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South Kent School is a private boarding school for boys in the picturesque hamlet of South Kent , Connecticut. The school is located on 200 acre campus in the hills of Litchfield County, about 45 minutes west of Hartford, CT. The school was founded in 1923 as a joint venture between Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, headmaster of Kent School , and two of his recent graduates, Samuel Slater Bartlett and Richard M. Cuyler. The current headmaster is Mr. Andrew J. Vadnais, a Williams College graduate. Total enrollment is about 140 students. About 20% of the student body are from foreign countries, including Austria, Bermuda, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, Montenegro, Nigeria, Senegal, Serbia, Taiwan, Turkey, and Ukraine. MISSION Three principles define the school: Simplicity of Life, Self-Reliance, and Directness of Purpose. An uncluttered environment is provided for lively and rigorous learning. Students are encouraged to be self-reliant in order to develop competence and self-esteem. The school places a high value on directness of purpose: each student is asked to welcome the challenge to focus his energies, to set goals, and to work to meet them. These principles are fostered in a community, small in numbers, that provides a safe and supportive family structure. In this energizing atmosphere, leadership opportunities are provided that develop a student's sense of responsibility and service. ACADEMICS 45 courses are offered in 2 primary divisions, Math/Science and Humanities. The school year is divided into three terms: fall, winter, and spring. Students normally enroll in five major academic courses each term. Accelerated courses, including advanced placement, are offered all departments. To graduate, a student must earn a minimum of 18 credits, which include:
Student Learning Services Student Learning Services is a support program for students who require extra help with their college-bound curriculum. It focuses on the individual’s learning style and works towards developing a boy’s further awareness and understanding of his learning process. English as a Second Language ESL is a program for international students to improve and/or reinforce skills in written and oral English. The focus is on structure, comprehension and conversation. ATHLETICS South Kent offers a wide variety of sports in the fall, winter, and spring seasons. Students can participate in various skill levels of 10 sports, including Baseball, Basketball, Crew, Cross-Country, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, and Tennis. The school is best known for it's Basketball and Ice Hockey programs which are annually among the best prep-school programs in New England. Recreational sports available to students include Alpine Skiing, Camping, Canoeing/Kayaking, Cycling, Fencing, Hiking, Ice Climbing, Ice Skating, Martial Arts, Mountain Biking, Nordic Skiing, Rock Climbing, Snowboarding, Table Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee, and Weightlifting. Athletics facilities available to students include the Richard M. Cuyler ice rink, the Joseph J Brown gymnasium, the Anne H. Funnell cross-country trail, hardcourt and clay tennis courts, a recently refurbished weight-training facility, numerous athletics fields, and the adjacent 18 hole Bulls Bridge Country Club. ALUMNI
EARLY HISTORY South Kent School was founded in 1923 as a joint venture between Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, headmaster of Kent School , and two of his recent graduates, Samuel Slater Bartlett and Richard M. Cuyler. Mr. Bartlett became the headmaster of South Kent School and Mr. Cuyler, the director of curriculum. Father Sill raised the $10,000 necessary to buy a farm in the small community of South Kent, CT, and renovate the buildings. In return, he asked that the money be repaid at South Kent's convenience and that he act as head of the Board of Trustees for the first ten years. The original purpose of South Kent School came directly from the proposal which Father Sill submitted as the rationale for his own school seventeen years earlier: "To provide at minimum cost for boys of ability and character, who presumably on graduation must be self-supporting. ...Simplicity, self-reliance and directness are to be especially encouraged in the boys." Life for a boy at South Kent was a rigorous assimilation of church, academics, work, and athletics. The school grew rapidly and prospered under Sam Bartlett, despite the difficult conditions precipitated by the Depression. From the beginning there were few aspects of the school in which the boys were not involved. Graduates remember with pride assisting in the building of the chapel by carrying bricks and mortar for the stonemasons. They shared the responsibility of harvesting the crops from the 400 acres of farmland on which the school stands. When nearby Hatch Pond froze, they cleared the snow and prepared an ice rink for their hockey season. Sixth formers were given almost total authority over the daily life of the younger students, but they were never far from the stern but compassionate eye of Sam Bartlett, the "Old Man." The school slowly expanded its facility beyond the original farmhouse that greeted the "charter scholars" in 1923. By the mid 1940s, additional dormitories had been added and the Schoolhouse building was underway. Graduates were regularly admitted to the top colleges and universities in the country. Sadly, the school lost several young men to the peril of war. A small side chapel was added to St. Michael's Chapel in their memory. During the post-war years, the school continued to prosper under the guidance of Sam Bartlett. However, thirty-three years of selfless devotion to the daily lives of one hundred boys takes its toll, and in 1954 he turned the reins of the school over to a veteran South Kent teacher, L. Wynne Wister. Mr. Wister was the perfect man for the job. He combined Mr. Bartlett's complete dedication to the principles of the Church with his own vision for the future of the school. Consequently, the transition was smooth. According to future headmaster George Bartlett, "While Sam Bartlett was somewhat concerned about the material side of the School, his emphasis was always on essentials, never on 'fluff.' Father Sill had once written to him, 'Be thankful that you can build the life of the School before the buildings' - he was and he did." Wynne Wister, on the other hand, realized the importance of developing the physical plant. Between 1955 and 1969, refinements were added to South Kent. New buildings including a library and science center went up. Departments were established to handle admissions, academics, athletics, development, and student activities. Mr. Wister was able to continue the tradition of the headmaster serving as the father of the South Kent family. When Mr. Wister retired after fourteen years of service, the Board of Trustees appointed George Bartlett to be the School's third headmaster. Son of the co-founder, the new head saw his job as one that included maintaining, interpreting, and renovating the facilities and traditions which had evolved over the years as uniquely South Kent. At the same time, he brought his own style to "The Place," as many alumni came to affectionately call South Kent School. His office opened onto the most-traveled student paths - to and from meals - and was comfortably accessible and welcoming to all diverted traffic. It was during Mr. Bartlett's tenure that the school embarked on a major capital campaign, raising funds for two major facilities: the Joseph J. Brown Gymnasium and the Richard M. Cuyler Hockey Rink. In the mid-70s, South Kent School grew in size and changed composition. At its peak, enrollment reached 175; for 13 years South Kent enrolled a small number of girls as day students. South Kent under George Bartlett, until his retirement in 1989, developed its reputation as a unique small school in New England, a school with heart. On February 13, 2002, Mr. Andrew Vadnais was appointed to succeed Mr. John Farr as headmaster. Mr. Vadnais began his tenure in June 2003. SOUTH KENT IN THE NEWS
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