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:For other uses of the term see Collegiate School (disambiguation) The Collegiate School is a private school for boys in New York City and has the distinction of being the oldest Independent School in the United States .Collegiate's Arithmetic Makes It Oldest School , 1985 . pg. A.54 Multiple sources cited for the founding date of The Collegiate School 1 It is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and is a member of both the Interschool and the Ivy Preparatory School League . HISTORY Collegiate was founded in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam in 1628 by the Dutch West India Company and the Classis Of Amsterdam . The school’s initial incarnation was located south of Canal Street and was an academic institution for both sexes. The location shifted several times through the last four centuries, finally nestling in it’s current position, next to the West End Collegiate Church , in the late 1800s. Some controversy surrounds the actual founding date. Prior to the mid-eighties, the common belief was that the school had been founded in 1638, placing it two years later than the founding of Harvard University and three years later than the founding date of the Boston Latin School . Historian Massimo Maglione conducted research into the accuracy of this date and found evidence that the school had in fact been founded ten years prior, in 1628, which would make Collegiate the oldest secondary school still operating in North America. Because Collegiate was briefly interrupted by the fighting of the Revolutionary War, other schools compete for the claim of oldest school in "continuous operation" in the United States. THE SCHOOL Mission Currently, the school teaches students in grades K-12. The school's mission is the following: ''Collegiate School strives to educate each boy to reach his highest level of intellectual, ethical, artistic, and physical development. Drawing on what is known about boys' growth and learning, the school offers a rigorous K-12 program rich in opportunities for cultivating individual talents and interests in a climate of collaboration and respect. Collegiate continues its historic tradition in New York City of educating a diverse and talented student body and of helping boys to become independent adults and responsible citizens who will lead and serve.'' Campus The campus, located between 77th and 78th Streets and West End Avenue , consists of four separate buildings: The “ Old Building ,” Platten Hall, West End Plaza, and a new six-story extension that bridges Platten Hall with West End Plaza. The four-story “Old Building” is part of the original church and is home to the “ Upper School ,” grades 9-12. Platten Hall, originally eight stories, was extended in 1990 by two floors. It includes two gyms (in addition to the “Alumni” Gym located next to the “Old Building”), The Ann and Edgar Bronfman Theatre, the “ Lower School ” (grades 1-4), the " Middle School " (grades 5-8), a full-service library, music and art studio facilities, a dark room, and the science department. West End Plaza is a hotel that was purchased by the school in 1977. Though it still serves as a residence, Collegiate has renovated several floors into administrative offices, classrooms for the Kindergarten (added in 1997), “ Lower School ” and the " Middle School " (grades 5-8), and a cafeteria. All four buildings border a courtyard where students of all grades play together. Structure Each grade has approximately 50 boys, many of whom attend Collegiate for the full course of study, thirteen years. A financial aid program attempts to ensure that the boys remain moderately heterogeneous; as with many of its peer NYC schools, however, many of the boys have parents who can afford the high tuition. More than a quarter of Collegiate teachers hold a PhD, and many teach college courses at night and during the summer. The school is private, though it functions under a New York City non-profit statute enacted in the 1940s. Collegiate is controlled by a Board of Trustees, and the school is administered by a Headmaster . Leadership Collegiate's Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Lee M. Levison as its 28th Headmaster, replacing Dr. W. Lee Pierson , who served as interim headmaster for two years following the abrupt departure of Mr. Kerry Brennan . Dr. Levison, head of school at the Kingswood-Oxford School for many years, will begin serving at Collegiate July 1, 2006. RANKINGS While Collegiate's small size precluded it from being included in an official ranking of schools' college matriculation lists conducted by the , Yale University , and Princeton University . SPORTS AND CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES The sporting pride of the school lies in the Varsity Basketball, Baseball, and running teams. Under the careful leadership of Coach George Calano, the school's Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track teams have become nationally recognized for their depth and strength. The school has a considerable number of clubs, especially in the Upper School. They include:
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Some notable people attended Collegiate but left the school before graduation. Most significantly, John F. Kennedy, Jr. attended Collegiate for the First through Fourth grades. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
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