smart, open & independent
DESCRIPTION
Loomis Chaffee Office of Admission publication for prospective students and their familiesTRANSCRIPT
Cultivating the spirit, mind, and body of each individual and inspiring a committment to the best self and the common good.
Smart, Open & Independent
Come and see what we mean.
will they challenge me to think more deeply, more analytically, more creatively, more globally? will the academics be inspiringly hard? will I be pushed to hover, at times, in a state of intellectual uncertainty, working my way to the other side amazed and fulfilled?
will the teaChers
make me think?Sm
art
LoomisChaffee | teaChInG
loomischaffee.org/teaching
Loomis Chaffee offers an expansive and rigorous academic program, brought vividly to life by an accomplished, dedicated faculty. In this intellectually vibrant community, teaching transforms the way students understand themselves and the world. we foster in our students critical and analytical thinking, a global perspective, and the confidence to think and act independently.
LoomisChaffee | teaChInG
loomischaffee.org/teaching
what will i learn outside the Classroom?
will I be able to grow as an athlete, an artist, a community volunteer, a debater, a musician? will I have a chance to try new things?
LoomisChaffee | edUCatIOn
loomischaffee.org/education
Sma
rt
LoomisChaffee | edUCatIOn
at Loomis Chaffee, education is a comprehensive experience. we attend to every aspect of our students’ growth — intellectual, physical, ethical, and artistic. In our stimulating coursework, in our competitive athletics programs, in our thriving arts programs, we ask students to develop a full range of skills, to stretch themselves, to expand their sense of possibility, and to vigorously pursue excellence.
loomischaffee.org/education
OPEN
will i fit in? Is there a strong
sense of community? will my teachers and classmates get to know me? will I feel part of the community, no matter where I come from and no matter what my background is? to whom will I turn when I have a bad day?
LoomisChaffee | COmmUnItY
loomischaffee.org/community
loomischaffee.org/community
LoomisChaffee | COmmUnItY
Loomis Chaffee is an inspired gathering of independent minds, attracting talented students from around the country and around the globe to build a diverse, worldly, and welcoming campus community. we seek students from a wide range of backgrounds. we encourage informed argument, spirited debate, the open exchange of ideas, and the acceptance of differing views. Our bedrock, a profound commitment to “the best self and the common good,” is reflected in the strong relationships and connections that develop among students and faculty. Independence and community are not mutually exclusive here. In fact, they are the essence of the Loomis Chaffee experience.
Ind
epend
ent
how do i become my best self?
Can I be me and be more? how can I express and develop my individuality? how can I make a difference?
loomischaffee.org/spirit
LoomisChaffee | SpIrIt
loomischaffee.org/spirit
we expect members of our community to be engaged, inspired, and committed: engaged in the world. Inspired to make it more humane and more just. Committed to using their knowledge and talents to make a lifelong impact on it.
LoomisChaffee | SpIrIt
a student and her mom share an excited goodbye hug moments before the student departs on a spring break community service trip to Costa rica.
LoomisChaffee | aChIeVement
how will i prepare for a meaningful life?
after graduating, how will I fare in
college? how will I approach life’s
choices? how will I define and fulfill
my ambitions?
tina Jeon ’04, a champion archer with Olympic aspirations, is a 2008 graduate of Yale and a health care research consultant with the advisory Board Company in washington, d.C.
Ind
epend
ent
loomischaffee.org/achievement
Our alumni thrive, in college, in the workplace, in their personal lives, in their active, stimulating old age. Just as they do as Loomis Chaffee students, our graduates engage themselves in the world, live meaningful lives, and never stop learning. they are fascinating individuals whose intellects soared at Loomis Chaffee and who continue to think deeply, continue to ask genuine questions, and continue to achieve distinction long after departing the Island.
musicological scholar and philanthropist william Scheide ’32 examines his Gutenberg Bible in the Scheide wing of princeton’s Firestone Library.
loomischaffee.org/achievement
Loomis Chaffee rising senior helen mcdonald ’10, assists with research at the University of pennsylvania School of medicine.
picturing the futureGraduates of Loomis Chaffee go on to attend and excell at some of the most highly selective colleges and universities.
aaCademIC departmentS
art english history & Social Sciences Languages (Chinese, French, Latin, and Spanish) mathematics music philosophy, psychology & religion Science theater & dance
adVanCed pLaCement COUrSe OFFerInGS
english French Latin Spanish Calculus aB and BC Chemistry economics environmental Science physics Statistics Studio art music theory U.S. history
In 2008, 211 students were administered 382 ap exams, 88% of which were awarded the three highest grades of 3, 4 and 5.
adVISer SYStem
every student has a faculty adviser who oversees the student’s academic program
and stands ready to help and counsel the student on other aspects of Loomis Chaffee life. advisers serve as liaisons between parents and the school. Often, a student’s adviser becomes a resource, a source of support, and a good friend.
athLetICS
all students participate in interscholastic, intramural, or daytime athletics programs. Interscholastic varsity and junior varsity competition for boys and girls is offered in 19 sports and freshman-level teams are offered in five sports.
athLetICS FaCILItIeS
double gymnasium and separate single gymnasium, with basketball and volleyball courts
Fitness center and weight room, totaling 6,300 square feet
25-meter, six-lane swimming pool
enclosed ice hockey rink
400-meter, eight-lane, all-weather track
8 international squash courts
11 tennis courts
3.1-mile cross country course
wrestling center
Synthetic turf field
2 baseball diamonds
2 softball diamonds
17 fields for football, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey
Golf practice driving range, putting green, and sand trap
InterSChOLaStIC SpOrtS
Baseball Basketball Cross Country diving Field hockey Football Golf Ice hockey Lacrosse Skiing Soccer Softball Squash Swimming tennis track and Field Volleyball water polo wrestling
daYtIme athLetICS
Ballet techniques Company dance and performance Composition and Choreography Conditioning Core Strength training dance for athletes dance Survey Fitness and wellness Lifeguard training musical theater dance Swimming
LoomisChaffee | a–Z
adrian Stewart ’90, head of physical therapy in athletics, teaches courses in strength and conditioning and core strength. he is also coaches football, basketball and track.
loomischaffee.org/education
aFter-SChOOL athLetICS (club teams and classes)
aerobics and pilates athletic training Basketball Cardio and weight training Cycling Fencing hip-hop dance hiking and Canoeing Jazz dance techniques Jogging Soccer Softball team Videography tennis and Squash Ultimate Frisbee weight training winter Outdoor recreation Yoga
BBeSt SeLF and the COmmOn GOOd
a reference to the school’s mission statement, which pledges to “advance the development in spirit, mind and body of boys and girls drawn from diverse cultural and social backgrounds and to inspire in them a commitment to the best self and the common good.”
CCampUS SaFetY
the Campus Saftey department provides around -the-clock coverage of our campus community.
CLUBS and extraCUrrICULar aCtIVItIeS
aCappelicans amnesty International anime Club as Schools match wits Backcountry Skiing BBQ Club Book Club
Chess Club Christian Fellowship Community Service darwin Club ddr Club debate Society Foreign policy association French Club Global economics Club Global health Club habitat for humanity homeless helpers Jewish Student Union LC archers LC aviators LC Italians LCtV LC Scuba Corps math team middle eastern dance Club paintball Club prISm: people rising In Support of multiculturalism project Green radio Club robotics rock Climbing Club Spanish Club Spectrum Stand: Students taking action now darfur Step team Stock and Finance Club Students against destructive decisions teens tackling Cancer LC Unicef Club Video Game Club
COLLeGe GUIdanCe
4 full-time college counselors
77 percent of the members of the Class of 2008 matriculated at colleges and universities deemed “most competitive” or “highly competitive” by Barron’s profiles of american Colleges, with 48 percent matriculating at most competitive institutions.
fFaCULtY
150 members
50 percent male, 50 percent female
111 advanced degrees
50 percent of full-time teaching faculty have been at Loomis Chaffee for more than 10 years.
FInanCIaL aId
Our goal is to make a Loomis Chaffee education affordable. more than $6.5 million in financial aid is distributed to approximately 33 percent of the student body each year. the average financial aid award covers 75 percent of tuition.
hheaLth Center
Located in the center of campus, the health Center is staffed 24 hours a day for students who are ill, are injured, or have other health issues.
hOmeStead
dating from 1640, the original Loomis Family homestead is still used today for faculty housing and is located in front of Founders hall and across from the head’s house.
kKatharIne BrUSh LIBrarY
60,000 books
more than 42,000 ebooks
access to more than 10,000 periodicals and scholarly journals
4 major newspapers with access to 65 current full-text newspapers and 12 historical newspapers
1,500 videos
2,000 Cds
extensive microfilm collection
18 public computers
Full electronic reference and information services
50 subscription databases
lLOOmIS LInGO
here is a list of terms that are unique to the Loomis Chaffee community.
Faculty row: the road extending off of the south end of “the Loop” road, which holds 13 faculty houses.
Family Style: this sit-down evening meal is for boarders
twice a week, and students are required to dress in skirts or jackets-and-ties.
the Island: the term given to the Loomis Chaffee campus because occasionally in the spring it becomes surrounded by floodwaters due to the rising of the Connecticut and Farmington rivers.
Loop: the road that encircles the campus. athletic teams often “do a loop” — a little less than a mile around — as part of their training.
neO: the theater named for beloved former faculty member norris ely Orchard.
per: the permission needed for students to leave campus for certain activities.
prefects: Juniors who live on corridors with freshmen and sophomores and serve as role models for the underclass students as well as liaisons with the dorm faculty.
ras: aka resident assistants; seniors who serve the same function as prefects but in the junior and senior dorms.
raC: the richmond art Center, at the southern end of campus.
SnUG: an acronym originally meaning “Students nestled Under Ground,” this lounge area with a snack bar in the School Center houses the bookstore, the work-job office, and student mailboxes.
tracks: the train tracks that form the western border of the campus. when a bus or van carrying students back to
campus passes over the tracks, someone yells, “tracks!” and everyone says in unison, “ta ra ra, bus driver!” as a thank you.
work job: a task assigned to each student and faculty member to help in the operation and maintenance of the school.
mmUSIC
music programs offer both theoretical training and performance experience. enrichment opportunities include the Guest musician Series, off-campus concerts, and student music festivals.
mUSIC perFOrmanCe GrOUpS
Chamber music Chamber Singers Concert Band Concert Choir Jazz Band Jazz Improvisation Orchestra
nne Cede maLIS
Latin term found in the Loomis Chaffee School seal that translates to mean “do not yeild to adversity.”
oOFF-CampUS StUdY OppOrtUnItIeS
School Year abroad in France, Spain, Italy, China and India
the mountain School program of milton academy
CItYterm
the rocky mountain Semester
Summer Study-travel programs in rennes, France; and Barcelona, Spain
OrIentatIOn
a two-day program for all new students takes place on the days before classes begin in September. the program includes a multicultural component and culminates with an always-popular mudslide on the hill to the meadows.
PpeLICan
the school mascot and symbol within the school seal. also a term used to refer to Loomis Chaffee alumni.
pOrtaL
this password-protected web resource for students and faculty members contains schedules, the daily Bulletin, dining hall menus, calendars, access to the student directory and
helpdesk, recordings of recitals and campus events, and nearly anything else a student needs to know about daily life on campus.
pUBLICatIOnS
Students produce several periodicals during the course of the school year:
The Confluence: yearbook
The Harvest: biannual compilation of poetry and photography from Loomis Chaffee community members
The LOG: monthly student newspaper
The Loom: student-run art and literary publication as well as a club dedicated to the promotion of the arts on campus
sSChOOL InFOrmatIOn
300-acre semirural campus in historic windsor, Connecticut
5-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio
4-to-1 boarding student-to-residential faculty ratio
10 dormitories with 31 live-in faculty families
190 courses (regular, advanced and advanced placement) and independent study
average class size: 12
Fully computerized and wired campus including email and Internet access from all labs
and classrooms and a wireless network covering academic buildings and public spaces
trimester schedule; classes held on alternate Saturday mornings
SpeaKerS SerIeS
each year, several guest speakers visit campus for our annual speakers series to discuss important issues of the day with students. Guest speakers in recent years have included:
reza aslan hubbard Speakers Series expert on Islam and the middle east; author of no god but God: the Origins, evolution, and Future of Islam and articles for the Los angeles times, the new York times, Slate, and the nation; guest on the daily Show with Jon Stewart
Ken Burns hubbard Speakers Series documentary filmmaker; recipient of numerous awards for his epic historical and biographical documentaries, including emmys for the Civil war, Baseball, and Unforgivable Blackness
John Bul dau hubbard Speakers Series One of the Lost Boys of Sudan; a subject of the award-winning documentary God Grew tired of Us; founder of the John Bul dau Foundation, which builds and sustains medical clinics in South Sudan and trains community health workers
Jonathan Saffran Foer english Colloquium Speaker author of extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and everything Is Illuminated, critically acclaimed and successful novels; named to rolling Stone magazine’s people of the Year; named to esquire magazine’s Best and Brightest; graduate-level creative writing professor at new York University
thomas Friedman three-time pulitzer prize winner; foreign affairs columnist for the Op-ed page of the new York times; former bureau chief in Beirut and Israel, chief diplomatic correspondent in washington, chief white house correspondent and international economic correspondent for the times; author of the bestselling books the world Is Flat: a Brief history of the twenty-First Century, the Lexus and the Olive tree: Understanding Globalization, and From Beirut to Jerusalem; regular commentator on the news hour with Jim Lehrer and frequent guest on Face the nation and Charlie rose
Joe Klein hubbard Speakers Series Senior writer for time magazine; covered eight presidential campaigns as a journalist; author of the bestseller primary Colors; former consultant for CBS news, washington bureau chief at rolling Stone, and
political columnist for new York; author of articles for the new republic, the new York times, Life and the washington post
dr. henry Lee prominent forensic scientist; former head of the Connecticut State police; founder of and professor in forensic sciences program at University of new haven; expert witness in O.J. Simpson trial; assisted investigators of hundreds of murders, including the Jon Benet ramsey case and the suicide of Clinton white house Counsel Vincent Foster
mark Oppenheimer ’92 hazel thrall Sullivan Lecturer author of Knocking on heaven’s door: american religion in the age of Counterculture and thirteen and a day: the Bar and Bat mitzvah in america; former religion writer for the hartford Courant; editor of the new haven advocate
Jim Sleeper Lecturer in political science at Yale; writer on urban politics and civic culture; author of the book Liberal racism: how Fixating on race Subverts the american dream; political columnist for the new York daily news; author of articles for harper’s, the new republic, the new Yorker, and other publications; guest on the newshour with Jim Lehrer, Charlie rose, and national public radio
andrew Sullivan hubbard Speakers Series political essayist for time magazine; former editor-in-chief of the new republic; author of articles for the wall Street Journal and the new York times magazine; appears regularly on news talks shows, including nightline and CBS evening news
ttheater & danCe
training in all aspects of theater is supported by curricular offerings as well as an active yearly production schedule of full-length plays, musicals and one-acts. Both daytime and after-school dance programs are offered for athletic credit.
SeaSOnS OF theater & danCe
Fall: Shakespeare or drama, acting monologues and Scenes
winter: musical, Ballet, mLK day dance recital, Comedy Improv, acting monologues
Spring: One-act playwriting Festival, Film Festival, musical revue, dance Company revue, talent Show, Comedy Cabaret, annual trip to Broadway
VVISUaL artS
a thriving visual arts program trains novices as well as experienced student artists. the richmond art Center, the Sue and eugene mercy, Jr. Gallery, and the Visiting artist program support and inspire the visual arts offerings.
StUdIOS In the rIChmOnd art Center
drawing printmaking painting Ceramics Sculpture photography television production Computer Graphics
wwww.loomischaffee.org
Visit the school online for a virtual tour of the campus and more detailed information about the school, the community, and the academic program.
CredItS
Illustration: Susan hunt Yule
photography: robert Benson, John Groo, Keith palmer, arthur Simoes, thomas honan, Jeuley Ortnegren, maria reap, Betsy tomlinson, wayne domkowski, Justin Lane, Jeffery holcombe, mary Forrester, patricia Cousins, matthew Septimus
writing & editing: Becky purdy, Louise moran
Graphic design: patricia Cousins
printing: Finlay printing