Springside School
| The Springside School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| , United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | For Excellence. For Girls. |
| Established | 1879 |
| Campus | Urban/Suburban |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Athletics conference | Inter-Academic League |
| Mascot | Lioness |
The Springside School is a non-sectarian, all-girls school (pre-K through 12th grade) in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, in the Northwest section of Philadelphia in the United States. The oldest all-girls school in the Philadelphia region, Springside is renowned both locally and nationally as a top college preparatory institution through renowned academics, arts, and athletics.[1]
Although an all-girls school, Springside students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to take coeducational classes in the Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy, which is the unified upper school of Springside and nearby all-boys Chestnut Hill Academy.[2]
Location and neighborhood
Springside is located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The area is among the wealthiest in the Delaware Valley in terms of family income and home value. The school is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Center City. Springside is served by two SEPTA regional rail stations Chestnut Hill East and Chestnut Hill West. Additionally, as the only all-girls school in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, several Springside students come from the I-276 corridor and Bucks County.
Academics
The curriculum offered by Springside is rooted in liberal arts, with applications in an array of subjects ranging from STEM to the humanities. Most classes are taught in the Harkness table format, with no more than 13 girls.
Springside and nearby all-boys Chestnut Hill Academy are unique in that upper school (grade 9-12) students take co-educational classes with each other. The system was implemented in 2010 to build upon leadership skills taught early on into a real-world setting. Very few schools offer such a system; a notable example of this is the Brunswick School and Greenwich Academy in Connecticut, which also pool students together from the two schools in co-educational classes and activities. The all-girls philosophy of Springside is not unique to the Philadelphia region; Agnes Irwin and Baldwin both offer non-sectarian girls’ education, though their upper schools are not co-ed.
Historically this school had an exchange program with the Jules-Fils Lycee in Carcassonne, France. It was suspended in 2003.[3]
Athletics
The Springside Lionesses play as a member of the Inter-Academic League, which consists of competitive private schools from across the Philadelphia region. The school’s most notable sport is its crew program, which has produced Olympians.[4]
Sports offered are:
- Cross Country
- Field Hockey
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Golf
- Crew
- Squash
- Basketball
- Indoor Track
- Softball
- Lacrosse
- Track and Field
Notable alumnae
- Melissa Fitzgerald was featured on several seasons of The West Wing as CJ's assistant, Carol Fitzpatrick.
- Amy Banse, class of 1977, President of Comcast Interactive Media.
References
- ^ https://www.phillymag.com/articles/2006/08/23/philadelphia-magazine-top-schools-2006/
- ^ https://www.sch.org/page/about-sch
- ^ Woodall, Martha. "E-mail galls French school A teacher cited hostility in U.S. for suspension of an exchange program." Philadelphia Inquirer. June 11, 2003. Retrieved on May 16, 2014.
- ^ https://www.sch.org/page/alumni/athletic-halls-of-fame/springside-athletic-hall-of-fame
External links
- Official website (Archive)
- School newspaper website (Archive)
- Girls' schools in Pennsylvania
- Private elementary schools in Pennsylvania
- Private middle schools in Pennsylvania
- Private high schools in Pennsylvania
- Educational institutions established in 1879
- Schools in Philadelphia
- 1879 establishments in Pennsylvania
- 2010 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
- Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia