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Spence School




Spence's current Head of School is Ellanor (Bodie) Brizandine.


ACADEMICS

Spence is characterized by the strength and breadth of its academic program and close relationships between students and teachers. The average class size in the Upper School is 14; the student-teacher ratio is 7:1.

History courses on other cultures have been taught for over 35 years and include courses on African, Latin American, Chinese and Middle Eastern history. Many elective courses offered by the English department for juniors and seniors are the equivalent of college-level courses. In the Upper School it is the norm, though not a requirement, for students to take four years of math and science, enrolling in advanced courses in calculus, physics and biology. Beginning in 2007-08, Mandarin Chinese will be added to the teaching of French, Spanish and Latin.

In the fall of 2007, with the support of the Edward E. Ford Foundation, the school initiated an Authentic Science Research pilot program for grades 10-12. A rigorous three-year elective, the course allows students to perform "real-world" scientific research as they work closely with a professional scientist mentor in the city. Students are currently researching a variety of topics ranging from transgenic animals and mutations to the ecology of Lyme Disease . Not only does the program introduce students to the potential and discipline of careers in science, but it also opens a dialog between Spence teachers and scientists about what is important in the teaching of science in today's secondary schools.

The five most frequently attended colleges and universities for Spence graduates from 2002-2006 were: Cornell University (14), Harvard University (12), New York University (11), Princeton University (11) and Columbia University (10).


NOTABLE ALUMNAE




AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS




TRIVIA

  • The school's motto is "non scholae sed vitae discimus" ("Not for school, but for life we learn").

  • The Carnegie family donated their tennis court to be used as a playground for Spence. When Spence wanted to expand and build on the lot in the 1990s, they built a new playground on the roof of the new building to meet the stipulations of the gift.

  • Spence was once a boarding school.

  • The wall paper in the old dining room is Zuber's Vue de l'Amérique du Nord woodblock print, also found in the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House .



SPENCE IN THE MOVIES

The Spence School resides on a side street near Central Park alongside several old and gracious buildings including the Cooper-Hewitt Museum (originally the Andrew Carnegie mansion), the Sacred Heart School , and the Consulate General of Russia in New York. The street has been used as a backdrop in several movies including

  • ''The Anderson Tapes'' (1971, starring Sean Connery ) - the architectural star is Sacred Heart, but you can catch a glimpse of Spence across the street. Incidentally, this movie was directed by Sidney Lumet who later sent his eldest daughter (Amy Lumet) to Spence. She graduated from Spence in 1982.

  • ''Marathon Man'' (1974, starring Dustin Hoffman ) - the opening car chase end in a ball of fire that was filmed directly in front of Spence.

  • ''Arthur'' (1981, starring Liza Minnelli and Dudley Moore - The Cooper-Hewitt Museum played the role of Arthur's family mansion, and there is a good view of Spence in the background.

  • ''Working Girl'' (1988, starring Melanie Griffith , Sigourney Weaver and Harrison Ford ) - Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford crash a wedding filmed in the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, but the view of Spence is fleeting at best.

  • ''Uptown Girls'' (2003, starring Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning ) - the exterior serves as Dakota Fanning's character's school.



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