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2009: Outstanding Private High School

Country Day, Brooklyn Style
Community, diversity and pushing teens to excel

Most people approaching the entrance to Poly Prep Country Day School notice an odd yet charming sight: a collection of manicured ponds inhabited by diverse water fowl of various colors.

While the presence of different species of geese, ducks and swans are random acts of nature, their welcoming honks and quacks on the 25-acre campus in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, reflect Poly Prep’s status as a true country day school, and a uniquely diverse educational establishment.

Founded in 1854 as the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, “The Poly” was the first private boys’ school in Brooklyn. Despite its name, the well-rounded curriculum was formed to rival other private schools’, although there was a strong focus on science and technical skills. In 1891, the preparatory school split from what is now the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, and by 1917 Poly Prep moved from Brooklyn Heights to its current campus. Classes still take place in the original building, where a glossy patina highlights classic early 20th-century scholastic architecture—frosted glass transoms sit over classroom doors, and the sounds of instruction and learning pour gently into the hallways.

Heading the upper school division, which spans grades 9 to 12, is William “Bud” Cox, who oversees 481 students.

“Learning begins with relationships,” he said, citing the sense of community that is integral to the school.

One example of this are the bi-weekly meetings in the school’s chapel, a long-standing, non-denominational tradition where the entire upper school community gathers for discussion, lectures and presentation of student work, such as the weekly student reading series that began in early October.

“It’s the soul of the school,” Cox said, “and students are invited to participate and lead discussions—it’s their forum to announce different activities, clubs and discussion groups.”

He also highlights Poly Prep’s diversity, which is an area of particular pride for the administration.

“Poly Prep is diverse not only in terms of ethnicity, but in socio-economic status as well,” Cox said.

He welcomes the challenge of hosting different political and cultural backgrounds that define Poly Prep among its fellow independent schools.

“Most of our kids are first-generation independent school students, so they have different perspectives than in other environments,” Cox said. “We ask them to ask themselves, ‘Who am I?’ We want our kids to understand who they are.”

Poly Prep’s financial aid budget is the second largest of any independent school in the New York City-metropolitan area, according to communications director Malcolm Farley. Free buses are provided to students from all boroughs except The Bronx (it’s too great a distance) and parts of New Jersey. Approximately 30 percent of students receive some form of financial aid—this year, the school offered $5.2 million to eligible pupils—and 32 percent identify themselves as being of color.

“Without a doubt, the diversity of Poly Prep is what is so apparent and makes the school unique,” said Flo Turkenkoph, a physics teacher and head of the science department.

More than 80 percent of the faculty holds advanced degrees, and college-level advanced placement courses are available to students. In their final year, upper school division students prepare a senior plan—an independent academic project—with the help of faculty advisors. Presented orally to a panel at the end of the year, the senior plan is mandatory for students to graduate.

Poly Prep graduates are prepared for the academic rigors of the nation’s top-tier universities. From the 2009 class, numerous students were accepted to Georgetown, Tufts, Brown, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Swarthmore, George Washington, Wesleyan, NYU, Vassar and Swarthmore College.

True to the school’s name, students with an interest in science have the chance to study the subject in unusual and hands-on ways. Students in the advanced sciences track take physical chemistry in 9th grade and AP physics in 10th. Other science offerings include forensics, paleo-archaeology and environmental science.

Headmaster David B. Harman, who oversees 1,001 students in two divisions, mentions the school’s commitment to building “mind, body and character.” The abundant sports, science and art facilities stretch over the manicured campus, with athletic fields graced by the dramatic presence of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The indoor facilities of the Jordan Center for Physical Education and Dance include a recently renovated lap pool and basketball and squash courts, as well as dance studios and an impressive weight room. The school offers 16 different athletic disciplines, including cross-country, lacrosse and golf.

Supporting an adolescent’s need for creative outlets, students have the option of numerous studio arts courses, including sculpture, pottery and figurative drawing. The Richard Perry Theater, which Harman describes as “like Off-Broadway,” is an impressive 380-seat performance facility with a professional technical outfitting.

There are more than 40 extracurricular clubs, ranging from performance ensembles to debate groups, political groups and even a club devoted to the popular (and physically taxing) video game Dance Dance Revolution.

Upper school students tend to remain on campus until late afternoon, taking the 6 p.m. bus home after their study groups, sports practices and extracurricular activities. Students are encouraged to meet with their teachers outside the classroom and maintain an honest dialogue. Even cases of academic discipline are not simply meting out of punishments, but encouraging students to discuss schoolwork in an honest forum with their teachers.

“Learning is not about the input and output,” Cox said. “It’s about a conversation between the teacher and student—when both can arrive together at the same place, then you’re cultivating a relationship and building understanding.”

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Poly Prep Country Day School
9216 Seventh Ave.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11228
718-836-9800
www.polyprep.org
David Harman, Headmaster
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— Joseph Alexiou

Above: Top Left: Still life drawing. Poly Prep offers sculpture, pottery and figurative drawing, among other art classes. Right: Students work together in a science lab. Bottom Left: David Harman, Headmaster. Photos by Daniel S. Burnstein