandia Mountains
Sandia Mountains
The Sandia Mountains name posu gai hoo-oo, "where water slides down arroyo") are a mountain range located in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, immediately to the east of the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The range is largely within the Cibola National...
, was sold later in a series of deals. First the section from the campus to Juan Tabo Boulevard was sold to create a second trust. Later, the City of Albuquerque attempted to facilitate a deal to sell the remainder to the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
by putting up a parking garage as collateral. The deal fell through and the Academy became the garage owner while still retaining the area.
In July 1982, the city purchased most of the land in a complex deal with the Academy and the US Forest Service. The City paid the Academy $23.9 million, raised by a bond
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
issue supported by a temporary ¼ percent sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
. The City retained part of the land, which is now the 640 acre (2.6 km²) Elena Gallegos Picnic Area/Albert G. Simms Park, located at the feet of the Sandias at the mouths of Bear and Pino Canyons. The 7,000 acre (28 km²) plus remainder of the purchase, most of it forest land in the canyons proper, was sold to the Forest Service, and is now part of the Cibola National Forest
Cibola National Forest
The Cibola National Forest is a United States National Forest in western and central New Mexico, USA. The forest also manages four National Grasslands that stretch from northeastern New Mexico eastward into the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. It is administered by the United States Forest...
and the Sandia Mountain Wilderness
Sandia Mountain Wilderness
Sandia Mountain Wilderness, part of Cibola National Forest, is located east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1978 by an act of the United States Congress and has a total of ....
. The Academy retained two parts of the tract, the larger adjoining Tramway Boulevard. The school set up the High Desert Investment Corporation
High Desert Investment Corporation
High Desert Investment Corporation is a development firm located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is a for-profit subsidiary completely owned by Albuquerque Academy, an independent school in the city. The High Desert Investment Corporation developed High Desert, Albuquerque, New Mexico and is...
(HDIC) to develop this portion as the master-planned community known as High Desert. (The smaller portion, within Bear Canyon itself, is still used by the Academy for experiential education purposes.) HDIC then purchased a large tract of land in the northern section of Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
There were 18,995 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had...
, which it is currently developing as Mariposa
Mariposa, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Mariposa is a master-planned community that is located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, in the United States. It encompasses of land annexed by the City of Rio Rancho. High Desert Investment Corporation is the primary developer of Mariposa.-Layout:...
. The proceeds from the land sales and from HDIC have provided the Academy with a substantial endowment, which is used partly to defray tuition expenses and to subsidize a significant need-based financial aid program.
The school remained an all-boys school, with grades five through twelve, until 1973, at which time girls were allowed into grades nine through twelve. Part of the reason for the delay in allowing girls and for the gradual inclusion was that the Simms grant specified that the number of boys not decrease in order to make room for girls. The 5th grade was dropped in 1979, and the school became fully coeducational in 1984.
Today, the Academy has an enrollment of just over 1,000 in grades 6 through 12, with students drawn from throughout the Albuquerque metropolitan area and the state of New Mexico. The Albuquerque Academy celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2004-2005 school year with a year-long celebration of the school's history.
Heads of school
- William B. S. Wilburn, 1955–1960
- Rev. Paul G. Saunders, 1960–1964
- Ashby Harper, 1964–1985
- Robert L. Bovinette, 1985–1996
- Timothy R. McIntire, 1996–1999
- Donald W. Smith (interim head), 1999–2001
- Andrew T. Watson, 2001–present
Facilities
The school sits on an approximately 312 acre (1.5 km²) gated campus in the northeastern part of the city. It is divided into two campuses, the West Campus and the East Campus. The two campuses are separated by about a quarter of a mile, with the library, science building, and athletic fields in between. The school buildings conform to a consistent, Mediterranean-influenced architectural style, which incorporates brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
buildings, arches, and tile roofs.
West Campus
The West Campus comprises eight buildings including sixth and seventh grade classroom buildings, an administration building, a dining hall, and a gymnasium. In addition, the Visual Arts building and Natatorium are on the West Campus. All of the buildings except the Natatorium were designed by Robert McCabe of Flatow, Moore, Bryan, and Associates, and opened in 1984. The Natatorium was added to the West Campus Gymnasium in 1997.Simms Library
The Dr. Albert G. Simms II and Barbara Young Simms Library (almost always shortened to "Simms Library") is the Academy's most iconic building, housing the school's collection of over 135,000 books, periodicals, videos, and recordings. It comprises two wings that open onto a central lobby, with the fiction/nonfiction section housed in the larger north wing and reference materials in the east wing. The Library was designed by Alexander "Sandy" Howe of the BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
firm of Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott and opened in 1991 along with the Science Building. The Library spire is the highest point on campus.
Science Building
The Science Building sits across a brick plaza from the Library. It houses the majority of the Academy's science classrooms, labs, and faculty, as well as some teachers from other departments. The building comprises two classroom wings and two laboratory wings grouped around a square central courtyard, which includes a small pond, containing some small fish and aquatic pond snails. The main foyer houses a large Foucault pendulumFoucault pendulum
The Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
. (Another much smaller pendulum is located in Brown Hall on the East Campus). The Science Building was also designed by Howe and opened at the same time as the Library.
East Campus
The East Campus currently houses grades 8-12. It includes the Academy's four original buildings, all grouped around a central quad: North Hall (the 8-9 classroom building), Brown Hall (the 10-12 classroom building), the Administration Building (which includes the office of the Head of School), and the gymnasium-dining hall complex. All were designed by Edward O. Holien of Holien and Buckley and completed in 1965. Also on the East Campus is the Simms Center for the Performing Arts, designed by George Pearl, completed in 1975, and remodeled in 2000; and the Music Building, designed by Bill Sabatini of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini and completed in 1996.Athletic facilities
The Academy's largest sports facilities are used for footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and soccer games and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
meets), the East Campus Gym (basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
), and the Natatorium (swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
). There are also several soccer, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
fields, a 16-court tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
complex, a cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
course, a weight room, and basketball courts.
Experiential education
The Academy curriculum includes a significant experiential education component, part of which involves outdoor activities such as backpackingBackpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, and canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
. The school's 270 acre (1.1 km²) tract in Bear Canyon is used for this purpose; trips also take place in areas throughout the state. The sixth grade students in 2008/2009 were the first sixth grade class in recent years to take an overnight trip in Bear Canyon. In addition the sixth graders also go on day trips, while the seventh grade class goes to Bear Canyon for a week. The 8th grade class takes a weeklong retreat to Manzano moutntain retreat in and the 9th grade class takes another weeklong backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
trip to various areas throughout the state. As a conclusion to the theme of group camping trips, the entire senior class also ventures to Manzano mountain retreat over the first weekend of school for additional bonding among the members of the grades, who have often been together for 7 years at the school. The campus also houses a low ropes course
Ropes course
A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground...
, and a higher 60 ft (18 m) tower, with a harness swing attached, called the Alpine Tower. The older students are offered classes in outdoor leadership as well as kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
and tai chi chih
Tai chi chih
Tai chi chih is a series of 19 movements and 1 pose that together make up a meditative form of exercise to which practitioners attribute physical and spiritual health benefits...
.
Student body
The school is roughly half boys and half girls, and nearly one half of the students have non-white backgrounds. The Academy also ranks among the top independent secondary schools with regard to need-based financial aid offered to students, totaling nearly one-third of the student body and 2.2 million dollars.Albuquerque Academy prides itself on its 8:1 student/teacher ratio.
In 2009, 93 of 400 upper school students were named AP Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP exams taken in the spring of 2008. 31 out of 160 seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists. Academy Seniors received both New Mexico Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, given to two seniors, one male and one female, from each state.
Tuition
The board of trustees sets tuition for each school year. While the current cost per student stands at $35,000 per year, the endowment allows for a tuition cost of $17,500. Financial aid is awarded based on tuition (including lunch fees) and an average book cost. The Academy participates in the National Lunch Program, a federally funded program that allows families with certain income levels to receive free or reduced lunches. Families that qualify for this program will be asked to apply as part of their overall financial aid award. The Albuquerque Academy adds that every student's education is half provided for from their own endowment on a yearly basis.Tuition (including lunch fees) for 2008-09: $16,189
Books: Cost ranges from $250–$500 per year, depending upon grade level
Extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities are an important part of the Academy experience. Some of the larger activities include many state championship sports teams, The Advocate (a student newsmagazineNewsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
that has received numerous awards from the Albuquerque Tribune
Albuquerque Tribune
The Albuquerque Tribune was an afternoon newspaper in Albuquerque, New Mexico, founded in 1922 by Carlton Cole Magee as Magee's Independent. It was published in the afternoon and evening Monday through Saturday....
and the New Mexico Press Women), Science Olympiad, Science Bowl
Science Bowl
Science Bowl is a high school and middle school academic competition, similar to Quiz Bowl, held in the United States. Two teams of four students each compete to answer various science-related questions. In order to determine which student has the right to answer the question, a buzzer system is...
, and theater. Students are able to submit proposals to the 10-12 Student Senate to create a new club or activity, which nearly always approves activities.
The Academy sponsors a guitar quartet, an outgrowth of its renowned guitar program, which is prominent in the local music community.
The three longest sports state championship streaks by Academy sports teams are the 6-Peat Boys Basketball team (1989–1994) led by Coach Mike Brown, the 6-time state champion Boys Tennis Team (2004–present), and the 6-time state champion Boys Track team (2002–2007) led by Coach Adam Kedge.
Coach Kedge has also led the Boys Cross Country team to Nike Cross Nationals (formerly Nike Team Nationals) five out of the six years it has been in existence, most notably to a third place finish in 2007 and a fifth place finish in 2009.
In the spring of 2006, the orchestra, called the Chamber Players, was invited to attend the National Orchestra Festival in Kansas City, Missouri, where they received a superior rating.
In May 2010, the school's team won the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
DOE
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
Middle School Science Bowl
Science Bowl
Science Bowl is a high school and middle school academic competition, similar to Quiz Bowl, held in the United States. Two teams of four students each compete to answer various science-related questions. In order to determine which student has the right to answer the question, a buzzer system is...
competition in Washington, DC. The team members were Andy Chen, Jason Frank Hou, Ben Zolyomi, Eric Li (team captain), and Raya Koreh (official alternate)...
Previous Academy Science Bowl teams had finished second (in 2006) and fourth (in 2009).
In addition to these optional extracurricular activities, all students at the Academy spend the final month of their senior year doing a "senior project," which is the culmination of the experiential education part of the curriculum. A senior project is usually an off-campus internship with a community sponsor; it can also be on-campus work with a faculty mentor, participation in a seminar, or it can be a completely self-directed project.
The Academy also offers a summer school program, which has a variety of classes including language, science, and art. The summer program usually runs from early June to mid-July, lasting 6 weeks (with a vacation for Independence Day). In addition to the academic offerings, the summer program includes a traditional summer camp
Summer 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....
and athletic and aquatic camps.
The Speech and Debate team had held the state title for 24 straight years by 2010, but lost the title to East Mountain High School at the 2011 state championships by one sweepstakes point, taking second place. At the 2009 State Speech and Debate Tournament, Albuquerque Academy had five state champions, as well as winning Speech Sweepstakes, Debate Sweepstakes, and Debate Coach of the Year (Susan Ontiveros). The Albuquerque Academy style of Original Oratory is popular on the National Speech and Debate circuit, brought about by 2001 champion Yasmin Mashhoon and coach Randy McCutcheon. At the 2010 State Speech and Debate Tournament, Albuquerque Academy also won Speech Sweepstakes, Debate Sweepstakes, and had many state champions.
The school also has a successful mock trial program, qualifying at least one team for state competition every year since the program was rebooted in 2005. The Varsity team is the 2011 New Mexico State Champion team, meaning that it will be representing New Mexico at national competition in May 2011.
Sports State Championships
The Academy has been extremely successful in athletic competition, winning an extraordinary number of state championships. The sports programs were especially prolific during the 2008-2009 academic year - securing a total of 9 state championships.| Table of State Championships | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Fall | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
0 | |
| Boys' Cross Country Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... |
12 | 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 | |||
| Girls' Cross Country | 3 | 1993, 2005, 2008 | |||
| Boys' Soccer | 4 | 1984, 1999, 2000, 2001 | |||
| Girls' Soccer | 7 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 | |||
| Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... |
1 | 1998 | |||
| Winter | Boys' Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
8 | 1981, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 | ||
| Girls' Basketball | 0 | ||||
| Boys' Swimming Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... |
21 | 1972, 1973, 1975, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 | |||
| Girls' Swimming | 15 | 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 | |||
| Wrestling Wrestling Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position... |
5 | 1969, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983 | |||
| Spring | Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
2 | 1999, 2009 | ||
| Cheerleading Cheerleading Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate... |
0 | ||||
| Boys' Golf Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... |
6 | 1975, 1990, 1997, 2003, 2008, 2009 | |||
| Girls' Golf | 0 | ||||
| Softball Softball Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand... |
0 | ||||
| Boys' Track | 11 | 1991, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 | |||
| Girls' Track | 6 | 1993, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 | |||
| Boys' Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... |
14 | 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 , 2011 | |||
| Girls' Tennis | 7 | 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006 | |||
| Total | 122 (Most amongst NM high schools) |
Totals current through Spring 2011 | |||
Rivalry With St. Pius X High School
The Albuquerque Academy Chargers hold a fierce rivalry with the St. Pius XSt. Pius X High School (Albuquerque)
St. Pius X High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was established in 1956. It is administered in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe....
Sartans that has lasted for decades. Albuquerque Academy and St. Pius had evenly matched teams and were the largest two independent schools in the Albuquerque metropolitan area for years, fueling the rivalry which grew during the 1980s. Signs of the rivalry show up occasionally in acts of vandalism: St. Pius students apparently burned a large X into the Richard Harper Memorial Field at Albuquerque Academy (although this act was ascribed by some to students from La Cueva High School
La Cueva High School
La Cueva High School is a public high school located in northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is part of the Albuquerque Public Schools District. Their mascot is a bear. The La Cueva Cluster has several middle and elementary schools that feed into it, of which include Desert Ridge, Madison, and...
). Also, Academy students allegedly defaced the statue on the St. Pius campus numerous times. In 2000, all of the fingers except for the middle finger of the statue were broken off. This caused public outrage from the faculty of both schools, and a member of the Academy varsity soccer team was blamed.
Most recently, students at St. Pius X High School defaced a memorial site of a deceased Academy student on the Albuquerque Academy campus and spray-painted other areas around the campus, inciting outrage from both Albuquerque Academy and the St. Pius administrations. Though the offending students were dismissed, numerous members of the St. Pius community publicly protested what they viewed as an unfair punishment.
A notorious event in the rivalry's history occurred on October 6, 1976, when someone, allegedly St. Pius students, set fire to Albuquerque Academy's wooden press box the night before their annual football game. Another well-known event occurred in 1996, when a St. Pius football center played with two buckles on his helmet that were made razor sharp by his father. One Charger football player was hospitalized with serious injuries. The New Mexico Activities Association determined that this was the work of an individual, with no evidence to show that other students were involved.
Notable alumni
- Norman BayNorman BayNorman C. Bay is a former United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. Bay was the first Chinese-American United States Attorney....
, former United States AttorneyUnited States AttorneyUnited States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
and current head of the FERC Office of Enforcement - Curtis BeachCurtis BeachCurtis Beach is an American decathlete, competing for Duke University. He is coached by superior trainer Vijay Menon. He holds the current high school records in the decathlon using three different implement standards: high school , international junior and international senior...
, high school decathlon national record holder - Notah Begay IIINotah Begay IIINotah Ryan Begay III is an American professional golfer. He is the only full-blooded American Indian golfer on the PGA Tour. He is currently an analyst with the Golf Channel.-Amateur career:...
, professional golfer - Brian ConreyBrian ConreyJohn Brian Conrey is an American mathematician and the executive director of the American Institute of Mathematics. His research interests are in number theory, specifically analysis of L-functions and the Riemann zeta function. He received his B.S. from Santa Clara University in 1973 and received...
, professor of MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at Oklahoma State University and Founding Executive Director of the American Institute of MathematicsAmerican Institute of MathematicsThe American Institute of Mathematics was founded in 1994 by John Fry and is located in Palo Alto, California. Privately funded by Fry at inception, in 2002, AIM became one of eight NSF-funded mathematical institutes.... - David EaglemanDavid EaglemanDavid Eagleman is a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, where he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. He is best known for his work on time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw...
, noted neuroscience researcher at Baylor College of MedicineBaylor College of MedicineBaylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
and internationally bestselling fiction author - Cody ToppertCody ToppertCody Arlyn Töpper is an American-born German professional basketball player. At 6'4" tall, he is a left-handed guard who possesses an ability to shoot the ball and is quick and strong enough to drive past defenders and finish in the lane...
, former high school, college and professional basketball player Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Albuquerque ThunderbirdsAlbuquerque ThunderbirdsThe New Mexico Thunderbirds were a professional NBA Development League minor league basketball team which played from 2005-2011. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Thunderbirds first played their home games at Tingley Coliseum as the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, then played at the Santa Ana Star... - R. Martin Chavez, Managing Partner at Goldman SachsGoldman SachsThe Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
and philanthropist - Albert Chainey Umphrey, 1996 Olympic Gymnastics Competitor