The Pennington School

The Pennington School is a private (independent), coeducational college preparatory school for day and boarding students in sixth through twelfth grades, located in Pennington, New Jersey, a small community in the northeastern United States midway between New York City and Philadelphia in Mercer County, New Jersey. The Head of School is Dr. William S. Hawkey, who assumed the position in July 2014.
As of the 2019–20 school year, the school had an enrollment of 534 students and 108.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 4.9:1. The school's student body was 47.6% (254) White, 36.7% (196) two or more races, 6.9% (37) Asian, 5.2% (28) Black and 3.6% (19) Hispanic
Pennington is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1930; the accreditation expires in May 2025.
History.
The Pennington School was founded in 1838 during the Second Great Awakening as the Methodist Episcopal Male Seminary, a college preparatory school for boys, in order to secure "the education of the physical, the training of the mental, and the grounding of the soul in character." Pennington officially became a coeducational institution, The Pennington Seminary and Female Collegiate Institute, in the fall of 1854. In March 1910, Pennington would again become a school for boys, reverting to the name Pennington Seminary. Shortly afterward, the school's name evolved to its present form, sometimes with the addition of "for Boys." It was not until 1972 that Pennington once again became a coeducational institution. In 1975, the Center for Learning, one of the nation's leading secondary school programs for bright children with learning disabilities, was created within the school to serve a small number of college-preparatory students.
Academics.
The Pennington School offers a vigorous curriculum for students with strong academic ability and the desire to build a record of personal achievement appropriate for admission into some of the country's most demanding colleges and universities. Middle school students have their own faculty dedicated to teaching children of this age (sixth through eighth grade). Middle school courses include: Algebra, American History and Government Applications, Art-o-Rama, Computer Skills, Earth Science, English, French, Geometry, German, Global Perspectives, Health, Humanities, Latin, Life Science, Math, Music, Physical Science, Spanish, Technology, Writer's Studio, and many elective offerings. Upper School students are expected to seek personal excellence academically, socially, physically, and artistically. They work closely with their advisors to create a challenging curriculum that helps them to grow as learners. Upper School students are offered a full range of both Honors and Advanced Placement courses.
Visual and performing arts.
The Arts Department offers rich and varied courses and activities in drama, music, and the visual arts for both Middle School and Upper School students. Students embrace their own creativity and gain a lifelong appreciation for the creativity of others.
Music.
Music courses include: Chorus, Composition, Handbell Ensemble, Instrumental Ensemble, Instrumental Lab, Jazz Band, Keyboard, Music History, Music Technology, Music Theory, Orchestra, Pennington Singers, Pit Band, and Vocal Ensemble.
Drama.
Drama courses include: Acting Shakespeare, Advanced Drama, Foundations in Drama, Public Speaking, Puppetry &amp; Performance, Respect for Acting, Small Group Dynamics, and Stagecrafts.
Visual art.
Visual Art courses include: Adobe Photoshop, Advanced Black &amp; White Darkroom Skills, Alternative Processes, Ceramics, Digital Photography, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and Video Production.
Athletics.
The Pennington School Red Hawks compete in the Patriot Conference, which includes the Gill St. Bernard's School, the Ranney School, the Purnell School, Stuart Country Day School, Wardlaw-Hartridge School, Timothy Christian School, Princeton Day School, and Saddle River Day School. In addition. Pennington competes regularly against The Peddie School, the Hun School of Princeton, and Lawrenceville School.
The Pennington School has 44 athletic teams on its campus. The Upper School sports include: boys varsity, JV, and Thirds soccer, girls varsity and JV soccer, varsity and JV field hockey, varsity and JV water polo, boys and girls cross country, girls varsity and JV tennis, cheerleading, girls varsity and JV basketball, boys varsity, JV, and Thirds basketball, winter track, varsity and JV ice hockey, varsity and JV boys and girls swimming, varsity and JV baseball, varsity softball, golf, boys varsity and JV tennis, boys varsity, JV, and Thirds lacrosse, girls varsity and JV lacrosse, and boys and girls spring track and field. The middle school also has sports, which includes field hockey, soccer, cross country, boys and girls basketball, swimming, boys lacrosse, and spring track and field.
Football.
The Pennington School is home to one of the country's longest-running football programs, dating back to 1879. Pennington Football competes in the Independence League, which is a league consisting of small schools from Pennsylvania and New Jersey; including Bristol, Academy of the New Church, Lower Moreland, Jenkintown, and Springfield Township.
Varsity hockey.
Pennington's ice hockey program dates back to 1996–97, when a group of students was successful in starting a team. The Red Hawks play in the competitive Independent Hockey League, in which they were league champions in 2009. Traditions include an annual game against the rival Hopewell Bulldogs, in which fans from both sides come out to support their team. They also hold an annual alumni game during the weekend following Thanksgiving.
Girls' soccer.
Pennington's girls' soccer team has established itself as a perennial powerhouse and one of the top high school soccer programs in the nation. In 2008 the Pennington girls' soccer team finished the season with an undefeated record of 18–0, and was ranked as the consensus #1 team in the United States according to ESPN RISE and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. During that season they captured their 6th consecutive NJSIAA Prep A State Title and their 2nd consecutive Mercer County Tournament Championship and won their seventh straight Prep A title in the 2009 season. In 2014, the team won its ninth Mercer County Championship title in a 12-year span.
Boys' soccer.
Captured the 2009 Prep B State tournament. The team competed in the 2010 Prep A State tournament and lost to the top ten nationally ranked team, Saint Benedict's Preparatory School 1–0. The team has sent recent players to Division I and Division III soccer programs.
Swimming.
The boys' team placed 1st at the 2010 N.J. Prep Patriot Championship Meet, 4th at Mercer County Tournament, and won their second NJSIAA "B" State Tournament. The girls' team won the Patriot Championship, placed 2nd at MCT's and won their 9th consecutive NJSIAA "B" state championship. Recent Pennington swimmers have gone on to compete at Division I and Division III colleges and universities.
Boys' basketball.
The team captured the 2009 and 2010 Mercer County Tournament championship and the 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Prep B state championship.
Girls' basketball.
The team won back-to-back Prep B state championships in 2016 and 2017, beating Newark Academy and Morristown-Beard School, respectively. Also, in 2016 the girls advanced to the semi-final round of the Mercer County Tournament. In 2018, the girls lost to Trenton Catholic Academy by a score of 59–55 in the Mercer County Tournament (MCT), making it the first time Pennington had ever advanced to the finals in this tournament. In 2018, the girls' basketball team switched conferences, and began competing in the New Jersey Prep A state tournament; days after losing the MCT final, the team faced off against Pingry School in the finals of the Prep A tournament and won its third consecutive title with a 62–49 win.
Spring track.
Girls' – 2008 Patriot Conference Champions and 2008 Prep B State Champions
Boys' – 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 Patriot Conference Champions
Recent Pennington track participants have gone on to compete at the Division I and Division III level at The University of Texas, Lafayette, West Point, McDaniel, St. Lawrence, Wheaton, TCNJ, Yale, UNC, UChicago, and Dickinson.
Cervone Center for Learning.
The Edmund V. Cervone Center for Learning, founded in 1975 by Dr. Edmund Cervone, provides a program of academic support for bright students with learning disabilities. In addition to preparing students for college-level study, the program has three objectives. The primary goal is to identify each student's educational difficulties and to address them through individually tailored academic supports and accommodations. A second goal is to help the student fully participate in the School's traditional college preparatory curriculum. The third goal is for most students to transition out of the Cervone Center classes before graduation from Pennington and to achieve the independence and confidence that will assure their success in college.