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Winsor School

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Coordinates: 42°20′26″N 71°6′26″W / 42.34056°N 71.10722°W / 42.34056; -71.10722
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The Winsor School
Address
Map
103 Pilgrim Road

Boston
,
Massachusetts
02215

United States
Coordinates42°20′26″N 71°6′26″W / 42.34056°N 71.10722°W / 42.34056; -71.10722
Information
TypePrivate, college-preparatory day school
MottoA sound mind in a sound body
Established1886; 138 years ago (1886)
NCES School ID00603767[1]
Head of schoolSarah Pelmas[2]
Teaching staff83.0 (on an FTE basis) (2021–22)[1]
Grades5–12
GenderGirls
Enrollment478 (2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio5.8 (2021–22)[1]
Campus size7.4 acres (30,000 m2)
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)Red and White   
SongThe Lamp of Learning
Athletics conferenceEastern Independent League
MascotWildcat
Websitewinsor.edu

The Winsor School is a private college-preparatory day school for girls in the Longwood neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It was established in 1886 and educates girls in grades 5–12.

History

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Founding

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In 1886, Mary Pickard Winsor started Miss Winsor's School for eight girls (most of whom were her cousin's daughter and friends) in the Back Bay.[3][4] She had previously taught at her mother's school in suburban Winchester, and began sending her own students to colleges in 1893;[5] enrollment reached 99 girls by 1900 and 225 by 1910.[4] According to the school website, Winsor "wanted to prepare women to be self-supporting, and hoped they would be competent, responsible, and generous-minded."[4] The school moved between various locations in the Back Bay until 1910.[6] One of the old Winsor buildings is featured on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.[7]

In 1910, a group of wealthy Boston parents built Mary Winsor a brand-new campus in the Longwood neighborhood, at which point the school was renamed to The Winsor School.[4] Designed by prominent Boston architect R. Clipston Sturgis, the campus included a library, science laboratories, art studios, and athletic facilities.[4][8] The well-equipped campus reflected Winsor's strong base of support among the Boston elite. Mary Winsor's mother's family were eighth-generation Harvard, and Mary's grandfather Henry Ware occupied the Hollis Chair of Divinity at Harvard from 1805 to 1840.[9] When the school formally incorporated in 1907, Harvard president Charles Eliot and Radcliffe dean Agnes Irwin were on its first board of trustees.[10] Eliot coined the school motto "A sound mind in a sound body."[11]

Mary Winsor also established the present structure of eight classes from grades 5–12, in addition to a ninth, post-graduate year (now discontinued). She retired in 1922.[12]

All-girls education

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Winsor has always been an all-girls school, although Mary Winsor briefly made an exception for her little brother Frederick, who established his own school for boys in 1901.[13] In 1972, Winsor leadership discussed merging with Noble and Greenough School,[14][15] but talks broke down and Nobles began admitting girls.[16]

Beginning in 1973, Winsor began coordinating after-school activities with two of Greater Boston's remaining all-boys schools: Belmont Hill School (which shares a school newspaper with Winsor, and helped start Winsor's crew program[15]) and Roxbury Latin School (which shares various arts productions[17][18]).

Development

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Winsor has offered a scholarship program since it was incorporated in 1907, although as late as 1970, only "about ten" students received financial aid.[19] The school launched its first scholarship fundraising drive in 1979.[20] Currently, one-quarter of the student body receives financial aid.[21]

The school graduated its first black student in 1970.[4] It also briefly operated a boarding program from 1943 to 1954.[22]

Modern times

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In the 21st century, Winsor has been recognized by various national prep school rating services.[23] In 2006, Boston magazine said that Winsor's college matriculation record was "unmatched" in Massachusetts, with over one-third of alumnae going on to Ivy League schools.[24] From 2019 to 2022, 48 Winsor alumnae (12 per year) matriculated at Ivy League schools;[25] the school graduates approximately 65 students per year.

From 2013 to 2016, Winsor conducted an $82.2 million fundraising campaign, which funded a $75 million expansion with classrooms, athletics facilities, and performing arts facilities.[26] The expansion opened in 2015 and nearly doubled the square footage of Winsor's teaching facilities.[27] It received an award from the American Institute of Architects in 2017.[28] The school announced another fundraising campaign in 2024, which aims to raise $100 million to support faculty salaries and student financial aid.[29]

Winsor's admission rate is roughly 25%.[30] During the COVID-19 pandemic, applications briefly increased by 30%.[31] The school states that its admissions office "selects students for admission without knowledge of who may have applied for tuition assistance."[32]

Finances

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Tuition and financial aid

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In the 2023–24 school year, Winsor charged $59,500 in tuition.[32] 25% of the student body was on financial aid.[21] Based on the school's reported $4.8 million financial aid budget, the average aid grant was roughly $41,000.[21]

Endowment and expenses

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Winsor does not publicly disclose the size of its financial endowment. In its Internal Revenue Service filings for the 2021–22 school year, Winsor reported total assets of $205.4 million, net assets of $159.6 million, investment holdings of $100.9 million, and cash holdings of $7.0 million. Winsor also reported $29.1 million in program service expenses and $4.7 million in grants (primarily student financial aid).[33]

Student body

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In the 2022–23 school year, Winsor educated 471 girls, 203 of whom were in the Lower School (grades 5-8, or in school jargon, Classes I-IV) and 268 of whom were in the Upper School (grades 9-12, or Classes V-VIII). The school enrolled 63 seniors that year.[34]

Winsor states that 50% of its students identify as people of color.[21] In the 2021–22 school year, the school reported that of its 478 students, 248 (51.2%) were white, 117 (24.4%) were Asian, 22 (4.6%) were African-American, 17 (3.6%) were Hispanic, 2 (0.4%) were Native American, and 72 (15.1%) were multiracial.[35]

Academics

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In the Upper School, Winsor requires its students to take four years of English classes and a minimum of: three years of a language, three years of mathematics, two and a half years of history, two and a half years of science, two and a half years of arts, seven semesters of physical education, and three semesters of health and wellness.[36] The school offers 13 Advanced Placement courses, mostly in math, science, and world languages.[37]

Students must also complete the Global Studies program during one semester of their junior year. Students can take both literature and history courses in either Africa, China, India, the Middle East, or Russia, and these courses culminate in an end-of-semester research paper on a specific regional topic.[38]

The school offers many opportunities for its students to engage in STEM fields including electives like engineering design courses that introduce skills such as coding, computer-aided design (CAD), and 3D printing.[39]

Arts

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Fifth and sixth graders have drama, arts, and theatre classes interwoven into their schedules. In seventh and eighth grades, however, students can take a wide variety of art electives that include sculpture, Shakespeare performance, dance, set design, painting, digital art, and more.[40]

In the Upper School, Winsor offers electives in drama, dance, visual art, and music. More specifically, drama courses consist of acting, directing, and theatre tech. Dance electives consist of both group and independent dance. Visual art courses consist of painting, drawing, architecture, printmaking, ceramics, photography, and art history. Music electives consist of chamber orchestra, guitar, percussion, music technology, and piano.[40] Winsor also has a choir called Small Chorus and an all-senior a cappella group called Senior Small.

Winsor students frequently put on theatre productions in collaboration with students from the Belmont Hill School and the Roxbury Latin School.[41]

Athletics

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Winsor's sports teams compete in the Eastern Independent League.[42] The school offers a variety of sports teams on the varsity, junior varsity, and middle school levels.[43]

The Winsor crew won eight New England championships in 10 years between 2008 and 2017.[44]

Facilities

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Winsor occupies a seven-acre campus in a fashionable neighborhood of Boston,[45] one of the most expensive real estate markets in the United States.[46] In 2014, the Boston Globe estimated that Winsor's 4.4 acres of athletic fields were worth as much as $90 million. The school purchased the fields in 1924 for $90,000 (approximately $1.6 million in March 2024 dollars).[47]

The school has expanded its facilities over the years, including a turf playing field in 2008, a full gymnasium in the 1920s, a science wing in the 1980s, expanding the library more than once, adding classrooms in the 1990s, reconstructing a new dining hall, classrooms, laboratories, and faculty workspace in 2004, and most recently, renovating many classrooms, offices, and corridors.

In 2015, Winsor opened a new addition to the school, called The Lubin O'Donnell Center. It features two gyms as well as music and performing arts facilities.[26]

Notable alumnae

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for Winsor School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  2. ^ "Leadership". Winsor School, The. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  3. ^ Haley, Dianne (2012). Generous-Minded Women: A History of the Winsor School. Boston, MA: The Winsor School. pp. 13–14, 16.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "History". The Winsor School. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  5. ^ Haley, p. 7.
  6. ^ Haley, p. 38.
  7. ^ "Back Bay East". Boston Women's Heritage Trail.
  8. ^ Vosbeck, Randall (2008). "R. Clipston Sturgis, FAIA" (PDF). A Legacy of Leadership the Presidents of the American Institute of Architects 1857–2007. Washington DC: 48. ISBN 978-1571650214. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  9. ^ Fortmiller Jr., Hubert C. (2003). Find the Promise: Middlesex School, 1901-2001. Concord, MA: Middlesex School. pp. 7–8.
  10. ^ Haley, p. 26.
  11. ^ Haley, p. 47.
  12. ^ Haley, p. 195.
  13. ^ Fortmiller, pp. 8, 16-17.
  14. ^ Haley, pp. 97-98.
  15. ^ a b Duncan, Roger F. (1985). The Story of Belmont Hill School: 1923-1983. Belmont, MA: Belmont Hill School. pp. 284–87.
  16. ^ Jarvis, F. Washington (1995). Schola Illustris: The Roxbury Latin School, 1645-1995. Boston, MA: David R. Godine. p. 467.
  17. ^ Pan, Natalie (2022-12-12). "Why I Loved Love and Information". Winsor Banner. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  18. ^ Haley, p. 180.
  19. ^ Haley, pp. 110-11.
  20. ^ Haley, p. 131.
  21. ^ a b c d "Why Winsor". The Winsor School. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  22. ^ Haley, pp. 53-54.
  23. ^ Mayberry, Carly (2022-01-14). "Parents Baffled as All-Girls School Removes Gendered Language". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  24. ^ Alexander, Kevin (2006-09-27). "The Right Private School for Your Kid". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  25. ^ "College Counseling". The Winsor School. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  26. ^ a b "A Promise Kept: Final Campaign Report" (PDF). The Winsor School. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  27. ^ Reidy, Chris (2013-07-11). "MassDevelopment bond will help the Winsor School build an arts and wellness center". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  28. ^ "Gallery of 12 Projects Win 2017 AIA Education Facility Design Awards - 44". ArchDaily. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  29. ^ "Winsor Leads Campaign". Winsor Leads. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  30. ^ "FAQs". The Winsor School. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  31. ^ Patkin, Abby. "All-girls education is thriving in Massachusetts post-pandemic". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  32. ^ a b "Tuition and Financial Aid". The Winsor School. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  33. ^ "Winsor School Inc, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  34. ^ "Enrollment Data (2022-23) - The Winsor School (00350910)". Massachusetts Department of Education. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  35. ^ "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for WINSOR SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  36. ^ "Graduation Requirements" (PDF).
  37. ^ "2023–2024 PROFILE FOR COLLEGES". The Winsor School. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  38. ^ "Global Studies At Winsor". prezi.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  39. ^ "Winsor School, The - Science". www.winsor.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  40. ^ a b "Arts - Winsor School, The". www.winsor.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  41. ^ "Performing Arts Calendar - Winsor School, The". www.winsor.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  42. ^ "Athletics - Winsor School, The". www.winsor.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  43. ^ "Athletics Overview". www.winsor.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  44. ^ "New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships". New England Interscholastic Rowing Association. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  45. ^ Reidy, Chris (2013-07-11). "MassDevelopment bond will help the Winsor School build an arts and wellness center". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  46. ^ Han, Brooklee (2024-02-26). "Boston is the nation's hottest housing market". HousingWire. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  47. ^ Rocheleau, Matt (2014-11-09). "The Winsor School's $100 million question". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  48. ^ Klemesrud, Judy (1971-11-30). "Skating and Medicine: Is There a Link?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  49. ^ The Winsor School. "Inventor Leslie Dewan '02 Speaks with Students". Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  50. ^ Academy, Boston Flute. "Brookline's Own Emi Ferguson Shares The Stage With Sir James Galway". PRLog. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  51. ^ Szmer, John J.; Kaheny, Erin B.; Christensen, Robert K. (4 November 2015). "Taking a Dip in the Supreme Court Clerk Pool: Gender-Based Discrepancies in Clerk Selection". Marquette Lawyer (Fall 2015): 22. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  52. ^ Haley, p. 186.
  53. ^ Haley, pp. 185-86.
  54. ^ a b Haley, p. 188.
  55. ^ a b Haley, p. 163.
  56. ^ "Laurie Glimcher '68". Winsor School. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  57. ^ Haley, p. 165.
  58. ^ "Dr. Lorraine Hanlon Comanor". Changing the Face of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  59. ^ Haley, p. 185.
  60. ^ Haley, p. 160.
  61. ^ Haley, p. 164.
  62. ^ Haley, p. 189.
  63. ^ "National Journal Profiles White House Counterterrorism Adviser Lisa Monaco '97 | University of Chicago Law School". www.law.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  64. ^ New, Enid (1978-07-07). "Barbarct Cushing Paley Dies at 63; Style Pace-Setter in Three Decades". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  65. ^ Haley, pp. 160-61.
  66. ^ Haley, pp. 187-88.
  67. ^ Negri, Gloria (20 July 2008). "Eleanor O'Leary, 92; was biographer, book reviewer". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  68. ^ Haley, p. 190.
  69. ^ "Rowing a family affair for American hopeful Gevvie Stone". Reuters. 2012-05-17. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  70. ^ Haley, p. 187.
  71. ^ Blanding, Michael (20 August 2017). "How Reverend Mariama White-Hammond Is Bridging Boston's Racial Divide". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
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