Newark Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newark Academy |
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| Address | |
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91 South Orange Avenue
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United States
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| 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 | $2,000 |
| Tuition | $51,200 (2024–25) |
Newark Academy is a private school in Livingston, New Jersey. It welcomes both boys and girls, teaching students from sixth through twelfth grade.
This school was the first in New Jersey to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Many students want to attend Newark Academy. It accepts about 17% of its applicants. The school has been officially recognized by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1928.
In the 2021–22 school year, Newark Academy had 654 students. There were 78.5 teachers, meaning there was about one teacher for every eight students. Students came from many different backgrounds.
Contents
A Look at Newark Academy's History
Newark Academy is one of the oldest private schools in the United States. It is the seventh-oldest private school in the country. It is also the second-oldest day school in New Jersey.
How Newark Academy Started
The school was founded in 1774 by Alexander MacWhorter. He was a religious leader and an advisor to George Washington. The first school building was on Market Street in Downtown Newark.
Moving and Growing
Newark Academy had to close for a short time after the British burned it during the Revolutionary War. It reopened in 1792 in new buildings. In 1802, the school started a separate section for girls, but this program ended in 1859.
The school moved to First Street in Newark in 1929. Then, in 1964, it moved to its current 68-acre campus in Livingston. In 1971, Newark Academy became a school for both boys and girls again.
Exploring the Campus
Newark Academy's campus is 68 acres large. It has many modern buildings and outdoor spaces for learning and sports.
Academic Buildings
The Upper School Academic Center opened in 2012. It has 13 classrooms, two science labs, and spaces for group work. The Wilf Middle School wing opened in 2017. It has classrooms, labs, and offices for middle school students and teachers. All classrooms now use Apple TV and SmartBoards. The science labs were also updated with new equipment. Middle school students also go on special "Capstone" trips, like to the United Nations.
Arts and Library Facilities
The Coraci Performance Hall was rebuilt in 2020. It is a large hall with 700 seats. Students use it for morning meetings and for dance, music, and theater shows. The Hawkes Memorial Library opened in 1974. It has a collection of 23,000 books.
The Elizabeth B. McGraw Arts Center opened in 1992. It has classrooms for studio art like ceramics, drawing/painting, and a digital lab for film and photography. It also has rooms for band, orchestra, choir, and dance. There is also a "black box" theater and an art gallery.
Sports and Athletics Facilities
The William E. and Carol G. Simon Family Field House opened in 2001. This large athletic center has a gymnasium with three basketball courts. It also has a six-lane swimming pool, a four-lane track, and a fitness center. There are also special gyms for wrestling and fencing in the main building.
Outside, Newark Academy has many sports fields. These include two baseball fields, a softball field, an all-weather track, and fields for field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. There are also two football fields, a basketball half-court, a cross country course, and 10 tennis courts.
Teachers and Leaders
Newark Academy's teachers have a lot of experience. On average, they have taught for 17.5 years. Most of the teachers and leaders (90%) have advanced degrees. Fourteen of them have doctorate degrees.
Donald M. Austin became the Head of School in 2007. He leads a team of administrators. This team includes Cathy Atwell, the upper school principal, and Tom Ashburn, the middle school principal.
Student Life
For the 2023–2024 school year, Newark Academy had students from over 90 different communities. There were 473 students in the Upper School and 204 students in the Middle School. About 60% of the students are students of color.
Learning at Newark Academy
Newark Academy offers many different classes. Students can take classes at various levels.
What You Need to Graduate
To graduate, students must complete four years of English. They also need three years of humanities, math, and science. Students must also show they can speak a second language. Other requirements include one year of arts, three June Terms, an immersion trip, 40 hours of community service, and a senior project.
Special Academic Programs
Newark Academy offers many International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. These are college-level courses. The school also offers other advanced math classes like 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 college-level classes like "Are We Rome?" or "Positive Psychology."
Seniors can also do an Independent Studies program. They can design their own year-long course on a topic they choose. They work with a teacher and finish with a final project.
Advanced Learning Options
Newark Academy is the only independent school in New Jersey that offers both the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) programs.
Advanced Placement (AP)
The College Board's Advanced Placement 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 Calculus AB/BC.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
In 1991, Newark Academy became the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Baccalaureate diploma. This diploma is given after students complete a challenging two-year program. Many students choose to take IB courses. For example, about 95% of the Class of 2023 took at least one IB course.
Awards and Recognition
Newark Academy is highly rated by Niche.com. It was ranked as the fourth "Best College Prep Private High School in New Jersey." It also ranked fourth for "Best Private High Schools in New Jersey." For science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), it was ranked ninth. The school received top grades for its teachers, academics, clubs, and college preparation.
In 2024, Niche named it the best high school program in Essex County.
Sports at Newark Academy
The Newark Academy sports teams are called the Minutemen. They compete in the Super Essex Conference. This conference includes public and private high schools in Essex County.
Newark Academy offers 25 different varsity 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.
Team Achievements
The boys' fencing team won the state championship in 2020. They also won the foil team title in 2014 and 2016.
The girls' tennis team has won many state championships. They won the Non-Public Group B state championship 16 times between 1992 and 2021. They also won the Tournament of Champions eight times.
The boys' tennis team has won the most state group titles of any school in New Jersey, with 27 wins. They won 16 titles in a row from 1992 to 2007. They have also won the Tournament of Champions 14 times, which is the most in New Jersey. In 2021, they won their 27th state title.
The wrestling team won the Non-Parochial Group B state sectional and state titles in 1997.
The boys' soccer team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2007 and 2015.
The boys' cross-country team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2021.
The volleyball team won its first NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship in 2021.
From 1984 to 1989, Newark Academy hosted the Livingston Open. This was a professional Grand Prix tennis circuit tournament. Famous tennis player Andre Agassi won this tournament in 1988.
Famous Alumni
Newark Academy has many notable former students. Here are a few:
- Ryan Adeleye (born 1987), a professional soccer player.
- Jennifer Choe-Groves (born 1969), a Federal Judge.
- Samuel S. Coursen (1926–1950), who received the Medal of Honor after he passed away during the Korean War.
- Lanny Davis (born 1945), a lawyer and advisor who worked for Presidents Clinton and Bush.
- Jared Gilman (born 1998), an actor who was in the movie Moonrise Kingdom.
- Justin Gimelstob (born 1977), a professional tennis player.
- Asher Grodman (born 1987), an actor who stars on Ghosts.
- Chris Jacobs (born 1964), an Olympic swimming medalist.
- Stacey Kent (born 1965), a jazz singer.
- Daniel Quillen (1940–2011), a mathematician who won the Fields Medal.
- Lyndsey Scott (born 1984), a model, software developer, and actress.
- William E. Simon (1927–2000), who was the 63rd Secretary of the Treasury.
- Richard Thaler (born 1945), an economist who won the Nobel Prize in 2017.
- Salamishah Tillet (born 1975), a writer and scholar who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022.
- Jocelyn Willoughby (born 1998), a professional basketball player.
