The McCallie School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The McCallie School is a boys’ college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, offering boarding and day school places. It was founded in 1905 and, today, regards itself as one of the leading schools in the Southern United States. Its ethos is one of academic excellence, together with a strong code of morality and personal integrity. It receives day students in grades 6-12 and boarding students in grades 9-12, and enrollment (in 2005) is 890, comprising 630 in the Upper School and 260 in the Middle School. The current Headmaster is Dr. R. Kirk Walker (appointed in 1999), the first headmaster to be outside of the McCallie family.

McCallie School for Boys
Established	1905
Type	Private all-male secondary, Christian
Headmaster	Dr. Robert Kirk Walker, Jr. Ph.D.
Students	890
Grades	6–12
Location	Chattanooga, Tennessee USA
Colors	Blue and White
Mascot	Blue Tornado
Yearbook	Pennant
Newspaper	The Tornado
Website	www.mccallie.org

1 History
2 The School
3 Academic teaching
4 Honor code
5 Athletics
6 Campus Facilities
7 Student life
- 7.1 Daily life
8 Alumni
9 External links

[edit] History

McCallie was founded in 1905 by two brothers, Spencer and Park McCallie, both alumni of nearby Baylor School. It became a military school during World War I, a common practice among private schools at that time. The military program ended in 1970.

[edit] The School

McCallie School, located on the western slope of Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was founded in 1905 and today is recognized as one of the southern United States' preeminent college-preparatory schools. Its stated policy is to accept young men with above average to exceptional academic abilities, and those students matriculate at some of the best colleges and universities in the United States. In recent years, McCallie has been recognized for its innovative educational programs and its overall standards of excellence. Recently, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called McCallie "one of the leading secondary educational institutions in the United States." Many of McCallie’s alumni have gone on to become leaders in business, politics, art, science, and religion.

The mission of the School has not changed since its founding in 1905. McCallie’s stated purpose is to prepare students for entrance into college and for successful academic work there. McCallie stresses high academic standards and believes that challenging work best develops useful intellectual ability. Although not affiliated with any religious organization, McCallie states that it supports the spiritual growth of its students and believes that response to the Christian gospel builds a strong moral foundation and a sense of civic and social duty. The School teaches and values personal integrity, intellectual honesty, and a strong work ethic. Its intention is to promote the development of leadership skills and the ability to be both a self-confident individual and a dynamic member of a community. The School values and promotes an energetic response to the contemporary world and a respect for tradition.

McCallie’s campus comprises 100 acres on Missionary Ridge, the site of a major battle during the American Civil War. It is located 3 miles east of downtown Chattanooga. A major expansion program over the past few years has extended the campus southward and doubled the number of athletic fields available to students.

McCallie’s endowment is $50 million, with an annual operating budget of about $23 million. The Annual Sustaining Fund drive raises about $2.5 million a year.

McCallie is an all-boys school and its stated belief is that the educational, physical, and social needs of secondary school students can best be met in a single-sex educational environment. To complement its single-sex commitment, McCallie has a coordinate program with Girls’ Preparatory School (GPS) in Chattanooga. McCallie and GPS students participate in a wide variety of afternoon and weekend social activities.

Boarding students in the 2005–06 student body came from twenty-two different states and six international countries. The largest student groups are from Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas.

McCallie is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools, the International Coalition of Boys Schools, the Independent Schools Innovation Consortium, the Secondary School Admission Test Board, the Education Records Bureau, and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

[edit] Academic teaching

McCallie’s academic program centers on a strong core curriculum of mathematics, sciences, English, foreign languages, and history. This curriculum is further strengthened by eighteen Advance Placement courses and numerous honors courses. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are stressed at McCallie and nearly half the members of every graduating class receive college placement or credit for AP courses taken at McCallie.

Languages offered by McCallie include Spanish, French, Latin, and Japanese. The school has expanded its academic offerings to include travel/study abroad programs, and it sponsors exchange programs with schools in places such as Japan, Latin America, and France.

Teaching is undertaken by the 108 full-time faculty members, 12 part-time faculty members, 4 full-time academic counselors, and numerous adjunct faculty members and tutors. Nearly half of the faculty and staff members live on campus, either in dormitories or nearby houses.

[edit] Honor code

A central part of the School’s culture is its "Honor Code". All students are held to this code, which proclaims that lying, cheating, and stealing are unacceptable for a McCallie student. The code also stipulates that McCallie students are trusted by their teachers and administrators to tell the truth in all circumstances. The code is structured to encourage a life of honor and integrity and to establish a McCallie student as one whose word is his bond, whose work is always his own, and around whom the property of others is safe. Every student is required to sign his name to the "Honor Pledge" on all written schoolwork: This work is my own. I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this test.

The Student Senate, a group elected by the students, administers the Honor Code, which can vote to place a student on probation, or even expel a student for a second honor offense.

[edit] Athletics

In addition to its academic program, McCallie is committed to the physical development of its students. The school participates in fourteen varsity sports (American football, baseball, basketball, cross-country, track and field athletics, tennis, swimming and diving, lacrosse, rowing, wrestling, soccer, golf, bowling, and rock-climbing).

In recent years, the School has expanded its athletic program to make more opportunities available to students who do not wish to compete on the varsity level. An elaborate intramural program offers such opportunities as karate, juggling, and Ultimate Frisbee, as well as nonvarsity competition in traditional sports. This program is called "MTA", an acronym for McCallie Tornado Athletics.

[edit] Campus Facilities

McCallie’s campus is considered one of the best preparatory campuses in the South United States, with a dozen major buildings and several smaller structures. Boarding students live in five different dormitories that are located adjacent to the academic quadrangle, and a new residence hall is slated for completion before August, 2007.

All academic buildings and all dormitories have fiber-optic connections with Internet access. Numerous computer centers are located throughout the academic facilities, with students having access to more than 125 PCs. In addition, McCallie has Ethernet ports and a wireless network in strategic locations.

In 1993, McCallie opened the 180,000-square-foot Sports and Activities Center, which has been recognized as one of the finest high school athletic facilities in the United States. The $13-million facility contains five performance courts, a 25-yard-by-25-meter indoor pool, a wrestling room, a weight room, an aerobics room, an indoor track, a racquetball court, and a climbing gym. Other athletic facilities include the 4,000-seat Spears stadium with a six-lane track, the outdoor swimming area (known as McCallie Lake), six intramural fields, a tennis center with two indoor and twelve outdoor courts, three baseball fields, a lacrosse field and a soccer field.

[edit] Student life

Founded as a Christian school, the school still retains a focus on spiritual life. The institution is Christian, and a letter is sent to families of other religions upon their acceptance to explain this. Non-Christian beliefs are certainly promoted and encouraged within the school community as an overall sense of diversity has always been one of the school's goals. Students are required to attend a religious service weekly.

The school maintains an ongoing rivalry with nearby prep school, Baylor School, which primarily manifests itself in athletic competitions such as football. In fact, both schools have "The Baylor-McCallie Game" in lieu of a "homecoming" game. Currently, McCallie has a nine-year winning streak.

McCallie also takes part in coordinate activities with its sister school, Girls Preparatory School. This program, begun in 1986, brings McCallie and GPS students together in a myriad of social and academic activities.

[edit] Daily life

McCallie believes that a boy matures best when he is challenged and busy. It is an achievement-oriented, work-ethic school. Therefore, from the time they wake until lights out, students stay busy. For boarding students, the day begins at 7 a.m. with a full breakfast that is served in the cafeteria. Classes begin at 8, and each of the seven periods of the day last 50 minutes. If a student has a free period, he can study in the library, the Learning Center, or the Writing Center; or he can relax in the Student Center or his room if he's a boarder.

All students attend assembly once a week and chapel three days a week, at midmorning. Chapel services consist of nondenominational talks by students, faculty members, or guest speakers. Academic classes end at 3 or 3:30 depending on the day, and students then attend athletics, drama, or music practice or work on student publications. These activities conclude between 5:10 and 6:00, at which time day students leave campus. Dinner is served at 5:30, and the period from 7:30 to 9:30 is set aside for study. Lights out is at 10:45 for freshmen and is later by 30-minute intervals for each grade. However, the lights out policy becomes more flexible as students mature.

Boarding students are required to attend a worship service of their choice each week. Student-led services are often held on campus, and McCallie buses transport students to off-campus churches, temples, mosques, and other places of worship.