Spence School

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The Spence School is a private college-preparatory day school for girls in kindergarten through grade 12 in New York City, USA. The school is located in two buildings on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Lower School (K-4) is housed in a renovated landmark building on East 93rd Street. Its 15 homerooms are designed for small classes intended to create a child-centered learning environment. The Middle School (5-8) and Upper School (9-12) are housed in a building on East 91st Street. Spence has 650 students. Founded in 1892 by Clara B. Spence, a pioneer in rigorous education of girls and young women, the original curriculum included Greek and Roman history, botany, chemistry and psychology as well as the more traditional courses in languages, literature and the arts.

Spence's current Head of School is Ellanor (Bodie) Brizendine.^[1] Spence school is a member of the New York Interschool.

1 Academics
2 Athletics
3 Notable alumnae
4 Affiliated organizations
5 Trivia
6 Spence in the movies
7 See also
8 External links
9 References

[edit] Academics

Spence is recognized as one of the most prestigious schools in the nation^{[citation needed]}, characterized by the strength and breadth of its academic program and close relationships between students and teachers. The average class size in the Upper School is 14; the student-teacher ratio is 7:1.

History courses on other cultures have been taught for over 35 years and include courses on African, Latin American, Chinese and Middle Eastern history. Many elective courses offered by the English department for juniors and seniors are the equivalent of college-level courses. In the Upper School it is the norm, though not a requirement, for students to take four years of math and science, enrolling in advanced courses in calculus, physics and biology. Beginning in 2007-08, Mandarin Chinese was added to the teaching of French, Spanish and Latin.

The five most frequently attended colleges and universities for Spence graduates from 2002-2006 were: Cornell University (14), Harvard University (12), New York University (11), Princeton University (11) and Columbia University (10). In a September 2002 Worth Magazine study, out of the 31,700 private and public high schools in the United States, Spence ranked the 6th most successful school in the country in placing its graduates in the top 3 U.S. universities (Harvard, Yale and Princeton, otherwise known as "HYP"). Roxbury Latin, Groton, Collegiate, Brearley and Dalton were one through five.

[edit] Athletics

Sports play a very important role in the educational curriculum at Spence and many sports teams at the school have a strong winning tradition. Most notable are Spence's tennis, volleyball and swim teams. The Varsity Tennis team has been undefeated in league play several years in a row. The Varsity Volleyball and Swim teams have also had many winning teams over the years.

[edit] Notable alumnae

Ethel McCullough Scott, whose family founded Bennington College and the Bennington Museum
Rita White Matthews, scientist and explorer
Francine du Plessix Gray, author
Ellen Sparry Brush, pioneer anthropologist, first woman to become a member of the Explorers Club in NYC
Dr. Nancy Hopkins, Amgen Professor of Biology at M.I.T.'s Center for Cancer Research
Bonnie Jenkins, an expert on U.S. foreign policy and non-proliferation in weapons of mass destruction; served as counsel to the "9/11 Commission" and wrote portions of the report; currently a program officer for U.S. Foreign and Security Policy at the Ford Foundation.
Elizabeth Montgomery, stage and screen actress (Bewitched).
Nimet Habachy, New York Times classical music radio host
Serena Altschul, MTV host
Jade Jagger, daughter of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and then-wife Bianca Jagger
Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar-winning actress
Melanie Rehak, author of Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her
Marjorie Lake Post, philanthropist
Helen Clay Frick, daughter of Henry Clay Frick
Kerry Washington, actress
Alley Mills, actress (The Wonder Years)
Emmy Rossum, actress (The Phantom of the Opera)
Julia Monk, icon

[edit] Affiliated organizations

[edit] Trivia

The school's motto is "non scholae sed vitae discimus" ("Not for school, but for life we learn").
The Carnegie family donated their tennis court to be used as a playground for Spence. When Spence wanted to expand and build on the lot in the 1990s, they built a new playground on the roof of the new building to meet the stipulations of the gift.
Spence was once a boarding school.
The wall paper in the old dining room is Zuber's Vue de l'Amérique du Nord woodblock print, also found in the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Spence in the movies

The Spence School resides on a side street near Central Park alongside several old and gracious buildings including the Cooper-Hewitt Museum (originally the Andrew Carnegie mansion), the Sacred Heart School, and the Consulate General of Russia in New York. The street has been used as a backdrop in several movies including

The Anderson Tapes (1971, starring Sean Connery) - the architectural star is Sacred Heart, but you can catch a glimpse of Spence across the street. Incidentally, this movie was directed by Sidney Lumet who later sent his eldest daughter (Amy Lumet) to Spence. She graduated from Spence in 1982.
Marathon Man (1974, starring Dustin Hoffman) - the opening car chase end in a ball of fire that was filmed directly in front of Spence.
Arthur (1981, starring Liza Minnelli and Dudley Moore - The Cooper-Hewitt Museum played the role of Arthur's family mansion, and there is a good view of Spence in the background.
Working Girl (1988, starring Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver and Harrison Ford) - Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford crash a wedding filmed in the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, but the view of Spence is fleeting at best.
Uptown Girls (2003, starring Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning) - the exterior serves as Dakota Fanning's character's school.