Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
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| Seattle Academy | |
 |
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| Location | |
|---|---|
| Seattle, Washington, USA | |
| Information | |
| Locale | Urban |
| Head of School | Jean Orvis |
| Students | 560 |
| Faculty | 58 |
| Type | Private |
| Grades | 6-12 |
| Mascot | Cardinal |
| Established | 1983 |
| Religious Affiliation | None |
| Homepage | www.seattleacademy.org |
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, Seattle Academy, or SAAS is a coed independent middle and high school located on Seattle, Washington's urban Capitol Hill. The school was founded in 1983.
Seattle Academy has 560 students. Annual tuition was $19,584 for the middle school and $20,574 for the high school during the 2006-2007 school year. The school consists of grades 6-12 and describes itself as a preparatory school whose mission is to "prepare students for college and life."
The school recently completed a complete facilities upgrade, moving from the cramped classrooms in Temple De Hirsch-Sinai to a complete campus a few blocks down Madison Street. SAAS consists of 5 main buildings: the Temple building, which houses the middle school; the Vanderbilt Building, the core of the Upper School (1998); the Arts Center, which houses all Math and Art classes (2001); the Gym, complete with a weight room, multiple exercise machines, and a basketball court (2003)(SAAS's gym is also one of the largest school-owned gyms in the Seattle area); and the Cardinal Union Building, which houses some of the Upper School Humanities courses (2007).
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[edit] Philosophy
The school's mission is to prepare students "for college and life."
It aims to do so by steeping students in a "culture of performance," which the school facilitates by "challeng[ing] [students] to take risks in front of a variety of audiences, combining disparate skills in moments of action in order to communicate complex ideas. This method of teaching fosters independence and integrity, the ability to collaborate and take risks, and the capacity to cope with change and ambiguity."
The school also espouses four Core Values: Trust, Respect, Integrity, and Responsibility. It expects all members of its community to abide by these values.
[edit] Facilities
- Arts Center
The Arts Center, or AC, is one of five buildings currently used by Seattle Academy. The building was opened in 2001. The Arts Center holds the high school's arts programs, which include theater, music, studio arts, and photography.
Seattle Academy's Math Department is also located in the Arts Center.
Art Center facilities include a darkroom, a video production studio, visual art studios, a metallurgy balcony, music classrooms, the 250-seat Orvis Theater, a smaller black box theater, dressing rooms, and a green room.
The Arts Center is attached to the Gym.
- Cardinal Union Building
The Cardinal Union Building, or CUB, is the newest of the Seattle Academy buildings. It opened in 2007 after extensive renovations during the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.
Currently, the building houses the Development and Alumni offices, a section of college counseling, and the Speech/Debate program.
- Gym
The Gym was completed in 2003. This two story building houses a dance studio, a weight-training room, and a regulation basketball court with bleachers, among its other facilities.
"Monday Meetings," weekly Upper School gatherings, are held in the Gym.
- Temple
The Temple Building, which Seattle Academy shares with Temple De Hirsch, houses the Middle School. In addition, the school will often use the Temple's Sanctuary for all-school meetings.
Upper School students are accustomed to walking up to the Temple Building for their foreign language classes.
- Theaters
The Orvis Theater (named for Head of School Jean Orvis) is Seattle Academy's primary theater and is located in the Arts Center. The theater holds 250 seats and is equipped with advanced sound and lighting technologies. Each year, the Upper School holds three major high school productions: a comedy, a musical, and a drama.
An intimate black box theater is used to perform smaller shows, including Middle School productions.
Both theaters are located in the Arts Center.
- Vanderbilt
Acquired in 1998, the Vanderbilt is the oldest of Seattle Academy's five buildings. The Vanderbilt Building houses Seattle Academy's English, History, and Science departments. The school's library and offices can be found on the second floor.
The first floor Commons is a popular gathering place for students and faculty during breaktimes.
[edit] Technology
Seattle Academy has an extensive technology program, which includes full-time tech support staff, a fully wireless campus, and mandatory laptops for all high school students. The middle school has a full computer lab and a number of laptop banks.
The school has converted its academic software to a customized, Moodle-based education software client. This change garnered a mixed response from students.
[edit] Administration
Head of School Jean Orvis has run the school since its foundation in 1983 and presided over the various capital campaigns that raised the money necessary to improve the campus.
Deputy Head of School Joe Puggelli has had a long and varied career, which includes US Army service,[citation needed] publishing, education, and coaching.
The school has a 17 member board, which consists of parents of alumni and current students. The current chair is Gilbert Scherer.
[edit] External links
- Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences website
- Seattle Academy Math Department homepage
- Seattle Academy's Moodle client
- Seattle Academy Athletics homepage
- Seattle Academy's Speech and Debate team homepage
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