Kingswood-Oxford School
Encyclopedia
Kingswood Oxford School is a private day school located in West Hartford, Connecticut
. Originally two separate schools, Kingswood School and Oxford School for boys and girls respectively, KO is now a co-educational institution and offers grades 6 through 12. KO employs over 175 teachers as well as administrative, library, building and grounds, and culinary staff.
KO's debate and public speaking club (the Forensic Union) has won numerous tournaments in the Debating Association of New England Independent Schools (DANEIS, www.daneis.org) and has placed highly in international competitions such as the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship.
There are also numerous performing groups, including the Octopipers, a selective group of eighth-grade girls that began in Oxford; F2B, a selective chorus group for Middle School boys; the sixth-grade Upper Prep Choraliers; Crimson 7, an a cappella group of Upper School boys; Voce Novissima, an elite all-girls' Upper School choir; Middle and Upper School mixed choruses; Middle and Upper School Concert Band; and the Jazz Ensemble in both the Middle School and Upper School.
Martin opened Oxford School in 1909 in her home on Oxford Street in Hartford's West End. In 1924, the School moved to 695 Prospect Ave. in West Hartford. The Prospect Street site became the permanent home of Oxford and served as the home for Kingswood Oxford's Middle School until the new Estes Family Building for the Middle School opened on the same campus as the Upper School in 2003. In the summer of 2007 KO expanded and improved the dining facility and added the multisport (football, lacrosse, soccer, field hockey and softball) articifical turf field. In 2008 construction began on the new Chase-Tallwood Science Math Technology Center, which was completed at the commencement of the 2009 school year coinciding with the School's Centennial Celebration.
Nicholson established the Kingswood School seven years later. He named the School for his alma mater
, the Kingswood School
based in Bath, England
. The new Kingswood School inherited some of the traditions of the English school, including the School's crest, motto, colors (black and crimson) and distinctive symbol, the Wyvern. The wyvern is a mythical creature said to have two legs, two clawed wings and a serpent's tail.
Strong enrollments and leaders as well as steady growth in program and facilities marked the legacy of both schools until their merger in 1969. The School's name became Kingswood-Oxford School, with a hyphen separating the names of the schools. At the time of the merger, Kingswood Oxford adopted the Oxford School motto: Vincit qui se vincit (One conquers by conquering oneself). Kingswood's motto had been "In via recta celeriter" (In the right direction swiftly). In 2010, the School dropped the hyphen from its name, making it Kingswood Oxford School.
KO's current Head of School is Dennis Bisgaard, who between 1994 and 2000 was an administrator at Collegiate School
, where Dr. Lee M. Levison, KO's former head, now serves as headmaster. While at Collegiate School, Bisgaard founded and directed the Collegiate School Teaching Institute. In 2000, Bisgaard was appointed Associate Director at Shady Hill School in Cambridge
, Massachusetts
, where he later served as acting head of school during Director Bruce Shaw's sabbatical leave. Bisgaard currently serves on the following nonprofit boards: National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS); National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls (NAPSG); Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS); Covenant Preparatory School; WALKS; Sphere; and Founders League.
West Hartford, Connecticut
West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford....
. Originally two separate schools, Kingswood School and Oxford School for boys and girls respectively, KO is now a co-educational institution and offers grades 6 through 12. KO employs over 175 teachers as well as administrative, library, building and grounds, and culinary staff.
Academics
KO students continually score well on Advanced Placement exams; the school is one of the top achievers on AP tests among Connecticut high schools.Extracurricular activities
Student groups at KO range from a newspaper (the KO News), a literary magazine called epic and a student-run yearbook to multicultural and community-service organizations.KO's debate and public speaking club (the Forensic Union) has won numerous tournaments in the Debating Association of New England Independent Schools (DANEIS, www.daneis.org) and has placed highly in international competitions such as the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship.
There are also numerous performing groups, including the Octopipers, a selective group of eighth-grade girls that began in Oxford; F2B, a selective chorus group for Middle School boys; the sixth-grade Upper Prep Choraliers; Crimson 7, an a cappella group of Upper School boys; Voce Novissima, an elite all-girls' Upper School choir; Middle and Upper School mixed choruses; Middle and Upper School Concert Band; and the Jazz Ensemble in both the Middle School and Upper School.
History
Kingswood Oxford School cherishes a rich history that blends the traditions of two independent schools - Oxford School for girls, founded in 1909 by Mary Martin, and Kingswood School, founded by George R.H. Nicholson in 1916. Martin and Nicholson founded their schools on the premise that "wise parents know they must share with teachers the shaping of the minds and character of young people" as first expressed by The American Country Day School Journal in the early 1900s. Throughout its history, KO has provided parents with numerous opportunities to participate actively in their children's education.Martin opened Oxford School in 1909 in her home on Oxford Street in Hartford's West End. In 1924, the School moved to 695 Prospect Ave. in West Hartford. The Prospect Street site became the permanent home of Oxford and served as the home for Kingswood Oxford's Middle School until the new Estes Family Building for the Middle School opened on the same campus as the Upper School in 2003. In the summer of 2007 KO expanded and improved the dining facility and added the multisport (football, lacrosse, soccer, field hockey and softball) articifical turf field. In 2008 construction began on the new Chase-Tallwood Science Math Technology Center, which was completed at the commencement of the 2009 school year coinciding with the School's Centennial Celebration.
Nicholson established the Kingswood School seven years later. He named the School for his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the Kingswood School
Kingswood School
Kingswood School, referred to as 'Kingswood', is an independent day and boarding school located in Bath, Somerset, England. The school is coeducational and educates some 950 children aged 3 to 18. It is notable for being founded by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in 1748...
based in Bath, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The new Kingswood School inherited some of the traditions of the English school, including the School's crest, motto, colors (black and crimson) and distinctive symbol, the Wyvern. The wyvern is a mythical creature said to have two legs, two clawed wings and a serpent's tail.
Strong enrollments and leaders as well as steady growth in program and facilities marked the legacy of both schools until their merger in 1969. The School's name became Kingswood-Oxford School, with a hyphen separating the names of the schools. At the time of the merger, Kingswood Oxford adopted the Oxford School motto: Vincit qui se vincit (One conquers by conquering oneself). Kingswood's motto had been "In via recta celeriter" (In the right direction swiftly). In 2010, the School dropped the hyphen from its name, making it Kingswood Oxford School.
KO's current Head of School is Dennis Bisgaard, who between 1994 and 2000 was an administrator at Collegiate School
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where Dr. Lee M. Levison, KO's former head, now serves as headmaster. While at Collegiate School, Bisgaard founded and directed the Collegiate School Teaching Institute. In 2000, Bisgaard was appointed Associate Director at Shady Hill School in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where he later served as acting head of school during Director Bruce Shaw's sabbatical leave. Bisgaard currently serves on the following nonprofit boards: National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS); National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls (NAPSG); Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS); Covenant Preparatory School; WALKS; Sphere; and Founders League.
Notable alumni
- Tim Brennan of the Dropkick MurphysDropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
- Kate Cheney ChappellKate ChappellKate Cheney Chappell is an American businesswoman, manufacturer, and co-founder of Tom's of Maine in 1970.Chappell is a 1963 graduate of Oxford School in West Hartford, Connecticut. She attended Chatham College and Sarah Lawrence College before she and her husband, cofounder Tom Chappell, moved to...
- Dominick DunneDominick DunneDominick John Dunne was an American writer and investigative journalist, whose subjects frequently hinged on the ways in which high society interacts with the judicial system...
- Katharine HepburnKatharine HepburnKatharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
- Jared JordanJared JordanJared Ahern Jordan is an American professional basketball player.-College career:Jordan, who graduated from Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, Connecticut in 2003, became the point guard for the Marist College basketball team until his graduation in 2007...
- John O'HurleyJohn O'HurleyJohn George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...