The Athenian School
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| The Athenian School | ||||||
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| School type | Private | |||||
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| Established | 1965 | |||||
| Head of School | Eleanor Dase | |||||
| Students | 450 | |||||
| Mascot | Owls | |||||
| Colors | Orange and Black | |||||
| Location | 2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd. Danville, CA 94506 {{country data United States |
country flagcountry2 | countryname = United States | variant = | size = | name =
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| Website | http://www.athenian.org | |||||
The Athenian School is a college preparatory school located in Danville, California. Athenian provides education to high school students on a 75-acre campus at the base of Mt. Diablo, located near San Francisco in Northern California. Athenian was founded by Dyke Brown (1915-2006) in 1965. The school places a strong emphasis on experiential learning.
Athenian is composed of roughly 150 students in the middle school (grades 6-8) and 300 students in the high school (9-12). Approximately 40 students and 18 teachers live on campus full-time. The average class size is 15.
Athenian attempts to train its students in all aspects of life, not just classroom life. Students at Athenian have a voice in the running of the school through Town Meeting, a monthly meeting where students debate the merits of various proposals; for example, through this system, a rule was created that prevented teachers from assigning homework over weekends longer than two days.
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[edit] Philosophy
Athenian is a member of Round Square, an international organization of schools founded by Kurt Hahn. Round Square schools practice five values, or "pillars:" multicultural understanding, education for democracy, outdoor adventure, environmental conservation, and community service. The school attempts to impart these values to students through various requirements and presentations.
[edit] Graduation requirements
To graduate, students at the Upper School must complete:
- Mathematics through Algebra II.
- Four years of literature. Juniors and seniors take semester-long seminars to fill this requirement.
- Three years of history, including two history seminars or a year-long AP course.
- Three years of sciences, including introductory physics, chemistry, and biology.
- French, Spanish (or English, if it is a second language) through the third year. Mandarin will be added in 2007-2008.
- Two years of art and one semester of an Arts and Society class.
- 30 hours of community service each year, and students must present their service work to the community.
- The Athenian Wilderness Experience (AWE), a 26-day hiking trip to either Death Valley or High Sierra. This trip usually takes place in the junior year, and is modeled on Outward Bound courses. Medical deferments are possible, albeit rare.
Athenian costs approximately $25,000 per year for high school day students and $40,000(total) per year for boarding students.
Tuition for the 2006-2007 school year (USD): (plus fees)
Middle School (6-8): $18,570
Upper School (9-12): $24,600
20% of the students receive need-based financial aid.
[edit] Athletics
Athenian is one of ten schools in the Bay Counties League - East. The school colors are terra cotta and earth; the sports teams wear orange and black. The athletics program has steadily improved over the past few years. Athenian has made the North Coast Section in men's soccer for five straight years. The women's basketball team made it to NCS in 2005, the men's basketball team made NCS in 2006, for the first time in eight years, and the men's baseball team made it to the 2006 NCS Championship, finishing runner-up. Athenian's Golf team has won the league title for three consecutive years. A handful of swimmers, wrestlers, and track runners will also qualify for the North Coast Section in a given year. Flag football is also offered at the Athenian school and is purposed for middle school to get a start in athletics.
[edit] Robotics
Athenian also fields competitive teams in other areas. Perhaps the most notable is the Athenian Robotics Collective (ARC), which competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Over the past few years they have had much success under the tutelage of Eugene Mizusawa and Megan Leich, as well as a dedicated group of adult mentors. Athenian has performed very well in its regional competition, competing against schools with many times its own population and resources. In spite of this, the robotics team has managed to place in the regional competition the last three years, qualifying for the national tournament two years ago. In 2006, the team placed first in the region and again attended the national tournament in Atlanta, Georgia. On February 28th 2007, ARC participated in outreach by demonstrating the capabilities of Chet V to students at Pleasant Hill Elementary School, as part of their science night. In 2007, ARC and their robot, Chet VI, will be competing at the Silicon Valley and Davis Sacramento Regionals.
[edit] Debate
Athenian also maintains a strong debate team. Started over nine years ago under the supervision of former coach Reed Niemi, the team has fielded several excellent speakers. The debate team competes against schools that far surpass Athenian in size, yet manages to do well. The team's success has also continued into the 2005-2006 season with individuals qualifying for the national tournament in extemporaneous speaking, the Tournament of Champions held at Northwestern University.
[edit] Clubs
- Conservative Club
- Conservation Club
- Interweave: Athenian's Gay-Straight Alliance
- Feminist Club
- Asian Club
- Latino Club
- Students of Color
- Jew Crew
- Christian Club
- Middle Eastern Club
- Library Advisory Board
- Anime Club
- Community Action Board
[edit] Admission
Around 200 students apply for admission to the Upper School each year. Of these, 100 are admitted, and half choose to attend. These students and students moving up from the Middle School combine to form a freshman class of roughly 75 students. Applicants are required to complete several essays, submit transcripts and teacher recommendations, take a standardized test, and (if feasible) visit the school to observe classes. Admission to the middle school is different in that there are 50 spaces open in grade 6, the point at which the school begins enrolling students. Middle school students in good standing academically and behaviorally are accepted to the high school if they wish to continue.
[edit] Alumni
- Phillip Bennett - Geology Professor, Univ. of Texas, Austin
- Benjamin Brandzel - MoveOn.org Student Action Founder
- Greg Sherwood Cohalen - Emmy Award-Winning Public Broadcasting Anchor
- Craig Debro - KTVU 2, Oakland, Television News Reporter
- Joan Haratani - San Francisco Bar Association President
- Michael Fee Haley - Founder and Trustee of the Duke University Lemur Center
- Carol Moldaw - Noted Poet, Winner of the Field Prize
- Douglas Perednia - Physician, Business Executive, Entrepreneur
- Korshied Samad - Journalist, Bureau Chief, Afghan Nonprofit Org. Founder
- Jackie Thomas - Athenian School Trustee, Nike Executive
- Andrew Wistrich - United States District Magistrate Judge
[edit] External links
| Bay Counties League - East Athenian • Head-Royce • College Prep • Chinese Christian Bentley • Oakland Military Institute • CSD-Fremont Contra Costa Christian • University Prep • Emery |
