Commonwealth School is a small independent high school of about 145 students located on Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Commonwealth avenue be merged into this article or section. ... Back Bay is the name of several places and neighborhoods in the world, including: Back Bay, Boston Back Bay, New Brunswick This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Governor Deval Patrick (D) Area  - City  89. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ...

Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Educational institutions are often categorised along several dimensions. ... Charles E. Merrill Jr. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Governor Deval Patrick (D) Area  - City  89. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML...

History

Charles E. Merrill Jr., son of the founder of Merrill Lynch, founded the school in 1957, locating it in Boston's Back Bay to "restore good secondary schooling to the city". He encouraged Commonwealth students to be "decent, socially responsible, generous people," actively engaged in public affairs. Merrill returns to the school once a year to give a speech on a topic of his choice, and his books are on display in the school library alongside those of Commonwealth alumni. Charles E. Merrill Jr. ... Charles Edward Merrill, (October 19, 1885 - October 6, 1956) was a philanthropist, stockbroker and one of the founders of Merrill, Lynch & Company. ... Merrill Lynch & Co. ... An alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine) of a college, university, or school is a former student. ...

Merrill insisted that the school had only one rule: "No rollerskating in the halls," — an exhortation that students should not "...act like a damn fool, but think about your actions and how they affect others".

Merrill retired in 1981.

Symbols

The school's symbol is a mermaid with a sword and shield, derived from the coat of arms of Warsaw, Poland. This symbol appears on the school flag, publications, and the outside of the building. Because the school has no official sports mascot, the mermaid is sometimes used as one and the school's sports teams are sometimes referred to (partly in jest) as the "fighting mermaids". A mermaid (from the Middle English mere in the obsolete sense sea (as in maritime, the Latin mare, sea) + maid(en)) is a legendary aquatic creature with the head and torso of human female and the tail of a fish. ... Motto: Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms) Semper invicta (Always invincible) Coordinates: , Country  Poland Voivodeship Masovia Powiat city county Gmina Warszawa Districts 18 boroughs City Rights turn of the 13th century Government  - Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) Area  - City 516. ...

There is no official school song, but "The Spacious Firmament On High" (Joseph Addison, Franz Josef Haydn) is sung at every graduation ceremony. Joseph Addison, the Kit-cat portrait, circa 1703–1712, by Godfrey Kneller. ... (Franz) Joseph Haydn (in German, Josef; he never used the Franz) (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the classical period. ...

Headmasters

The headmaster since 2000, William D. Wharton joined the faculty in 1985 as a teacher of history, Latin, and Greek. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ...

There have been five headmasters:

• 1957–1981: Charles E. Merrill Jr.
• 1981–1983: Joseph Featherstone
• 1983–1990: Charles Chatfield
• 1990–2000: Judith Keenan
• 2000-present: William Wharton

Clubs and activities

Student-run clubs and groups at Commonwealth include:

• Chess Club
• Commonwealth Cares (community service)
• Computer club
• Debate
• Diversity Committee
• Gay-Straight Alliance
• Knitting Club
• Improvisational Comedy
• Math Team
• Outing Club
• Science Team (Science Olympiad and Science Bowl)
• Environmental Committee

Each year, the senior class elects two non-voting representatives to Commonwealth's Board of Trustees. Chess is a recreational and competitive game for two players. ... Parliamentary Debate, is an academic debate event. ... The pride flag, news articles, and flyers for social events on this high school bulletin board represent the diverse support and advocacy purposes that GSAs serve. ... Science Olympiad is a primarily American elementary, middle school, or high school team competition that requires knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. ... Science Bowl is a high school academic competition, similar to Quiz Bowl, held in the United States. ...

Performance

In 2004, the school was recognized by the College Board's Advanced Placement Program as having the best Physics curriculum in schools of its size range (less than 500 students) in the country, based on the performance of students on the AP Physics C exam. Most junior year classes prepare students to take a corresponding AP test. The College Board is a non-profit examination board in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

School events

Assemblies

Commonwealth holds an assembly every Thursday. Over the past few years speakers have included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ted Sorensen, the late Michael Kelly of the Atlantic Monthly, Harvard Law Professors Charles Fried and Lani Guinier, author Samantha Power, biologist Doug Melton, philosopher & bioethicist Frances Kamm, poet Louise Glück, former ambassadors Peter W. Galbraith and Charles Stith, Mary Beth Cahill, and various musical groups. Students petition the headmaster to invite speakers they would like to hear. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born 7 October 1931) is a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. ... Theodore Chaikin Ted Sorensen (b. ... Michael Kelly (1957-2003) was an editor-at-large of the Atlantic Monthly and a columnist for the Washington Post. ... The Atlantic Monthly (also known as The Atlantic) is an American literary/cultural magazine that was founded in November 1857. ... Harvard Law School, often referred to in shorthand as Harvard Law or HLS, is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. ... Charles Fried is a prominent conservative American jurist and lawyer. ... Lani Guinier (born 1950) is arguably one of the foremost American civil rights scholars in the United States. ... Samantha Power (b. ... Louise Elisabeth Glück (born April 22, 1943) is an American poet. ... Peter W. Galbraith (b. ... Mary Beth Cahill is an American political figure, who served as the campaign manager of Senator John Kerrys campaign for President. ...

Special assemblies are held for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the end of the school year. It is tradition to sing "Bringing in the Sheaves" (by Shaw and Minor) every Thanksgiving assembly, and for students and teachers to recite from the poem "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas every Christmas assembly. In May the seniors run an assembly where they perform skits that parody their teachers and themselves. Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks, traditionally to God, for the things one has at the end of the harvest season. ... Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Bringing in the Sheaves is a popular hymn used almost exclusively by Protestant Christians. ... Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (October 27, 1914 – November 9, 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer. ...

Sports

Each year students participate in a competitive sport or organized exercise activity in at least two out of three seasons. Competitive sports include soccer, basketball, fencing, squash, baseball, and ultimate frisbee. Exercise programs include running, fitness, sailing, dance, ballroom dance, and martial arts.

Hancock

When Charles Merrill was headmaster he started a tradition of twice-yearly trips to his family's farm in Hancock, New Hampshire. These would happen every fall and spring. The school continued to go up to the farm every year until the mid 1990s. The "Hancock" weekend eventually moved in 1997 to Camp Winona, a summer camp in Bridgton, Maine, but the old name remains. Because of sanitation reasons and general difficulty, in 2007 the Spring Hancock was replaced with a one-day trip to Provincetown. Hopefully by spring 2008, Hancock will be brought back by popular demand. Hancock is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 1,739 at the 2000 census. ... Winona Camps for Boys was founded in Bridgton, Maine 1908 by Phil Cobb. ... Bridgton is a town located in Cumberland County, Maine. ...

Activities

On two mornings during each trip, students and teachers organize activities to do, and each student signs up for an activity.

In the afternoons, students are free, and activities such as swimming, boating, various sports, and hiking are offered.

On the last night of Hancock, there is a talent show prepared jointly by the students and staff. There are also two dances: the "Long Dance" the night before the talent show, and the "Short Dance" after it, both organized by the students.

Jobs

The responsibility for Hancock is shared among faculty and students. Faculty oversee various tasks, such as cooking or sports. Students can sign up for jobs such as cooking meals, running the talent show and dances, and being a bike messenger. For the most part, cleaning bathrooms, collecting trash, tending fires, and other tasks are also led and staffed by students.

Jobs program

The jobs program at Commonwealth is a system whereby students are responsible for setting and cleaning up lunch and the recess snack. Each student works one shift either every week or every other week. The savings created by having students perform these tasks instead of additional paid staff pays for three full scholarships. In addition to the cost savings, the program is believed by many of the faculty and students to have the benefit of teaching students a sense of responsibility for the community; thus the program is often concisely described as "building character."

Paid jobs

There is also a paid jobs program, whereby students are hired by the school to perform additional tasks such as run the bookstore, staff the front desk, and assist at school events. Because students perform these tasks at lower cost than additional paid staff, this program creates sufficient savings to pay for another one and a half scholarships.

Publications

There are several student-run publications at Commonwealth. They include:

• Yearbook: Each year, the senior class (and a few juniors in training) produces its own yearbook.
• Literary magazine: The literary magazine club, with the school's funding, publishes a literary magazine, which accepts many types of literature and art, including poems, short stories, photographs, drawings, and paintings. It is often known as Litmag but has come out under different names on occasion.
• The Leek: The Leek is the school's satirical newspaper.

The school administration also writes several publications.

The school has a website where teachers can post web pages that provide students with course-related information. The school website also provides student access to searchable databases of online resources such as magazines and newspapers.

Notable alumni

• Patrick Amory, Matador Records general manager
• Jonatha Brooke, singer/songwriter
• Evan Dando and Ben Deily of The Lemonheads
• John Davis of Folk Implosion
• Liza Featherstone, journalist
• Melissa Glenn Haber, author
• Susanna Kaysen, author who includes references to Commonwealth in her books
• Kasi Lemmons, director (IMDB page)
• Hamish Linklater, actor (IMDB page)
• Peter W. Galbraith, diplomat
• Mia Matsumiya, violinist of experimental rock group Kayo Dot
• Jesse Peretz, director and former Lemonheads bassist (IMDB page)
• Cameron Russell, model

// Patrick Amory was born in New York City on July 10, 1965 to literary parents. ... Jonatha Brooke is an American folk-rock singer-songwriter. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ben Deily is an American musician, most famous as one of the founders, writers and lead singers (along with Evan Dando) of the Boston-based alternative rock band The Lemonheads. ... The Lemonheads are an alternative rock band from the United States. ... John Davis is the name of several persons: John Davis (1550?-1605), an English navigator and explorer. ... The Folk Implosion was an American indie rock / lo-fi band founded in the early 1990s by Lou Barlow and John Davis. ... Liza Featherstone (born April 21, 1969) is an American journalist who writes frequently on labor and student activism for the The Nation. ... Melissa Glenn Haber, born Melissa Sarah Haber, is a childrens fiction author. ... Susanna Kaysen (born 11 November 1948) is an American author. ... Kasi Lemmons, born in St. ... Hamish Linklater as Matthew in The New Adventures of Old Christine Hamish Linklater is an American actor, currently starring as Matthew in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. ... Peter W. Galbraith (b. ... Kayo Dot is an American experimental rock group that was formed in 2003 by Toby Driver. ... Kayo Dot is an American experimental rock group that was formed in 2003 by Toby Driver. ... Jesse Peretz is an American bass player and film director. ... Cameron Russell (born June 14, 1987 in Boston, Massachusetts), is a model. ...

External links

• Commonwealth School official website: with flash intro, without flash intro
• Bunting & Lyon entry on Commonwealth School: buntingandlyon.com/detail.asp?id=441
• GT-Cybersource's page on Commonwealth School: cybersource.org/PolicyItemDetail.aspx?sid=10362
• The Leek: bite.to/theleek
• Unofficial Traditions Page: sccs.swarthmore.edu/~cbr/traditions.html