Church Farm School

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CFS, The School at Church Farm
Location
Exton, Pennsylvania ,, USA
Information
Headmaster Terry Shreiner
Students 180
Type Private School
Tuition $40,000
Endowment $115 Million
Grades 7-12
Campus Rural
Athletics conference PIAA, Keyston Cup
Mascot Griffin
Color(s) Maroon and Grey
Yearbook CFS Griffin
Newspaper Greystock News
Established 1918
Homepage [1]

Contents

[edit] History

CFS, The School at Church Farm, until the mid-1990s known as Church Farm School, was founded in 1918 by the Rev. Dr. Charles W. Shreiner, known by the honorific "the Colonel." Shreiner, an Episcopal priest, founded his school in Glen Loch, Pennsylvania, on U.S. Route 30 between Paoli and West Chester as a boarding school for "white boys from broken homes". The school's charter was amended to abolish any racial exclusion in 1963 and African-Americans began attending beginning the next year. They now comprise over a third of the student body, Benjamin Wright (class of '67) being the first African-American student to graduate. Presently the school is considered one of the top twenty boarding schools in the U.S. in terms of ethnic diversity.

After the Colonel's death in 1964 (he is buried in the Founder's Memorial Crypt in the school's state of the art Chapel of the Atonement), the school was placed under the direction of his son, Charles Shreiner Jr. ("Mr. Charles"), a World War II veteran, until he retired in 1987. The school's current headmaster, Charles "Terry" Shreiner III, Mr. Charles' son, has announced his retirement. This leaves the school, for the first time in its history, of not having a Shreiner as headmaster.

Presently its academic program is designed for boys in grades 7-12, the "junior school" of grades 5-6 having been phased out in the 1960s. The school offers a well-rounded college preparatory education, including Advanced Placement classes with average SAT scores in 2007 being 1566 (on 2400 scale). The number of students remains around 180. Traditionally, students have lived in dormitories called "cottages." However, as part of the changes instituted during the 1990s, day students are accepted. The school is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, with an Episcopalian minister ("Chaplain") regularly leading a chapel service for the school community.

For many decades the school comprised 1700 acres on which a large farm was operated with the help of the students who were required to work half of each school day and full time for half of each summer. This farm included a large dairy and hog raising operations. This aspect of the school's life was gradually phased out beginning in the mid-1970s with most of the remaining farm land being sold off to developers in the late 1990s resulting in a substantial increase in the school's endowment. On this basis the school's name was changed to "The School at Church Farm" from "Church Farm School" at that time. The ruins of the dairy barns and silos remain as a testament to this era of the school's history.

[edit] Interim Headmaster

Thomas Rodd, Jr., a graduate of Yale and Columbia, was appointed to serve as interim head of school for the period July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009 after Headmaster Terry Shreiner announced his retirement. Mr. Rodd has a long career in private secondary education, having previously been the Headmaster of the Hopkins School in Connecticut.

[edit] CFS Principles

An orderliness and discipline conducive to learning and personal growth.

Excellence in academics and athletic competition.

A caring philosophy that permeates campus life.

An environment that provides a context for revealing life's spiritual dimension and nurtures the development of positive moral values.

A sound work ethic, as taught and exhibited by the CFS faculty and staff.

[edit] Sports

CFS has an extensive athletic progam having won numerous soccer, basketball, and track championships in the past few years in the Keystone Cup League. The track team has had many local and state wide victories in the 2007-2008 school year, both on a team and indivudual level, including the Penn Relays, Dallas Invitationals and Chichester.

CFS' athletic facilities include four soccer fields, a 3.1 mile on campus cross-country course, a fencing room, two baseball fields, a quarter mile track, a basketball gymnasium, six tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool for recreation and a state-of-the-art multipurpose field house.

[edit] Graduates

Alumni of Church Farm School have matriculated to Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Brown University, West Chester University, Penn State University, Swarthmore College, Haverford College, Temple University, Cornell University, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, Pepperdine University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Ursinus College, and University of Illinois

[edit] Campus Life

The campus consists of numerous cottages arranged across the highway from the academic buildings. Students live in these dorms with faculty mentors.


The academic year begins in early September and comes to a close in early June. The program includes thirty-six weeks of instruction, with holidays at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and in the spring and fall. Parents receive reports regarding their student’s progress eight times a year. Formal parent conferences are held three times per year.

Academic support is offered through the Learning Center, the Instructional Technology Center, the Guidance Department, faculty academic assistance, peer tutors and the advisor program.

[edit] Dress Code

While many prep schools have done away with the coat and tie dress code, CFS maintains this requirement for many of its activities.

[edit] Chapel

Religion is an integral part of the school's life with attendance at regular Episcopal church services being required of all students in the school chapel which includes a world class pipe organ that classical organist Virgil Fox performed on during a dedication concert in 1965.

[edit] Weekends

On weekend evenings there are a variety of activities that include sports, lectures and art and theater activities, both on and off campus.

Boarding students may go home most weekends and day students occasionally stay on campus on a Friday or Saturday night. About 70% of the student body remains at school on a typical weekend and takes part in these activities.

[edit] Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition is approximately $40,000 but financial aid is available to qualifying students.

[edit] Sample Pictures

Lower Baseball Feild
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Shops
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New Gym
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Dining