| Renbrook School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| West Hartford, CT, USA | |
| Information | |
| Type | Co-ed, Private |
| Motto | Scientia est Mater Sapientiae |
| Established | 1935 |
| Head | Dr. Armistead C.G. Webster |
| Faculty | 89 |
| Enrollment | 450 |
| Campus | 75 acres (300,000 m2) |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue and White |
| Mascot | Freddie the Hawk |
| Website | Renbrook.org |
Renbrook School is an independent, private day school in West Hartford, Connecticut for children age 3 through Grade 9.
Contents |
In 1935, Mr. and Mrs. John Lee of Farmington and seven other families established a progressive school in the spirit of John Dewey. This school, called the Tunxis School, opened in West Hartford on 1234 Albany Avenue with just 3 teachers and 17 students. It offered education from nursery school through Grade 4.
The school was soon renamed the Junior School, and grew rapidly in the next two decades, moving twice in its early years. By 1956, the Junior School had 240 students, and was outgrowing its home. In 1958, it moved to the Talcott Mountain estate of Frederick Brant Rentschler, founder of Pratt & Whitney, leasing the property for $1.00 a year. In appreciation, the Junior School renamed itself Renbrook School, the original name of the Rentschler estate. The school remains at that location today.
The school added its ninth grade in the 1960s and its award-winning Summer Adventure Day Camp in the 1970s. In 1996, the Faye Belden Rentschler Foundation merged with the school. Today it is a member of CAIS, NAIS, the SPHERE consortium, and the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce.
Renbrook has enjoyed several exceptional heads of school. Florence Greene, the first headmistress, served for 32 years. Jane Shipp, who retired in 2010, was a beloved speaker and mentor who led the school during its greatest physical expansion. Her stuffed pigs Molly and Norman became fixtures at the school, and her departure was marked by a soulful rap tribute.
The Talcott Mountain campus encompasses seventy-five acres of woodlands, wetlands, fields and gardens. Outdoor facilities include four athletic fields, three swimming pools, one of the oldest and largest ropes courses in the country, three playgrounds, and a natural pond. The indoor facilities include 10 buildings, nine science and technology labs, a mathematics center, six music and art studios, two theaters, a dining commons, and two gymnasiums. The 16,600-square-foot (1,540 m2) Library and Technology Center contains 31,000 print and media volumes and is heated with geothermal technology.
Recent renovations have preserved the Tudor Revival architecture which was so essential to the Rentschler estate's original aesthetic.
Renbrook's 530 students are distributed across three schools. The Beginning School includes the Threes, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten. The Lower School includes Grades 1-3 in one building wing and Grades 4-5 in another. The Upper School encompasses Grades 6-9. Since many students enter in the sixth grade and leave after the eighth, the ninth grade is a smaller, more intimate program with extensive opportunities for student leadership.
The diverse Upper School athletic offerings include football, soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, basketball, skiing/snowboarding, gymnastics, squash, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and tennis. Outdoor Adventure is offered in both fall and spring and makes use of the low- and high-ropes courses. Renbrook's perennial rival is the Kingswood-Oxford School. Since 2004, Renbrook's mascot has been Freddie the Gender-Neutral Hawk, an anthropomorphic red-tailed hawk.
Renbrook has a very successful music program with 95% student participation. Musical offerings include Concert Choir, Girl's Chorus, Boy's Chorus, the Renaissance Singers, Jazz Band, Concert Band, 4th and 5th Grade Band, 6th Grade Band, 6th Grade Chorus, Off Broadway, and a yearly musical. Jane Shipp was instrumental in transforming Renbrook into a "singing school."
Publications include The Globe, a literary magazine, and The Astrolabe, a self-published yearbook.
The Globe is produced by the 9th Grade Honors Class during the Spring Term, and is distributed at the end of school.
The Astrolabe Yearbook is produced by a group of 9th grade students who work on it throughout the year. It too is presented near the end of the year.
The alumni association includes over 2,400 graduates from Renbrook and the Junior School. The association hosts events and reunions every year.
| Name | Class Year | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eunice Groark | 1950 | First female Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut (1991–1995) |
| Elizabeth May | 1969 | President of the Green Party of Canada |
| Michael Sucsy | 1988 | Writer, director, and producer of the HBO film Grey Gardens (HBO film) |
| John Conklin | 1949 | Set designer and Associate Artistic Director for the Glimmerglass Opera |
| Samantha Magee | 1998 | Olympian rower |
| Sirena Huang | 2009 | Professional Violinist |