The Norwich Free Academy (commonly called "
NFA") founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
located in the city of
Norwich, ConnecticutNorwich, known as "The Rose of New England," is a city in, and former county seat of, New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 36,117 at the 2000 census...
. The Academy serves as the primary high school for Norwich and the surrounding towns of
CanterburyCanterbury is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,692 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1832, Prudence Crandall, a schoolteacher raised as a Quaker, stirred controversy when she opened a school for black girls in town...
,
BozrahBozrah is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,357 at the 2000 census. Bozrah contains two villages: Fitchville, the town center, and Gilman.-History:...
,
VoluntownVoluntown is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles...
,
SpragueSprague is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.8 square miles , of which, 13.2 square miles of it is land and 0.6 square miles ...
,
LisbonLisbon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,069 at the 2000 census. The town also includes the village of Newent...
,
FranklinFranklin is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,835 at the 2000 census. The town also includes the village of North Franklin.-Geography:...
,
PrestonPreston is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,688 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck.-Geography:...
and
several others. It was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2001. The class of 2007 graduated in NFA's 151st year of operation.
The Norwich Free Academy was incorporated in 1855 by an act of the Connecticut Legislature, and it operates as an endowed educational institution.
The Norwich Free Academy (commonly called "
NFA") founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
located in the city of
Norwich, ConnecticutNorwich, known as "The Rose of New England," is a city in, and former county seat of, New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 36,117 at the 2000 census...
. The Academy serves as the primary high school for Norwich and the surrounding towns of
CanterburyCanterbury is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,692 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1832, Prudence Crandall, a schoolteacher raised as a Quaker, stirred controversy when she opened a school for black girls in town...
,
BozrahBozrah is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,357 at the 2000 census. Bozrah contains two villages: Fitchville, the town center, and Gilman.-History:...
,
VoluntownVoluntown is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles...
,
SpragueSprague is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.8 square miles , of which, 13.2 square miles of it is land and 0.6 square miles ...
,
LisbonLisbon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,069 at the 2000 census. The town also includes the village of Newent...
,
FranklinFranklin is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,835 at the 2000 census. The town also includes the village of North Franklin.-Geography:...
,
PrestonPreston is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,688 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck.-Geography:...
and
several others. It was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2001. The class of 2007 graduated in NFA's 151st year of operation.
The Norwich Free Academy was incorporated in 1855 by an act of the Connecticut Legislature, and it operates as an endowed educational institution. It is governed by its Board of Trustees without control from either the City of Norwich or the Norwich Public Schools. The Academy therefore describes itself as an
independent schoolAn independent school is a school which is independent in terms of its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some...
. The
Connecticut State Department of EducationConnecticut State Department of Education is a branch of the state government of Connecticut in the United States. The agency is headquartered in the State Office Building at 165 Capitol Avenue in Hartford...
does not list NFA in its list of non-public schools
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/csde/reports/Report.asp?intSectionID=16 and therefore considers it to be a
public schoolIn most of the world, excluding England and Wales and some Commonwealth countries, a public school is an educational institution that is funded with tax revenue and most commonly administered by a local government or government agency...
because the state of Connecticut oversees the school
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0506/sr167.pdf. NFA is a member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools
http://www.caisct.org/cais/schoolfinder/allSchoolList.aspx.
Campus
NFA is located at 305 Broadway
http://www.google.com/maps?q=305+Broadway,+Norwich,+CT+06360&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title across from Park Church and the Chelsea Parade.
Alumni Hall
Named in honor of numerous alumni who contributed to its construction, this is the newer and larger gymnasium. This concrete building is where all indoor sporting events and many assemblies/dances are held.
Shattuck House
Shattuck House is the building in which most upperclassmen English and history-based classes are held; consisting of three floors of classrooms in the larger section of the building, as well as a smaller section that houses four other classrooms as well as the Shattuck main offices.
Levanto House
This building is used for all alumni affairs, and should not be confused with Alumni Hall. It is named in honor of a former superintendent, Joseph Levanto.
Bradlaw House
Main building for most math and computer related classes. There are also Tech Ed classes in the basement, and painting and sculpture classes held on the main floor. The structure was named after a former teacher, Paul Bradlaw, progenitor of the Academy's formerly successful and renowned printing and publishing program. In 2005, the Bradlaw House had a major addition put on it, the Sidney E. Frank Center for Visual and Performing Arts.
Converse Art Gallery
The gallery and building is named in the memory of Colonel John Converse. The Converse building holds various art, English, marine biology and mathematics classes on the first floors and basement. Capped with a large pyramid skylight for a roof, the upper floor is home to the Converse Art Gallery on the third floor, showcasing quite a bit of student work as well as that of other local artists.
Cranston House
Cranston, formerly known as Commercial, was established as the ninth grade house in the early 1990s and the building now houses very few classes for upperclassmen. The cooking classroom, as well as The Brickview Inn, a student run alternative to the cafeteria, is located in the basement of the building. Classes include all freshmen level academics, as well as some business classes. The roof of the Cranston building sports an astronomical observatory donated by members of the Mallove and Albertson families.
The Brickview Inn
The Brickview Inn was originally opened on the third floor of the Bradlaw House before it moved its facilities. It gained the name because of the prominence of the red brick that composed the nearby Tirrell House, Slater Hall and Converse Art Gallery. Now located in the basement of the Cranston House, the Brickview is managed entirely by the student body. The Restaurant Management class uses this as their classroom, with the seniors who elect to take the course managing, shopping for, cooking and serving the food to guests. The Brickview serves gourmet and often exotic meals to students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October to May. The restaurant has a homestyle theme, with paintings on the walls and various plants..
Latham Science and Information Center
Latham is home to many science classrooms. A
numberA number is a mathematical object used in counting and measuring. A notational symbol which represents a number is called a numeral, but in common usage the word number is used for both the abstract object and the symbol, as well as for the word for the number...
of modernized physics and chemistry labs are located in this building. There are also a few meeting rooms and offices However, Latham's most notable point is the Land Library upstairs. Spanning two floors, the library contains a comprehensive selection of books ranging from fiction to nonfiction, volumes of poetry, biographies, references, archives and mircofilm. It also has numerous computer terminals for online information.
The building is named after Nathaniel Latham, and the Library after Edwin H. Land, the inventor of the Polaroid, both alumni.
Norton-Peck Library
The Peck Library was originally located in southwestern corner of the second floor of Slater Hall in space that is now used for museum purposes. NFA acquired the Lafayette Foster House, a large Italianite Victorian mansion, and an endowment for a library from the Norton estate about 1953, and the Peck Library was relocated into the Lafayette Foster House to create the Norton-Peck Library. The Norton-Peck Library served as the school library until Latham was constructed and connected to the house. The Norton-Peck and Land Libraries are now one building. After the library moved its collection to the more modern facilities of Land, the Lafayette Foster House was converted to use for office space and conference rooms. Occasionally, school clubs use the rooms as meeting spaces.
Norton Gymnasium
This is the older of the two gymnasia, under which the female locker room and weight rooms are held. A large multipurpose classroom utilized for CPR training, dance, and some PE classes are located on the second floor.
Slater Hall and Museum
Named in honor of
John Fox SlaterJohn Fox Slater , United States philanthropist, son of John Slater , was born in Slatersville, Rhode Island....
, it holds the theater, where many plays and concerts have been held. In the basement, there are various classes as well as the campus safety department. Above the theater, Slater Museum resides. This museum marks NFA as one of the few high schools in the nation with an active historical institution on campus. The museum contains a collection of plaster casts of famous Roman, Greek and Egyptian statues. The museum also contains numerous exhibits of colonial and historic artifacts, as well as a collection of representationalist paintings, smaller sculpture and ethnic art.
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~gasmith/pictures/slater.GIF
Sidney E. Frank Center For Visual and Performing Arts
This building was completed in 2005 as an addition to the Bradlaw building. It has become the new home to the instrumental and vocal music programs, located in the Eva Virginia Smith Instrumental Music Suite, as well as an ensemble room, used mainly for computer presentations and small assemblies. There are a few math and social studies classrooms in this building as well. A small student art gallery is located in the lobby.
Tirrell Building
Also called Main or Main Building, it holds the TV studio and cafeteria, as well as the language classrooms, health classroom, and many science classrooms. While many students believe that this and Slater are the original two buildings, neither are right, as an older, structurally unsound, building stood where Tirrell does now. Tirrell is named after former superintendent Henry A. Tirrell.
Demographics
Racial makeup of the school in 2006-2008 was
White 76.5%,
African American 11.4%,
Native American 1.6%,
Asian 5.7%,
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population.
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
The total minority population for the school in 2006-2007 was 27.5%
The total minority population for the school in 2001-2002 was 20.1%
Statistics
Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate for Class of 2006: 93.6%
State Average: 92.2%
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Activities of Graduates
% Attending Two or Four Year
CollegeCollege is a term most often used today to denote degree awarding tertiary educational institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of colleagues, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals...
:
2006: 82.5%
2001: 77.6%
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Staff Education
% of Staff with Master’s degree or Above: 84.0%
State Average: 76.0%
http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Varsity Sport Teams at Norwich Free Academy
- Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal 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 square, or diamond...
- Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
- Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a sport that uses organized routines that range from 1 minute to 3 minutes made from elements of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games and matches and/or compete at cheerleading competitions. Cheerleaders draw...
- Cross Country
Cross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...
- Fencing
Fencing is a family of sports and activities that feature armed combat involving cutting, stabbing, or bludgeoning weapons that are directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot, thrown or positioned. Examples include swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and similar weapons...
- Field Hockey
Field hockey is a team sport in which a team of players attempt to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking the ball with hockey sticks into the opposing team's goal. Its official name is simply hockey, and this is the common name for it in many countries...
- Football
American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
- Golf
Golf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
- Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, balance and grace. Artistic gymnastics is the best known and most popular of the gymnastics sports governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique...
- Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin that is played using a small solid rubber ball and a long-handled racquet called a crosse or lacrosse stick. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose netting that is designed to hold the lacrosse ball...
- Marching Band
A marching band is, in the broadest terms, a group of performers that consist of instrumental musicians and sometimes dance teams / color guard who generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds,...
- Soccer
- Swimming
The aquatic sport of swimming involves competition amongst participants to be the fastest over a given distance under self propulsion.The different events include 25, 50, 100, 200, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly, the 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 500, 800, 1000, 1500, and 1650 free and the 100,...
- Tennis
Tennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 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...
- Wrestling
Scholastic wrestling is the style of amateur wrestling practiced at the high school and middle school level in the United States. The wrestling style is essentially collegiate wrestling, with some slight modifications...