South Kent School, a private boarding school for boys in South Kent, Connecticut, United States, is located on a 650-acre (2.6 km2) campus in western Litchfield County. It is sited on Spooner Hill east of Bull's Bridge, overlooking the former Housatonic Valley rail-line, Hatch Pond, and the 'whistle-stop' South Kent station, and is itself overlooked by Bull Mountain.
South Kent has been ranked as a "best" boarding school, due to its curriculum, diversity, college placement record, and athletic programs.
From its inception, South Kent School was intended to offer a service-oriented education "at minimum cost for boys of ability and character, who presumably on graduation must be self-supporting." Its' motto is "Simplicity of life, Self-reliance, and Directness of purpose".
Video South Kent School
History
The hamlet of South Kent began in the mid-1700s on the "main road over Spooner Hill to Bull's Bridge", where an important iron foundry had been established by Jacob Bull. By 1800, an ironworks and forge were also set up near the outlet from Hatch Pond; but when the railroad came up the valley in the 1840s, more efficient competition would shutter the Connecticut foundry industry. By 1920, the township of Kent's population was reduced to half its pre-Revolution level, and farm properties were to be had inexpensively.
The school was founded in 1923 as a joint venture between Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, headmaster of Kent School, and two of his recent graduates, Samuel Slater Bartlett and Richard M. Cuyler. The Straight farm was purchased from members of the Judd family, and additions to the farmhouse were made to house a chapel, twenty-four students, and faculty. From the start, students provided labor for daily cleaning and maintenance, as well as for unskilled construction. Over the years a number of buildings were added on the Straight property, and additional acreage acquired. Most recently, the defunct farm on the north end of Hatch Pond was purchased.
Bartlett was followed as headmaster by conservationist L. Wynne Wister (1955-69), then George M. Bartlett (son of the first headmaster) through 1989. Noble Richards '49 was headmaster until 2000, then John C. Farr '58, who retired in 2003. The current head of school is Andrew J. Vadnais, a Williams College graduate.
Maps South Kent School
Students
Enrollment at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year was 170 young men from around the world in four "forms" (or grades). Foreign students from more than twenty nations (Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Ghana, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Montenegro, Nigeria, Norway, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Sweden, Thailand, United Arab Emirates), and U.S. students from across America are represented.
Academics
South Kent is a college-preparatory school; it is intended that every student continue his education at a higher-level institution.
In 2017-18 the school has 35 faculty who offer 48 courses in 2 primary divisions, Math/Science and Humanities. The school year is divided into three terms: fall, winter, and spring. Students normally enroll in five major academic courses each term. Accelerated courses, including advanced placement, are offered in more than a dozen subjects (several in conjunction with Syracuse University).
To graduate, a student must earn a minimum of 18 credits, which include:
- 4 years of English;
- 3 years of mathematics
- 2 years of a foreign language;
- 2 years of science, one of which has laboratory;
- 2 years of history, one of which is United States History;
- 1 year of an art, and;
- 4 electives.
Cum Laude Society
The South Kent chapter of the Cum Laude Society annually considers the academic achievements of sixth-form students for election to membership.
English as a second language
ESL is a program for international students to improve and/or reinforce skills in written and oral English. The focus is on structure, comprehension and conversation. In recent years nearly half of South Kent graduates have been non-native English speakers.
Center for Innovation
Due in part to its rural setting, the school has established a learning track focused on environmental management and entrepreneurship. Technologies range from historic architecture and building techniques to robotics and software design. . Students routinely interact with farm animals, engage in sustainable practice, and perform stewardship projects.
Student life
Students live in eight dormitories supervised by upper-formers; each dorm building has a resident faculty member or family. All meals are eaten in the school dining hall: a breakfast buffet, family-style lunch shared with faculty where seating is assigned to ensure all students and faculty have an opportunity to engage, weekly formal dinners. An on-campus health center (staffed by a live-in nurse, a physician and a counselor) provides 24-hour medical and infirmary services; on-line medical records enable access to every student's family.
Student leadership is developed with form councils, dorm supervisors, team captaincies, and prefects.
St. Michaels' Chapel holds daily Episcopal services. Students of all faiths are expected to attend the all-school services several times a week, but are not expected to disengage from their own faith; arrangements are made to provide access to other services.
Athletics
In common with many boys' boarding schools, every student must participate in a "fitness-oriented athletic offering" at least two seasons of the year. Sports include baseball, basketball, crew (rowing), golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, running (cross-country), soccer, and tennis. Football was not offered after the 2009-2010 school year. Competition is available at a variety of levels (intramural and interscholastic), so students can be serious about their activities. At the same time, a number of boys attend the school each year preparing for a life as a professional athlete.
Facilities available to students include The Admiral James & Sybil Stockdale Arena, the Joseph J. Brown gymnasium, the Alumni Boathouse on Hatch Pond for rowing, the Anne H. Funnell cross-country trail, the hard court tennis courts, a weight-training facility, numerous athletics fields, and the adjacent Tom Fazio-designed Bulls Bridge Golf Club.
A strong intramural tradition (beginning in 1940) assigns each student to a Cardinal or Black club; athletic, academic, and games events throughout the year accrue points for the annual award of a Cardinal/Black Cup. Students are also encouraged to participate in non-organized athletic activity: skiing, hiking, swimming.
Notable alumni
- Jim Bellows (SKS 1940), Editor of the New York Herald-Tribune; major figure in the New Journalism
- John Berryman (SKS 1932), Poet, (1964 Pulitzer Prize for "77 Dream Songs")
- Andray Blatche (SKS 2005), Former NBA basketball player
- Gilbert Brown (born 1987), basketball player for Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Gordon Clapp (SKS 1967), Emmy-Award-winning Actor and Tony Award nominee, best known for his role as Detective Medavoy on NYPD Blue
- Durand Echeverria (SKS 1931), Historian, Fulbright and Guggenheim fellow, National Humanities Foundation awardee.
- Charles Coulston Gillispie (SKS 1935), Dayton-Stockton Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton University [3], seminal science historian
- Shayne Gostisbehere, (SKS 2011), Philadelphia Flyers, NHL
- Maurice Harkless, (SKS 2011) Portland Trail Blazers, NBA
- David Hicks (born 1988), basketball player for Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Ricky Ledo (SKS 2012), Dallas Mavericks, NBA
- Jack McClinton (SKS 2004), Former NBA basketball player
- Jermaine 'Stretch' Middleton (SKS 2004), Harlem Globetrotters
- E. H. Beresford 'Chip' Monck (SKS 1958), Tony-winning lighting designer and stage manager, announcer for the 1969 Woodstock Festival
- Robert B. Oakley (SKS 1948), Former US Ambassador to Pakistan, Somalia, and Zaire
- Neal R. Pierce (SKS 1950), Syndicated government and political columnist, co-founder National Journal
- Pete Raymond (SKS 1964), US Olympic rower 1968 and (silver-medal) 1972
- Jonathan Richards (SKS 1958), novelist, actor, film critic, & political cartoonist
- John B. Severance (SKS 1954), novelist and biographer (Gandhi, Jefferson, Einstein)
- Russell Smith (SKS 2010), Memphis Grizzlies, NBA; Louisville Cardinals Men's Basketball (2013 Big East All Conference [4], 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Championship)
- Isaiah Thomas (SKS 2008), Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA (2016 & 2017 All-Star, 2017 All NBA)
- Dorell Wright (SKS 2004), Portland Trail Blazers, NBA
A number of notable people attended South Kent but did not graduate: among them Nik Stauskas and Dion Waiters.
Accreditation and association memberships
South Kent School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and has held membership in District III of the Cum Laude Society for more than eighty years.
South Kent competes athletically as a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council and the Hudson Valley Athletic League, and adheres to all league guidelines. Students have the opportunity to participate in post-season tournaments and compete for league and New England titles
The school also maintains membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Episcopal Schools, the Secondary School Admission Test Board, the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, The Association of Boarding Schools, the International Coalition of Boys Schools and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
Publications
- The Pigtail: a student publication issued three-five times per year. The name of the paper is a reference to the nickname of the hamlet of South Kent as "Pigtail Corners" or simply "Pigtail". A slogan at the school for many years was "Pigtail Against the World".
- The Hillside: the South Kent School alumni magazine published twice annually.
- Cardinal News Network: a student produced online publication which is updated on a continual basis. Cardinal News Network features the videos and stories created by students in the Digital Communications classes.
Sources
- History of Kent, CT, Francis Atwater, 1897
- History of SKS, South Kent School official site
- Prep sports at South Kent
References
External links
- South Kent School official site
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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