Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

TO PROMOTE EDUCATION, INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.

SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY (SCH), THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL IN PHILADELPHIA, OFFERS A RIGOROUS CURRICULUM TO OVER 1,100 STUDENTS FROM OVER 100 REGIONAL ZIP CODES AND INTERNATIONAL ORIGINS. SCH'S EDUCATIONAL MODEL IS DISTINGUISHED BY SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION IN GRADES PRE-K THROUGH 8 FOLLOWED BY A COED UPPER SCHOOL. THIS UNIQUE STRUCTURE EXPRESSES SCH'S BELIEF IN THE BENEFITS OF SINGLE-SEX ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION IN THE LOWER AND MIDDLE GRADES AND RECOGNITION OF THE VALUE OF COEDUCATION IN A STUDENT'S FINAL PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE AND BEYOND.SCH IS DISTINGUISHED BY SIGNATURE PROGRAMS IN ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP, ROBOTICS AND ENGINEERING, COLLEGE PREPARATION, NEW MEDIA, OUTDOOR EDUCATION, AND THE ARTS.FOUNDED IN 1861 AND SITUATED ON A 62-ACRE CAMPUS IN CHESTNUT HILL, PHILADELPHIA, THE SCHOOL HAS A LONG HISTORY OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE, PREPARING STUDENTS TO LEAD LIVES CHARACTERIZED BY THOUGHTFULNESS, INTEGRITY, AND A QUEST TO EFFECT POSITIVE CHANGE.FIVE VALUES SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR TEACHING AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT: DIVERSITY, INTEGRITY, RESILIENCE, COURAGE, AND THOUGHTFULNESS.DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF SCH FACILITIES:A 19TH CENTURY INN LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, 17 LABORATORIES, INCLUDING A 1,600-SQUARE-FOOT STATE-OF-THE-ART ENGINEERING AND ROBOTICS LAB, VIDCAST STUDIO FOR VIDEO AND MUSIC PRODUCTION, IMAGINEERING LAB AND PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING LAB FOR LOWER SCHOOLS, CERTIFIED LEED GOLD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BUILDING, 6 SOL LEWITT INSTALLATIONS AND A VIOLET OAKLEY MURAL, 1/2-ACRE SOLAR ARRAY ROOFTOP INSTALLATION, LOW AND HIGH ROPES CHALLENGE COURSE, 5 PERFORMING ARTS VENUES, FABRICATION AND DESIGN SPACES, INCLUDING 13 3D PRINTERS AND 2 LASER CUTTERS, NEW EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERPOINTS OF PRIDE:- BETWEEN 2017-2020, SCH TEAMS WON 10 INTER-AC AND STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.- UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE 100+ ELECTIVES TO CHOOSE FROM, INCLUDING FORENSICS, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING & VECTOR CALCULUS.- SCH'S UPPER SCHOOL ROBOTICS TEAM WAS PART OF FIRST'S 2019 DETROIT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING ALLIANCE. OVER THE PAST 17 YEARS, THE TEAM HAS FINISHED IN THE TOP 10 AT "WORLDS AND WON THE COVETED FIRST CHAIRMAN'S AWARD 8 TIMES. ROBOTICS STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE NATION'S TOP ENGINEERING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PRINCETON, MIT, CALTECH, PENN, BROWN, COLUMBIA, CORNELL, CARNEGIE MELLON, JOHNS HOPKINS, GEORGIA TECH, CLEMSON, RPI, WPI, ROSE HULMAN AND ALL THREE MILITARY ACADEMIES.- 72% OF SCH FACULTY HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES AND AN AVERAGE OF 18 YEARS' TEACHING EXPERIENCE.- 89% OF STUDENTS IN THE CLASS OF 2021 WERE ACCEPTED INTO ONE OF THEIR TOP TWO COLLEGE CHOICES.- SCH'S UNIQUE CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM HAS BEEN LICENSED INTERNATIONALLY AND IS RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION. IN 2020-2021, CEL STUDENTS EARNED $10,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS IN COMPETITIONS SUCH AS GLOBAL YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP, RISING STARTERS, AND TIGER GLOBAL CASE COMPETITION.- RECENT GRADUATES INCLUDE AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, THE RECIPIENT OF THE "RISING STAR AWARD" FROM FIRST ROBOTICS, AND A FORBES MAGAZINE "30 UNDER 30" SUMMIT PARTICIPANT AND UN FOUNDATION "TOP 10 FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS TO WATCH."ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS:- PHASE II OF CAMPUS MASTER PLAN WAS COMPLETED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPENING OF THE NEW $34M MCCAUSLAND LOWER SCHOOL AND COMMONS.- THE THREE ACADEMIC DIVISIONS WERE RELOCATED TO THEIR OWN CAMPUSES, STRENGTHENING DIVISIONAL IDENTITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.- SCH OPENED THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER IN JANUARY 2020, NOW OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY.- ENROLLMENT HAS GROWN BY 86 STUDENTS AND ATTRITION HAS DROPPED FROM 10.7% TO 3.5%.- STRONG AND CREATIVE LEADERSHIP WAS IMPLEMENTED AT THE DIVISIONAL LEVEL.- WITH INPUT FROM FACULTY, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS, SCH CREATED A NEW MISSION STATEMENT AND CORE VALUES THAT REFLECT THE SCHOOL'S EDUCATIONAL VISION, INCLUDING A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON "DIVERSITY" WITH THE RECENT ADDITION OF 5 BOARD SUB-COMMITTEES/FACULTY/ STAFF HIRING + RETENTION, STUDENT SUCCESS, STUDENT RECRUITMENT + RETENTION, CURRICULUM, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.- SCHOOL LEADERSHIP CREATED A STRATEGIC ROADMAP TO GUIDE DECISION-MAKING AT INSTITUTIONAL AND DEPARTMENTAL LEVELS.- DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE SCHOOL STRATEGICALLY PLANNED FOR AND EXECUTED CONTINUOUS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THROUGH IN-PERSON AND VARIOUS MODES OF REMOTE LEARNING.