Wardlaw-Hartridge School
Encyclopedia
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is a private, nonsectarian
, coeducation
al day school
located in Edison
, New Jersey
, United States, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is commonly referred to as Wardlaw or W-H. It is divided into three administrative divisions: the Lower School, the Middle School, and the Upper School.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 403 students (plus 11 in pre-K) and 55.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.3.
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
.
. In 1916, Charles Digby "Pop" Wardlaw moved from teacher to Head and purchased the school, and changed its name to The Wardlaw School. In 1959, the school was purchased from 'Pop' Wardlaw and renamed The Wardlaw Country Day School. The campus on Central Avenue was expanded with a new classrrom wing and auditorium. In the late 1960s, the Wardlaw school moved to a campus off Inman Avenue in the bordering town of Edison
.
near the Wardlaw School. The school name was changed to The Hartridge School when, in 1903, Miss Hartridge became the school's owner.
For many years, the Hartridge School and the Wardlaw School were closely affiliated. Each school would invite students from the other school to dances, and the two schools shared a drama department (out of necessity, as boys and girls were both needed to fill roles in school plays and musicals.)
In 1991, many students of the Vail-Deane School were assimilated into the Wardlaw-Hartridge School. The Vail-Deane school, founded in 1869, boasted a rich history, and the school's Alumni Association was merged with Wardlaw-Hartridge's. In the 1990s, Wardlaw-Hartridge created a 6-8 Middle School on the Edison Campus. In 1997, the consolidation of the lower, middle, and upper schools to a single campus was completed when the Lower School moved into a new wing on the Upper School campus in Edison.
The school building itself includes several subbuildings: The Horne Upper School, the Sarkison Middle School, The Panteleoni Lower School, the Snowdon Library, the Laidlaw Gymnasium, and the Plumeri Gymnasium. Naval architecture was a minor inspiration for the school's design, and, as such, the floors are called decks, with A Deck being on the bottom and C deck being on the top. Each of the divisional subbuildings includes several classrooms; The Upper School has sixteen, the Middle School has nine, and the Lower School has fourteen. Arts facilities are scattered throughout the building and include a band room, two choral rooms, and three visual art studios. The library is divided between B and C decks; the collection in the Lower Library on B deck is primarily for Lower School use, while the collection in the Upper Library on C deck is aimed at Middle and Upper School students. A computer lab for Middle School use is located in the Middle School. Offices for Administration, Admissions, Development, College Counseling, Summer Programs, and Information Technology are located throughout the building, with the largest cluster in the Upper School on B Deck. Other notable spaces in the school include: the All-Purpose (AP) Room, which serves as cafeteria, assembly room, theater, and concert hall; the Oakwood Room (formerly the Parents' Lounge, now used for more formal functions;) the Lecture Hall; the Senior Lounge; the Junior Lounge; the 1882 Room (which was recently converted from a Lounge to a room for displaying artworks); the 1881 Lounge (used extensively by sophomores); and the Gregory Boff Lobby to the Plumeri Gymnasium, which houses the schools extensive collection of athletic awards.
Besides the two gymnasiums listed above, the school has several other athletic facilities including an indoor swimming pool, a wrestling room (no longer used for wrestling,) a weight room, eight tennis courts, three soccer fields, and fields for both baseball and softball. Lower School students also enjoy recess on either section of the school's recently extended playground.
and is run by a Board of Trustees. The current President of the Board of Trustees is Randolph Rogers '81. Aside from the faculty and academic administrators, the school employs a Business Office, an Admission Office, a Development Office, and a team of receptionists.
Furthermore, each division has its own head, whose role is most analogous to that of principal in a public school. Each division head has an administrative assistant. The Upper School has a Dean of Students, charged with overseeing student affairs, including discipline, the Upper School dress code, and clubs.
has two students enrolled as of Spring 2010.
In the 2010-11 school year WH started on a 7 day rotating schedule within its Upper School. The previous year they were on a 6 day rotating schedule while only two years before they were on a fixed weekly schedule.
(about 50 miles away) while attending. Students with licenses may register with the Upper School Office to drive to school and park in designated parking spots, however, only Seniors are allowed to leave campus during school hours.
Middle schoolers move from class to class, but meet daily in "homerooms," their advisor's classroom. These advisors are designated at the beginning of sixth grade and students keep the same advisor through their Middle School career.
Upper schoolers congregate each morning before class in the school's All-Purpose (AP) Room for "Morning Meeting," and are seated by their advisor. Like the Middle School, Upper School students are appointed to an advisor who advises through their entire Upper School Education. Upper school students technically have a "homeroom," the homeroom of their designated advisor, but students typically spend less than one hour a week in their homeroom. Homeroom takes place during 3rd period.
Middle Schoolers move from classroom to classroom without supervision throughout the day. Between classes, Middle Schoolers stop at their lockers in the hallway. The Middle School lunch period is a few minutes after the end of the Lower School lunch period in the AP Room. Middle schoolers have substantially less supervision at lunch, but for three of five days of the school week, middle schoolers must sit at designated tables with a teacher supervisor. Middle Schoolers share locker rooms and phys-ed facilities with the Upper School. Middle schoolers with periods with no classes scheduled spend time in Study Hall and are not permitted to leave.
Upper Schoolers move from classroom to classroom throughout the day without supervision. All Upper Schoolers are given a locker, but many choose to skip visits to their lockers by keeping many of their books with them in their backpacks. They have the last lunch period of the day, and sit without teachers however they choose in the AP Room. Students who have no classes scheduled during a class period attend Study Hall in the Lecture Hall, but Sophomores who meet certain qualifications and Juniors and Seniors not on academic or social probation are allowed to "sign out" of the Lecture Hall and spend time elsewhere. Juniors have a small lounge of their own next to the entrance to the cafeteria, while Seniors spend time in the much larger Senior Lounge which lies next to the Upper Schools Office. The recent addition of a lounge located directly below an area of the building known as 1882 has given the Sophomores a place to spend time; they have dubbed this area "1881." Seniors with consent from their parents are allowed to sign out of the school during Lunch and Study Hall periods.
Middle School, and Upper School each have uniforms. All School Handbook. p. 17. Accessed December 15, 2007.
within their respective divisions.
Under the supervision of the Middle School Head, the Middle School Student Council (consisting of an Executive Council and
advisory representatives), organizes dances and social activities for the Middle School.
WHTV (Wardlaw-Hartridge Television) gives students a chance to create their own comedic news segment to show to the rest of the school during the Upper School's morning meeting. Students and teachers alike enjoy laughing it up while watching new episodes of it air. The club has even gone as far to create a short movie in January 2010 under the leadership Charles Pivnichny and Gregory Lamparello both members of the 2010 graduating class. The movie was a spoof on the popular James Bond movies of the 90s. WHTV titled their movie "000" or "Double O Zero" staring Charles Kennedy 10' and edited by Anthony Martin 10'. Several of the more recent WHTV productions can be viewed here: http://wptest.wizkidweb.com/posts/videos/whtv-videos/episodes/
Besides the Dean of Studies, each department (English, History, Language, Art/Music, and Science) has a department chair, a position filled by a teacher in that department. Department chairs are appointed by the Head of School, and they are not based on seniority, but rather, they are rotated between teachers in the department in several year intervals.
For the youngest students, PK-3, Wardlaw-Hartridge has introduced a SmartStart program.
All Lower School homerooms and most "specials" are in the newer branch of the school, completed in 1997. Encore, the Lower and Middle School afterschool program, is managed by the Lower School and run in the Lower School wing of the school.
The current Lower School Head is Mellie Bear.
(AP) classes, and each year, students are recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars and AP Scholars. Since 1999, all students have been required to purchase a laptop computer for use at school, and the school, particularly teacher Tom Hunt, was recognized for this incorporation of technology into the classroom with an Alan Shepard award. The school maintains a WiFi Network, several network-accessible laser printers, and email on the whschool domain to facilitate the students' use of technology for their schoolwork.
Upper Schoolers are required to fill a certain number of credits to graduate (currently 24.5). All students must fulfill 4 credits in English, 3 in math, 4 in science, 3 in history, 1 in the arts, 0.5 in health, 1.5-2.5 in various electives, and 2-3 in a foreign language (through level 3.) Wardlaw-Hartridge gives letter grades; in percentages: 100-97=A+, 96-93=A, 92-90=A- 89-87=B+, 86-83=B, 82-80=B-, 79-77=C+, 76-73=C, 72-70=C-,69-67=D+, 66-63=D, 62-60=D-, Below 60=F. For the calculation of GPAs, letter grades are converted into numbers corresponding to the middle percentile of the letter's range, and then averaged. Certain grades are weighted, however: AP grades are factored in with a multiplier of 1.05, and Honors Courses are factored in with a multiplier of 1.025.
Wardlaw-Hartridge does not encourage inflation of grades and will only employ a grade curve in extreme cases. However, to make sure one class does not detract greatly from a student's GPA, Wardlaw-Hartridge has a policy by which no student can receive a grade lower than a 55 on his or her semester grade.
The current Upper School Head is Rhona L. Eserner.
Visual arts class and choir are mandatory for all Lower School students, and band class is mandatory for 3rd-5th graders. In Middle School, students must take visual art and choir, but students may choose between participation in band or keyboard class. In the upper school, all arts classes are electives. These include Art I, Art II, Art III, Sculpture, Band, Concert Choir, and Chorale. AP Music Theory
and AP Studio Art
are offered to qualified students. Beyond this, in both Middle School and Upper School, students may choose to participate in small instrumental ensembles, such as a brass ensemble. Furthermore, the Upper School offers two annual theatrical productions: a fall play and a spring musical. In 2006-2007, the play was Harvey
and the musical will be The Music Man
. Often the Middle School students are needed to participate in the musical due to the small size of the school, as is the case with The Music Man.
During the 06-07 school year, four students were accepted to the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and one to the Greater Princeton Youth Chamber Orchestra.
Also, during the 06-07 School Year, three students were accepted into the Central Jersey Regional Orchestra. One student was accepted in to the Central Jersey Mixed Choir, and one other student was accepted into the Central Jersey Women's Choir.
Participation in Middle School physical education is mandatory for students in grades 5,6, 7 and 8, but students can choose to enroll in either a sport or physical education class. T
The Booster Club is another influential parent-run organization. The Booster Club runs fundraisers to raise money to make donations towards enhancing the school's athletic programs.
.
Nonsectarian
Nonsectarian, in its most literal sense, refers to a lack of sectarianism. The term is also more narrowly used to describe secular private educational institutions or other organizations either not affiliated with or not restricted to a particular religious denomination though the organization...
, coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
located in Edison
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is commonly referred to as Wardlaw or W-H. It is divided into three administrative divisions: the Lower School, the Middle School, and the Upper School.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 403 students (plus 11 in pre-K) and 55.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.3.
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools
National Association of Independent Schools
The National Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1963, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boarding, and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary...
and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools serves independent elementary and secondary schools throughout the state of New Jersey. The Association consists of 70 member schools with a total enrollment of approximately 26,000 students...
.
The Wardlaw Country Day School
In 1882, the precursor to the Wardlaw School, The Leal School for Boys, headed by Mr. Wardlaw, serving boys from first grade to senior year of high school, was founded in Plainfield, New JerseyPlainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
. In 1916, Charles Digby "Pop" Wardlaw moved from teacher to Head and purchased the school, and changed its name to The Wardlaw School. In 1959, the school was purchased from 'Pop' Wardlaw and renamed The Wardlaw Country Day School. The campus on Central Avenue was expanded with a new classrrom wing and auditorium. In the late 1960s, the Wardlaw school moved to a campus off Inman Avenue in the bordering town of Edison
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
.
The Hartridge School for Girls
The Misses Scribner and Newton's School for Girls was founded in 1884 in PlainfieldPlainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
near the Wardlaw School. The school name was changed to The Hartridge School when, in 1903, Miss Hartridge became the school's owner.
For many years, the Hartridge School and the Wardlaw School were closely affiliated. Each school would invite students from the other school to dances, and the two schools shared a drama department (out of necessity, as boys and girls were both needed to fill roles in school plays and musicals.)
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School
The Wardlaw School and the Hartridge School merged into one coeducational school, the Wardlaw-Hartridge School, in 1976. The former Hartridge campus became the Oakwood campus for the K - 7 Lower School, while the former Wardlaw Country Day Upper School campus became the home to the Upper school for grades 8 - 12.In 1991, many students of the Vail-Deane School were assimilated into the Wardlaw-Hartridge School. The Vail-Deane school, founded in 1869, boasted a rich history, and the school's Alumni Association was merged with Wardlaw-Hartridge's. In the 1990s, Wardlaw-Hartridge created a 6-8 Middle School on the Edison Campus. In 1997, the consolidation of the lower, middle, and upper schools to a single campus was completed when the Lower School moved into a new wing on the Upper School campus in Edison.
Facilities and campus
The Wardlaw Hartridge School sits on a 36 acres (145,687 m²) campus on Inman Avenue bordering the Plainfield Country Club. The Campus includes the school building, athletic facilities, and two houses (Fargo House and Hill House).The school building itself includes several subbuildings: The Horne Upper School, the Sarkison Middle School, The Panteleoni Lower School, the Snowdon Library, the Laidlaw Gymnasium, and the Plumeri Gymnasium. Naval architecture was a minor inspiration for the school's design, and, as such, the floors are called decks, with A Deck being on the bottom and C deck being on the top. Each of the divisional subbuildings includes several classrooms; The Upper School has sixteen, the Middle School has nine, and the Lower School has fourteen. Arts facilities are scattered throughout the building and include a band room, two choral rooms, and three visual art studios. The library is divided between B and C decks; the collection in the Lower Library on B deck is primarily for Lower School use, while the collection in the Upper Library on C deck is aimed at Middle and Upper School students. A computer lab for Middle School use is located in the Middle School. Offices for Administration, Admissions, Development, College Counseling, Summer Programs, and Information Technology are located throughout the building, with the largest cluster in the Upper School on B Deck. Other notable spaces in the school include: the All-Purpose (AP) Room, which serves as cafeteria, assembly room, theater, and concert hall; the Oakwood Room (formerly the Parents' Lounge, now used for more formal functions;) the Lecture Hall; the Senior Lounge; the Junior Lounge; the 1882 Room (which was recently converted from a Lounge to a room for displaying artworks); the 1881 Lounge (used extensively by sophomores); and the Gregory Boff Lobby to the Plumeri Gymnasium, which houses the schools extensive collection of athletic awards.
Besides the two gymnasiums listed above, the school has several other athletic facilities including an indoor swimming pool, a wrestling room (no longer used for wrestling,) a weight room, eight tennis courts, three soccer fields, and fields for both baseball and softball. Lower School students also enjoy recess on either section of the school's recently extended playground.
Plans for expansion
In 2003 and 2004, the school remodeled both the Upper School science facilities and the Middle School, increasing classroom size and adding new features to facilitate the use of technology. There is a long-range project termed "The Master Plan" which encompasses several plans to expand the school. This includes extending the Lower School, extending the school to enclose the central courtyard, and building a theater for performing arts.Administration
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is a nonprofit organizationNonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
and is run by a Board of Trustees. The current President of the Board of Trustees is Randolph Rogers '81. Aside from the faculty and academic administrators, the school employs a Business Office, an Admission Office, a Development Office, and a team of receptionists.
Furthermore, each division has its own head, whose role is most analogous to that of principal in a public school. Each division head has an administrative assistant. The Upper School has a Dean of Students, charged with overseeing student affairs, including discipline, the Upper School dress code, and clubs.
Classes
With about 420 students in grades PK-12, class sizes at Wardlaw are small, for example, upon graduation, the Class of 2006 had 25 students and the class of 2010 graduated with only 4 more. Despite having so few students, students are still offered the opportunity to take more rarefied classes despite small enrollment; for example, AP Physics C: Electricity and MagnetismAP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is an Advanced Placement science course that studies electricity and magnetism. Methods of calculus are used wherever appropriate in formulating physical principles and in applying them to physical problems. It is supposed to be equivalent to an introductory...
has two students enrolled as of Spring 2010.
The School Day
Wardlaw-Hartridge's normal school year is about 165 days (a bit shorter than public and parochial schools). The Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools all require students to be present for attendance at 8:00 AM. Lower School students are dismissed between 2:45 and 3:45 In the Middle School, students not participating in sports are dismissed at 3:15 PM; those participating in sports are dismissed at 4:30 PM. The academic day in the Upper School ends at 3:16 PM, and athletics run from 3:30-6:00 PM.In the 2010-11 school year WH started on a 7 day rotating schedule within its Upper School. The previous year they were on a 6 day rotating schedule while only two years before they were on a fixed weekly schedule.
Getting to School
Wardlaw-Hartridge is a day school with no on-campus housing for boarding students. Students commute daily from all over New Jersey; some students have lived as far as Lumberton Township, New JerseyLumberton Township, New Jersey
Lumberton Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 10,461....
(about 50 miles away) while attending. Students with licenses may register with the Upper School Office to drive to school and park in designated parking spots, however, only Seniors are allowed to leave campus during school hours.
Homerooms
Lower Schoolers spend most of their time in their teacher's classroom. Lower school students only attend certain classes called "specials," lunch, and gym outside their teacher's classroom. Each year, the student moves to a new homeroom teacher, and teachers typically teach one grade level for many years.Middle schoolers move from class to class, but meet daily in "homerooms," their advisor's classroom. These advisors are designated at the beginning of sixth grade and students keep the same advisor through their Middle School career.
Upper schoolers congregate each morning before class in the school's All-Purpose (AP) Room for "Morning Meeting," and are seated by their advisor. Like the Middle School, Upper School students are appointed to an advisor who advises through their entire Upper School Education. Upper school students technically have a "homeroom," the homeroom of their designated advisor, but students typically spend less than one hour a week in their homeroom. Homeroom takes place during 3rd period.
Between Classes
Lower school students are in their homeroom throughout the day, so they are under supervision at all times except to go to the bathroom or to go to the school nurse (to go to the nurse, two or more students are sent to supervise one another.) Lower Schoolers keep their belongings in small closets in their homerooms. When attending specials, they are accompanied there by their teacher and placed under the supervision of the special's teacher (or coach.) Lower Schoolers have a separate locker room for P.E, but share the Plumeri Gym with Upper and Middle School athletics. Although, the Plumeri Gym was built for the lower school. Lower schoolers have the earliest Lunch period, and they eat in the All Purpose room. Teachers and Fifth Grade "leaders" are seated with the students at lunch period. Preschool students, however, eat lunch earlier than the other lower school students, and are only accompanied by their teachers and teacher assistants.Middle Schoolers move from classroom to classroom without supervision throughout the day. Between classes, Middle Schoolers stop at their lockers in the hallway. The Middle School lunch period is a few minutes after the end of the Lower School lunch period in the AP Room. Middle schoolers have substantially less supervision at lunch, but for three of five days of the school week, middle schoolers must sit at designated tables with a teacher supervisor. Middle Schoolers share locker rooms and phys-ed facilities with the Upper School. Middle schoolers with periods with no classes scheduled spend time in Study Hall and are not permitted to leave.
Upper Schoolers move from classroom to classroom throughout the day without supervision. All Upper Schoolers are given a locker, but many choose to skip visits to their lockers by keeping many of their books with them in their backpacks. They have the last lunch period of the day, and sit without teachers however they choose in the AP Room. Students who have no classes scheduled during a class period attend Study Hall in the Lecture Hall, but Sophomores who meet certain qualifications and Juniors and Seniors not on academic or social probation are allowed to "sign out" of the Lecture Hall and spend time elsewhere. Juniors have a small lounge of their own next to the entrance to the cafeteria, while Seniors spend time in the much larger Senior Lounge which lies next to the Upper Schools Office. The recent addition of a lounge located directly below an area of the building known as 1882 has given the Sophomores a place to spend time; they have dubbed this area "1881." Seniors with consent from their parents are allowed to sign out of the school during Lunch and Study Hall periods.
Dress code
Students at Wardlaw-Hartridge are required to abide by a "developmentally approved dress code." PreK and K students may wear casual clothing, but the Lower School,Middle School, and Upper School each have uniforms. All School Handbook. p. 17. Accessed December 15, 2007.
Student Council
Both the Middle School and Upper School have student councils that function to consult with student groups and/or outside agencies on matters of fundraisingFundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
within their respective divisions.
Under the supervision of the Middle School Head, the Middle School Student Council (consisting of an Executive Council and
advisory representatives), organizes dances and social activities for the Middle School.
Upper School Judiciary Board
The Judiciary Board is a body made up of an elected student chair, one elected student from each class of the Upper School,and four faculty members. Students who commit major disciplinary infractions may be referred to the Judiciary Board by the Upper School administration. After a hearing, the Judiciary Board has a closed hearing, and then makes a recommendation for disciplinary action to the Upper School Head. Any student who commits a major disciplinary infraction is entitled to a Judiciary Board hearing.Upper School Clubs
There are many student-run Upper-School clubs. Clubs are usually academically, athletically, or artistically based. Examples include The Science and Math Society, Model United Nations, The Beacon newspaper, The Table Tennis Club, Visions Literary Magazine, Tempora et Mores yearbook, W-H Choral Society, and WHTV.WHTV (Wardlaw-Hartridge Television) gives students a chance to create their own comedic news segment to show to the rest of the school during the Upper School's morning meeting. Students and teachers alike enjoy laughing it up while watching new episodes of it air. The club has even gone as far to create a short movie in January 2010 under the leadership Charles Pivnichny and Gregory Lamparello both members of the 2010 graduating class. The movie was a spoof on the popular James Bond movies of the 90s. WHTV titled their movie "000" or "Double O Zero" staring Charles Kennedy 10' and edited by Anthony Martin 10'. Several of the more recent WHTV productions can be viewed here: http://wptest.wizkidweb.com/posts/videos/whtv-videos/episodes/
Academics
All academics are managed by the Registrar, currently Jan Yates. The Registrar oversees all course offerings, class enrollment, and grades.Besides the Dean of Studies, each department (English, History, Language, Art/Music, and Science) has a department chair, a position filled by a teacher in that department. Department chairs are appointed by the Head of School, and they are not based on seniority, but rather, they are rotated between teachers in the department in several year intervals.
The Lower School
Lower School students follow a traditional grammar school education, with emphasis on grasping basic skills in the English language and basic Arithmetic. Students are also exposed to enrichment in learning about Earth sciences and Social Studies, including instruction about the history of New Jersey (in Fourth Grade) and ancient civilizations (in Fifth grade.) Lower School students enjoy "specials," instruction in rooms outside their usual classroom. These include a special Science and Technology class, Art Class, Choir, and Band.For the youngest students, PK-3, Wardlaw-Hartridge has introduced a SmartStart program.
All Lower School homerooms and most "specials" are in the newer branch of the school, completed in 1997. Encore, the Lower and Middle School afterschool program, is managed by the Lower School and run in the Lower School wing of the school.
The current Lower School Head is Mellie Bear.
The Middle School
The Middle School is intended to provide a transitional experience between the self-contained learning environment of the Lower School and the freer, more individualized environment of the Upper School. Middle School students have little course choice, except in foreign language. The current Middle School Head is Ann L. Hergenrother.English and Social Studies
Middle School English and Social Studies are linked by regional focus. In Sixth Grade, students study Africa, South America, and Asia. In Seventh and Eighth grades, students focus on the United States. In all years, grammar, writing skills, and public speaking are developed between the two subject areas.Mathematics and Science
Each Middle School student follows a set curriculum in both math and science. In math, each student progresses from a general math course in sixth grade, through prealgebra in seventh, to algebra I in eighth. In science, students move from topics in life science in sixth, to topics in chemistry in seventh, to earth science in eighth.Foreign Language
The Foreign Language curriculum begins by requiring all sixth-grade student to take a survey course, Prima Lingua, of Latin, French, and Spanish. After this, students must choose to continue one of the languages in levels IA and IB in sixth and seventh grades, respectively. This is the only academic course choice offered to Middle School students, but once they have chosen, they may not change for the duration of their Middle School career.Homerooms
The Middle School experience is organized around homerooms. Each student is placed in a homeroom of around eleven students as soon as he or she enters the Middle School and stays with that homeroom throughout his or her Middle School career. Each student starts the day in homeroom and eats lunch with the homeroom on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The homeroom teacher serves as a student's advisor.The Upper School
The school offers 18 Advanced PlacementAdvanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
(AP) classes, and each year, students are recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars and AP Scholars. Since 1999, all students have been required to purchase a laptop computer for use at school, and the school, particularly teacher Tom Hunt, was recognized for this incorporation of technology into the classroom with an Alan Shepard award. The school maintains a WiFi Network, several network-accessible laser printers, and email on the whschool domain to facilitate the students' use of technology for their schoolwork.
Upper Schoolers are required to fill a certain number of credits to graduate (currently 24.5). All students must fulfill 4 credits in English, 3 in math, 4 in science, 3 in history, 1 in the arts, 0.5 in health, 1.5-2.5 in various electives, and 2-3 in a foreign language (through level 3.) Wardlaw-Hartridge gives letter grades; in percentages: 100-97=A+, 96-93=A, 92-90=A- 89-87=B+, 86-83=B, 82-80=B-, 79-77=C+, 76-73=C, 72-70=C-,69-67=D+, 66-63=D, 62-60=D-, Below 60=F. For the calculation of GPAs, letter grades are converted into numbers corresponding to the middle percentile of the letter's range, and then averaged. Certain grades are weighted, however: AP grades are factored in with a multiplier of 1.05, and Honors Courses are factored in with a multiplier of 1.025.
Wardlaw-Hartridge does not encourage inflation of grades and will only employ a grade curve in extreme cases. However, to make sure one class does not detract greatly from a student's GPA, Wardlaw-Hartridge has a policy by which no student can receive a grade lower than a 55 on his or her semester grade.
The current Upper School Head is Rhona L. Eserner.
Arts
Wardlaw Hartridge offers instruction in visual and performing arts. The Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools all hold a Holiday Concert in December and a Spring Concert in May. Several other musical events are held throughout the year, including "Cabaret," "Open Mic Night," a classical music recital, etc.Visual arts class and choir are mandatory for all Lower School students, and band class is mandatory for 3rd-5th graders. In Middle School, students must take visual art and choir, but students may choose between participation in band or keyboard class. In the upper school, all arts classes are electives. These include Art I, Art II, Art III, Sculpture, Band, Concert Choir, and Chorale. AP Music Theory
AP Music Theory
Advanced Placement Music Theory is a course and examination offered in the United States by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students who wish to earn credit for a college level music theory course.-The course:Some of the material covered in the course...
and AP Studio Art
AP Studio Art
AP Studio Art is a series of Advanced Placement Courses divided into three different categories: AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D, and AP Studio Art 3D.-The portfolio:...
are offered to qualified students. Beyond this, in both Middle School and Upper School, students may choose to participate in small instrumental ensembles, such as a brass ensemble. Furthermore, the Upper School offers two annual theatrical productions: a fall play and a spring musical. In 2006-2007, the play was Harvey
Harvey (play)
Harvey is a 1944 play by American playwright Mary Chase. Produced by Brock Pemberton and directed by Antoinette Perry, the play premiered on 1 November 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre on Broadway where it was staged for 1,775 performances before closing on January 15, 1949. The original production...
and the musical will be The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
. Often the Middle School students are needed to participate in the musical due to the small size of the school, as is the case with The Music Man.
During the 06-07 school year, four students were accepted to the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and one to the Greater Princeton Youth Chamber Orchestra.
Also, during the 06-07 School Year, three students were accepted into the Central Jersey Regional Orchestra. One student was accepted in to the Central Jersey Mixed Choir, and one other student was accepted into the Central Jersey Women's Choir.
Sports
Wardlaw-Hartridge has 8 Varsity sports and several Junior Varsity sports that competed within the Patriot Conference of the NJSIAA Prep B Division up in till the end of the 2009-2010 school year. They are currently competing in the GMC Gold DivisionParticipation in Middle School physical education is mandatory for students in grades 5,6, 7 and 8, but students can choose to enroll in either a sport or physical education class. T
Parent-Run Organizations
The Parents Association is the most powerful parent-run organization in the school. They organize the annual Fall Fair, a Saturday event where students run fundraisers for clubs and classes, sports teams play their rivals, and the Parents Association rents children's rides and holds a sale in the school's All Purpose Room. The Parents Association also does hospitality for school events.The Booster Club is another influential parent-run organization. The Booster Club runs fundraisers to raise money to make donations towards enhancing the school's athletic programs.
Wardlaw-Hartridge Summer Programs
Wardlaw-Hartridge runs a summer camp, a preschoolers' summer camp called Camp Funshine, and summer school in many high-school level courses. The Summer Programs Office runs these programs, and many Wardlaw-Hartridge Students attend camp or classes over the summer. A sizable proportion of summer school students, however, are high school students at J. P. Stevens High School in Edison, New JerseyEdison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
.
Notable alumni
- Grace Murray Hopper (1924), Rear Admiral, USN; Pioneer in Computer Technology.
- Julia E. Hamblet (1933) — Colonel, USMC; Director of Women Marines, Director of the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve.
- John P. Stevens (1944), founder of the J.P. Stevens & Co. textiles companyWestPoint HomeWestPoint Home is a conglomerate corporation that dates back over 200 years through the companies that have merged together. Beginning with J.P. Stevens & Co., Inc...
. - Archibald CoxArchibald CoxArchibald Cox, Jr., was an American lawyer and law professor who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy. He became known as the first special prosecutor for the Watergate scandal. During his career, he was a pioneering expert on labor law and also an authority on...
, US Solicitor General (1961–1965) and first Special prosecutorSpecial prosecutorA special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
of Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. - Gregory F. CasagrandeGregory F. CasagrandeGregory F. Casagrande is the founder of South Pacific Business DevelopmentMicrofinance Network, the leading microfinance institution inthe Pacific Islands region...
(1981), founder of MicroDreams and South Pacific Business DevelopmentSouth Pacific Business DevelopmentSouth Pacific Business Development is a network of Microfinance institutions working in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga to eliminate poverty. It's aim is to provide women in poor rural villages with the opportunity to start, grow and maintain sustainable income-generating micro-enterprises, build assets...
. - Mary McCormackMary McCormackMary Catherine McCormack is an American actress. Best known for her work in television, she has had leading roles as Justine Appleton in the series Murder One , as Deputy National Security Adviser Kate Harper in The West Wing and as Mary Shannon in In Plain Sight .Her film roles include Private...
(1987), actress - Thomas R. Edwards — Professor of English at Rutgers University and University of California Riverside, author, and New York Times book reviewer.
- Paul Papadakis (1995) — Actor.
- Justin Restivo (2001), actor (particularly, The Adventures of Pete & PeteThe Adventures of Pete & PeteThe Adventures of Pete & Pete is an American children's television series produced by Wellsville Pictures and broadcast by Nickelodeon. The show featured humorous and surreal elements in its narrative, and many recurring themes centered on two brothers both named Pete Wrigley, and their various...
). - Douglas UrbanskiDouglas UrbanskiDouglas Urbanski is an American theater impresario, raconteur and film producer.Urbanski is a business partner with actor Gary Oldman and he also runs a talent management firm, DMG...
-- Broadway and Film Producer
Sources
- School Website. The Wardlaw-Hartridge School
- Wardlaw-Hartridge All School Handbook
- Wardlaw-Hartridge School Directory 2006-2007
- The Beacon (Wardlaw-Hartridge School Newspaper)
External links
- School website
- Data for Wardlaw-Hartridge School, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...