Classical High School
Encyclopedia
Classical High School, founded in 1843, is a public
exam school
in the Providence School District, in Providence
, Rhode Island
, United States
. It was originally an all-male school, but has since become co-ed. Its motto, the Latin phrase Certare, Petere, Reperire, Neque Cedere, is a translation of the famous phrase taken from Tennyson
's Ulysses
, "To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield". It has been rated "High Performing and Sustaining" by its performance in 2005 on the New Standards Reference Exam, placing it third highest in the state. Classical High School stands roughly at the intersection of the Federal Hill, West End
, and Upper South Providence
neighborhoods.
The design is not popular among the students, mostly citing poor circulation and lack of natural light. William McKenzie Woodward, a well-known architectural historian and staff member of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, does not agree aesthetically with the building, going so far as to write in his Guide to Providence Architecture, "It's no wonder Modernism has gotten such a bad reputation in Rhode Island."
The previous building, a yellow brick building with a peaked roof (under which was the study hall), was considerably smaller and was bounded by Pond Street which was consumed in the creation of the new campus. When the old building was razed the yellow bricks were sold to students and alumni.
As of 2011 the science depart got renovated. It is quite modernized with smartboards and up to date lab equipment.
41°49′3.72"N 71°25′14.15"W
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
exam school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
in the Providence School District, in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was originally an all-male school, but has since become co-ed. Its motto, the Latin phrase Certare, Petere, Reperire, Neque Cedere, is a translation of the famous phrase taken from Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
's Ulysses
Ulysses (poem)
"Ulysses" is a poem in blank verse by the Victorian poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson , written in 1833 and published in 1842 in Tennyson's well-received second volume of poetry. An oft-quoted poem, it is popularly used to illustrate the dramatic monologue form...
, "To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield". It has been rated "High Performing and Sustaining" by its performance in 2005 on the New Standards Reference Exam, placing it third highest in the state. Classical High School stands roughly at the intersection of the Federal Hill, West End
West End, Providence, Rhode Island
The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
, and Upper South Providence
Upper South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
Upper South Providence is an official neighborhood in the South Side in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bound to the north by Interstate 95, the east by the Providence River, to the south by Public Street, and the west by Broad Street...
neighborhoods.
Mission statement
Classical High School, a demanding college preparatory examination school, serves a diverse community and provides its students with the means to achieve high standards in a rigorous learning environment. Classical encourages its students to pursue academic, artistic, athletic, and personal growth so they will experience success in colleges and universities, and will demonstrate excellence in leadership within the community.Architecture
Classical High School's current building was finished in 1970 and is one of few buildings in the area created in the Brutalist architectural style, making it an adventitious addition to the West End neighborhood of Providence. The school's large faces of concrete, few windows, and lack of natural light gives the building a somewhat prison-like appearance, the reason for a persisting but likely spurious rumor that firm constructing it had specialized in prison construction.The design is not popular among the students, mostly citing poor circulation and lack of natural light. William McKenzie Woodward, a well-known architectural historian and staff member of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, does not agree aesthetically with the building, going so far as to write in his Guide to Providence Architecture, "It's no wonder Modernism has gotten such a bad reputation in Rhode Island."
The previous building, a yellow brick building with a peaked roof (under which was the study hall), was considerably smaller and was bounded by Pond Street which was consumed in the creation of the new campus. When the old building was razed the yellow bricks were sold to students and alumni.
As of 2011 the science depart got renovated. It is quite modernized with smartboards and up to date lab equipment.
Famous alumni
- John Orlando Pastore — Former Governor of Rhode Island, United States Senator
- S. J. PerelmanS. J. PerelmanSidney Joseph Perelman, almost always known as S. J. Perelman , was an American humorist, author, and screenwriter. He is best known for his humorous short pieces written over many years for The New Yorker...
— American Humorist - Bruce SundlunBruce SundlunBruce Sundlun was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as 71st Governor of Rhode Island from 1991 to 1995. He was Rhode Island's second Jewish governor, and the only Jewish governor in the United States during his two terms...
— Former Governor of Rhode Island - Rudolph FisherRudolph FisherRudolph Fisher was an African-American physician, radiologist, novelist, short story writer, dramatist, musician, and orator. Fisher's parents were John Wesley Fisher, a clergyman, and Glendora Williamson. Fisher had three children.His first published work, "City of Refuge", appeared in the...
— pioneering Black radiologist and writer of the Harlem RenaissanceHarlem RenaissanceThe Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke... - Irving R. LevineIrving R. LevineIrving Raskin Levine was an American journalist and longtime correspondent for NBC News. During his 45-year career, Levine reported from more than two dozen countries. He was the first American television correspondent to be accredited in the Soviet Union...
— Former NBC News Economics Correspondent - Frank LichtFrank LichtFrank R. Licht was 67th Governor of Rhode Island from 1969 to 1973.Licht was born in Providence, Rhode Island to Jacob Licht and Rose Kassed Licht. He graduated from Brown University in 1938 and Harvard Law School in 1941...
— Former Governor of Rhode Island - George MacreadyGeorge MacreadyGeorge Peabody Macready, Jr. , was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains.-Background:...
— American actor - A.O. Scott — Chief New York Times Movie Critic
- Stanley FishStanley FishStanley Eugene Fish is an American literary theorist and legal scholar. He was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island...
— Literary theorist and legal scholar - Michael KangMichael Kang (director)Michael Kang is an American film director and screen writer. He is Korean American and based in Los Angeles....
— Filmmaker - George MacreadyGeorge MacreadyGeorge Peabody Macready, Jr. , was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains.-Background:...
— Film Actor - C. M. Eddy, Jr.C. M. Eddy, Jr.Clifford Martin Eddy, Jr. was an American author best known for his horror and supernatural short stories. He is best remembered for his work in Weird Tales magazine.- Career :...
— Renowned Author - Lauren Corrao - President of original programming and development for Comedy Central. Former Fox executive, helped develop That '70s ShowThat '70s ShowThat '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
and Mad TVMad TVMad TV may refer to:*MADtv, an American sketch comedy television series based on Mad magazine*Mad TV , a 1991 German television station management simulation game*MAD TV , a Greek music channel-See also:... - William A. BarnettWilliam A. BarnettWilliam Arnold Barnett is an American economist whose current work is in the field of chaos, bifurcation, and nonlinearity in socioeconomic contexts, as well as the study of the aggregation problem....
— Economist. - Robin Green - Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning television producer for The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
and Northern ExposureNorthern ExposureNorthern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
, among others. - Angel TaverasAngel TaverasAngel Taveras is an American lawyer and mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. Taveras is the first Hispanic mayor of the city and the third elected and fourth serving Dominican-American mayor in the United States....
- First Latino Mayor of Providence, RI
External links
- Providence Schools - Classical High School Website
- GreatSchools.net info page
- Providence Public School System
- Quick Fact Sheet
- NSRE RI High Schools Listing For 2005
41°49′3.72"N 71°25′14.15"W