Poly Prep
Poly Prep Country Day School (commonly known as Poly Prep) is an independent school with two campuses in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Middle School (5th to 8th grades) and Upper School (9th to 12th grades) are located in the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn, while Lower School (nursery to 4th grade) is located in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood. Initially founded as part of the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (predecessor of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering), Poly Prep now offers classes from nursery school through 12th grade.
Poly Prep Country Day School | |
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The clock tower atop the main building | |
Address | |
9216 Seventh Avenue Dyker Heights, Brooklyn , New York 11228 | |
Coordinates | 40°36′43″N 74°01′30″W |
Information | |
Type | Private |
Motto | Virtus victrix fortunae (Virtue is the victor over fate) |
Established | 1854 |
Headmaster | Audrius Barzdukas |
Faculty | Approx. 270 |
Grades | N-12 |
Gender | Coeducational |
Enrollment | 1,021 total |
Campus | Urban |
Campus size | 26 acres (110,000 m2) |
Color(s) | Blue and grey |
Athletics conference | Ivy Prep |
Mascot | Blue Devil |
Accreditation | NYSAIS |
Newspaper | The Polygon (Upper School) The Tower Times (Middle School) |
Yearbook | The Polyglot |
Affiliations | New York Interschool |
Website | polyprep.org |
History
Poly Prep Country Day School was founded 165 years ago in 1854 in Downtown Brooklyn as The Polytechnic Institute. It was one of the first private boys' schools in the city of Brooklyn. The initial aim of the school was to offer an academic program similar to that of boarding schools of the time while striving to maintain a strong community feel among students and faculty alike.
After 45 years, the future of the Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute was re-evaluated in 1889 when the preparatory school and the collegiate division were finally separated. In 1891, the construction of a new building next door to the school's original building provided a home for the college which became known as the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Both divisions still exist, although the collegiate division, after many changes of name, was eventually acquired by New York University (NYU) in 2008 and, as of 2014, is now known as NYU Tandon School of Engineering.[1]
After its initial separation from the collegiate division, the Polytechnic Preparatory Institute remained an all-boys collegiate preparatory program at 99 Livingston Street and, by the mid-1890s, had already become one of the largest prep schools in the country, with over 600 students.
Move to Dyker Heights
Poly Prep moved to its Dyker Heights campus on July 1, 1916 when a 25-acre parcel of land, formerly part of the Dyker Heights Golf Course, was offered to trustees. Classes began during the fall of 1917 in the new campus amid continued construction and renovations that helped shape much of the school's current appearance.
Going coed
During the tenure of Headmaster William M. Williams, the school began the transition to co-education in 1977 when it first admitted girls, graduating its first coed class in 1979.
Creating primary school
Poly Prep's most recent and dramatic expansion occurred in 1995, with its acquisition of the historic Hulbert Mansion from the Brooklyn Ethical Culture Society, a site formerly rented by the now defunct Woodward Park School. The new property was converted into Poly's Lower School, offering classes for students from nursery through 4th grade.
Major primary school expansion
In the 2006-2007 school year, a modern expansion was added onto the Park Slope building. As part of its "Blue and Gray Goes Green!" initiative, Poly chose to reduce the new Lower School's ecological "footprint." Poly's renovated Lower School became the first LEED-certified school building in New York City, and the first such primary school building in the state.
In April 2009, Poly Prep's Lower School won the prestigious Lucy B. Moses Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy as an outstanding example of historic preservation and renovation.
Child abuse claims
The school was the subject of a federal lawsuit filed in the Eastern District Court in Brooklyn in 2009 centering on the sexual assault of students by Philip Foglietta, the head football coach from 1966 to 1991. A 2004 state suit against the school had been dismissed due to the statute of limitations, but U.S. District Court Judge Frederic Block subsequently ruled that portions of the suit could proceed in federal court because administrators may have lied about when they learned of the abuse. Plaintiffs' attorney Kevin Mulhearn cited the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in alleging that past and current administrators had engaged in a coverup of the abuse.[2] Published reports compared the abuse and alleged coverup to a similar scandal at Pennsylvania State University in 2011.[3] In March 2012 the international law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman joined the plaintiffs on a pro bono basis.[4] On September 19, 2012, new allegations connecting Foglietta and Jerry Sandusky surfaced.[5] The suit was settled for $10 million in December 2012. On February 21, 2014 the school issued what the Wall Street Journal called "a sweeping apology" for the abuse and the school's failure over the decades to respond appropriately when victims revealed their abuse.[6] The chairman of the board of trustees, Scott Smith, subsequently resigned.
Institution
Divisions
Poly Prep consists of three divisions, beginning with the Lower School located at 50 Prospect Park West in Brooklyn.[7] Lower School education commences with the nursery school program, which consists of early childhood learning up until the pre-kindergarten level, and continues on through grade 4. The middle school program begins at grade 5, at which point Poly students enroll at Poly Prep's Middle and Upper School campus located at 9216 Seventh Avenue in Brooklyn,[7] where they continue their education through 8th grade and then into high school.
Athletics
Interscholastic Leagues
Poly Prep is part of the Ivy Preparatory School League, a division of the greater New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), which comprises all the private schools in the state. The school has a number of award-winning programs, most notably football, basketball, and baseball. Hockey was introduced in 2010.
Athletic teams
Fall teams | Winter teams | Spring teams |
---|---|---|
Boys' soccer | Girls' basketball | Softball |
Girls' soccer | Boys' basketball | Baseball |
Cross country | Girls' swimming | Girls' lacrosse |
Girls' tennis | Boys' swimming | Boys' lacrosse |
Girls' volleyball | Boys' squash | Golf |
Football | Girls' squash | Ultimate frisbee |
Collegiate wrestling | Outdoor track and field | |
Hockey | Boys' tennis | |
Indoor track and field | Crew |
Headmasters of the Country Day School
In the 102 years since the opening of the Dyker Heights campus in 1917, Poly has had five headmasters: Joseph Dana Allen (1917-1949), J. Folwell Scull (1949-1970), William M. Williams (1970-2000), David Harman (2000–2016), and Audrius Barzdukas (2016-present).
Notable alumni and attendees
- Louis Aronne — obesity medicine specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine[8]
- Robert Briskman (born 1932), co-founder of SIRIUS Satellite Radio[9]
- Michael Brown (1949-2015), founder/member of bands The Left Banke and Stories, composer of "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina." Known as Michael Lookofsky during Poly years. (Did not graduate with class of 1967)
- Rob Brown — actor[9]
- Bruce Cutler (born 1948), criminal defense attorney[10]
- Ken Dashow (born 1958), radio personality
- Calvert DeForest (1921-2007), actor, comedian best known for work on the David Letterman Show as Larry "Bud" Melman
- Kenneth Duberstein (born 1944), White House Chief of Staff to President Ronald Reagan; political consultant[9]
- Brian Flores — head coach of the NFL's Miami Dolphins [11]
- Dan Fogler (born 1976), actor; Tony Award for 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee[9]
- Joel Gertner (born 1975), professional wrestling personality
- Jahkeen Gilmore (born 1983), former NFL wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers[12]
- Louisa Gummer (born 1991), model
- Briton Hadden (1898-1929), co-founder of Time magazine[13]
- Harold Hellenbrand — university professor, administrator, and author [14]
- P. J. Hill (born 1987), former NFL running back[15]
- R. M. Koster (born 1934), novelist
- Rich Kotite (born 1942), former NFL player and coach[9]
- Arthur Levitt (born 1931), Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 1993-2001; Chairman of the American Stock Exchange, 1978-1989[9]
- Howard Levy (born 1951), musician and Grammy Award winner (with Bela Fleck and The Flecktones)[9]
- Seth Low (1851-1916), Mayor of Brooklyn and New York City; President of Columbia University[9]
- Charles E. Marsters (1883-1962), lacrosse player[9]
- Joseph McElroy (born 1930) novelist[9]
- Joakim Noah (born 1985), professional basketball player who played in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks[16]
- Eric Olsen (born 1988), professional football player who played in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints[9]
- Richard Perry (born 1942), record producer[9]
- Stewart Rahr — founder and owner of Kinray, the largest privately held pharmaceutical distributor in the world[9]
- Max Rose (born 1986), US Congressman from New York's 11th congressional district, and US Army Bronze Star recipient.
- Alfred P. Sloan (1875-1966), General Motors Corporation President, 1923-1937; CEO, 1923-1946; Chairman, 1937-1956[17]
- Bonnie Somerville (born 1974) actress[9]
- Joe Tacopina (born 1966), criminal defense lawyer and owner//president/chairman of Italian soccer club Venezia F.C.[18]
- Bob Telson (born 1949), composer (The Gospel at Colonus)[9]
- Henry van Dyke Jr. (1852-1933), author, educator and clergyman[19]
- Isaiah Wilson NFL Offensive Lineman, Tennessee Titans
- Angela Yee (born 1976), radio host on Sirius XM's Shade 45
References
- "Rich History - About the School of Engineering". NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- "At Elite Prep School, Abuse Case Won't Go Away," by Ginia Bellafante, New York Times December 12, 2011
- Bauer, B., Hellenbrand, H., and Stern, K. (November 18, 2011). "A prep school scandal eerily similar to Penn State". Washington Post. Retrieved March 28, 2012.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- O'Keefe, Michael (March 26, 2012). "Powerhouse law firm joins N.Y. attorney in sex-abuse lawsuit against Poly Prep Country Day School". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- Red, Christian (September 19, 2012). "Self-described 'child prostitute' connects Jerry Sandusky to Poly Prep sex abuse scandal and coach Phil Foglietta". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- Hollander, Sophia (February 21, 2014). "Brooklyn's Poly Prep Apologizes in Sexual Abuse Case Acknowledges Abuse by Former Football Coach and Missteps in School's Handling of Allegations". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
Poly Prep Country Day School issued a sweeping apology in a schoolwide email on Friday, acknowledging decades of sexual abuse by a now-deceased former football coach and missteps in the school's subsequent handling of the allegations.
- "Poly Prep Country Day School - Directions to Poly Prep's Lower School, Middle School, Upper School". www.polyprep.org. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- "Dr. Louis Aronne '73 Receives Poly's Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award at Special Reunion 2013". May 20, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- "Since 1854, A Track Record of Success". Poly Prep Country Day School. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- Hoffman, Jan (April 7, 1993). "AT THE OFFICE WITH: Bruce Cutler; Even Mob Lawyers Get the Blues". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Bierman, Fred. "High School Football; Low-Key Leadership Gives Poly Prep a Lift", The New York Times, October 27, 2001. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Poly Prep's other captain is receiver Jahkeen Gilmore, who is not quite as reserved as Combs."
- "Brit Hadden and the Founding of Time", H-Net. Accessed November 18, 2019. "The scion of a wealthy family of some prominence in Brooklyn Heights, New York, Hadden attended Brooklyn Poly Prep, the same prep school his father and grandfather had attended, then moved on to Hotchkiss, one of the wealthiest boarding schools of the time."
- Bauer, B., Hellenbrand, H., and Stern, K. (November 18, 2011). "A prep school scandal eerily similar to Penn State". Washington Post. Retrieved March 28, 2012.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- "Poly Prep grad P.J. Hill prepares for the NFL Draft", New York Daily News, April 21, 2009.
- Kussoy, Howie. "You can’t understand Joakim Noah until you know where he came from", New York Post, October 28, 2016 .Accessed November 18, 2019. "In the summer of 2001, Cox, the upper school head at Poly Prep Country Day, was scheduled to meet with a student interested in transferring to the Brooklyn school. Yannick entered first, followed by his son, whose one-on-one interview doubled as a lengthy, casual chat."
- "Who was Alfred P. Sloan Jr.?". Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- Eligon, John. "A Case That Will Test a Lawyer’s Bond With the Police", The New York Times, January 11, 2009. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Joseph Tacopina, a former prosecutor from Brooklyn, was the legal voice in the courtroom; the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association was the ever-present voice of unconditional support for its officers.... He attended Poly Prep High School in Brooklyn and went on to Skidmore College."
- "Brooklyn Newspaper" (PDF).