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Welcome
Welcome to Forman Admissions!
We're happy to have you here. We invite you to visit our beautiful campus located in northwestern Connecticut. See for yourself why The Forman School is the school for you! Beginning in September, our school is alive with students in grades 9 through 12. Academics, athletics and the arts are among the most important campus activities during the school year. In the classroom, on stage, on the playing field and during outdoor leadership activities, student-faculty interaction is a way of life at Forman. As a boarding school, we also strongly value the learning experiences that come with campus life. The benefits of a close-knit community are experienced daily for our boarding and day students. After browsing through the site, we know you will want to learn more about the Forman experience. The best way is to plan a campus visit--but in the meantime, take a few minutes to fill out the inquiry page so we can send you more information regarding The Forman School and the admissions process. We welcome your visit; simply schedule an appointment and we will be ready to show you the sights!
To schedule an appointment, call our Office of Admissions today at 860-567-1802. Our office hours are Monday through Friday 8AM-4PM & Saturdays by appointment?see you at Forman! Beth Rainey Director of Admissions
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Headmaster's Message
My wife Shelli and I came to Forman because we believe in the school?s mission. As parents of a child with learning differences, we know that many bright and talented students can be mislabeled or overlooked in school. The fact is that most Forman graduates go on to become successful college students.
Here, students receive individual attention and instruction. They work with other motivated students who have struggled with similar learning needs. In the classroom, our students discover that their teachers understand their learning styles and, at the same time, hold them accountable to do their best. Compassion and accountability go hand in hand to create a supportive and stimulating environment.
Boarding schools must educate the whole child and at Forman we do just that. In addition to our college preparatory curriculum, we provide opportunities in adventure education, student government, the arts, community service, and publishing. We offer a complete range of traditional, competitive sports as well as an Outdoor Leadership Skills program. Additionally, the students work in a job program, which is supervised by their peers.
Our approach is both academic and experiential. Not only do our students learn to analyze a paragraph, write an essay, or solve a problem; they also learn to contribute to a team, develop leadership skills, and share community responsibilities.
Forman students thrive because they are understood, appreciated, and challenged. Please come for a visit so you can observe the Forman experience personally and directly. Until then, I hope you enjoy learning more about Forman through our website.
With best wishes,
Mark B. Perkins
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The Forman Vision
John and Julie Ripley Forman were newlyweds with a vision in 1930 when they founded a small school in Litchfield that would give individual attention to young boys. They began with three students and Mr. Forman later said, "Of one thing, I am certain - that the first year, with three boys and two teachers beside ourselves - was our busiest."
Early Reading Program
Early on the Formans recognized that it was necessary to "teach the fundamentals of reading. So many of our early students had never been taught properly." In response to this need, the Formans turned to Dr. Samuel T. Orton and started a reading department that used the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching phonics. The Formans also obtained a grant for $50,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation to do research to guide them in teaching reading.
Girls School
At the request of parents, a girl's school was established in 1942. In the beginning, the girls were housed in a separate campus and bused to the main campus for classroom instruction. Eventually, the girls moved to the main campus. Forman gradually became a college-preparatory school offering instruction in grades 9 through 12 to students with different learning styles.
Meeting Dr. Einstein
A graduate of Princeton University, John Forman was always on the lookout for insight into better teaching methods. He wrote, about 1944, to Professor Albert Einstein, the esteemed physicist at Princeton. "To our joy, (we) were invited to have tea with him." Subsequently, John Forman told parents in a prepared address in November 1959, that he had tea again with Dr. Einstein. "He spoke of the beauty, the symmetry and the wholeness of mathematics . . but Prof. Einstein warned of the danger of destroying inspired teaching with an impenetrable overlay of over factual information."
Dr. Einstein joined the Forman Board of Academic Advisors about 1946; others who served with him on that board were Dr. Ernest Mayr of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and Dr. Harlow Shapley of Harvard University.
Forman Today
The Forman School today, headed by Mark B. Perkins, continues to seek out better ways of teaching, to hone the skills of the faculty to specifically address individual styles of learning. Several faculty members have been trained in the methods of Schools Attuned, a program developed by Dr. Mel Levine, founder of the All Kinds of Minds, a nonprofit institute for the understanding of differences in learning. He is a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School. Selected Forman faculty members are trainers in methods used by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.
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Enrollment 179
Student/Faculty 3 to 1
Boarding/Day 90% 10%
Average # New Students 70
Number of Dormitories 11
Dorm Size Ranges from 7 20
Average Academic Class Size 8
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Philosophy
The learning community at The Forman School aims to build a foundation of learning skills and strategies to arm our students with the tools they need to be successful in higher education. In the classroom, we provide specialized instruction that is designed to optimize student learning. Students are provided with an understanding and challenging environment where they can use new strategies and skills acquired in their learning center coursework. Teachers are trained to "speak the same language" to provide a nurturing environment where students will clearly see the connections between what they have learned and what lies ahead. In the classroom, as in the learning center, direct and explicit instruction in learning is central to academic success. We view the learning process as a partnership with our students. It is our objective to thoughtfully scaffold learning that will lead to competence and mastery as students prepare for higher education.
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Professional Development
Key to our success is the school's commitment to remain highly current with what is best in the field of learning and learning differences. We subscribe to professional development programs that utilize the "train the trainer" model so that we may benefit from in-house, on-staff trainers to advance our focus on a day-to-day basis. Continued training and support with the following organizations and programs has occurred over the past ten years:
Center for Research on Learning, University of Kansas
Schools Attuned, All Kinds of Minds Institute,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill CAST, Peabody, MA
Project Adventure, Beverly MA
National Institute at Landmark College
Additionally, faculty readings over the past three years have included:
Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner
Educational Care, A Mind at a Time, Dr. Mel Levine
Horace's Compromise, The Students are Watching, Ted Sizer
Professional memberships/affiliations include:
International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
KU-CRL trainers
Association for Curriculum Development
New England Assisitve Technology Marketplace
National Association of Independent Schools
Connecticut Association of Independent Schools
Association for Experiential Education (AEE)
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Experiential Learning
At Forman, learning by doing is highly valued - experiential learning begins in community life with our Project Adventure curriculum. Laying a solid foundation in the dorm allows classroom teachers to launch into course-specific, hands-on learning experiences. Due to a mismatch between learning environment and the learner, many of our students have fallen into the habit of "passive learning" - we view it as our job to transform that passivity into active and engaged learning. In addition to explicit direction in classroom activities, teachers include projects and presentations as part of their regular lessons. During the senior year, we build on the foundation laid toward student engagement in the less active, college-style lecture format. Experiential experiences in the classroom and as an adjunct to studies are a favorite part of our offerings for students. Some recent opportunities include:
Model U.N.
Math roller coaster
Senior Project pilot
Mouse breeding genetics project
Hands-on math curriculum (Integrated)
World cultures food festivals
Ecology marine studies transect research at Gloucester, MA
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Community Life
Community life at Forman focuses on the education of the entire student. We believe that classroom learning is only part of the education of our students. Community life involves the non-academic parts of our program that strive toward educating through speakers, cultural events, various social activities and a residential curriculum incorporating adventure-based activities which teach communication and life skills. Our residential faculty and dorm leaders periodically undergo training with facilitators from the Project Adventure program.
Project Adventure is an adventure-based program that utilizes initiative games, as well as low and high ropes courses to teach various skills. The Forman School uses many of these initiative games and other developed approaches in building community within the dormitories. Project Adventure has become the backbone of our regular Community Curriculum meetings, lending tools to enhance communication, building a foundation within the dormitories as well as skills that assist with conflict resolution by setting standards and values. We are in the process of bringing Project Adventure into sports and academics. Utilizing this adventure-based approach to learning, Project Adventure has assisted in strengthening our school community.
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Activities
The Forman School is known for helping students discover their untapped talents in sports and other co-curricular activities. We believe that after-school activities are an integral part of a successful educational program.
The co-curricular program at Forman provides an opportunity for students to develop new interests while building self-confidence. Participation in drama, community service, athletics and/or Outdoor Leadership Skills helps students forge new relationships. Together they begin their life-long journey of developing the mind, body and spirit.
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Advisor System
The Advisor System is a very important part of both academic and community life at Forman. Advisors meet with their student advisees as a group at least once a week during the school year. They serve as the liaison between students, faculty and parents and share information with all three in an effort to maintain the highest level of communication and understanding. Students are assigned an advisor upon entry to Forman and are asked to keep the same faculty liaison for the duration of their time at Forman.
Student Leadership
Student leadership at Forman is both an honor and a responsibility. Through an all-school ballot, students and faculty acknowledge a student's abilities and talents in civic and interpersonal relationships and elect them to be a leader of the school. Student leaders are upperclassmen who are recognized for their dependability, fairness, initiative and trustworthiness and they are charged with setting a responsible, mature example for the rest of the student body throughout the year. Leaders assist with the running of the job program, fostering a stronger sense of community, and within the dormitories, assisting houseparents in the functioning of the residence halls.
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Athletics
Athletic Director and alumnus Scott McCarty?s long history with the Forman School enriches each student?s athletic experience. ?In my twenty years here, we have built a quality athletic program. Athletics at Forman is an integral part of community life. We work to instill involvement in interscholastic sports and in non-competitive sports as well. Success for our kids comes through learning commitment and believing in themselves. They learn how to handle the highs and lows of winning and losing.?
Required involvement in a competitive team or recreational sport works in conjunction with academic achievement and social well being to create a well-rounded individual. This balance of academic, social, and athletic pursuits is what makes the Forman student complete.
Coaches interact with students on many levels. Nigel Daniel, Coordinator of Public Funding, also coaches Boys Varsity Soccer. ?Coaching is the highlight of my day. There?s a lot of positive, unspoken interactions in sports ? true teaching moments.? Annie Crawford, Dean of Students speaks about coaching at Forman, ?the undefeated seasons are the coveted rewards of top coaches everywhere. Less tangible treasures are the bounty which, for me, lends a magical quality to the privilege of coaching our young athletes. Win or lose, if you've taught a child to believe in himself, then you have successfully coached at Forman."
Sports offered include: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, kayaking, lacrosse, rock climbing, skiing, soccer, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.
Forman?s Outdoor Leadership Skills Program offers alternatives to traditional sports, such as kayaking and rock climbing.
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The Arts
The arts play a vital role in student life at Forman. At the Johnson Art Center, one can find a design class in progress, a band rehearsing, the Forman Ensemble Players preparing for a new show, students editing video projects, or an artist hanging a new exhibit in the gallery. The Art Center houses three floors of creative resources, with three visual art studios, a darkroom with eight enlarging stations, a video editing room, two music studios, a 250 seat auditorium with a full stage and the Risley Gallery, which hosts student and professional art exhibits. Students and faculty produce three theatrical productions each year, along with a number of coffeehouse events and talent shows.
Our mission is to give students a firm grounding in the basics of a number of art forms and then to encourage them to use this knowledge to express themselves. A student of the arts is on a journey that transcends mastering specific materials and tools. The goal is to be able to reflect upon what it means to be human and to share one's discoveries with others. To this end, each teacher creates a unique studio environment within which each student can grow as a creative, thinking person. We model the creative process for students through our own experiences as working artists.
The Gallery / History
HISTORY
Risley Gallery at The Forman School is a small, elegant art gallery bathed in natural light from the skylight that illuminates exhibits on display. The gallery was added to what is now the Johnson Art Center when the building was both renovated and enlarged in the early 1990s. In addition to works of art created by faculty, students and alumni of Forman, the gallery hosts exhibitions by local and other artists.
The gallery, which was designed as both a space for teaching art students as well as exhibiting fine arts, is named for Virginia Solley deSieyes Risley, now Mrs. Robert deCourcy of Washington, Connecticut. She was a Forman trustee from 1978 ? 1992. A gracious individual with strong leadership skills, ?Gina? was Chairman of the board for a time and became a Trustee Emeritus upon her retirement as an active trustee.
In 1994, this exceptional woman was recipient of the John N. Forman Award presented at a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York in recognition of her work on behalf of the Forman School, other schools and the cause of conservation. She also is a former chair of The Gunnery Board of Trustees and has been a very active alumna on behalf of Smith College. Another major interest of hers is the preservation of the environment, and she has been a staunch member of Steep Rock Association, a land trust, in Washington. A portrait of Virginia Risley deCourcy painted by Forman alumna Candace Whittemore Lovely, hangs within the art center foyer.
Johnson Art Center was formally dedicated in June 1992. Architect Jeffrey Bellows of Bellows Architects designed the project. The contractor was United Construction and Engineering Inc. The building housing the gallery is now named for J. Seward Johnson, famed sculptor and a 1949 alumnus of the school, and his wife Joyce, a patron of the arts, writer and producer of plays. Both Johnsons served on the Forman Board of Trustees at one time.
The original structure was built in 1931 by the former Spring Hill School. The building served as a gymnasium and was named Kingsbury Hall. In 1961 the structure was re-named Haggart Hall after alumnus Duncan Haggart ?48. The former gymnasium then was used as a dining hall. When the Peirce Dining Hall was completed in 1988, meals were served there and the conversion and expansion of Haggart began. It now is a modern arts facility with studios for instruction in ceramics, sculpture, painting, photography and video. Theater productions continue on the original stage.
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The Forman School Rainforest Project
The Forman School Rain Forest Project is a non-profit program dedicated to rain forest education through scientific research with young adults from Northwest Connecticut high schools. Our philosophy of students contributing to science helps slow down tropical deforestation and provide alternatives to slashing and burning precious rainforests. Through this program, The Forman School also fosters cooperative efforts between public and private schools.
The salvation of our planet depends on gathering information that can save our vital natural resources. Student scientists become experts in their chosen fields and work with some of the leading researchers in the world. Our goal is to help students develop confidence, global awareness, research skills and field data collection techniques to offer alternative economic opportunities for shifted cultivators in Central America. We also strive to empower students to make personal decisions about supply of and demand for tropical resources. The science of this program goes beyond the realm of a standard high school classroom. It encompasses depth of knowledge and skills usually found only at the college level.
The growth of the students in this program is beyond words. Their confidence, research skills, and public speaking ability improve immeasurably. Students become more focused academically and in their college and career pursuits. They also develop a greater sense of responsibility for the planet and realize that they can make a global difference.
Wendy Welshans,
Director of Rain Forest Project
The Forman School
The Educational Program
Students in our program are chosen based on their problem-solving capabilities, community awareness and dedication to the planet's health. They participate in a seven-month tropical ecology class, with emphasis on micro and macro fauna before leaving on the expedition to Costa Rica. Each student's scientific insight makes him or her an asset to gathering field data with professional researchers in the jungles of Costa Rica. Students continue gathering data on core projects year after year. These projects require in-depth research that culminates in a 40-50 page report that must be completed when the students return.
When they arrive in Central America, students are ready to identify habitats and behaviors of their chosen species of study. Study plots are carefully selected and measured. Students take inventory of the plants and animals in their study plots and make correlations between the different species in the habitats. Each year students' findings add to information collected on particular species of plants and animals and micro-ecosystem theories.
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