Norwich Free Academy
Encyclopedia
The Norwich Free Academy (commonly called "NFA") founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a high school
located in the city of Norwich, Connecticut
. The Academy serves as the primary high school for Norwich and the surrounding towns of Canterbury
, Bozrah
, Voluntown
, Sprague
, Lisbon
, Franklin
, Preston
and
several others. It was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2001. The class of 2006 graduated in NFA's 150th year of operation.
The Norwich Free Academy was incorporated in 1855 by an act of the Connecticut Legislature, and it operates as an endowed educational institution. It is governed by its Board of Trustees without control from either the City of Norwich or the Norwich Public Schools. The Academy therefore describes itself as an independent school
. The Connecticut State Department of Education
does not list NFA in its list of non-public schools, and therefore considers it to be a public school because the state of Connecticut oversees the school. NFA is a member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools. NFA serves as a secondary school of choice
to Norwich and seven surrounding communities (Bozrah, Canterbury, Franklin, Lisbon, Preston, Sprague, and Voluntown), as well as tuition students.
, both alumni.
, it holds the theater. In the basement, there is the campus safety department. Above the theater, Slater Memorial Museum
resides. This museum marks NFA as one of the few high schools in the nation with an active historical institution on campus. The museum contains a collection of plaster casts of famous Roman, Greek and Egyptian statues. The museum also contains numerous exhibits of colonial and historic artifacts, as well as a collection of representationalist paintings, smaller sculpture and ethnic art.
White 76.5%,
African American 11.4%,
Native American 1.6%,
Asian 5.7%,
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population. http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
The total minority
population for the school in 2006-2007 was 27.5%
The total minority
population for the school in 2001-2002 was 20.1%
Graduation Rate for Class of 2006: 93.6%
State Average: 92.2% http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Activities of Graduates
% Attending Two or Four Year College
:
2006: 82.5%
2001: 77.6% http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Staff Education
% of Staff with Master’s degree or Above: 84.0%
State Average: 76.0% http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in the city of Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
. The Academy serves as the primary high school for Norwich and the surrounding towns of Canterbury
Canterbury, Connecticut
Canterbury is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,692 at the 2000 census.-History:The area was first settled in the 1680s as Peagscomsuck, consisting mainly of land north of Norwich, south of New Roxbury, Massachusetts and west of the Quinebaug River and the...
, Bozrah
Bozrah, Connecticut
Bozrah is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,357 at the 2000 census. Bozrah contains three villages: Fitchville, the town center; Leffingwell, a crossroads on Route 82; and Gilman, a mill village along Fitchville Road....
, Voluntown
Voluntown, Connecticut
Voluntown is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2000 census. From 1726 to 1881 Voluntown had been part of Windham County.-Geography:...
, Sprague
Sprague, Connecticut
Sprague is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named after William Sprague, who laid out the industrial section. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census...
, Lisbon
Lisbon, Connecticut
Lisbon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,069 at the 2000 census. The town center is also known as the village of Newent...
, Franklin
Franklin, Connecticut
Franklin is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,835 at the 2000 census. The town also includes the village of North Franklin.-Geography:...
, Preston
Preston, Connecticut
Preston is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,688 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck.-History:...
and
several others. It was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2001. The class of 2006 graduated in NFA's 150th year of operation.
The Norwich Free Academy was incorporated in 1855 by an act of the Connecticut Legislature, and it operates as an endowed educational institution. It is governed by its Board of Trustees without control from either the City of Norwich or the Norwich Public Schools. The Academy therefore describes itself as an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
. The Connecticut State Department of Education
Connecticut State Department of Education
Connecticut State Department of Education is a branch of the state government of Connecticut in the United States. The agency is headquartered in the State Office Building at 165 Capitol Avenue in Hartford...
does not list NFA in its list of non-public schools, and therefore considers it to be a public school because the state of Connecticut oversees the school. NFA is a member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools. NFA serves as a secondary school of choice
to Norwich and seven surrounding communities (Bozrah, Canterbury, Franklin, Lisbon, Preston, Sprague, and Voluntown), as well as tuition students.
Campus
NFA is located at 305 Broadway http://www.google.com/maps?q=305+Broadway,+Norwich,+CT+06360&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title across from Park Church and the Chelsea Parade.Shattuck House
Shattuck House is the building in which most upperclassmen English and history classes are held; consisting of three floors of classrooms in the larger section of the building, as well as a smaller section that houses four other classrooms as well as the Shattuck main offices.Levanto House
This building is used for all alumni affairs, and should not be confused with Alumni Hall. It is named in honor of a former superintendent, Joseph Levanto.Bradlaw House
Bradlaw House, known informally as "M.T." in the past, is the main building for most math and computer related classes. There are also Tech Ed classes in the basement, and painting and sculpture classes held on the main floor. The structure was named after a former teacher, Paul Bradlaw. A major addition, the Sidney E. Frank Center for Visual and Performing Arts, was completed in 2005.Converse Art Gallery
The gallery and building is named in the memory of Colonel John Converse. The Converse building holds various art, English, marine biology and mathematics classes on the first floors and basement. Capped with a large pyramid skylight for a roof, the upper floor is home to the Converse Art Gallery on the third floor, showcasing quite a bit of student work as well as that of other local artists.Cranston House
Cranston, formerly known as Commercial, was established as the ninth grade house during the 1989-1990 academic year. The building now houses very few classes for upperclassmen. The cooking classroom, as well as The Brickview Inn, a student run alternative to the cafeteria, is located in the basement of the building. Classes include all freshmen level academics, as well as some business classes. The roof of the Cranston building sports an astronomical observatory donated by members of the Mallove and Albertson families.The Brickview Inn
The Brickview Inn was originally opened on the third floor of the Bradlaw House before it moved its facilities. It gained the name because of the prominence of the red brick that composed the nearby Tirrell House, Slater Hall and Converse Art Gallery. Now located in the basement of the Cranston House, the Brickview is managed entirely by the student body. The Restaurant Management class uses this as their classroom, with the seniors who elect to take the course managing, shopping for, cooking and serving the food to guests. The Brickview serves gourmet and often exotic meals to students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October to May. The restaurant has a homestyle theme, with paintings on the walls and various plants.Latham Science and Information Center
Latham is home to many science classrooms. A number of modernized physics and chemistry labs are located in this building. There are also a few meeting rooms and offices. Latham's most notable point is the Land Library upstairs. Spanning two floors, it contains a comprehensive selection of books, mircofilm and has numerous computer terminals for online information. The building is named after Nathaniel Latham, and the Library after Edwin H. LandEdwin H. Land
Edwin Herbert Land was an American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Among other things, he invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a practical system of in-camera instant photography, and his retinex theory of color vision...
, both alumni.
Norton-Peck Library
The Peck Library was originally located in southwestern corner of the second floor of Slater Hall in space that is now used for museum purposes. NFA acquired the Lafayette Foster House, a large Italianite Victorian mansion, and an endowment for a library from the Norton estate about 1953, and the Peck Library was relocated into the Lafayette Foster House to create the Norton-Peck Library. The Norton-Peck Library served as the school library until Latham was constructed and connected to the house. The Norton-Peck and Land Libraries are now one building. After the library moved its collection to the more modern facilities of Land, the Lafayette Foster House was converted to use for office space and conference rooms. Occasionally, school clubs use the rooms as meeting spaces.Norton and Alumni Gymnasium
This is the older of the two gymnasiums, under which the locker rooms and weight rooms are located. A large multipurpose classroom utilized for CPR training, indoor basketball court, dance class, and some PE classes are located.Slater Hall and Museum
Named in honor of John Fox SlaterJohn Fox Slater
John Fox Slater , United States philanthropist known for assisting in the education of emancipated African American slaves.-Early life and career:...
, it holds the theater. In the basement, there is the campus safety department. Above the theater, Slater Memorial Museum
Slater Memorial Museum
The J. F. Slater Memorial Museum, also known as Slater Memorial Museum, is a historic building and an art museum in the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, Connecticut....
resides. This museum marks NFA as one of the few high schools in the nation with an active historical institution on campus. The museum contains a collection of plaster casts of famous Roman, Greek and Egyptian statues. The museum also contains numerous exhibits of colonial and historic artifacts, as well as a collection of representationalist paintings, smaller sculpture and ethnic art.
Sidney E. Frank Center For Visual and Performing Arts
This building was completed in 2005 as an addition to the Bradlaw building. It has become the new home to the instrumental and vocal music programs, located in the Eva Virginia Smith Instrumental Music Suite, as well as an ensemble room, used mainly for computer presentations and small assemblies. There are a few math and social studies classrooms in this building as well. A small student art gallery is located in the lobby.Tirrell Building
Also called Main or Main Building, it holds the TV studio and cafeteria at the basement, as well as the language classrooms, health classroom, and many science classrooms. Tirrell is named after former superintendent Henry A. Tirrell.Demographics
Racial makeup of the school in 2006-2008 wasWhite 76.5%,
African American 11.4%,
Native American 1.6%,
Asian 5.7%,
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population. http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
The total minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
population for the school in 2006-2007 was 27.5%
The total minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
population for the school in 2001-2002 was 20.1%
Statistics
Graduation RateGraduation Rate for Class of 2006: 93.6%
State Average: 92.2% http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Activities of Graduates
% Attending Two or Four Year College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
:
2006: 82.5%
2001: 77.6% http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Staff Education
% of Staff with Master’s degree or Above: 84.0%
State Average: 76.0% http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0607/sr168.pdf
Varsity sport teams
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- CheerleadingCheerleadingCheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
- RunningRunningRunning is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
- FencingFencingFencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
- Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- GymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
- HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- Marching BandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
- Soccer
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- WrestlingScholastic wrestlingScholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
Notable alumni
- John-Manuel AndrioteJohn-Manuel AndrioteJohn-Manuel Andriote is an American journalist. He has written about health, medicine, politics and culture for the Washington Post and other newspapers and magazines. He has specialized in reporting on HIV and AIDS beginning in 1986.- Personal :...
, '76 - author and journalist - William J. EvansWilliam J. EvansWilliam J. Evans is a former General in the United States Air Force and the former commander of Allied Air Forces Central Europe.-Early life:...
, '42 - Air Force general; former commander-in-chief of United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces... - John H. FanningJohn H. FanningJohn Harold Fanning was an American lawyer and member of the National Labor Relations Board for a record 25 years . He was the Board's Chair from 1977 to 1981.-Early life:...
, ? - lawyer; member and chairman of the National Labor Relations BoardNational Labor Relations BoardThe National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of... - Sidney FrankSidney FrankSidney E. Frank was an American businessman who became a billionaire through his promotion of Grey Goose vodka and Jägermeister.-Early life, family, education:...
, '38 - businessman - Wally LambWally LambWally Lamb is an American author known as the writer of the novels She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, both of which were selected for Oprah's Book Club.Lamb was born in Norwich, Connecticut...
, '68 - author (She's Come UndoneShe's Come UndoneShe's Come Undone is a 1992 novel by Wally Lamb which was widely read after being chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection in December 1996. Lamb's breakthrough novel was named a finalist for the 1992 Los Angeles Book Awards' Art Seidenbaum Prize for first fiction. Lamb's other novels include I...
, I Know This Much Is TrueI Know This Much Is TrueI Know This Much Is True is a novel by Wally Lamb, published in 1998. It was featured in Oprah's Book Club in June 1998.-Plot summary:...
) - Edwin H. LandEdwin H. LandEdwin Herbert Land was an American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Among other things, he invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a practical system of in-camera instant photography, and his retinex theory of color vision...
, '26 - scientist and inventor, co-founder of PolaroidPolaroid CorporationPolaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February... - William J. MillsWilliam J. MillsWilliam Joseph Mills was an American jurist who served three terms as the Chief Justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court and as the nineteenth and final Governor of New Mexico Territory.-Background:...
, ? - jurist and last governor of New Mexico Territory - Don PardoDon PardoDominick George "Don" Pardo is an American radio and television announcer. He is best known as the voice of the long-running late night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live....
, '37 - television announcer (Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
) - Matt ShaughnessyMatt ShaughnessyMatt Shaughnessy is an American football defensive end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
, '05 - professional football player (Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) - Pete Slosberg, '68 - brewer, founder of Pete's Brewing CompanyPete's Brewing CompanyPete's Brewing Company was founded by homebrewer Pete Slosberg in 1986. Its major product line is Pete's Wicked Ale, an American Brown Ale that is 5.3% alcohol by volume. The company was acquired by The Gambrinus Company in 1998, a company that owns the Spoetzl Brewery in Texas, the Bridgeport...