Browne Academy
{{Short description|School}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox school
|name = Browne Academy
|image =
|motto =
|established = 1941
|type = Independent
|religion =
|grades = PK3 through 8th
| founder = Marion Browne
|head of school = Peggy Otey
|faculty = 38
|avg_class_size = 12
|ratio = 6:1
|colors =
|mascot = Bruin
|conference =
|location = 5917 Telegraph Road
Alexandria, VA
United States
|website = [https://www.browneacademy.org/page www.browneacademy.org]
}}
Browne Academy is an independent, coeducational day school in Alexandria, Virginia. It serves around 200 students age 3 through eighth grade on an 11-acre campus.
History
Browne Academy was founded in 1941 as the first integrated school in Virginia.{{cite web |last1=Peterson |first1=Tim |title=Mount Vernon: Browne Academy Turns 75 |url=http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2016/may/16/mount-vernon-browne-academy-turns-75/ |website=Connection Newspapers |publisher=Alexandria Gazette Packet |accessdate=11 January 2019 |date=16 May 2016}} At the time, it was named the Brownie School, which continued to be the name of the preschool after the elementary school became Browne Academy in 1975.{{cite web |last1=Gold |first1=Bill |title=Happy (Sob) New Year |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1978/12/29/happy-sob-new-year/7f6b1d50-bac6-4979-993e-8bd25f41aa6f/ |website=The Washington Post |accessdate=11 January 2019 |date=29 December 1978}} The Brownie School served preschool through third grade, and fourth and fifth grade were added in 1958. In 1986, a building was acquired to house the new middle school.
In 1998, the school built a new lower school in order to accommodate more students.{{cite web |last1=Strauss |first1=Valerie |title=THE PRIVATE SCHOOL BOOM |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/09/24/the-private-school-boom/3d01e08f-302f-4cb1-a394-23b102e8b21d/ |website=Washington Post |accessdate=11 January 2019 |date=24 September 1998}}
In 2007, Browne Academy students won a NASA contest to name the Harmony module carried by Space Shuttle Discovery.{{cite web |last1=Wall |first1=Jennifer |title=NASA - In Perfect Harmony |url=https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_In_Perfect_Harmony.html |website=www.nasa.gov |accessdate=11 January 2019 |language=en |date=4 June 2007}}
In 2014, Browne Academy added a sustainable garden program with the goal of gardens for each class and a composting system.{{cite web |title=Browne Academy - The Edible Schoolyard Project |url=https://edibleschoolyard.org/program/browne-academy |website=edibleschoolyard.org |accessdate=11 January 2019}}
Demographics
The racial makeup of Browne Academy's K-8 student body during the 2017–2018 school year was 38.4% White, 32.1% African American, 22.1% multiracial, 3.7% Asian/Pacific Islander, 2.6% Hispanic, and 1% American Indian/Alaska Native.{{cite web |title=Search for Private Schools - School Detail for Browne Academy |url=https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolName=browne&NumOfStudentsRange=more&IncGrade=-1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1&ID=01433689 |website=nces.ed.gov |accessdate=29 October 2019 |language=EN}} The students are mostly American citizens, but there is a small number of foreign students, such as Czechs and Italians.
Academics
In addition to core subjects (Math, Science, History, and English), Browne Academy students study art, music, physical education, and Spanish.{{Cite web|url=https://www.browneacademy.org/our-program/curriculum|title=Browne Academy's curriculum, preschool-8th grade|website=www.browneacademy.org|access-date=2020-01-07}}{{cite web |title=Browne Academy |url=https://www.vais.org/RelId/606561/AccountID/100/ISvars/default/School_Search.htm |website=VAIS |publisher=Virginia Association of Independent Schools |accessdate=11 January 2019}} Browne Academy decided to end the French program in favor of a single Spanish class, because they felt that having both languages in the lower school would lead to an exposure program rather than one where students could become fluent in the language.{{Citation|last=Academy|first=Browne|title=State of the School 2019|date=2019-03-08|url=https://vimeo.com/322258983/30ca652da1|access-date=2020-01-07}} Class size is limited to 15 students.{{cite web |title=Browne Academy |url=http://www.ectutoring.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Browne-Academy-PDF-Profile.pdf |website=www.ectutoring.com |accessdate=11 January 2019}}
Browne Academy offers extracurricular activities, including junior choir, handbells, and taekwondo. Students may join soccer, basketball, cross-country, and ultimate Frisbee teams.
The school gives three character awards to students in each graduating class.{{cite web |title=Mount Vernon: 24 Graduate from Browne |url=http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2016/jun/15/mount-vernon-24-graduate-browne/ |website=Connection Newspapers |accessdate=11 January 2019 |date=15 June 2016}}
The school takes many field trips to locations relating to the curriculum. For example, the 6th grade takes a field trip to the Conowingo Dam as they do their unit on dams and water. The 8th grade compete in a yearly competition known as We The People, where they put their constitutional knowledge to the test.
Browne Academy created a robust learning program for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20181111025535/https://www.browneacademy.org/page Official website]
{{Coord|38|47|20|N|77|5|2|W|region:US-VA|display=title}}
Category:Private middle schools in Virginia
Category:Private elementary schools in Virginia
Category:Schools in Alexandria, Virginia