Park Tudor School
Encyclopedia
Park Tudor School is a private, coeducational, nondenominational school for grades junior kindergarten through 12 in the Meridian Hills neighborhood of Indianapolis
, Indiana
, USA. Park Tudor was created with the 1970 merger of Tudor Hall School for Girls (founded in 1902) and Park School (founded in 1914, formerly known as the Brooks School for Boys). There are currently (2011-12 school year) 996 students enrolled at the school, of which 421 are in grades 9-12. The current Head of School is Dr. Matthew D. Miller.
The school's motto is "Exceptional Educators. Extraordinary Opportunities."
s in Indianapolis, and later moved to locations at 32nd and Meridian Streets and Cold Spring Road.
Park Tudor’s other predecessor, Park School, began in 1914 as The Brooks School for Boys. In 1920, seven Indianapolis businessmen purchased the school to save it from financial problems and renamed it Boys Preparatory School. In 1929, the name was changed to Park School. The school was originally located at 16th and Central before moving to the former Carl Fisher estate on Cold Spring Road, and later to the current Park Tudor campus at 7200 North College Avenue.
Both Park School and Tudor Hall were founded to provide the same kind of education as the eastern preparatory schools, and both schools operated country day school programs. Tudor Hall also offered boarding facilities. Because the two schools were close neighbors, always occupying nearby campuses to each other, Tudor Hall and Park School developed a close association.
The two schools merged in 1970 to form Park Tudor School at the College Avenue campus. Park School had acquired the campus in 1967 on the former Lilly Orchard property donated by Eli Lilly Jr.
and his brother Josiah K. Lilly Jr.
Buildings on campus include the historic Foster Hall
(named by Eli Lilly Jr. after composer Stephen Foster
), Allen W. Clowes Commons dining hall (1967), Frederic M. Ayres Auditorium (1976), Jane Holton Upper School (1970), Middle School (1988), Lower School (1967), Hilbert Early Education Center (1997), Fine Arts Building (1976), Ruth Lilly
Science Center (1989), and the gymnasium.
The Upper School curriculum challenges students with an offering of 16 Advanced Placement courses and the unique Global Scholars program for highly motivated juniors and seniors. The Global Scholars program was developed by teacher Jan Guffin as a progression from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which he had been involved with at another school. Global Scholars challenges students in grades 11 and 12 with a Philosophies of Knowing course, independent research, self-assessments, 200 hours of community service and AP exams in five subjects. The culmination of the program is a presentation of a two-year research project with the help of a mentor (often a professional involved with the project topic).
Park Tudor‘s graduates have a 100% college placement rate. Ninety-eight percent of students attend one of their top three colleges of choice. Students consistently post among the highest SAT scores in the state, along with high ACT scores. Park Tudor students have been recognized for academic achievement by the Cum Laude Society
, National Merit Scholarship
competition, National Achievement Scholars, National AP Scholars and other AP Scholar distinctions, as well as various competitions in science, math, speech and debate, technology, writing and the arts.
. The school fields teams for the Upper School and Middle School in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, crew, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, wrestling and volleyball.
Four out of five Upper School students participate on an athletic team. A no-cut, inclusive policy allows any student who tries out for a team to participate.
The school’s varsity tennis teams are highly successful in state competition, with seven state championships for the boys and six for the girls, including four consecutive titles from 2005 to 2008. Coach Dave Heffern has led the tennis teams to 12 of the 13 titles in his 15 years at Park Tudor.
The 2010-11 varsity boys basketball team made a historic run to win the IHSAA Class 2A State Finals in March 2011 after finishing as state runner-up in 2010.
Other team state championships include: ice hockey (7), baseball, girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse. The Park Tudor boys lacrosse team recorded the only undefeated season in state history on its way to the 2001 state title. The Park Tudor Hockey team won AAAA state championships in four consecutive years, 1994-1997, 1999, 2001, and won the first-ever AAAAA state championship in 2002. In addition, the Panthers clinched the Midwest Prep League title in 2001 and 2002. Also, Park Tudor has individual State Champions in Girls Track 400M and 800M, with the current State record in the 800M. Many individual student-athletes have been recognized for All-State, Academic All-State, All-County and All-Conference honors.
The Drama department entertains the Park Tudor community with several productions every year. The Upper School produces a fall play and a spring musical. Seventh and eighth grade students also produce a musical every spring.
Vocalists and instrumental musicians from the Lower School to the Upper School participate in the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) competition each year.
The Visual Arts curriculum offers a wide range of opportunities for students to express their creativity, including drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, graphic design and printmaking.
The school also offers dance classes and private music lessons.
Travel is also an important out-of-the-classroom experience for Park Tudor students. Students from grades 3-12 have opportunities to travel for educational experiences outside of Indianapolis
. Upper School opportunities have included trips to China, Egypt and Jordan, and Spain, as well as immersion opportunities with the IU Honors Program in France, Spain and Mexico. Lower School students have the opportunity to participate in an exchange with schools in Uruguay and Spain. Park Tudor’s Model UN program is one of only nine in the United States to travel to The Hague, Netherlands for an annual conference.
While community service hours are not a requisite for graduation, the Global Scholars program does require 200 service hours for completion. The Class of 2009 contributed more than 19,300 hours of service.
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA. Park Tudor was created with the 1970 merger of Tudor Hall School for Girls (founded in 1902) and Park School (founded in 1914, formerly known as the Brooks School for Boys). There are currently (2011-12 school year) 996 students enrolled at the school, of which 421 are in grades 9-12. The current Head of School is Dr. Matthew D. Miller.
The school's motto is "Exceptional Educators. Extraordinary Opportunities."
History
Park Tudor’s foundations began in 1902, when Tudor Hall School for Girls was founded by Miss Fredonia Allen and The Reverend James Cumming Smith. Miss Allen named the school after her mother, Ann Tudor Allen. The school was originally located at 16th and Meridian streetMeridian Street (Indianapolis)
Meridian Street is the primary north-south street in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.Meridian Street was formerly aligned with US 31 for much of its length in the city of Indianapolis, before being re-routed to a segment of Interstate 465. The street delineates east addresses from west...
s in Indianapolis, and later moved to locations at 32nd and Meridian Streets and Cold Spring Road.
Park Tudor’s other predecessor, Park School, began in 1914 as The Brooks School for Boys. In 1920, seven Indianapolis businessmen purchased the school to save it from financial problems and renamed it Boys Preparatory School. In 1929, the name was changed to Park School. The school was originally located at 16th and Central before moving to the former Carl Fisher estate on Cold Spring Road, and later to the current Park Tudor campus at 7200 North College Avenue.
Both Park School and Tudor Hall were founded to provide the same kind of education as the eastern preparatory schools, and both schools operated country day school programs. Tudor Hall also offered boarding facilities. Because the two schools were close neighbors, always occupying nearby campuses to each other, Tudor Hall and Park School developed a close association.
The two schools merged in 1970 to form Park Tudor School at the College Avenue campus. Park School had acquired the campus in 1967 on the former Lilly Orchard property donated by Eli Lilly Jr.
Eli Lilly (industrialist)
Eli Lilly was a pharmaceutical industrialist and philanthropist from Indiana, United States.- Business :Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eli Lilly was President of Eli Lilly and Company. He was named for his grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly, who founded the family business...
and his brother Josiah K. Lilly Jr.
Buildings on campus include the historic Foster Hall
Foster Hall (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Foster Hall, also known as Melodeon Hall, is located at 7200 N. College Ave. in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Tudor Revival style building was designed by Robert Frost Daggett. It is significant for its architecture, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005....
(named by Eli Lilly Jr. after composer Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
), Allen W. Clowes Commons dining hall (1967), Frederic M. Ayres Auditorium (1976), Jane Holton Upper School (1970), Middle School (1988), Lower School (1967), Hilbert Early Education Center (1997), Fine Arts Building (1976), Ruth Lilly
Ruth Lilly
Ruth Lilly was an American philanthropist. She was the daughter of Josiah K. Lilly, Jr., and Ruth Lilly, and the sole living heiress to the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical fortune built by her great grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly.Lilly made headlines in November 2002 when she pledged stock...
Science Center (1989), and the gymnasium.
Academics
Park Tudor’s core curriculum includes studies in English, math, physical education and health, science, social studies, technology and world languages. Students can take language classes in Spanish, French, Latin, Classical Greek and Chinese.The Upper School curriculum challenges students with an offering of 16 Advanced Placement courses and the unique Global Scholars program for highly motivated juniors and seniors. The Global Scholars program was developed by teacher Jan Guffin as a progression from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which he had been involved with at another school. Global Scholars challenges students in grades 11 and 12 with a Philosophies of Knowing course, independent research, self-assessments, 200 hours of community service and AP exams in five subjects. The culmination of the program is a presentation of a two-year research project with the help of a mentor (often a professional involved with the project topic).
Park Tudor‘s graduates have a 100% college placement rate. Ninety-eight percent of students attend one of their top three colleges of choice. Students consistently post among the highest SAT scores in the state, along with high ACT scores. Park Tudor students have been recognized for academic achievement by the Cum Laude Society
Cum 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...
, National Merit Scholarship
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...
competition, National Achievement Scholars, National AP Scholars and other AP Scholar distinctions, as well as various competitions in science, math, speech and debate, technology, writing and the arts.
Athletics
Park Tudor is a member of the Indiana Crossroads ConferenceIndiana Crossroads Conference
The Indiana Crossroads Conference is a seven-school conference, with schools located in Marion and Madison counties.-Membership:-State championships:Beech Grove Hornets *2003 Girls Basketball Cardinal Ritter Raiders ...
. The school fields teams for the Upper School and Middle School in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, crew, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, wrestling and volleyball.
Four out of five Upper School students participate on an athletic team. A no-cut, inclusive policy allows any student who tries out for a team to participate.
The school’s varsity tennis teams are highly successful in state competition, with seven state championships for the boys and six for the girls, including four consecutive titles from 2005 to 2008. Coach Dave Heffern has led the tennis teams to 12 of the 13 titles in his 15 years at Park Tudor.
The 2010-11 varsity boys basketball team made a historic run to win the IHSAA Class 2A State Finals in March 2011 after finishing as state runner-up in 2010.
Other team state championships include: ice hockey (7), baseball, girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse. The Park Tudor boys lacrosse team recorded the only undefeated season in state history on its way to the 2001 state title. The Park Tudor Hockey team won AAAA state championships in four consecutive years, 1994-1997, 1999, 2001, and won the first-ever AAAAA state championship in 2002. In addition, the Panthers clinched the Midwest Prep League title in 2001 and 2002. Also, Park Tudor has individual State Champions in Girls Track 400M and 800M, with the current State record in the 800M. Many individual student-athletes have been recognized for All-State, Academic All-State, All-County and All-Conference honors.
Fine arts
At Park Tudor, the arts are an integral part of the curriculum as an exploration of creativity and self-discovery. The Fine Arts curriculum is co-curricular, involving classroom instruction and afterschool practice, rehearsals and performances. Park Tudor offers a complete program in music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Students are introduced to the arts as early as junior kindergarten with a Suzuki violin program.The Drama department entertains the Park Tudor community with several productions every year. The Upper School produces a fall play and a spring musical. Seventh and eighth grade students also produce a musical every spring.
Vocalists and instrumental musicians from the Lower School to the Upper School participate in the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) competition each year.
The Visual Arts curriculum offers a wide range of opportunities for students to express their creativity, including drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, graphic design and printmaking.
The school also offers dance classes and private music lessons.
Activities
In addition to academic contests, athletics and fine arts activities, Park Tudor students are encouraged to explore areas of interest in student-led enrichment activities and clubs. The advisory period in the schedule allows students to take a break from the daily routine and have fun with clubs ranging from Culinary Club to Chinese Culture Club and PT-TV (Park Tudor Television).Travel is also an important out-of-the-classroom experience for Park Tudor students. Students from grades 3-12 have opportunities to travel for educational experiences outside of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Upper School opportunities have included trips to China, Egypt and Jordan, and Spain, as well as immersion opportunities with the IU Honors Program in France, Spain and Mexico. Lower School students have the opportunity to participate in an exchange with schools in Uruguay and Spain. Park Tudor’s Model UN program is one of only nine in the United States to travel to The Hague, Netherlands for an annual conference.
Service-based Learning
Park Tudor encourages and supports opportunities for students to learn through service to others in their community, school, neighborhood and family. The service-based learning program at Park Tudor is an essential component of each student's personal development. Many students from Lower School to Upper School learn to recognize the needs of their community and find solutions that they can implement. In turn, many alumni have gone on to careers in service to others.While community service hours are not a requisite for graduation, the Global Scholars program does require 200 service hours for completion. The Class of 2009 contributed more than 19,300 hours of service.