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Our Story Since its founding in 1965, Portledge has consistently produced lifelong learners who return to tell us stories of how this close-knit community invoked confidence and prepared them to compete in this ever-changing global landscape. Simply put, our graduates are confident, prepared, and successful in later life.
Our Symbol Our crest, which proudly adorns the uniforms of our state championship student-athletes, signifies the importance of family in this supportive, yet academically rigorous, environment. Indeed, the school crest has become a central symbol for our school and we cherish the traditions it invokes.
Our Mission Portledge School offers a competitive college preparatory program in a warm, inclusive community. Students are inspired to realize their individual potential by developing the critical thinking skills and moral courage necessary for lifelong learning in an increasingly complex world.
Our Vision Portledge School is an independent, pre-nursery through twelfth grade preparatory day school. The school’s coordinated sequential programs, beginning with the Reggio Emilia program in Early Childhood, provide a rigorous academic environment, preparing students to live responsible and productive lives. Dedicated teachers use small class size to deliver knowledge based on inquiry and inspired by a student-centered learning approach. Individual talents are nurtured through the arts, athletics, and a variety of community and travel programs that all emphasize the Portledge Pillars of kindness, purpose, honor, and respect.
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“ Our entire faculty and staff are committed to providing your child with
W E L C O M E
Welcome to Portledge a world-class educational experience. This means focusing on the whole child and drawing from the best evidence-based research that helps prepare students for college and life.�
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or over fifty plus years, Portledge School has set and exceeded ambitious goals in support of our
mission. We have increased enrollment, attracted top faculty, welcomed engaged and productive students, and introduced innovative initiatives. Our beautiful 63-acre campus is home to a wide variety of exceptional educational opportunities for our students to explore, from our Reggio Emilia Early Childhood program to our accredited International Baccalaureate Upper School curriculum. Our community is diverse, our faculty and staff dedicated, and our athletic teams consistently top-ranked. We approach learning with enthusiasm and create unique opportunities by grade level. We excel at inspiring students to realize their individual potential, to develop critical thinking skills, to be 'good' citizens, and to build the moral courage necessary for lifelong learning in an increasingly complex world. From the beginning, we have understood the trust that parents place in us to nurture their children academically, emotionally, and morally. You want the best for your children, and Portledge School will settle for nothing less.
Sincerely,
Simon Owen-Williams Head of School
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Setting the Stage We believe children are born with a natural curiosity about the world. Cultivating this curiosity is the key to a lifetime of learning.
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THE PHILOSOPHY
world-renowned Reggio Emilia approach to Early Childhood education, which capacity for joy, a sense of wonder about the world, and the motivation to make sense of their world. Every young child is intelligent and capable of constructing knowledge through interaction with
C H I L D H O O D
states that children possess a natural
E A R L Y
The very heart of our program is the
parents, peers, and teachers.
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hildren who are ready to begin the transition from
home to school begin their Portledge journey with pre-nursery.
THE PROGRAM
The Portledge Early Childhood program continues through
In addition to literacy, mathematics, and
nursery, pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten, focusing on the
science, the program includes physical
development of the whole child at each stage. The highly regarded
education, dance and movement, library/
Reggio Emilia philosophy frames our curriculum, with student investigations taking on multiple dimensions as they explore topics of their own choosing and cultivate knowledge using their unique personalities and abilities at every age.
technology, art, music, drama, and world languages. Early Childhood students interact with the greater school community through Lower School assemblies and other traditional
Our students enjoy a language-rich environment and stimulating
all-school functions, fostering an
literacy experiences during every part of the daily routine
inclusive community.
to develop emergent literacy, support print awareness, and encourage listening comprehension. Integrated into the daily program are our science, technology, engineering, arts and
THE PARTICULARS
mathematics (STEAM) initiatives which occur within our Reggio
Pre-nursery runs from 8:25 a.m. to 11:25
Emilia practice and our Harvard Project Zero frameworks.
a.m., Tuesday through Thursday, Monday
Children adapt to a new setting, new teachers, and new
and Friday being optional. The nursery
classmates with ease, given our safe, nurturing, and stimulating
program runs from 8:25 a.m. to noon,
environment. Each classroom is designed to support social,
Monday through Friday, with extended
emotional, language and cognitive development of every student. Classroom work is authentically developed by the students and is proudly displayed as a record of individual creativity and development.
Harnessing the Wonder of “Why?�
day options available until 1:00 p.m. or 3:20 p.m. Once in pre-Kindergarten, students attend school five full days each week.
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Building the Foundation With interests piqued and curiosity fostered, Portledge sets about cultivating creativity and confidence with a Lower School curriculum that is progressively challenging.
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undamental academic skills are emphasized as students are
taught in large and small groups in which teachers encourage, monitor, and reinforce individual progress. A comprehensive approach to literacy includes direct instruction and guided independent work during a daily 60 to 90-minute literacy block. Students gain a strong number sense through our Primary Math lessons, taken directly from the national math curriculum of Singapore, the world’s leader in math education. World-class science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) initiatives come due to our collaboration with esteemed universities, while indoor and outdoor lab spaces enrich and enhance the overall learning experience. French instruction that began in the nursery program continues in Lower School, and in the fourth and fifth grades, students may opt to begin learning Spanish. Should students need additional support or enrichment in any subject, a Lower School Learning Specialist is available for both students and teachers.
Developing the Confidence to Try 4
L O W E R S C H O O L
THE PHILOSOPHY
THE PROGRAM
THE PARTICULARS
Guided by the practice of Harvard
Integrated into the schedule is the
The Lower School class day runs
University’s Project Zero classroom
opportunity for students to broaden
from 8:25-3:20. The After 3:30 Club is
initiatives, Lower School teachers use
their experiences as they explore
available to working families Mondays
classroom strategies designed to
the visual and dramatic arts, music,
through Fridays from 3:30 p.m. to
help create a community of reflective,
technology, hands-on science, foreign
6:00 p.m. Lower School students in
independent learners and promote
language, and physical education.
grades pre-Kindergarten to 5 will have
critical and creative thinking.
Field trips at all levels provide
time for supervised play, homework,
The student-generated Code of
enrichment to supplement
and afternoon snack.
Conduct highlights cooperation,
classwork and assignments.
 
thoughtfulness, effort, and inclusivity. 5
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o prepare students for the challenges and responsibilities of
Upper School, Portledge implements a skills-based Middle School curriculum within a program designed to offer variety, encourage creativity, and inspire exploration. Our core curriculum includes English, math, history, science, and world languages and places an emphasis on the mastery of 21st century skills of communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, listening, and organizational abilities. Portledge offers French, Mandarin, and Spanish beginning in the sixth grade, and prioritizes oral and written communication along with cultural studies. Middle School is a time of great change, both in the advancement of coursework and advancement of maturity on the part of the students. Assigned advisors meet with students regularly in
Mastering Essential
Skills
For Middle School students to master the academic skills they will need for later success, their curriculum must broaden and deepen the scope and sequence of Lower School studies.
small groups and play a dual role—offering academic and social guidance while working to reinforce core values of honesty and respect. The Middle School Advisory also aims to help strengthen individual character and serve as a platform to encourage student ownership and self-advocacy while introducing the principles of leadership. To support all learning styles and provide specific assistance to those who need, the school has an educational psychologist, learning specialist and ESL instructors on staff to offer assistance outside the classroom.
Embracing change as character-building
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M I D D L E S C H O O L
THE PHILOSOPHY
THE PROGRAM
THE PARTICULARS
The Middle School relies upon
All students enjoy the visual and
The Middle School program is
project-based instruction in the
performing arts and a variety of
enriched by courses in health,
classroom. We allow our students
athletic teams. The art curriculum
technology, library, and research
to take the lead and explore content
offers sculpture, ceramics,
skills, as well as field trips. Students
both independently and collaboratively
woodworking, studio art, digital
are offered elective classes such as
thus enhancing their ability to read
photography, engineering and
coding, theater arts, plant power,
critically, think analytically, and
design, chorus, band, orchestra, and
Mandarin, equestrian, robotics,
communicate their ideas effectively,
interdisciplinary arts. Team athletics
entrepreneurship, and life lessons.
both verbally and in writing.
are introduced in fifth grade, with a
Students also choose from weekly
focus on sports-specific skills, team
club options like flag football,
concepts, sportsmanship, and school
newspaper, photography, community
spirit. Intramural options are available
service, keyboarding, or planning
in certain individual sports by season.
the class trip to Washington.
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U P P E R S C H O O L
Ready to Launch The Upper School years are the culmination of the Portledge experience, and we are committed to our superior college preparation also readying our students for the complex world that awaits.
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he Upper School years are the culmination of the Portledge
experience, and we are committed to our superior college preparation also readying our students for the complex world that awaits. Our graduates must depart with our academic motto ingrained in their vision for their future—explore, create, excel—and the tools at hand to do just that. Upper School students expand their knowledge of the humanities, mathematics, science, arts and world languages through a cooperative learning approach. Their academic experience is enhanced by an intimate learning environment that helps each student build critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills and reach his or her potential. Students may enroll in advanced or regular classes, and Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes are additional options as courses of study. 9
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is a globally recognized program that develops confident, capable, and persistent scholars ready to face and solve challenges. Like Portledge, the IBDP emphasizes the development of critical thinking and communication skills, and it has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities for its preparation for college-level work. IBDP students take a rigorous course of study for the junior and senior years that spans across the social sciences, experimental sciences, mathematics, and world languages while promoting interdisciplinary thinking, global perspectives, independent research, creativity and social service. Regardless of specialization, all courses in the Upper School teach students to communicate effectively through written prose. Students are also exposed to research and the responsible use of technology, with increased independence as the coursework
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rigorous approach to academic excellence and inclusion. The
Comprehensive and demanding, the
Learning Center partners with local schools to offer support for
Upper School curriculum challenges
students with learning differences, and also serves as a resource
students to develop the communication,
center for English Language learners.
reasoning, and leadership skills that are
The theatre arts, music, and visual arts programs empower students to become independent thinkers and artists. We
essential for leadership in college and our
S C H O O L
THE PHILOSOPHY
U P P E R
progresses. For the success of each student, Portledge has a
complex world.
encourage students to take risks and engage in the creative process. A similar message is shared through varsity athletics, an essential dimension of school life, and is a natural extension of the classroom experience. Participation on a team sport for both experienced and novice student-athletes is an integral part of their education—one that fosters physical development and personal growth while also developing leadership, character, sportsmanship
THE PROGRAM In addition to the rigorous curriculum, students have access to highly personalized guidance and mentoring. Every student has a faculty advisor who oversees both academic performance
and discipline.
and personal growth, communicates with
While our curriculum offers highly personalized programs, there
faculty and parents, and works with the
is one constant: students are expected to develop and exhibit
student to optimize the Upper School
maturity, self-motivation and discipline. Portledge graduates leave
years. The faculty advisor works with
aptly prepared to handle the challenges ahead, grounded in the
each student to review his or her course
values of kindness, purpose, honor, and respect.
selections, recognizing the importance of academic challenge and enhancing areas
Striving for excellence, strengthened by skill.
of interest and expertise.
THE PARTICULARS The college guidance process is thorough and comprehensive, as the Director of College Counseling works closely with each student and his or her family to ensure their understanding of the college admissions process and appropriate placement. This is accomplished through individual student and family meetings as well as a required course that meets weekly during the junior and senior years. 11
Encouraged to Express,
Inspired to Perform A
t Portledge, the arts are a celebration, and one widely
enjoyed across Lower, Middle, or Upper School, with students actively engaged in an extensive offering of options in music, visual arts, and drama. Beginning with classroom instruction and singing in Lower School, Portledge students learn and perform with growing abilities and understanding. In fourth grade, students begin instrumental lessons, and in Middle School, performance groups are formed. Chorus, Concert Band, Jazz Combo and Orchestra are options for Upper School Students, who may also seek out additional academic music classes including a two-year advanced IB Music Theory/Performance course. Our visual art curriculum includes explorations in drawing, painting, design, woodworking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. Beginning in pre-nursery, students are encouraged to experiment with a wide variety of media, techniques, and materials as they observe closely, take risks, and become independent thinkers. Middle School art experiences deepen each student’s understanding of fundamental art concepts and the core skills needed to be successful in art.
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Upper School students further develop their creative foundation and competencies with our required ninth grade Art Foundations course. Upon completion of the Art Foundations course, Upper School students may enroll in specific art electives, or choose to pursue Portledge’s Arts Scholar program, a course of specialized study in the visual arts, music or theatre arts. Theatre fundamentals are the foundation for our drama program. Lower School students attend drama twice a cycle and begin their understanding of topics ranging from improvisation to play writing. During the Middle and Upper School years, the program takes a more comprehensive look at the world of theatre, including the opportunity to perform the works of Shakespeare and dramatic plays, participate in stage crew, or assist with costuming. At Portledge, students are invited to take artistic risks, think critically, and to actively engage in the creative process. Students not only develop artistic skills, but skills they can use in a variety of fields, finding their voice, their style, and their self-expression along the way.
Cultivating the Heart of an Artist 13
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e believe it is critical to provide students with
opportunities to develop lifelong skills essential to enhancing their quality of life while promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. Through our athletic curriculum, students learn to lead more healthy lifestyles and continue to develop their social and emotional, critical thinking, and problem solving skills—all centerpieces of a Portledge education. The primary purpose of the Lower School physical education program is to provide an opportunity for the students to reach their personal best. Each student is at a different developmental stage, with various needs and different interests; because of this our lessons are geared towards a wide range of skills and fitness levels needed by our students. Each grade level will focus on the
Physically Strong and
Purposefully Healthy appropriate and varying developmental stages of its students. The Lower School physical education program is designed to be inclusive, interactive, fun and progress into the secondary level of team skill development. The Middle School program is designed mainly to meet the developmental needs of its participants and to provide an enjoyable experience while students begin to choose favorite sports. At this level, the focus is on participation through learning
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athletic skills, game rules, the fundamentals of team play, and building self-esteem and sportsmanship. During the course of each season, sport-specific skills will be taught and character will be further developed. Upper School athletics provides students with further social interaction as well as the ability to better their lifestyle and compete for school pride. Upper School students will be presented with the opportunity to choose a healthy lifestyle in which fitness and exercise can play a big role. We are committed to ensuring that every student who wishes to compete interscholastically in a particular sport will get that opportunity. Students who do choose to compete in interscholastic athletics gain self-confidence and feel pride in the accomplishments of their team. Students who do not choose to compete in interscholastic athletics have the opportunity to exercise and learn skills which will better their lifestyle through our Physical Education classes. Both groups of students will further their educational and overall experience through athletics. Through skill development, sportsmanship, group interaction, leadership, and teamwork, Portledge student-athletes are provided a myriad of experiences that provide significant educational opportunities.
Building the Strength and Spirit of an Athlete
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Making Education
a Family Priority The Gift of a Portledge Education
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ortledge understands the necessary coordination and planning to offer your child the gift of an independent
school education. A full outline of our tuition and deposit requirements is available at www.portledge.org. From pre-Kindergarten to grade 12, tuition is inclusive of lunch, most materials, laboratory and athletic programs, Parents Association membership, and in-house student publications. Expenses for activities, electives in art and science, ice hockey, squash, private transportation, learning specialist fees, ESL, special testing, and more are outlined in the Student-Parent Handbook, also available at www.portledge.org. Portledge offers a 10 percent reduction in tuition for the third and youngest child and a 20 percent reduction for the fourth and additional younger children while in attendance. Portledge School seeks the most qualified candidates from a variety of backgrounds and makes a limited amount of tuition assistance available to selected students who could not attend the school without support. The admissions and tuition assistance decisions are separate. Tuition assistance is awarded based on available funds and demonstrated need; all tuition assistance awards are reviewed annually. Please contact the Admissions Office for additional information.
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SEE FOR YOURSELF Portledge School is located in pastoral Locust Valley, just 15 minutes north of the Long Island Expressway and close to Northern Boulevard. For more information, or to schedule a tour, please contact admissions@portledge.org.
Explore.Create ore.Create.Exc Create.Excel.Ex te.Excel.Explor xcel.Explore.Cr Explore.Create ore.Create.Exc Create.Excel.Ex 355 Duck Pond Road | Locust Valley, NY 11560 | (516) 750-3100 | www.portledge.org