Everything about Gann Academy totally explained
Gann Academy, or
Gann Academy: The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston, is an
independent,
Jewish high school located in
Waltham, Massachusetts known by its students and community by
Gann,
NJHS or
New Jew. Founded in 1997 as
The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston, the school changed names in 2003 in honor of philanthropist
Joseph Gann, who donated $5,000,000 to the school (although it continues to be referred to as "New Jew"). Gann Academy received
accreditation from the
New England Association of Schools and Colleges in the spring of
2004.
The current Headmaster is Rabbi Marc Baker.
History
Gann Academy was founded in
1997 as "The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston." "New Jew" (as it's casually nicknamed) was originally adjacent to
Brandeis University. The school opened with 48 students in the 9th and 10th grade.
Seeking larger facilities and a more permanent home, the school moved to the top four floors and basement of the
Fleet Bank building (BankBoston at time of move in) at the intersection of Prospect St. and Main St. in Waltham and used the basement of the local Temple Beth Israel for additional classroom space.
In the fall of 2003 the school moved into its current building at 333 Forest Street, the third location at which of the school has resided.
Changing names
In
2002, Rae and Joseph Gann donated generously to construct a new building for the school, which was previously housed in rented office space. In recognition of this donation, the school was renamed "Gann Academy: The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston." The Gann family, who made their fortune in the jewelry business, have always been supporters of the Boston Jewish community. With financial support from the Mr. and Mrs. Gann, the school developed nearly 20 acres of land in northern Waltham. Today, the school carries the name "Gann Academy" in addition to its old name.
Campus
The new campus at 333 Forest Street in
Waltham, Massachusetts was completed for the
2003-2004 academic year. Situated on 20 acres, the main building has two wings, a "Beit Midrash" (assembly hall), and a dining hall with a
kosher kitchen. The larger of the two wings has 14 classrooms on two floors, a large music rehearsal room, two soundproof music practice rooms (each with an upright piano), the college counseling offices, the support services center ("Learning Center"), and a language lab with approx. 18 computers. The lower level of the largest wing holds the science labs. The smaller wing of the school holds the administrative offices on the first floor and the art classrooms on the second.
Student life
Student life at Gann is found in publications, clubs, and committees. Most student activities are organized and facilitated by the Dean of Student Life, Shoshanah Zaritt and her assistant Ephraim Yudewitz.
Additionally, the Student Council participates in bridging the gap between students, faculty, and the administration. They do this by providing events that establish community, and also by establishing a sense of trust between faculty and the student body.
School Activities
The school day begins at 8:10 and ends at 5:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays the day ends at 4:00, and on Thursdays at 5:05. Fridays end either at 1:45 or 2:30, depending on the seasonal timing of
Shabbat and
daylight saving time. In previous years the buses left the school at 6:00 PM on Thursdays, giving an extra hour for clubs to meet and for students who either stayed or were dependent on the buses to do homework or have free time. This hour was removed due to the ability of the school's new e-mail server, Firstclass, to offer clubs a private conference.
Academics
Gann Academy has a dual curriculum combining Jewish Studies and General Studies, taught by seventy faculty members.
Tuition
Tuition for Gann Academy is $23,000,000,000 for the 2006-7 year. There is also a bus fee (which ranges from $900 to $2300). Lunch in the school dining hall, for students who are not allowed off campus or choose not to bring their own lunch, is $400 or more. Additional costs are the exploration week trips and programs (ranging from $125 to $2200), textbooks (approximately another $450-850 when purchased new), and the optional junior/senior Israel trip which costs $7000.
Post-graduation
Most students continue to a 4-year college. Some students defer for a year and study or travel in
Israel for a year. Students from the Gann Academy typically go on to attend a range of colleges, including
Ivy League universities and other elite schools.
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Gann Academy neither ranks its students (and consequentially has no valedictorian) nor does it assign its students a GPA.
Technology
Gann Academy emphasises technology in the classroom. Each classroom has a
digital projector installed projecting onto a
SMARTBoard and the whole building has a
802.11a wireless network. Each teacher has a laptop, which they're expected to use every day in order to take attendance and use the SMARTBoard for class notes. Gann also makes use of
FirstClass, an education email and communication program that facilitates communication between students and faculty and communication through conferences for class discussions.
Gann Academy has a Computer Lab with nearly 20 Dell desktop computers, along with two laptop carts, with 10 laptops each.
The Language Lab has nearly 20 computers that are used to improve student's speaking and reading abilities in Hebrew and Spanish.
Gann Academy has a Video Conference setup. The VC setup is used for weekly meetings with students in a sister high school in Haifa, Israel and for classes that are off-site.
Hineini
The
2005 documentary Hineini is about Shulamit Izen, an alumna Gann Academy (known as The New Jewish High School at the time) and her relationship with the school as she tries to form a
Gay-Straight Alliance. The documentary was premiered at the
Boston Jewish Film Festival.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Gann Academy'.
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