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Durham Academy, North Carolina

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American private school in North Carolina
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Durham Academy
Location
3601 Academy Road
Durham, North Carolina 27705
United States
Coordinates35°58′37″N 78°58′12″W / 35.97692°N 78.97006°W / 35.97692; -78.97006
Information
TypePrivate
Founded1933 (91 years ago) (1933)
CEEB code341049
Head of schoolMichael Ulku-Steiner
Staff279
GradesPre-K–12
GenderCo-educational
Number of students1,246
Campus84 acres (34 ha)
Campus typeSuburban
Color(s)   Green and white
Athletics conferenceNCISAA – TISAC
MascotCavalier
AccreditationSACS
Tuition$32,650 (grade 12)
$32,600 (grade 11)
$32,435 (grades 9 & 10)
$29,775 (grades 7 & 8)
$29,725 (grades 5 & 6)
$28,790 (grades 1–4)
$24,175 (Kindergarten)
$18,500 (Pre–K)
AffiliationsNAIS, NCAIS
Websiteda.org

Durham Academy is an independent, coeducational, day school in Durham, North Carolina, whose 1,247 students range from pre-kindergarten to grade 12.

The school has four divisions, each with its own director: Preschool (Pre-kindergarten/Kindergarten), Lower School (grades 1–4), Middle School (grades 5–8) and Upper School (grades 9–12). These are arrayed on three campuses that comprise 84 acres; the Preschool, Lower School and Upper School are situated on Ridge Road, and the Middle School is on Academy Road.

Durham Academy's statistics claim 47% of students identify as people of color.

In 2023–24, Durham Academy awarded more than $4.5 million in financial aid; the average award was $18,516. About 18% students receive some level of financial aid.

History

Durham Academy was founded in 1933 as the Calvert Method School by George Watts Hill and his wife Ann McCullough Hill. The couple established the school as a private, independent school to educate their children. The school's teaching philosophy (and its name) was based on the Calvert School in Baltimore, which Mrs. Hill attended as a child. The Calvert Method School's first home was in the original home of Hill's grandfather, George Washington Watts, who had moved into the larger Harwood Hall. The school was later run in Durham's Forest Hills neighborhood, with the neighborhood's clubhouse serving as a classroom for seven students and one teacher.

In August 2002, Durham Academy's Preschool and Lower School moved to 17 acres on the Ridge Road campus. The building opened has been recognized by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design for its style.

Durham Academy received widespread press on February 12, 2014, after school administrators used rap music in a video announcing that the school would be closed due to snow.

In 2015, Durham Academy's auditioned a cappella group, XIV Hours, released a video entitled "Lost in the Game" that discussed the sexual nature of many popular song lyrics. The video quickly became popular and was covered in several major news sites, including MTV and the Huffington Post. The music video was also nominated for Best High School Video in the 2016 CASA A Capella Video awards.

The Upper School

Academics

Students at Durham Academy have won national titles in chess and debate, and a member of the Class of 2007 was awarded second place in the Intel Science Talent Search. Over the past four years, Durham Academy has had 49 National Merit Scholarship finalists.

Sixty-four percent of faculty members hold advanced degrees, and they average 19 years of teaching experience. Lower School science teacher Lyn Streck was named the 2008 NC Conservation Education Teacher of the Year for involving students, faculty and parents in a variety of environmental efforts. Meanwhile, Upper School history teacher Mike Spatola was recognized by the Stanford Teacher Tribute Initiative in 2011 and received a 2012 Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago.

Athletics

Durham academy's athletic offerings include field hockey, volleyball, cross-country, tennis, soccer, swimming, basketball, lacrosse, softball, track and field, baseball and golf. Durham Academy had the first high school boys lacrosse program in Durham County.

The girls cross country team won the 2018 NCISAA state championship and have since then been champs in the TISAC conference championships numerous times. The boys cross country team won the TISAC conference championship title in 2018 and placed second at the NCISAA state championship in 2018, 2021, and 2024. The varsity girls field hockey team won the 2012 North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association championship. The cross country and track programs at Durham Academy are particularly notable, with 39 team state championships and 196 individual titles during the tenure of former head coach Dennis Cullen.

Several Durham Academy athletes have gone on to Division I programs, including Duke University, University of Vermont, U.S. Naval Academy, Wake Forest University, Harvard University, Brown University, and the University of North Carolina. Among those athletes are Mollie Pathman, the 2009-2010 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player, who played on the U.S. women's Under-20 national team at the 2012 World Cup, Evan Fjeld, a McDonald's All-American nominee who graduated from the University of Vermont and has played professionally in the NBA D-League as well as in Malta and Switzerland, and Lauren Blazing, Duke's field hockey goalkeeper, who was one of three nominees for 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year, played with the USWNT in the 2016 Rio Olympics, was a three-time All-American, a two-time Capital One first team Academic All-American athlete and won ACC Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice.

Arts

"In the Pocket", an audition-based musical group, has performed at venues around the city and the country. There are also several extracurricular a cappella singing groups.

XIV Hours has been included four times on Best of High School A Capella annual compilations, with their most recent inclusion on the 2017 compilation.

Speech and debate

Durham Academy's debate team has won various national and regional competitions, including the National Speech and Debate Association National Championship, the Tournament of Champions, National Catholic Forensic League National Championship, Harvard, Glenbrooks, Wake Forest, George Mason, Florida Blue Key, Laird Lewis, and the Sunvitational. In addition, the team has won multiple state and district championships.

Notable alumni

This article's list of alumni may not follow Misplaced Pages's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (April 2022)

See also

References

  1. "Durham Academy: About DA". Durham Academy. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  2. "Durham Academy: Diversity, Equity & Engagement". Durham Academy. November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  3. "Durham Academy: Affording DA". Durham Academy. November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  4. "American Architecture Awards". Chicago Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. Archived from the original on October 8, 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
  5. Alsup, Dave (February 13, 2014). "Collaborate and listen: School closure announced with 'Ice Ice Baby'". CNN.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  6. "Durham Academy weather announcement video". The Washington Post. February 13, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  7. Archived February 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Durham Academy Weather Announcement". YouTube. February 12, 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  9. "Lost In The Game: A Musical Story of Relationships, Sex and Gender Politics on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. September 8, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  10. "2017 A Cappella Video Award Nominees | A Cappella Music - The Contemporary A Cappella Society". www.casa.org. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  11. "Chess Champ". The Herald-Sun. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
  12. "National Girls Chess Tournament Results". The United States Chess Federation. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  13. "National Tournament Results" (PDF). National Forensic League. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  14. "Durham senior bags national honor". News & Observer. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  15. "Admissions: Why DA?". Durham Academy. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  16. "Durham Academy teacher wins state award". The Durham News. March 21, 2009. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  17. "Stanford honors Spatola with teaching award". Durham Academy. Archived from the original on December 20, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  18. "US teacher Mike Spatola earns University of Chicago honor". Durham Academy. Archived from the original on December 20, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  19. Newton, David (March 17, 2007). "Burgeoning lacrosse makes a play for Durham adolescents". The Durham News. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  20. Malenick, Dave. "Durham Academy wins field hockey; Broughton's Kane takes tennis". News & Observer. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  21. Kim, Veronica. "Cullen turned individual runners into a team". News and Observer. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  22. "Durham native perseveres..." News & Observer. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  23. "Durham Academy soccer players wins national honor". News & Observer. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  24. "Pathman, Cobb lead U.S. women's under-20 roster". News & Observer. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  25. "Evan Fjeld basketball profile". EuroBasket. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  26. "Blazing 1 of 30 Honorees for NCAA Woman of the Year". goduke.com. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  27. "Chasing The Dream with USWNT Athlete Lauren Blazing". Team USA. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  28. "Lauren Blazing Bio". goduke.com. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  29. "An Interview With Michael Meyer Of Durham Academy's XIV Hours". Casa.org. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  30. "BOCA & BOHSA 2017 Track Lists". Varsity Vocals. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  31. dadebate.com
  32. Lauren Blazing - Team USA. Retrieved Aug 31, 2020.
  33. Ray Chadwick - Stats - The Baseball Cube. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  34. News Post - Durham Academy. Retrieved Aug 31, 2020.
  35. Athletic Hall of Fame | Durham Academy. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  36. Student Profile: An HPU Freshman Races After A Dream. highpoint.edu. Retrieved Aug 31, 2020.

External links

Education in Durham County, North Carolina
Durham Public Schools
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