Brewster Academy

Brewster Academy

Meus Dux Sit Veritas
(Let truth be our leader)
Location
Wolfeboro, N.H.
United States
Information
Type Independent, boarding
Established 1820
Headmaster Dr. Craig N. Gemmell
Enrollment 380
Average class size 12
Student to teacher ratio 6:1
Campus Lakeside, 80 acres (0.37 km²)
Color(s) Cardinal and Navy Blue
Athletics 14 sports
Nickname Bobcats
Website www.brewsteracademy.org

Coordinates: 43°34′58″N 71°12′27″W / 43.58278°N 71.20750°W / 43.58278; -71.20750

Brewster Academy (also called BA) is a co-educational independent boarding school located on 80 acres (32 ha) in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire USA. It occupies 1/2 mile (800 m) of shoreline along Lake Winnipesaukee. With around 380 students, it serves grades nine through twelve, in addition to post-graduates. The 2015 full boarding tuition at BA is $54,200.

History

Brewster Academy's Academic Building, where most classes are held

The school was founded in 1820 by local citizens as a "building for higher education." Once called Wolfeboro & Tuftonboro Academy, in 1887 it was renamed Brewster Free Academy in honor of John Brewster, a benefactor. For sixty years it charged no tuition fee to area residents, and from its inception through 1964, the school served as the only high school in Wolfeboro. (The town began to pay local students' tuition starting in 1947.) During the immediate postwar years it was a popular school with military veterans seeking to improve their credentials for a university education under the GI Bill. In 1963 the graduating class consisted of 60 local students, with 30 additional post-graduate students, who boarded on campus. Many of these were there to increase their athletic prowess, and some, including Milt Morin who played in the NFL, had successful college and pro sports careers. The local students were then shifted to Kingswood Regional High School in town, and Brewster became a private boarding school.

In 1985, Digital Equipment Corporation co-founder Ken Olsen donated a number of Digital personal computers to Brewster. The computers were part of a new lab dedicated to Grace Murray Hopper, whose family had a summer house in Wolfeboro. The lab is called the Grace Murray Hopper Center for Computer Learning.

Since 1995, Brewster hosts the Great Waters Music Festival. This summer festival promotes live musical performances including choral, symphonic, folk, pops, jazz, Broadway, dance, and renowned vocal and instrumental artists. Celebrity performers have included Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Arlo Guthrie, Chuck Mangione, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

In 2014, Brewster's Varsity A Basketball Team won their third National Prep Basketball Championships. Five alumni have played in the NBA with others projected to be selected in the 2014 NBA Draft in June.

Technology

Brewster Academy began their one-to-one laptop program in 1993. Since that time each new freshman or sophomore admission to Brewster receives an Apple laptop upon arrival on campus, and this laptop will be with them for the remainder of their time at the Academy. Juniors and seniors are expected to provide their own laptop unless special financial or other aid is given. Most of the classes require software tools for students' work and to ensure constant communication among students, parents and administrators. Through online portfolios, students post their work to be reviewed and evaluated by faculty and shared with parents. Throughout their own portal, grades and academic status are constantly posted to all students.

Faculty

Most of the faculty live around campus with their families. Some of them are dorm parents, who take care of students in dorm. Dorm parents have dorm meetings once a week to discuss problems in student's life in dorm. Most of the married dorm parents live with their family at their home, which is connected with dorm.

Brewster Academy provides various afternoon sport programs, such as soccer, basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, or tennis, with faculty coaching them.

Faculty are prepared and trained at the Brewster Summer Institute, a four-week professional development program designed to assist teachers in accelerating student growth. Each instructor is placed on an eight-member team that teaches and advises students in a single grade. Teams meet three or four times weekly to discuss each student’s progress and performance. Class size averages 12, and the student-teacher ratio is 6:1. In addition to teaching, faculty serve as coaches and dorm parents.

Athletics

Brewster has a diverse selection of interscholastic sports along with recreational, intramural, and instructional sports during the fall, winter and spring seasons. Among the interscholastic sports, Brewster fields varsity, junior varsity, and co-ed teams, as well as eight- and four-person shells on the crew teams. Games are typically played on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with a half day of classes on Wednesdays to accommodate game schedules. During games and during regular practices, an athletic trainer is available to help students. The teams are coached by faculty at all levels. Many faculty live on campus and some are also dorm parents, which allows students to connect more with every member of the community.

Brewster competes in the following interscholastic sports: baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, sailing, crew, field hockey, soccer, cross country running, ice hockey, basketball, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, and snowboarding. Intramural, recreational, and instructional offerings include yoga, fitness, advanced strength training, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, equestrianism, outdoor skills, golf, dance and snow sports.

The academy holds numerous New England and Lakes Region League Championship titles.

The boys' prep basketball team won the 2015, 2014, 2012 and 2010 National Prep School Championship, as well as the NEPSAC Class AAA Championship in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010, and 2008. The program has sent approximately 100 alumni to NCAA Division I programs over the past 14 years. Some Brewster alumni include: Will Barton (Memphis; Denver Nuggets), CJ Fair (Syracuse), Melvin Ejim (Iowa St), Craig Brackins (Iowa St), TJ Warren (NC State-Phoenix Suns), Semaj Christon (Xavier), Mitch McGary (Michigan- Oklahoma City Thunder), Thomas Robinson (Kansas- Brooklyn Nets), JaKarr Sampson (St. John's- Philadelphia 76ers), Jeff Adrien (UConn), and others. There have been nine Brewster alumni to be drafted and / or play in the NBA since 2010.

The boys lacrosse team has won numerous Lakes Region Championships, as well as consistently ranked nationally in LaxPower and US Lacrosse polls. Numerous alumni have moved on to play in college and professionally. Some Brewster alumni include: Stephen Keogh (Syracuse University), Carter Bender (University of Hartford), Kevin Whelan (University of Hartford), Calder Billings (University of Vermont), Ryder Garnsey, (University of Notre Dame), and others.

Athletic facilities include a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) athletics and wellness center featuring a convertible turf floor,[1] a four-lane 200-meter indoor track,[2] and a fitness center; six playing fields; nine new tennis courts; a boathouse for dry land training for the sailing and crew teams; an indoor rowing tank;[3] and a climbing wall.

Arts

In the performing arts, Brewster offers an award-winning chorus, HOWL, which has performed at Carnegie Hall; a drama group that produces musicals, operas, and plays throughout the year; a chamber orchestra, a chorale, a wind ensemble, a jazz band, and dance instruction. An art center is home to ceramics, printmaking, drawing, and painting classes. Multimedia and desktop publishing centers feature the latest computers, industry standard software, and video and digital equipment. The newly renovated Anderson Hall designed by Scott Simons Architects features a proscenium theater with first-rate lighting and acoustics.

Notable alumni

Residence halls

Students live in 20 dormitories with faculty members and their families. Most dormitories overlook Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake, and the Belknap Mountains in the distance.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "Photo by Brewster Academy" (JPG). Brewsteracademy.org. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  2. ↑ "Photo by Brewster Academy" (JPG). Brewsteracademy.org. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  3. ↑ "Indoor Rowing Tank". Brewsteracademy.org. Retrieved December 9, 2013.

External links

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