| Kents Hill School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 1614 Main Street Kents Hill, ME, 04349 U.S. |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Private, boarding |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Methodist |
| Established | 1824 |
| Headmaster | Jeremy LaCasse |
| Enrollment | 245 total, grades 9–PG |
| Student to teacher ratio | 6:1 |
| Campus | Township, 400 acres (160 ha) 16 buildings |
| Mascot | Husky |
| Website | www.kentshill.org |
Kents Hill School (KHS) is an independent college-preparatory school (boarding and day) located in Kents Hill, Maine, outside of the state capital of Augusta. Kents Hill School instructs students in grades nine through postgraduate. Students attend Kents Hill from across over 50 communities in Maine, 25 states, and 15 countries.[1] The school offers a curriculum with honors, AP and regular college-prep classes.
The school received the Siemens Foundation Award[2] in 2003 for Advanced Placement programs in Math and Science, and Social Studies teacher, David Pearson, received one of the first Harvard Singer Prizes[3] in 2007 for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching.
Kents Hill School is committed to values-based education, promoting the school's ten Core Values in every facet of school life: Altruism, Compassion, Courage, Friendship, Honesty, Perseverance, Responsibility, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Tolerance. Part of the school's mission teaches all students that "one man or woman of principle can make a difference."[4]
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Kents Hill is one of the oldest coeducational schools in the United States, and may be the oldest continuously operating co-ed prep school in the nation.[5]
Kents Hill was founded as the Maine Wesleyan Seminary[6] by Luther Sampson, a Revolutionary War veteran, in 1824. A carpenter who had not had a formal education, Sampson wanted to use the wealth he had earned to benefit society and glorify God. Together with Elihu Robinson and his wife, they opened the Seminary in order to better society through education. Girls appeared on the school's roster from the day the school opened.
Later headmaster, Dr. Henry O Torsey, oversaw the construction of Sampson Hall which was opened in 1860 and is still serving students today. Dr. Torsey also opened a female collegiate institute, one of the first to offer degrees to women at the time. Dr. Torsey is credited with introducing baseball to the school in 1861.
Bearce Hall was completed in 1873. James G. Blaine, who later served as Secretary of State under President Benjamin Harrison, donated a bell for the bell tower, both of which become important school symbols. To this day, the bell is rung to celebrate school victories and important occasions. During the next fifty years, the school added a conservatory of music as well as a farm.
During the Second World War, Headmaster Bill Dunn decided to build a ski program next to Torsey Lake. The students cleared the land, and Kents Hill established an alpine racing program that endures to this day. Today the O'Conner Alpine Center boasts alpine racing and snowboarding facilities, complete with digital timing, night lights, snowmaking and a ski lodge.[7]
Since 1990, Headmaster Rist Bonnefond has overseen further expansion of the school, its programs, and its facilities. In addition to expanding the academic program to include 12 Advance Placement programs, the school has added an Environmental Study program and graduation requirements. Since 1998 the school has added several new buildings and outdoor areas, including the Liz Cross Mellen Lodge, the Alfond Athletics Center, the Hanson Quadrangle, the Colhoun Plaza, the Williams Woodworking Studio, Reed Hall, and several new faculty residences. Davis Hall, the Alpine Center, and Bearce Hall have all been updated and renovated. In the fall of 2008 the school opened the Harold Alfond Turf Fields,[8] one of the largest turf field complexes in New England. In 2009 a new Performing Arts Center opened in the renovated Newton Gym.
The student faculty ratio is 6:1, with an average class size of 11. 85% of the faculty live on campus. Kents Hill offers a college-prep curriculum. 13 Advanced Placement courses are offered and there are honors courses available in virtually every academic discipline.[9] ESL level classes are available for international students for whom English is a second language.[10]
"To promote regular physical activity and sportsmanship is one of Kents Hill's overarching goals in its mission.[11] The athletics program is designed to meet the needs of every student ranging from the three season varsity athlete to novice or casual participants. All students participate in a sport each trimester.
The O'Connor Alpine Center offers on-campus alpine racing and snowboarding facilities, complete with lights, snowmaking, and digital timing. The Alfond Athletics Center contains a NHL-sized ice rink, a fitness center, basketball courts, and locker room facilities. The Harold Alfond Turf Fields complex has two fields, a baseball diamond, and a softball diamond. In addition to grass playing fields and tennis courts, acres of woods contain maintained cross-country running, mountain biking, and Nordic skiing/snow-showing trails. All these facilities are not only used by the Kents Hill students but support many clubs and youth athletic teams from surrounding communities.
Fall: Football, Field Hockey, Soccer, Outing Club, Cross-Country, Mountain Biking, Golf, Equestrian
Winter: Men's & Women's Ice Hockey, Basketball, Fencing, Alpine Skiing (Comp & Rec), Snowboarding (Comp & Rec), Fitness
Spring: Men's & Women's Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Dance, Spring Musical, Outing Club, Equestrian, Elite Fencing
Kents Hill's campus contains the following buildings:[12]
All other information is taken from the school's website and publications