St. Ann's School (New York City)
Encyclopedia
Saint Ann's School is an independent school
in New York City
known for its strength in the arts as well as academics. The school is a non-sectarian, co-educational pre-K–12 day school with rigorous programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences. The school has no grades, relying instead on full-page anecdotal reports from teachers.
Saint Ann’s deliberately integrates and highlights the arts—including dance, music, theater, and the visual and recreational arts, as central elements of its academic curriculum. In addition, high school students enroll in a host of other offerings in a unique seminar program taught after hours at the end of the school day. Seminar topics include community service, philosophy, social justice, poetry, and debate & rhetoric, among others.
The school is located in Brooklyn Heights
. It includes 1,090 students from preschool through 12th grade and 267 faculty, administration, staff members on an urban campus including:
Instruction at Saint Ann’s is departmentalized from fourth through twelfth grade, with a teaching faculty numbering 220, made up of scholars, researchers, mathematicians, musicians, artists, and writers.
, a building designed by noted Brooklyn architect Frank Freeman
, for the sum of $365,000, which has since served as the school's main building. Stanley Bosworth (1927-2011) became its first headmaster. In 1982, Saint Ann's School formally disaffiliated from the church, having been granted a charter from the Board of Regents of the State of New York. When Bosworth retired in 2004, Larry Weiss, formerly the head of the upper school at The Horace Mann School
, began his tenure as head of school at Saint Ann's. In September 2009, it was announced that Weiss would not return to Saint Ann's for the 2010–2011 academic year. In May 2010, Vincent J. Tompkins, Jr., the Deputy Provost at Brown University
, was named Weiss's successor. He assumed leadership of Saint Ann's beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year.
and several other highly selective colleges. In late 2007, the Wall Street Journal again listed Saint Ann's as one of the country's top 50 high schools for its success in preparing students to enter top American universities. Advanced Placement courses are not offered at Saint Ann's.
Other seminars are taught by teachers who have an interest in a particular area.
Filmmakers and screenwriters
Musicians and Writers
Other Notables
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in 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 cases the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
known for its strength in the arts as well as academics. The school is a non-sectarian, co-educational pre-K–12 day school with rigorous programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences. The school has no grades, relying instead on full-page anecdotal reports from teachers.
Saint Ann’s deliberately integrates and highlights the arts—including dance, music, theater, and the visual and recreational arts, as central elements of its academic curriculum. In addition, high school students enroll in a host of other offerings in a unique seminar program taught after hours at the end of the school day. Seminar topics include community service, philosophy, social justice, poetry, and debate & rhetoric, among others.
The school is located in Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Heights is a culturally diverse neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Originally referred to as 'Brooklyn Village', it has been a prominent area of Brooklyn since 1834. As of 2000, Brooklyn Heights sustained a population of 22,594 people. The neighborhood is part of...
. It includes 1,090 students from preschool through 12th grade and 267 faculty, administration, staff members on an urban campus including:
- A central 13-story building with a 19th century facade housing the 4th through 12th grade
- A lower school building
- Four adjoining brownstones, one of which houses the school's fine arts department
- A preschool and kindergarten located nearby in Brooklyn Heights
Instruction at Saint Ann’s is departmentalized from fourth through twelfth grade, with a teaching faculty numbering 220, made up of scholars, researchers, mathematicians, musicians, artists, and writers.
History
Saint Ann's School was founded in 1965 with 63 students and seven teachers in the basement of the St. Ann's Episcopal Church under the aegis of the vestry of the church and several interested parents. In 1966, the Church purchased the former Crescent Athletic Club HouseCrescent Athletic Club House
The Crescent Athletic Club House is a notable building in Brooklyn, New York. Designed by prominent Brooklyn architect Frank Freeman and completed in 1906, the building is known today as The Bosworth Building of Saint Ann's School.-History:...
, a building designed by noted Brooklyn architect Frank Freeman
Frank Freeman
Frank Freeman was a Canadian-American architect based in Brooklyn, New York. A leading exponent of the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style who later adopted Neoclassicism, Freeman has been called "Brooklyn's greatest architect"...
, for the sum of $365,000, which has since served as the school's main building. Stanley Bosworth (1927-2011) became its first headmaster. In 1982, Saint Ann's School formally disaffiliated from the church, having been granted a charter from the Board of Regents of the State of New York. When Bosworth retired in 2004, Larry Weiss, formerly the head of the upper school at The Horace Mann School
Horace Mann School
Horace Mann School is an independent college preparatory school in New York City, New York, United States founded in 1887 known for its rigorous course of studies. Horace Mann is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League, educating students from all across the New York tri-state area from...
, began his tenure as head of school at Saint Ann's. In September 2009, it was announced that Weiss would not return to Saint Ann's for the 2010–2011 academic year. In May 2010, Vincent J. Tompkins, Jr., the Deputy Provost at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, was named Weiss's successor. He assumed leadership of Saint Ann's beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year.
Academic program
Academically, Saint Ann's is extremely strong: the school allows its high school juniors and seniors to essentially design their own curricula. Furthermore, in a 2004 survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal, Saint Ann's was rated the number one high school in the country for having the highest percentage of graduating seniors enroll in Ivy LeagueIvy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
and several other highly selective colleges. In late 2007, the Wall Street Journal again listed Saint Ann's as one of the country's top 50 high schools for its success in preparing students to enter top American universities. Advanced Placement courses are not offered at Saint Ann's.
Arts
The school's visual and performing arts program includes:- FilmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, VideoVideoVideo is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
, & PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film... - Playwrighting, ActingActingActing is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
, Theater Production, & Costume Design & ConstructionCostume designCostume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such... - ArchitectureArchitectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
- DrawingDrawingDrawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, SculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, PaintingPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, & PrintmakingPrintingPrinting is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing.... - Puppet ConstructionPuppetryPuppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
- Modern DanceModern danceModern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
, Jazz DanceJazz danceJazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, & African DanceAfrican danceAfrican dance refers mainly to the dance of Sub-Saharan Africa, and more appropriately African dances because of the many cultural differences in musical and movement styles... - Electronic MusicElectronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, OrchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, Jazz BandJazz bandA jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
, and an African BalafonBalafonThe balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
ensemble in the Lower School
Languages
Saint Ann's offers courses in:- Ancient Greek
- Latin
- Mandarin Chinese
- JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
- SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
- FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Extracurriculars
Saint Ann's offers seminars (one-and-a-half hour classes that take place in the afternoon once a week) to its high schoolers. Most notable are:- DebateDebateDebate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
- The debate seminar at Saint Ann's regularly competes in Model CongressModel CongressModel Congress gives students a chance to engage in a role-playing simulation of the United States Congress. Such events are hosted by the Congress itself, Rutgers University, American International College, Columbia University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, The...
es and won the James Madison Award at Princeton Model Congress in 2009 and an Outstanding Delegation award in 2011 - Mock TrialMock trialA Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
- The Mock Trial seminar competes in regional competitions. - PoetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
- this seminar maintains its popularity after decades of existence. Saint Ann's poets are regular winners of national poetry contests namely the Scholastic Young Writers Contest.
Other seminars are taught by teachers who have an interest in a particular area.
Divisions & Demographics
The school is organized into four divisions — preschool, lower, middle and high school. The vast majority of the students are from Brooklyn and Manhattan, although other boroughs are represented. Approximately 22 percent of the student body receive some level of scholarship aid (8.5 percent receive tuition remission; 13.5 percent receive financial aid); nearly 10 percent of Saint Ann's students are faculty children. Approximately 21 percent of the student body are students of color.Published Community Members
The school maintains a list entitled "The Growing Shelf" which documents all published community members.Notable alumni
Actors- Jon AbrahamsJon AbrahamsJon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
- Eva AmurriEva AmurriEva Maria Livia Amurri is an American actress.- Early life :Amurri was born in New York City, New York, to Italian director Franco Amurri and American actress Susan Sarandon. Her grandfather was television writer Antonio Amurri, and her aunt is television writer Valentina Amurri...
- Jennifer ConnellyJennifer ConnellyJennifer Lynn Connelly is an American film actress, who began her career as a child model. She appeared in magazine, newspaper and television advertising, before making her motion picture debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America...
- Paz de la HuertaPaz de la HuertaMaría de la Paz Elizabeth Sofía Adriana de la Huerta , better known by her professional name Paz de la Huerta, is an American actress and model...
- Mia Sara
Filmmakers and screenwriters
- Akiva GoldsmanAkiva GoldsmanAkiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
(screenwriter) - Ry Russo-YoungRy Russo-YoungRy Russo-Young is an American independent filmmaker. Her film You Wont Miss Me appeared at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 and won a Gotham Award for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You. Her first feature, Orphans, won a special jury prize at South by Southwest in 2007...
(director)
Musicians and Writers
- Michael Diamond
- Andrew KirtzmanAndrew KirtzmanAndrew Kirtzman was a political reporter and anchor for six years at WCBS-TV in New York City until April 2008. He is the author of Betrayal: The Life and Lies of Bernie Madoff about Bernard Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme....
(1978) (television reporter, author)
Other Notables
- Zac PosenZac Posen- Early life :Posen was raised in the SoHo neighborhood of lower Manhattan, the son of artist Stephen Posen and corporate lawyer Susan Posen. His interest in fashion design started early, and as a child he would steal yarmulkes from his grandparents' synagogue to make ball dresses for dolls...
(fashion designer) - T MercyT MercyT Mercy is an American artist. His work deals with controversial subjects like profanity and pornography.He has cited Italian Renaissance painters like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as influences, as well as contemporary musicians like Earl Sweatshirt and Waka Flocka Flame.-Artworks:His works...
(artist)