South Kent School

Boys school in South Kent, Connecticut, US

South Kent School

Address

40 Bulls Bridge Road

South Kent

Connecticut

06785

United States

Information
Type| Private, boarding
Motto| Simplicity of Life, Self-Reliance, and Directness of Purpose
Religious affiliation(s)| Episcopal
Established| 1923 (102 years ago) (1923)
CEEB code| 070695
Head of school| Brian D. Sullivan
Enrollment| 165 boarding[1]
Average class size| 10 students
Student to teacher ratio| 5:1
Color(s)| Cardinal and black

Athletics| 8 interscholastic sports
Nickname| Cardinals
Website| southkentschool.org

South Kent School, a private all-boys boarding school in South Kent, Connecticut,[2] United States, is located on a 650-acre (2.6 km2) campus in western Litchfield County. It is sited on Spooner Hill east of Bull's Bridge, overlooking the former Housatonic Valley rail-line, Hatch Pond, and the 'whistle-stop' South Kent station, and is itself overlooked by Bull Mountain.

The school has an operating budget of approximately $14 million[3] and a staff of less than 100. From its inception, South Kent School was intended to offer a service-oriented education "at minimum cost for boys of ability and character, who presumably on graduation must be self-supporting.[4] " Its motto is "Simplicity of life, Self-reliance, and Directness of purpose".

## History

[edit]

The hamlet of South Kent emerged in the mid-1700s on the "main road over Spooner Hill to Bull's Bridge",[5] where Jacob Bull established an iron foundry; by 1800, an ironworks and forge were also set up near the outlet from Hatch Pond. When railroads came up the valley in the 1840s,[6] efficient competition from western foundries shuttered the Connecticut iron industry.[7] By 1920, the area's population was half its Revolution-era level, and farm properties were available inexpensively.[8]

The school was founded in 1923 as a joint venture between Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, headmaster of Kent School, and two of his recent graduates, Samuel Slater Bartlett and Richard M. Cuyler. The Straight farm was purchased from members of the Judd family, and additions to the farmhouse were made to house a chapel, twenty-four students, and faculty. From the start, students provided labor for daily cleaning, maintenance, and unskilled construction. Over the years, several buildings were added to the Straight property, and additional acreage was acquired. Most recently, the defunct farm on the north end of Hatch Pond was purchased.[9]

Sam Bartlett became the first headmaster, serving for 45 years. Bartlett was followed as headmaster by conservationist L. Wynne Wister (1955–69), then George M. Bartlett (son of the first headmaster) through 1989. Peter Arango had a brief tenure, then Noble Richards '49 was headmaster until 1996. He was succeeded by John S. Farber (96-00), John C. Farr '58 (retired in 2003), then by Andrew J. Vadnais through 2018,[10] then followed by Lawrence A. Smith '73. An independent board of trustees governs the school.[11] South Kent School's most current head of school is Brian D. Sullivan.

## Admissions

[edit]

Enrollment at the beginning of the 2022–23 school year was 150 young men worldwide in four "forms" (or grades). International students from twenty nations and U.S. students from nineteen states across America are represented.[12]

## Curriculum

[edit]

South Kent is a college-preparatory school; the course of study is designed with the intent that every student will continue his education at a higher-level institution.

In 2017–18, the school had 35 faculty members who offered 48 courses in 2 primary divisions, math/science, and humanities. The school year is divided into fall, winter, and spring. Students typically enroll in five major academic courses each term.[13] Accelerated courses, including advanced placement, are offered in more than a dozen subjects (several in conjunction with Syracuse University[14]).

### English as a second language

[edit]

ESL is a program for international students to improve or reinforce written and oral English skills. The focus is on structure, comprehension, and conversation. Nearly half of South Kent graduates have been non-native English speakers in recent years.[15]

### Center for Innovation

[edit]

Due in part to its rural setting, the school has established a learning track focused on environmental management and entrepreneurship. Technologies range from historic architecture and building techniques to robotics and software design.[16][17][18]

## Extracurricular activities

[edit]

### Athletics

[edit]

Facilities available to students include The Admiral James & Sybil Stockdale Arena for hockey, the Joseph J. Brown gymnasium, the Alumni Boathouse on Hatch Pond for rowing, the Anne H. Funnell cross-country trail, the hard court tennis courts, a weight-training facility, numerous athletics fields, and the adjacent Tom Fazio-designed Bulls Bridge Golf Club.[19]

### Publications

[edit]

* The Pigtail: a student publication issued three to five times yearly. The name of the paper is a reference to the nickname of the hamlet of South Kent as "Pigtail Corners" or simply "Pigtail".[20] A slogan at the school for many years was "Pigtail Against the World".
* The Hillside: the South Kent School alum magazine is published twice annually.
* Cardinal News Network: a student-produced online publication that is updated continually. Cardinal News Network features the videos and stories created by students in the Digital Communications classes.[21]

## Notable SKS people

[edit]

Over one hundred years, the school has been home to fewer than 3,000 students, resident faculty and their families, and several other notables.

* Edmund Fuller, historian, editor, novelist; chairman of SKS English department 1971-78.
* Florence Maybrick, a notorious convicted murderess, is buried in the school cemetery.
* Martin H. M. Schreiber, photographer, did not graduate but retains his affiliation with the school and the class of 1965.
* Admiral James Stockdale, (Medal of Honor recipient, P.O.W., Vice-Presidential Candidate) & Mrs. Sybil Stockdale \- parents of three SKS alumni. The ice-hockey facility is named in their honor.

### Distinguished alumni

[edit]

* Jim Bellows (SKS 1940), Editor of the New York Herald-Tribune; major figure in the New Journalism.[22]
* John Berryman (SKS 1932), Poet, (1965 Pulitzer for "77 Dream Songs", 1969 Bollingen & National Book Award for "His Toy, His Dream, His Rest")[23]
* Gordon Clapp (SKS 1967), Emmy-Award-winning actor and Tony Award nominee, best known for his role as Detective Medavoy on NYPD Blue[24]
* Durand Echeverria (SKS 1931), historian, Fulbright and Guggenheim fellow, National Humanities Foundation awardee.[25]
* William S Farish III (SKS 1958), US Ambassador to the UK 2001-2004
* Charles Coulston Gillispie (SKS 1935), Dayton-Stockton Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton University,[26] seminal science historian
* Donald Purple Hart (SKS 1955), former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii
* Sukehiro Hasegawa (SKS 1962), U.N Administrator, led peacekeeping operations in Somalia, Rwanda, and East Timor
* Robert M. Laughlin (SKS 1952) Anthropologist, linguist, curator at the Smithsonian.
* Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy (SKS (DNG 2004, Honorary diploma 2015), celebrity tattoo artist[27]
* E. H. Beresford 'Chip' Monck (SKS 1958), lighting designer and stage manager, announcer for the 1969 Woodstock Festival[28]
* Robert B. Oakley (SKS 1948), former US Ambassador to Pakistan, Somalia, and Zaire
* Neal Peirce (SKS 1950), Political columnist & editor: Congressional Quarterly, National Journal, The Washington Post Writers Group[29]
* Charles Reid (SKS 1955), watercolorist[30]
* Jonathan Richards (SKS 1958), novelist, actor, film critic, & political cartoonist[31]
* Rt. Rev Samuel Rodman (SKS 1977), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina[32]
* Martin Russ (SKS 1949), writer documenting the experience of U.S. combatants in the Korean War.[33]
* Rathvon M. Tompkins (SKS 1931), Major General, USMC; commanded 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam 1967-71.[34]

### Athletes

[edit]

Father Sill wrote in his proposal for the founding of Kent School that it would " provide...for boys of ability and character, who presumably on graduation must be self-supporting...Simplicity, self-reliance and directness...."[35] Seventeen years later, he and his partners in the South Kent venture adopted the final phrase as the new school's motto.

In the early 2000s, Headmaster Vadnais and the Board recognized that young athletes with professional aspirations fit Father Sill's description,[36] and many were likely to see high school as their final educational endeavor.[37][38] The number of notable athletes who have graduated from South Kent has burgeoned during the 21st century.[39] Alumni athletes who have proven outstanding include:

* Andray Blatche (SKS 2005), Former NBA basketball player[40]
* Detre Bell (SKS 2015), Professional soccer player (Bermuda).
* Tahj Bell (SKS 2010), Professional soccer player (Bermuda).
* Gilbert Brown (SKS 2006), basketball player for Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League[41]
* Jean-Pierre Brunet (SKS 1948), two time U.S. Figure Skating Championships pairs champion (1945 and 1946).[42][43]
* Matthew Bryan-Amaning (SKS 2007), Professional basketball player (Great Britain)
* Jackie Carmichael (SKS 2009), Professional basketball player[44]
* Choi Jin-soo (SKS 2008), Collegiate basketball player
* Paul Cummins (SKS 2003), Professional basketball player (Ireland).
* Nemanja Đurišić (SKS 2011), Professional basketball player (Poland).
* Joel Farabee (SA.SKS 2018), Professional hockey player with the NHL Philadelphia Flyers.[45]
* Mike Garzi (SKS 2009), MLS soccer player (retired).
* Shayne Gostisbehere, (SKS 2011), Philadelphia Flyers, NHL[46]
* Maurice Harkless, (SKS 2011), NBA player[47]
* Abdoulaye Harouna (SKS 2014), Nigerian basketball player
* David Hicks (SKS 2007), basketball player for Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League[48]
* Elijah Hughes (SKS 2016), NBA basketball player for Portland Trail Blazers.[49]
* Ricky Ledo (SKS 2012), Former NBA basketball player[50]
* Jack McClinton (SKS 2004), Former NBA basketball player[51]
* Wade Megan (SKS 2009), Former professional hockey player with the NHL St. Louis Blues.[52]
* Jermaine 'Stretch' Middleton (SKS 2004), Harlem Globetrotters
* Tre Ming (SKS 2012), Professional soccer player Bermuda).
* Brian Mueller (SKS 1991), Professional hockey coach and player, 2-time college All-American
* Narito Namizato (SKS 2009), Professional basketball player (Japan).
* Fabio Pereira (SKS 2010), MLS soccer player (retired).
* Mathias Emilio Pettersen (SA.SKS 2018), Professional hockey player with the NHL Calgary Flames.
* Shane Pinto (SKS 2017), professional hockey player with the NHL Ottawa Senators.
* Myles Powell (SKS 2016), basketball player for the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team. 2020 Big East Player of the Year. 2019-2020 Consensus First Team All-American.[53]
* Pete Raymond (SKS 1964), US Olympic rower 1968 and (silver-medal) 1972
* Russell Smith (SKS 2010), currently plays in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, former Memphis Grizzlies, NBA; Louisville Cardinals Men's Basketball (2013 Big East All-Conference) [54] 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Championship)
* Daichi Taniguchi (SKS 2010), Professional basketball player (Japan).
* Isaiah Thomas (SKS 2008), NBA (2016 & 2017 All-Star, 2017 All NBA)[55]
* Dorell Wright (SKS 2004), NBA player, broadcaster[56]

Several notable athletes attended South Kent but graduated elsewhere; among them Nik Stauskas, Dion Waiters, Tremont Waters,[57] and Andrew Peeke.

## Accreditations and associations

[edit]

South Kent School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges[58] and has held membership in District III of the Cum Laude Society for more than eighty years.

South Kent competes athletically as a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council and the Hudson Valley Athletic League and adheres to all league guidelines. Students can participate in post-season tournaments and compete for league and New England titles.

The school also maintains membership in [59] the National Association of Independent Schools,[60] the National Association of Episcopal Schools,[61] the Secondary School Admission Test Board, the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools,[62] The Association of Boarding Schools, the International Coalition of Boys Schools and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.[63]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Who We Are".
2. ^ "South Kent School | Independent, Non-Public K-12 Schools (CIS) / Commission on Independent Schools". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
3. ^ "South Kent School (SKS) | South Kent, CT | Cause IQ". www.causeiq.com.
4. ^ "South Kent School | History". July 28, 2007. Archived from the original on July 28, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
5. ^ "Rufus Fuller & The South Kent Ore Bed – Kent Historical Society". Kent Historical Society. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
6. ^ "The Growth of Kent from 1756 to 1950". Kent Historical Society. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
7. ^ "The Iron Industry of Northwest Connecticut". October 19, 2015.
8. ^ Barnard, Charles H.; Jones, John (1987). "Farm real estate values in the United States by counties, 1850-1982" (PDF). Retrieved October 30, 2022.
9. ^ Carlson, Wendy (November 19, 2011). ""At Prep School, Rolling Up Sleeves and Working the Soil"". The New York Times.
10. ^ "Andrew J. Vadnais | South Kent School". southkentschool.org. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
11. ^ "Board of Trustees".
12. ^ "Get To Know South Kent School". southkentschool.org. January 5, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
13. ^ "South Kent School" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
14. ^ "Syracuse University Project Advance". supa.syr.edu. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
15. ^ "South Kent School - Academic Profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
16. ^ "Educational Programming | South Kent School". southkentschool.org. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
17. ^ "South Kent School, Center for Innovation | Design Thinking in Schools K12 Directory". www.designthinkinginschools.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
18. ^ "South Kent School Launches Innovative Technology Platform for 21st Century Learning". Retrieved June 4, 2018.
19. ^ "Bull's Bridge Golf Club | Litchfield County, Connecticut". Bull's Bridge Golf Club, Inc.
20. ^ "History of Kent, CT - South Kent". sites.rootsweb.com.
21. ^ "Cardinal News Network". Archived from the original on May 15, 2023.
22. ^ "Jim Bellows dies at 86; legendary editor of L.A. Herald Examiner". Los Angeles Times. March 7, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
23. ^ "1965 Pulitzer Prizes". Retrieved November 25, 2023.
24. ^ "1998: 50th Emmy Awards". Retrieved August 4, 2023.
25. ^ "RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: Nauset and vicinity". wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
26. ^ "Charles C. Gillispie".
27. ^ "Alumnus Profile". South Kent School. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
28. ^ "2003 Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award Winner". October 25, 2003. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
29. ^ Smith, Harrison (December 28, 2019). "Neal Peirce, urban affairs columnist who championed inclusive cities, dies at 87". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
30. ^ Collins-Freeman, Charlene (October 3, 2012). "Interview with an artist , Charles Reid" (PDF). Hot Press.
31. ^ "Jonathan Richards | HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
32. ^ "The Right Reverend Samuel Rodman". Episcopal Farmworker Ministry. May 5, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
33. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (December 10, 2010). "Martin Russ, a Marine Who Wrote About Combat, Dies at 79". The New York Times.
34. ^ "Rathvon McClure Tompkins,, Major General, United States Marine Corps". July 12, 2022.
35. ^ "South Kent School | History". www.southkentschool.net. Archived from the original on July 28, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
36. ^ "Hoop Dreams at South Kent". CBS News. July 14, 2005.
37. ^ Parker, David (November 21, 2004). "There's Basketball in Those Hills". The New York Times.
38. ^ Thamel, Pete (April 23, 2006). "A Cry in the Streets of Brooklyn is Answered by a Prep School". The New York Times.
39. ^ "South Kent tops prep school rankings". December 2011.
40. ^ "Andray Blatche Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
41. ^ "2017–18 Men's Basketball Roster – University of Pittsburgh". www.pittsburghpanthers.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
42. ^ "The Forties | U.S. Figure Skating".
43. ^ "THE FOURS, PAIRS AND ICE DANCE COMPETITIONS".
44. ^ "Jackie Carmichael International Stats".
45. ^ "Joel Farabee Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Title". Hockey-Reference.com.
46. ^ "Shayne Gostisbehere Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Title". Hockey-Reference.com.
47. ^ "Maurice Harkless Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
48. ^ "David Hicks – 2007 Men's Basketball". Retrieved June 4, 2018.
49. ^ "Elijah Hughes Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
50. ^ "Ricky Ledo Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
51. ^ "Jack McClinton International Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
52. ^ "Wade Megan Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Title". Hockey-Reference.com.
53. ^ "Myles Powell"., Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball. Accessed August 6, 2019. "Attended Medford Tech, Trenton Catholic, and most recently South Kent School... birthday is July 7 and was born in Trenton, N.J."
54. ^ "Big East Men's Basketball 2012-2013 All-Conference Teams".
55. ^ "Isaiah Thomas Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
56. ^ "Dorell Wright Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
57. ^ "The NBA Is Lucky I'm Home Doing Damn Articles | By Dion Waiters". The Players' Tribune. April 26, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
58. ^ "Directory of Accredited Independent Schools".
59. ^ "All Chapters Member schools" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2023.
60. ^ Unknown[permanent dead link]
61. ^ "NAES – National Association of Episcopal Schools". www.episcopalschools.org. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
62. ^ "Member Schools".
63. ^ "Institution/Organization Member Directory". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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