|  | Get to Know The Field School | | The median class size at The Field School is 11. This unique quality is the most important thing about our school. Our classes are the smallest in the city for a school of our type. Small classes allow us to give attention to individual students — to their learning styles, their writing, their development, and their families' concerns.
The Field School will enroll about 320 students in grades 7 - 12 this year. Field is also small as a whole. The Middle School grades contain about 26 and 38 students each, keeping our community of younger students even smaller. We then expand the Upper School grades to bring in new students.
The Field School was founded in 1972, near Dupont Circle. We are now in our 38th year and our eighth on our new campus on Foxhall Road. Through all of our history, however, our purpose has been consistent — to educate young people in small classes and in a joyful atmosphere that makes learning a dynamic experience. We prepare students for college, of course, but we have always done more than that. Field fosters self-discovery, skills of mind, and generosity of heart.
Field students all go on to college, attending a huge variety of schools that are well-suited to them. Field places every student in a college or university — everything from Ivy League schools to small liberal arts colleges to art schools. Over 90% of the Class of 2009 was accepted into one of their top choice schools, as students are steered to schools that are the right schools for them. Recent matriculations include: Corcoran College of Art & Design, The University of Michigan, Reed College, Beloit College, University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr College, Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, Emory University, Davidson College, University of Chicago, Carleton College . . . the list goes on
The Field curriculum covers a traditional but balanced array of subjects — English, history, math, science, foreign language, studio arts, athletics, community service, and internship learning. We are called the "Field" school because our curriculum is designed to make sense — our classes are built around sensible "fields" of learning that include cross-curricular connections between literature and history, arts and culture, science and society. In addition, our learning program is exceptionally well-balanced. Every student must meet annual requirements in the studio arts and athletics and learning outside the classroom.
Our Winter Internship Program requires every student to arrange and complete a productive volunteer internship every February for two weeks. This carefully organized program, more than 30 years old, has a dramatic impact on our students and community. Students begin the year in small groups with a teacher, learning how to seek an internship that will educate him or her in business, the arts, education, government, community service or some other area. These carefully monitored internships help Field to use our wonderful city as a huge classroom and help students to learn beyond the traditional realm of books and tests.
Our Studio Arts Program has every student using his or her creativity every day of every year. Field has always believed that students learn best in all their classes if they take time every day to mold clay, sing, paint, play the drums, work in a darkroom -- activities that use a different part of the brain and heart. Students are not expected to become artists (though several in every graduating are drawn in that direction), but they are expected to learn that creativity is a natural part of a complete education.
Our sports program is inclusive, required, and fun. As with the arts, sports at Field are required every year. While varsity teams are competitive in the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference, we have a "no cut" policy in almost all sports, offering students multiple opportunities to play, learn, and compete at various levels in a wide variety of sports: cross country running, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, basketball, swimming, track and field, girls' softball, boys' baseball, girls' lacrosse, and tennis.
Field's tuition for the 2010-2011 school year will be $33,700. Families can pay for The Field School in the traditional two installments, or they can participate in a 10-payment plan. In addition, families may apply for financial aid each year. Over 10 percent of our operating revenue is devoted to financial aid.
Field is located at 2301 Foxhall Road, NW, in a beautiful residential neighborhood of Washington, DC. Since 2002, The Field School has occupied 10.5 acres of land overlooking the most beautiful and historic sites in our nation's capital. Formerly owned and occupied by the Cafritz family, our central building is an Art Moderne mansion built in the 1930s. Field added two additional classroom buildings, a gymnasium, and a full-sized playing field before moving in. Field makes use of the resources of our great city every chance it gets — our museums, public parks, government institutions, and varied people.
Field students will tell you -- they love their teachers and the special respect and support the teachers give to every student as an individual. The intangible but essential spark at our school is in the positive, dynamic relationship between our teachers and our students. Small class size fosters this, but it is not just in the numbers. The Field ethos demands that teachers give the students full attention and respect, and that allows the teachers to demand that the students care deeply about their work, about the community, and about themselves. Students call teachers by their first names but also internalize their teachers' demands and expectations, learning that their education is ultimately their own responsibility.
Our teachers are engaged, energetic, and continually learning. Field teachers are exceptionally well-educated and continually model the process of learning, the spirit of engagement, and moral responsibility. We promote professional development at every turn, and we hire teachers who are inclined and encouraged to keep their classrooms fresh and exciting. We have a long history of being a school where exceptional college graduates launch their professional careers.
The Field School does not offer AP classes. Why? Field used to offer a small number of AP classes but found that they were not benefiting our students. AP classes are based on the AP exams, which stress the necessity for students to learn and memorize a huge swath of facts. Field classes, instead, stress the skills of writing, thinking, discussion, analysis and problem-solving — and we take extra time in our classes to practice those skills rather than rush through more facts. Colleges know this about Field and accept our students despite — or more likely because of — this trade-off.
Our school day runs from 8:00 (for middle school) or 8:50 until 2:45, with sports beginning at 3:00. There are six academic periods in the day for upper schoolers, while the middle schoolers start one period earlier then get an end-of-the-day advisory period. All students get a mid-morning 15-minute break, then eat lunch together at noon. After lunch, there is an activity period that hosts study halls, clubs, weekly "honors" seminars and various meetings. Our after-school sports program keeps most kids busy until the mid-to-late afternoon.
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