Program Description

Cushing Academy

Summer Session
Ashburnham, Massachusetts


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For More Information, Contact
Cushing Academy Summer Session
39 School Street
Ashburnham, Massachusetts 01430-8000
978-827-7700
Fax: 978-827-6927
http://www.cushing.org
E-mail: summersession@cushing.org

Type of Program: Academic enrichment
Participants: Coeducational, ages 12–18
Enrollment: 350
Program Dates: July to August
Head of Program: Dr. James Tracy, Headmaster

Location

Located in the hills of north-central Massachusetts, 60 miles from Boston, Cushing Academy’s 162-acre campus offers a rural atmosphere with the cultural advantages of a major city only an hour’s drive away. The school is situated in and overlooks the picturesque New England town of Ashburnham.

Background and Philosophy

Established in 1865, Cushing Academy is an accredited boarding school for boys and girls in grades 9 through 12. The Summer Session, offering programs for boys and girls ages 12 to 18, continues the school’s approach to education into the summer. The mission of the Summer Session is to allow young people to grow and learn by facing challenges in a secure and supportive environment, thereby successfully developing self-esteem. Cushing strives to develop happy, fair-minded, and productive human beings, and all of its programs are directed toward this goal. The focus is always on the potential of the adolescent, and Cushing helps students discover, develop, and appreciate their own uniqueness and value.

Program Offerings

Each student is enrolled in one of six major programs: College Prep–Secondary School Level; Critical Skills Across the Curriculum in English, Mathematics, and Study Techniques; English as a Second Language; the Prep for Success Program; or Studio Art. The average class contains 8–12 students, with a purposeful yet friendly atmosphere that encourages questions and discussion. Faculty members prepare two formal evaluations on each student, one in the middle and one at the end of the summer. Written evaluations highlight the progress made by the individual student relative to his or her own needs and placement, and a grade of honors, pass, or fail is given.
College Prep–Secondary School Level For students ages 14–18, this program offers a choice of Critical and Creative Writing, A Literary Tour of New England, Research and Technology, Geometry, Algebra I and II, Precalculus, Calculus, U.S. History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Theater Workshop. The courses taught in this program prepare students to meet the challenge of a college-level curriculum confidently and successfully. Each of these courses is the equivalent of a year of secondary school course work, and Cushing awards a full year of secondary school academic credit upon successful completion of the program.
Critical Skills Across the Curriculum in English, Mathematics, and Study Techniques This program is for students ages 14–18. It encompasses four key components: English, Mathematics, Study Techniques, and Technology. Each student is given placement tests to assess skills and learning styles and an individualized learning program is developed. Students are assigned to classes structured to meet their specific learning needs. Each student learns at his or her own pace, mastering progressively higher levels of skills. The schedule is flexible enough to allow a focus on either English or mathematics development or both. Study Techniques and Technology are taught within the context of the subject matter.
English as a Second Language (ESL) is offered for students ages 14–18. Within the ESL program, classes enhance skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students can dramatically increase their proficiency in English through this three- or six-week immersion experience. Students are tested at the beginning of the program and placed in a class appropriate to their skill level. Up to fourteen levels ensure that each student’s needs are met. Preparation for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is offered, and the opportunity to take the official TOEFL is offered to students of advanced and high intermediate levels during the final weeks of the program.
Prep for Success For students ages 12–13, this program offers a choice of science, English, mathematics, study skills, and ESL. The courses taught in this program prepare students for the academic experiences that lie ahead in secondary school. Featuring hands-on learning, each course has a dual focus on the subject matter and on the skills needed for academic success, including reading comprehension strategies, vocabulary development, word analogies, time management, organizational techniques, and test-taking strategies.
Studio Art This program, for students ages 13–18, is taught in Cushing’s state-of-the-art Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts, a beautiful facility with five advanced studios and a gallery. Both experienced and beginning art students are provided with opportunities to explore a variety of media, including painting and drawing, pottery, silversmithing, and photography.

Enrollment

Approximately 350 students, representing more than thirty countries and as many states, attend the session.

Daily Schedule

Classes in the major programs take place for 4 hours, Monday through Friday, beginning at 8 a.m. Each afternoon, students participate in academic, athletic, and fine arts electives, of which Cushing offers a wide variety. Writing workshop, SAT preparation, computer design, and Algebra I are just a few academic electives offered. Fine arts electives include painting and drawing, photography, silversmithing, pottery, dance, theater, and videomaking, while athletic activities include aerobics, basketball, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Each week brings a variety of activities to campus, including dances, sports events, and performances by musical groups and entertainers. Optional excursions are scheduled every Saturday and Sunday to shopping centers, amusement parks, beaches, Red Sox games, local community service opportunities, and other activities that take advantage of recreational and cultural offerings in the Boston area and throughout New England.
On Wednesdays, a variety of class field trips to sites such as Plimoth Plantation, the New England Aquarium, and Mystic Seaport are organized. These excursions are included in the comprehensive fee and are chaperoned by faculty members. College counseling and secondary school placement counseling are available for students who want assistance with educational planning.
During each week, Cushing offers a special all-school activity, including a trip to High Meadow resort and a dinner/dance cruise around Boston Harbor. Among the special events is International Evening, a celebration of the rich cultural diversity present at the Summer Session. In preparation the students bring from home traditional clothing, flags, posters, and recipes. Cushing’s dining hall is transformed into an international bazaar, where students view displays and sample foods from other cultures. The evening concludes with student-created performances of songs, dances, and skits representative of their culture. The Cushing Cabaret, a night dedicated to short programs and entertainment by the Cushing community, has also become a well-loved summer tradition. Students and faculty members show off their talent through comedy, music, poetry, skits, and more.

Facilities

The campus combines the charm of nineteenth-century buildings with the graceful contemporary style of Cushing’s award-winning library. Boys and girls live in separate dormitories with roommates, supervised by members of the faculty. Two or three students are assigned to each room. The Joseph R. Curry Academic Center, an outstanding new facility for the study of science, mathematics, and the performing arts, includes a large theater and dance practice rooms and music studios. The spacious dining hall accommodates the entire Cushing community for relaxed and congenial mealtimes. The Student Center, part of the student commons complex, houses the student post office, student bank, bookstore, snack bar, and lounge. Athletic facilities include playing fields, tennis courts, a gymnasium with weight room, and a world-class ice arena.

Staff

Teachers are experienced professionals educated in the theories and methods of teaching. They are also supportive, insightful, caring, good-humored, and kind. A diverse group, they share a willingness to spend their lives with young people. Most have master’s degrees, and some have doctorates; all have experience teaching in this country or abroad. The faculty-student ratio is approximately 1:8. In their roles as dorm parents, athletic coaches, and chaperones, Cushing teachers are in an excellent position to know when to offer support, enforce discipline, mediate a dispute, or let students work things out among themselves.

Medical Care

The Health Center is fully equipped to handle all routine medical needs. Nurses and doctors are available at all times. Cushing uses the Henry Heywood Hospital in nearby Gardner for nonroutine needs.

Costs

Program tuitions vary, but the six-week fee of $5650 covers the following: tuition for all courses, academic electives, and athletic activities; meals and dormitory housing; required trips and excursions; special all-school activities; books and supplies; athletic uniform; on-campus social activities; dormitory-room supplies; and limited accident insurance. In addition, students have use of the Academy’s communications system, which includes a private telephone, voice mail, and Internet access for each student.

Transportation

The staff meets flights and provides free transportation between Cushing and Logan International Airport (Boston) on scheduled arrival and departure dates. Parents may also wish to secure personalized transportation assistance through Concierge Services for Students LTD, at 617-523-8686 or http://www.conciergeforstudents.net.

Application Timetable

The application form should be completed and mailed with the nonrefundable processing fee of $60 as early as possible. Admissions decisions are made as soon as these materials are in hand. Within four weeks of acceptance, a nonrefundable enrollment deposit of $500 is due. The remainder of the tuition is due on or before May 15.