Newark Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newark Academy |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Address | |
|
91 South Orange Avenue
, , 07039
United States
|
|
| Coordinates | 40°46′44″N 74°21′40″W / 40.77889°N 74.36111°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent Coeducational |
| Motto | Ad lumen (Toward Enlightenment) |
| Established | 1774 |
| Founder | Alexander Macwhorter |
| NCES School ID | 00868564 |
| Principal | Tom Ashburn (Middle School) Cathy Atwell (Upper School) |
| Head of school | Donald M. Austin |
| Faculty | 78.5 FTEs |
| Grades | 6–12 |
| Enrollment | 654 (as of 2021–22) |
| Average class size | 13 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 8.3:1 |
| Campus size | 68 acres (280,000 m2) |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Athletics | 24 sports |
| Athletics conference | Super Essex Conference |
| Team name | Minutemen |
| Rivals | Montclair Kimberley Academy The Pingry School |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools New Jersey Association of Independent Schools |
| Test average | SAT 1440 ACT 32.0 |
| Publication | Prisms (literary magazine) LUMEN (alumni magazine) |
| Newspaper | The Minuteman |
| Yearbook | Polymnian |
| School fees | $1,820 |
| Tuition | $48,820 (2023–24) |
Newark Academy is a private school in Livingston, New Jersey. It's a school for both boys and girls, teaching students from 6th to 12th grade. It was the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. This is a special way of learning that is recognized all over the world. In 2024, Niche.com said it was the best high school in Essex County. Lots of students want to go here! About 650 students apply for only 115 spots each year. The school has been officially approved by a group called the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1928. This means it meets high standards.
Newark Academy is one of the oldest private schools in the United States. It started way back in 1774! That's before the American Revolutionary War. It was founded by Alexander MacWhorter, who was an important advisor to George Washington. The school was first located in Downtown Newark. It had to close for a short time after the British burned it during the Revolutionary War. But it reopened in 1792. In 1802, the school even had a separate section just for girls, but this program ended in 1859. The school moved to its current location in Livingston in 1964. It became a school for both boys and girls again in 1971.
As of the 2021–22 school year, Newark Academy had 654 students. There were also about 78 teachers, meaning there's one teacher for every 8 students. This allows for lots of individual attention. Students come from many different backgrounds. About 43% of students are White, 30% are Asian, and 10% are Black.
Contents
Awards and Recognition
Newark Academy is often recognized as one of the best schools. Niche.com has given it high rankings. For example, it was ranked as the fourth best private high school for college prep in New Jersey. It also got an A+ for its teachers, academics, clubs, and how well it prepares students for college. Niche.com even ranked it as one of the top private high schools in the New York City area.
School Campus
Newark Academy is located on a large, 68-acre campus in northern New Jersey. That's about the size of 50 football fields!
Learning Spaces
The Upper School Academic Center opened in 2012. It has 13 classrooms, two science labs, and many spaces for students to work together.
The Wilf Middle School wing opened in 2017. It has two floors of classrooms, labs, and common areas for middle school students and teachers. Classrooms here have cool technology like Apple TV and SmartBoards. All science labs in the school have been updated with new equipment. Middle school students also go on special trips at the end of the year, like to the United Nations.
Arts and Performance
The Coraci Performance Hall was rebuilt in 2020. It's a big hall with 700 seats. Students use it for morning meetings and for performances. You can see dance, choir, orchestra, jazz, and theater shows here throughout the year.
The Elizabeth B. McGraw Arts Center opened in 1992. It has three studio art classrooms for things like ceramics, drawing, and painting. There's also a digital media lab for film and photography. Plus, it has rooms for the band and orchestra, a choral room, a dance studio, and a "black box" theater for plays.
Sports Facilities
The Cetrulo Family Fencing Center was updated in 2019. It has special flooring and electronic scoring for fencing.
The William E. and Carol G. Simon Family Field House opened in 2001. This huge athletic center has a gym with three basketball courts. It also has a six-lane swimming pool, a four-lane track, and a fitness center. There are also wrestling and fencing gyms in the main school building.
Outside, Newark Academy has lots of sports fields. There are two baseball fields, a softball field, and fields for field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. There are also two football fields, a basketball court, a cross country course, and 10 tennis courts.
Nature and Environment
The school campus is next to the Passaic River. In 2002, the school opened The Carol J. Heaney Nature Trail. It's a 2.5-mile hiking trail that students can use as an outdoor classroom.
Newark Academy also works to protect the environment. They recycle more, use energy-efficient lights, and even have a vegetable garden on campus.
Teachers and Staff
The teachers at Newark Academy have a lot of experience, averaging 17.5 years of teaching. Most of the teachers and administrators (90%) have advanced degrees, and 14 of them have doctorate degrees.
Donald M. Austin is the Head of School. He joined Newark Academy in 2007. He leads a team of administrators, including Cathy Atwell (upper school principal) and Tom Ashburn (middle school principal).
Student Life
For the 2023–2024 school year, students at Newark Academy come from over 90 different towns. There are 473 students in the Upper School (high school) and 204 students in the Middle School. Many students come from diverse backgrounds, with 60% of the student population being students of color.
Academics and Learning
Graduation Requirements
To graduate from Newark Academy, students need to complete certain courses. This includes four years of English, three years of humanities (like history), three years of math, and three years of science. They also need to be good at a second language. Students must take one year of arts, complete three "June Terms" (special learning periods), go on an immersion trip, do 40 hours of community service, and finish a senior project.
Special Programs
Newark Academy offers many different classes. They have International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which are like college-level courses. They also offer advanced math classes such as Multivariable calculus and Linear algebra.
Newark Academy is part of the Malone Schools Online Network. This is a group of 27 schools that offer online classes together. Students can take unique courses like "Are We Rome?" or "Creative Writing in the Digital Age."
Seniors can also do an Independent Studies program. This means they can design their own year-long course on a topic they are really interested in. They work with a teacher and create a final project.
Advanced Learning Options
Newark Academy is the only private school in New Jersey that offers both the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) programs.
Advanced Placement (AP)
The AP program lets high school students do college-level work. If students do well on the AP exams, they might get college credit. Newark Academy offers four AP classes: US History, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and a combined Calculus AB/BC.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Newark Academy was the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Baccalaureate diploma in 1991. The IB diploma is given after students complete a challenging two-year program. Many students choose to take IB courses. For example, almost all students in the Class of 2023 took at least one IB course.
Sports and Athletics
The Newark Academy sports teams are called the Minutemen. They compete in the Super Essex Conference against other schools in Essex County.
Newark Academy offers 25 different sports throughout the school year:
- Fall sports: boys' and girls' cross country, field hockey, football, boys' and girls' soccer, girls' tennis, and girls' volleyball.
- Winter sports: boys' and girls' basketball, fencing, boys' and girls' swimming, winter track, and boys' wrestling.
- Spring sports: baseball, boys' and girls' golf, boys' and girls' lacrosse, softball, boys' tennis, and boys' and girls' track and field.
Middle School students must play at least one sport each season. In the Upper School, about 87% of students choose to play a sport, even though it's not required.
Team Achievements
- The boys' fencing team won the state championship in 2020. Their coach was named the USA Fencing High School Coach of the Year.
- The girls' tennis team has won many state championships, including 16 state titles and 8 Tournament of Champions titles.
- The boys' tennis team has won the most state group titles of any school in New Jersey, with 27 championships! They also have 14 Tournament of Champions titles.
- The wrestling team won state titles in 1997.
- The boys' soccer team won state championships in 2007 and 2015.
- The boys' cross-country team won state championships in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2021.
- The volleyball team won their first state championship in 2021.
From 1984 to 1989, Newark Academy hosted the Livingston Open, a professional tennis tournament. Famous tennis player Andre Agassi won this tournament in 1988.
Notable Alumni
Newark Academy has many successful former students, called alumni. Here are a few:
- Andre Agassi (born 1970), famous professional tennis player
- Ryan Adeleye (born 1987), professional soccer player
- Jared Gilman (born 1998), actor who was in the movie Moonrise Kingdom
- Justin Gimelstob (born 1977), professional tennis player
- Asher Grodman (born 1987), actor who stars on Ghosts
- Matt Gutman (born 1977), ABC News reporter
- Maya Hayes (born 1992), former professional soccer player
- Coleman Hughes (born 1996), writer and political commentator
- Chris Jacobs (born 1964), Olympic swimming medalist
- Stacey Kent (born 1965), jazz singer
- Daniel Quillen (1940–2011), a mathematician who won the Fields Medal, a top award in math
- Lyndsey Scott (born 1984), model, software developer, and actress
- William E. Simon (1927–2000), who was the Secretary of the Treasury for the United States
- Richard Thaler (born 1945), an economist who won the Nobel Prize
- Salamishah Tillet (born 1975), a writer and activist who won a Pulitzer Prize
- Jocelyn Willoughby (born 1998), basketball player for the WNBA's New York Liberty
