The Harley School
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| The Harley School |
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| Motto | Become What Thou Art |
| Established | 1917 |
| Type | Independent, college preparatory school |
| Headmaster | Dr. Timothy R. Cottrell |
| Founder | Harriet Bentley |
| Grades | Nursery - 12th |
| Location | 1981 Clover Street Rochester, New York 14618 United States |
| Accreditation | Institute for Independent Education and National Association of Independent Education |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Green and white |
| Mascot | Wolves |
| Yearbook | The Commet |
| Newspaper | The Acorn Press |
| Avg. SAT | 684 (Verbal) 653 (Math) |
| Annual Tuition | $19,000 |
| Website | http://www.harleyschool.org |
The Harley School is an independent college preparatory school in Rochester, New York, USA. Founded in 1917 by Harriet Bentley, The Harley School spans from nursery school to the twelfth grade. Widely recognized as one of the premiere institutions in Rochester, it is the most selective college preparatory school in the area. Admissions is very selective due to the fact that enrollment in each grade is capped, and prospective students are often placed on wait lists. Preference in admissions is granted to children of alumni and siblings. The sense of community is fostered by the fact that many of the students know each other from outside the school, having spent summers together on Canandaigua Lake or through any of the seven local country clubs. A high sense of pride and competition is pervades the school, especially in comparison to its' rival, The Allendale-Columbia School.
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[edit] History
The Harley School was originally founded in 1917 by Harriet Bentley and a group of mothers who set out to establish a school for four-year-olds modeled after the schools of Maria Montessori. Originally called the 'The Children's University School of Rochester', it hired a teacher to come from New York City and serve. The school was intended to be democratic, with scholarships for less privileged children, and to work as a cooperative. It opened on Oxford Street in the city, and later moved to Park Avenue. The initial tuition was $8. With the Spanish Influenza outbreak in Rochester in 1918, the school was shut down. Tragically, in the fall of that year, Harriet Bentley fell ill and died within a week. In 1924 the school was renamed 'Harley' in her honor, incorporating the first three and last three letters of her name. The school later moved to its' current location on Clover Street.
[edit] Campus
Located in the suburb of Brighton along the Pittsford town line, the school is located in one of the most affluent sections of the Rochester area. The 25 acre campus is composed of a newly remodeled main building, the Sands Fieldhouse which contains of an indoor swimming pool and tennis courts, and a landscaped courtyard. The grounds hold two soccer fields, tennis courts, a playground, and are bordered by a creek. A distinctive element of the building is the new arts wing with its imposing bell tower, which holds several art studios, a glass blowing workshop, and a pottery studio. The school also owns numerous nearby houses for teacher residences and has plans to buy up much of the surrounding land for a new expansion.
[edit] Students
Composed of 500 students in grades Pre-K through 12th grade, The Harley School is an incredibly diverse community. The students come from 40 different school districts, 17% are minority, and 34% are on some level of financial aid. 95% of students take Advanced Placement tests and 100% gain college acceptance. The Harley School sends many of its students to nearby University of Rochester, as well as many other presitgious colleges in the Northeast such as Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, Brown University, Williams College, Skidmore College, Oberlin College, Middlebury College, and SUNY Geneseo. The school also sends students to farther away schools such as Notre Dame University, George Washington University, Stanford University, and Pomona College, The student body as a whole enjoys their time at Harley, and the community is extremely tightly knit.
[edit] Traditions
The Harley School maintains many traditions. From its' annual Candlelight Pan-Religious ceremony to May Day each spring when school is dismissed early to allow students to interact outdoors, the traditions are warmly embraced. Other important traditions include the Halloween Parade, the Christmas Feast, Scottish Exchange, the Thanksgiving Pageant, and the Trivia Bowl. All traditions are enthusiastically participated in by the greater student body. Most recently the student body has spearheaded an campaign to begin building houses for Habitat for Humanity.
[edit] Student clubs and organizations
The school has a considerable number of clubs, especially in the Upper Division. Prominent clubs include:
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[edit] Student Athletics
[edit] Interscholastic leagues
Finger-Lakes West Division Section V Athletics
[edit] Sports teams
The athletics programs at Harley are paired with another private college preparatory school in the area, Allendale Columbia School, to create larger, more competitive teams. Before the union, Harley's team mascot was a tiger. The combined Harley and Allendale-Columbia teams, frequently referred to as H.A.C., originally competed as the Harley Allendale-Columbia Braves. In 1997, students of both schools voted to change the team name from the Braves to the Wolves. Team supporters are known as the Wolfpack.
The school has had considerable prowess in the Finger-Lakes West Division, including recent sectional titles in Boys and Girls Tennis, Boys and Girls Soccer, and Boys Basketball. The school requires one athletic sport a year in grade 9 and 10, and afterwards strongly encourages participation.
| Sport | Level | Season | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | V, JV, M | Spring | Boys' |
| Basketball | V, JV, M | Winter | Boys', Girls' |
| Cross-Country | V, JV, M | Fall | Boys', Girls', Coed (MD Only) |
| Golf | V | Spring | Coed |
| Soccer | V, JV, MD | Fall | Boys', Girls' |
| Softball | V, JV, MD | Spring | Girls' |
| Swimming | V, JV, MD | Winter | Boys', Girls' |
| Tennis | V, JV, M | Fall (Girls'), Spring (Boys') | Boys', Girls' |
| Track (indoor) | V, JV | Winter | Boys', Girls' |
| Track (outdoor) | V, JV, M | Spring | Boys', Girls', Coed (M Only) |
| Volleyball | V, JV, M | Fall | Girls' |
- V = Varsity, JV = Junior Varsity, M = Modified
