From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Polytechnic School
President of the Board	Wendy Munger
Head of School	Deborah E. Reed (since 2002)
School Directors	Lower: Mariana Robles Middle: Carmie Rodriguez Upper: Jamie Neilson
School type	Private
Religious affiliation	None at present, but has Unitarian roots
Founded	1907
Location	Pasadena, California
Enrollment	Lower School: 300 Middle School: 200 Upper School: 359
Faculty	163
Campus surroundings	Residential
Campus size	15 acres
School Colors	Orange & White
Mascot	Panther

Polytechnic School, often referred to as Poly, is a K-12 college preparatory private school in Pasadena, California.

The school was founded in 1907 as the first private non-profit elementary school in California, descended from the Throop Polytechnic Institute founded by Amos G. Throop, (who also founded the Throop Unitarian Universalist Church, originally the New Unitarian Church), the same institution which grew into the present California Institute of Technology. The school added a ninth grade in 1918 and expanded to high school in 1959. Polytechnic ended its pre-Kindergarten program in 2005.

In the spring of 1907, the Institute decided to focus on the college level and closed the grammar school. A philanthropic citrus tycoon and eugenicist, Ezra S. Gosney, donated $12,500 which was matched by eighteen other donors. This money allowed them to purchase the property at the present site, originally an orange grove. The school opened in October of 1907 with 106 students. At the time, the school was named Polytechnic Elementary School. After instituting a ninth grade, the name changed to Polytechnic Elementary and Junior High School.

Poly has a reputation as having very rigorous academic programs, including Advanced Placement and honors classes, as well as strong arts and athletic programs. Many graduates comment on the emphasis Poly places on the tradtional liberal arts. Virtually all graduates go on to attend major universities around the nation. The school stresses strong moral and ethical values and has a community service requirement for graduation. The school newspaper is The Paw Print.

According to a College Board report, Polytechnic School was named a world leader in student participation and performance on Advanced Placement exams. Furthermore, the report also named Polytechnic as the top small school for having the largest part of its students achieve a 3 or above on the AP Calculus AB examination in both 2004 and 2005.

The school is divided by Cornell Road into two campuses, north (lower and middle school) and south (upper school), and is adjacent to the Cal Tech campus. Most of the north campus buildings were designed by Myron Hunt, who also designed the Rose Bowl and The Huntington, and Elmer Gray, who designed the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Pasadena Playhouse. The Cornett Mansion, designed in 1907, in the south campus serves as the administration building and houses several classrooms for the upper school.

In April 2005, the city of Pasadena approved Polytechnic's Master Development Plan, which over the following ten years will permit the construction of an aquatics facility (opened in May 2006), an underground parking structure, and other facilities and new structures. On December 19, 2005, it was announced that Jamie Neilson would become the new Upper School Director starting in July of 2006, after Grace Hamilton stepped down earlier that year. Wendy Munger, the president of the board, is the daughter of investment tycoon, Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. She is also on the board of Stanford University.

Poly's athletic rival is Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada, California. Poly's playing field is named "Babcock Field."

Every year, in the last week of April, Poly holds the "Poly Pet and Hobby Show," where students can display their pets, hobbies, or talents in a "carnival" atmosphere.

Notable alumni include:

• Anna Andresian, author, Looking at Latin
• John Battelle, author, journalist, and co-founder of Wired magazine
• Alec Berg, screenwriter, actor, and film producer
• James Blakeley , actor
• Erin Sones Borchard, USA diving team member, wife of Joe Borchard
• Stephen J. Cannell, television producer
• Otis Chandler, publisher, The Los Angeles Times
• Julia Child, television chef and personality
• Dominic Crapuchettes,creator of the game Cluzzle and Wits & Wagers
• Cara DiMassa, staff writer, Los Angeles Times
• David Ebershoff author of the international bestselling novels, The Danish Girl and Pasadena
• Ted Griffin, screenwriter, actor, and film producer
• R. Stanton Hales, president of the College of Wooster
• Catherine Hamilton, artist, co-creator of the game Cluzzle
• Clifford Heinz, philanthropist, son of H.J. Heinz
• Harriet Huntington Doerr, author of Stones for Ibarra, Consider This, Senora, and The Tiger in the Grass
• John Horn, entertainment writer, The Los Angeles Times
• Joe Mathews, The Los Angeles Times writer and author
• Peter McAniff, financial investment author
• Steve McCoy-Thompson, author
• Randall Miller, director
• Drew Pinsky, psychiatrist, radio and television personality
• Alison Sweeney, actress
• Mike White, film director, screenwriter, and actor
• Ari Wiseman, Assistant Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
• David Wiseman, designer-artist
• Gloria Wong, entertainment editor, Teen People

The Polytechnic School Credo, adopted in 1986, states:

• We are committed to honesty, justice, charity, and the pursuit of knowledge.

• We respect the dignity and worth of all human beings—their thoughts, their feelings, and their individuality.

• We seek to celebrate the joy, the love, and the creativity that emanate from the human spirit.

• We strive to be responsible and contributing members of our families, our school community, and the world.

• Polytechnic School
• Polytechnic School's site commemorating its upcoming 100 year anniversary
• Polytechnic Quick Facts (.pdf)