Suffield Academy is a private coeducational preparatory school located in Suffield, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in 1833. For the academic year 2008 til 2009 it holds the position as the 24th most expensive boarding school in the United States. The current headmaster is Charles Cahn III.

Overview

The school reports that at the beginning of the 2007 school year, 400 students attend the school. Boys slightly outnumber girls, and two thirds of all students live on campus. Sixteen different nationalities are represented among the student population. Approximately 130 students from around the globe attend the Summer Academy, a program hosted by the school during the summer months.

Twelve dormitories on campus house the boarding students with 90 faculty members serving as dormitory and student advisors as well as teachers and athletics coaches.

History

Connecticut Literary Institute

Suffield Academy was initially known as the Connecticut Literary Institute. The early mission of the school was to educate young men for the ministry. The Connecticut Literary Institute was the only high school in town, and local tax dollars helped pay for each student's tuition. Despite its early links to both the town and the local Baptists, the Literary Institute quickly moved towards a more non-denominational model. From the founding of the school, Suffield has had a commitment to diversity. International students were welcomed in the 1830s, girls gained admittance in 1843, and African American boys and girls joined the community in the late nineteenth century. This diversity came to an end during World War I, when the school was renamed The Suffield School in 1916 and converted to a "Military School for Boys" two years later, featuring military-style regimentation, field manoeuvers, and riflery.

In 1937 the school was renamed Suffield Academy.

School Renewal

By 1950, the school was in a period of decline. The town of Suffield had opened its first public high school in 1939, which reduced the number of students enrolled significantly. The physical plant was in need of revitalization. In comparison with similar schools, the Academy's endowment was low.

In 1952, the school hired Appleton Y. Seaverns as the new headmaster. The dynamic young educator from West Hartford, Connecticut, led a period of renewal for the school. Under his leadership, the physical plant improved, and the endowment significantly grew. Many of the buildings in use today were built during his tenure. Seaverns laid the foundation for the powerful and successful school that exists today, and its down fall.

The Late Twentieth Century

Since popular headmaster Ap Seaverns' tenure ended, Suffield has had several headmasters of note. Headmasters Paul Sanderson, Ken Lindfors and David Holmes guided the school through key moments that have shaped the school today. In 1974, the school returned to its co-educational roots, from being an all-boys school. David R. Holmes was the first alumnus to be made headmaster. During his tenure, the school began the Laptop Initiative, the Leadership Program, and the outdoor leadership program.

Computer Initiative

In 1992, Suffield Academy was the first high school in the US to require students to own a laptop computer. Suffield Academy runs all Macintosh computers. The school has a computer lab with the latest equipment, a computer repair center, and several computer-oriented classes. Students interested can be trained in basic Macintosh repair in the computer repair center.

Today, Suffield Academy's network is very extensive. All academic buildings are equipped with wireless and ethernet computer access. Printers are spread out over campus and can be accessed wirelessly. Each student is granted an account in the server, in which they can back up and transfer their files.

Suffield is unique in that all students are granted unrestricted internet access. Students' activities are not actively monitored, and no content is filtered. Suffield believes that it is a student's responsibility to use the network wisely.

Academics

Suffield Academy follows a liberal arts academic program. Each student is given an academic advisor, and the students may utilize academic support services if needed, including a student-run and faculty-advised Writing Center. Technology is integrated throughout the curriculum. The school features a Leadership Program. Each student is placed with a College Counselor to aid in the college application process.

Curriculum Requirements

To earn a Suffield diploma, students must complete 4 credits in English, 3 credits in Mathematics, 2 credits in Foreign Languages (including study through Level II), 2 credits in science, 2 credits in History (including U.S. History), 1 credit in the Arts and 1/3 of a credit in Philosophy.

Each student must complete 2 Technology Portfolios (one in grades 9 and 10, if enrolled, and one in grades 11 and 12). Each student must take a minimum of 4 classes per semester, each senior year course must be completed successfully, and each senior must pass each spring term-length course.

Leadership Program

Suffield's liberal arts curriculum is highlighted by its unique Leadership Program. Each student is involved, and the courses include a focus on personal mastery skills, public speaking, community service work and practical leadership experiences.

The aim of Suffield Academy's Leadership Program is to develop human beings with skills and habits that lend themselves to making a significant and positive impact on society. The program emphasizes seven core elements (personal mastery, moral foundation, goal setting, communication skills, problem solving, self awareness and inspiring/motivating others), highlights distance traveled for each individual student's growth, and prides itself on experiential learning.

SOLO, Suffield Outdoor Leadership Opportunities, is the outdoor portion of the Leadership Program. SOLO gives students opportunities to practice leadership skills in an outdoor setting. By experiencing activities (rope courses, a climbing wall, camping trips and afternoons canoeing), students are able to use their leadership skills in the real world. SOLO is offered as an alternative to interscholastic athletic competition during all three seasons (fall, winter and spring). The Courtney Robinson Outdoor Leadership Center, a renovated barn situated on 40 acres of farmland to the west of campus, serves as home base for SOLO. The barn contains a state-of-the-art climbing wall, storage space for canoes and other equipment, and classroom and office space. In 2007 a high-ropes course was build outside the barn, and has become an integral part of the SOLO program.

Athletics

Suffield has a strong tradition of athletics and primarily competes against other preparatory schools in New England. Rivals include Berkshire School, Westminster School, Williston Northampton School and Loomis Chaffee. During each season (fall, winter, and spring), each student is required to choose a sport, or an approved alternative activity.

Teams

In the fall, Suffield students compete in Cross Country, Field Hockey, American football, Soccer, Volleyball and Water Polo. During the winter season Suffield has teams competing in Basketball, Alpine Skiing, Riflery, Snowboarding, Squash, Swimming, Diving and Wrestling The spring athletic options include Lacrosse, Baseball, Golf, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field and Water Polo.

Facilities

Perry Gymnasium contains a basketball court, rifle range, wrestling room, six-lane championship swimming pool, Nautilus center with free weights, and locker rooms. The Squash Center features four international squash courts, while the Hirschmann Tennis Courts (10 courts) provide for seasonal play. Surrounding the campus are a new turf field, six soccer fields, a football field and all-weather track, baseball and softball diamonds, a field hockey field, three lacrosse fields, and cross-country trails. Facilities for skiing (Nordic and alpine), snowboarding and golf are available nearby. The Courtney Robinson Outdoor Leadership Center includes a indoor rock climbing facility, complete with a crack, cave, overhanging structures, aretes, and a ceiling with 15 quick-draws. The Outdoor Leadership Center also houses canoes, kayaks, snowshoes, cross country skis, stoves, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, rock shoes and harnesses. Recently, the school has added a new ropes course to the center.

External links

• Suffield Academy Homepage
• Apple Education Profiles: Suffield Academy

Notable Alumni

Many of the school's alumni have made significant impacts in their chosen fields.

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Alumni ! Description |- | Dr. John Adler ’72 | Professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University Medical Center and inventor of the CyberKnife |- | H. Meade Alcorn ’26 | Former Hartford State’s Attorney and majority leader and House speaker in Connecticut’s House of Representatives |- | Stewart Alsop II ’71 | Venture capitalist and former computer industry columnist for Fortune magazine |- | Pia Bungarten ’75 | Public servant and Division Chief for International Dialogue at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation |- | Joseph P. Campanelli ’75 | CEO of Sovereign Bank New England |- | The Hon. George B. Daniels ’71 |- | Vinny Del Negro ’84 | Former NBA player for the San Antonio Spurs, currently the head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls. |- | Roger C. Faxon ’67 | CEO of EMI Music Publishing |- | Harold Geneen ’26 | Business management pioneer and former president and CEO of International Telephone and Telegraph |- | Mark J. Hosenball ’69 | Award-Winning Investigative Correspondent for Newsweek |- | Archer H. Mayor ’69 | Vermont-based author of a critically acclaimed series of mystery novels featuring policeman Joe Gunther |- | James C. Morin ’71 | Pulitzer Prize Winning Cartoonist for the Miami Herald |- | Gerald L. Parsky ’60 | Chairman of Aurora Capital Partners L.P., a Los Angeles–based investment firm, and Regent, University of California |- | Leigh H. (Perk) Perkins, Jr. ’71 | President and CEO of The Orvis Company |- | Leopoldo Fernández Pujals ’64 | Entrepreneur, founder of Telepizza, and president of Jazztel |- | Charles S. Prouty ’63 | Executive assistant director of Law Enforcement Services for the Federal Bureau of Investigations and former special agent in charge of the Boston Division of the FBI |- |James S. Tisch |President and chief executive officer of Loews Corporation and CEO and chairman of the board of directors of Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. |-