Marlborough School (Los Angeles, California)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Location
Marlborough School
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Information
Religion	none
Head of School	Barbara Wagner
Enrollment	525 Girls
Faculty	67
Average class size	13 students
Student:teacher ratio	9:1
Type	Private
Campus	4 acres in Hancock Park
Athletics	10 Interscholastic Sports
Mascot	Mustang
Established	1889
Homepage	www.marlboroughschool.org

Marlborough School is a private, all-girls, college-preparatory secondary school for grades 7-12 located at 250 South Rossmore Avenue in the Windsor Square neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Marlborough was founded in 1889 by Mary Caswell and is the oldest independent girls' school is Southern California.^[1] Marlborough is considered one of the foremost college-preparatory schools in Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]} Marlborough has a $33.7 million endowment which is the largest endowment per student among independent schools in Southern California.^[2]

Marlbrough's colors are purple and white and the mascot is the mustang. Girls who attend Marlborough are also known as Violets, the original Marlborough mascot.

1 Mission Statement
2 Academics
3 Science Program
4 Athletics
5 Arts
6 Community Service
7 Tuition
8 Notable Alumni
9 External links
10 Notes

[edit] Mission Statement

Marlborough School, founded in 1889, is an independent, urban day school serving a diverse group of young women. The School is committed to delivering a superior college preparatory education in an environment imbued with high ethical values. Marlborough believes that, for women, academic excellence, leadership skills and confidence flourish best in a school exclusively devoted to their education. The Marlborough community enables each student to develop her fullest potential so that she may contribute in a global society.

[edit] Academics

The student to teacher ratio at Marlborough School is approximately (9:1), lower than the national high school average of (11:1) and the average public school student to teacher ratio of (16:1).^[3] In addition, the admissions process is selective. In 2006, over 1,000 girls applied for the 100 available seats for incoming class of 2012.

Marlborough's college acceptance rates have historically fallen above the national median placement. Over 90% of the students have been accepted into UC schools, and over 20% have been accepted into Ivy Leagues. For the Class of 2006, 76% of the students who applied regular decision to highly selective colleges and universities were admitted.

Representing part of the top 2% of 1.4 million test takers nationwide, the Class of 2006 included 2 National Merit Scholarship winners, 8 National Merit Finalists, 17 National Merit Commended Students, 2 National Achievement Scholars, and 1 National Hispanic Scholar.

[edit] Science Program

Marlborough has received national recognition for the strength of its science program. In 2005, Marlborough's honors research program was featured in an article in the New York Times, "When Popular Science is Called Women's Work".^[4] Marlborough's Honors Research program allows students to take part in hands-on research projects with their mentors at institutions such as Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, USC, CalTech, and UCLA.

[edit] Athletics

Marlborough competes as the Mustangs.

Marlborough fields teams in nine sports programs in the CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS): basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. A similar number participate in the Junior High Delphic League and Junior High Pacific Basin League. In addition an equestrian team competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian League (IEL). Over 60% of Marlborough girls compete in athletics. ^[5]

Marlborough’s athletic facilities include: the Combs Gymnasium, a fitness center, Caldwell Swimming Pool, 3 multipurpose courts, and a playing field. Marlborough also uses local sports facilities such as the Los Angeles Tennis Club and USC McAlister Soccer Field.

Marlborough has a well established athletic program that has won many championships in recent years. In 2006-2007 Marlborough won the Commissioners Cup, awarded to the most successful girls sports program in the whole of CIF Southern Section. Since the late 1970's, Marlborough has won 57 Varsity League Titles, 14 CIF-SS Titles, 2 CIF State Titles and 1 National Championship. Most recently the Cross Country Team (2006) and the Basketball Team (2007) won State Championships, and Track & Field (2006), Tennis (2006), Cross Country (2006) and Basketball (2007) won CIF Southern Section Championships. This year, the 7-8 Tennis Team lost for the first time in 3 years. They came in 3rd place after Campbell Hall and Harvard Westlake.

Many notable athletic alumnae can be found in the Marlborough Athletic Hall of Fame.[1]

[edit] Arts

At the heart of Marlborough's Fine Arts program is the goal that students develop both an understanding of the creative process and a life-long appreciation of the arts. Drama offerings range from open audition productions (an all-School and a Middle School performance) to student-directed work produced by the Drama Ensemble. The Winter Choral concert showcases the work of music classes, the Chamber Choir, and the Faculty Chorus. Instrumental Ensemble groups perform in a spring recital. Professional and student choreography is featured in the annual "Evening of Dance." Art exhibitions change monthly in the Disney Gallery and feature the work of both student and guest artists. Each year the Gallery hosts the Annual Invitational Show which includes art work from Los Angeles area schools. In addition to these larger venues, student work can be seen and enjoyed at lunchtime concerts, the "Evening of Scenes," and School assemblies. Several clubs offer opportunities to participate in the arts outside of the classroom experience as well.

Students have the opportunity to participate in arts activities, as a performer or observer, on a weekly basis.

[edit] Community Service

Unique among independent high schools, Marlborough’s service program is completely voluntary. Rather than a graduation requirement, service is seen as a personal commitment as well as an integral part of the life of the School. Each month, a calendar of service activities is posted on the School’s web site, reminders are listed on flyers posted on two campus bulletin boards, and announcements are made at class meetings by elected student representatives.

Projects are based on four levels of action: fund-raising for non-profit agencies and projects; collection of food and other life-necessities; environmental cleanup (including the campus of our immediate community!); and most important, contact with children, adults in need of assistance, the sick, and the elderly.

At each grade, a student is elected, and parent and faculty representatives volunteer to help coordinate the service calendar. Again this year, one middle and one upper school class will take the lead each month for publicizing projects and recruiting volunteers. As always, everyone is invited to participate in any project! Activities take place on campus during the school day, after school, and on weekends at sites in the Los Angeles area. It is the goal of the program that students, parents, and faculty find outlets to share their time and talents in meaningful ways.

In the 2005-2006 school year, the students extraordinarily demonstrated their voluntary commitment to serving others in need by raising over $28,000 to build a new school in Zambia, Africa for AIDS orphans.

Seventh graders have participated in the annual Math-a-thon for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, contributing well over $53,000 over a span of four years.

A partial listing of community service activities include: tutoring daily after school at the nearby 3rd Street School and Los Angeles Leadership Academy, Bookworms reading club with the Wilshire Elementary School kindergarten class, food of the month collection, 150 lunches made of homeless teens at the Covenant House Shelter and Outreach, working to distribute food at the Hope Net Pantry on Saturday mornings, Tree People, Binky Patrol, AIDS Walk (raising over $4500 for AIDS research), Denim Day (raising $2540 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation), volunteering at Adoption Day at the Children's Court House, helping set up for a Thanksgiving Dinner for 2500 at the Santa Monica Civic Center, preparing snack bags for the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition, caroling at the St. John of God Care Center, working with One Voice to pack holiday food at the Santa Monica Airport, cell phone donations, arts projects at the Shriners' Hospital, Locks of Love, Chocolate for Charity, book collection for Para Los Ninos, bake sale for hearing-impaired children, prom dress collection, Relay for Life, dinner at PATH, dance ensemble charity event, planting at the Hope Net community garden, and participation in Big Sunday.

[edit] Tuition

Marlborough is one of the most expensive private secondary school in the nation; tuition for 2006-2007 school year is $25,250. Marlborough has a $1.7 million financial aid budget with 14% of enrolled students receiving financial assistance.