Wilbraham & Monson Academy

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Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Seal of Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Established 1804
School type Private, Boarding, Day
Religious affiliation No religious affiliation
Headmaster Rodney LaBrecque
Location Wilbraham, USA
Campus 300 acres
Enrollment 315
Faculty 52
Average class size 12-15 students
Student:teacher
ratio
7:1
Mascot The Titans


Wilbraham & Monson Academy is a prep school located in Wilbraham, Massachusetts and founded in 1804 and is one of the the fifteen oldest schools on the eastern coast of the United States. [1] It is a four year boarding / day high school with a student body of approximately 315 students and employing about 52 faculty. It is located 1.5 hours from Boston and 3 hours from New York City. The program features small classes, 18 AP courses, postgraduate study, and a writing center. Athletics include lacrosse, baseball, cross-country, dance, wrestling, soccer, tennis, golf, football, basketball, track, volleyball, softball, water polo, and swimming.[2]

WMA was established by the merger of two nineteenth century academies — Monson Academy, founded in 1804, and Wesleyan Academy, founded in 1817 in New Market, New Hampshire. Wesleyan Academy relocated to Wilbraham to become Wilbraham Academy in 1912, and in 1971, when the school merged with Monson Academy, the name was officially changed to Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Wesleyan was the first co-ed boarding school in the country, and Monson Academy became the first to enroll Chinese students in 1847. The school also played a role in the anti-slavery movement, when its chapel was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. [3]

Contents

[edit] Academics

The Center for Entrepreneurial & Global Studies

The Center for Entrepreneurial & Global Studies (CEGS) offers courses in the study of global economics, finance, entrepreneurship, ethics, and sustainability. CEGS offers a multidisciplinary approach to learning, including lectures, seminars, independent study, and an on-line class with the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management. These are augmented by discussions with local business leaders, college professors, and prominent Wilbraham & Monson Academy alumni. Field trips to financial and governmental organizations provide “real-world” experience of class concepts. In 2004, eight domestic CEGS students traveled to Bangkok and met with government, banking, and business leaders. In 2005, CEGS students visited Brussels, the capital of the European Union, for a two-week program on the effect of the EU on the world's economy..[4]

The Bicentennial Scholars Program

The Bicentennial Scholars Program is a merit-based scholarship program designed to recognize and bring together students of outstanding academic potential. This program annually awards $15,000 to new upper school students who, in the opinion of the school, will enrich the academic, athletic, creative, social, and moral ethos of the school.[5]

[edit] Further Information

Notable alumni include:

–Bob Lappin - Conductor, Palm Beach Orchestra
–Dick Fuld - CEO, Lehman Brothers
–Bill James - Rockport Capital Partners
–Dr. Arlene Goodman - Pediatrician, Hartford Hospital
Bill Guerin - NHL hockey player[6]

The Academy is currently undergoing a $4 million expansion of the Greenhalgh Athletic Center on campus. The project is the implementation of the Academy’s Athletic Master Plan. The expansion includes a fitness room, a multi-purpose dance and wrestling space, a large gathering room and new central locker facilities.[7]

[edit] Accreditation

Wilbraham & Monson Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Its memberships include the Cum Laude Society, the Independent School Association of Massachusetts, the National Association of Independent Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the College Board, the Secondary School Admission Test Board, and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.


[edit] External Links

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ American and Canadian Consortium of Independent Schools.
  2. ^ The Association of Boarding Schools.
  3. ^ Valley Viewpoint.
  4. ^ NAIS Resource and Statistics.
  5. ^ Private School Review.
  6. ^ Boarding School Review.
  7. ^ Kuhn Riddle Architects.