Gann Academy

Gann Academy is a coeducational Jewish high school located in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1997 and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.[1]

Gann Academy
The Gann Academy seal
Address
333 Forest Street

Waltham
,
Middlesex
,
MA
02452

United States
Coordinates42.39513°N 71.21703°W / 42.39513; -71.21703
Information
Former nameThe New Jewish High School
School typePrivate coeducational secondary
Religious affiliation(s)Judaism
DenominationPluralistic
Established1997[1]
StatusOpen
ChairpersonWilliam Foster[2]
Head of schoolDalia Hochman[2]
Grades9–12
Average class size70[1]
Student to teacher ratio15:1[1]
Hours in school day9
Classrooms65
Color(s)   Maroon and white
SloganWho Will You Become?
MascotRed Heifer
NicknameGann
Team nameGann Heifers
AccreditationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges and Association of Independent Schools of New England[1]
NewspaperShevuon Hatichon
Tuition$10,000 to $49,500[3]
Websitewww.gannacademy.org

Gann Academy

History

Gann Academy was founded in 1997 as The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston by former head of school Daniel Lehmann.[4] It was originally adjacent to Brandeis University.[5] Lehman intended for the school to be a place to foster a sense of community among students from different forms and expressions of Judaism.[6]

Casually nicknamed "New Jew," it opened with 48 students in the 9th and 10th grades. In the Fall of 1998, the school moved to the top four floors and basement of the Fleet Bank building (BankBoston at the time) at the intersection of Prospect Street and Main Street in Waltham, seeking larger facilities and a more permanent home. It used the basement of the local Temple Beth Israel for additional classroom space.[7] The school changed its name in 2003 in honor of philanthropist Joseph Gann, who had donated $5,000,000.[5] In 2004, Gann moved into a newly built 110,000 sq. ft. campus building in Waltham.[8] The land the campus was built on was formerly occupied by the Murphy Army Hospital.

The 2005 documentary Hineini focused on the school, and one student's efforts to create a gay–straight alliance there.[6]

Judaism

Gann Academy is a pluralistic day school with students and faculty coming from a number of different denominations of Judaism. There are students of Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Secular, and non-denominational backgrounds.

Students have mandatory Tefillah two days a week but have a variety of different options as to what type to attend.

The school as a whole keeps vegetarian dairy kosher, and students bring meat into the building.

Academics

The school has a student-teacher ratio of 5:1. In addition to general studies such as STEM, language and arts classes, the school's curriculum includes classes which focus on Judaism, Jewish history and the Hebrew language.[9] The school's history program places a heavy emphasis on debate and civics. In 2007, Jonathan Golden, chair of the history department, described the school's approach as "a John Dewey-inspired experiment in democratic education."[10] The school has an acapella group called the ShenaniGanns.[11]

Athletics

Gann Academy offers the following in terms of sport:

  • Basketball
  • Yoga
  • Fitness
  • Farming
  • Tennis
  • Frisbee
  • Hiking
  • Table Tennis
  • Volleyball
  • Running

Soccer

Campus

The school's Waltham campus was designed by architect Steve Friedlander.[8]

References
  1. https://www.gannacademy.org/page/about/gann-facts
  2. "Leadership & Trustees | Gann Academy". Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  3. "Gann Academy Tuition & Affordability Programs | Gann Academy".
  4. Or, Rose; M, Hessler, Soren; Homayra, Ziad (2018-06-26). Words to Live By: Sacred Sources for Interreligious Engagement. Orbis Books. ISBN 978-1-60833-745-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "Boston's New Jewish High School is growing up". Haaretz.
  6. Meyers, Helene (2021-09-17). Movie-Made Jews: An American Tradition. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-1-9788-2190-3.
  7. Liu, Eric (2004-12-28). Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-58836-446-3.
  8. Philanthropies, Combined Jewish (2005-01-01). The Jews of Boston. Yale University Press. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-300-10787-6.
  9. Peterson's (2011-05-01). Private Secondary Schools. Peterson's. ISBN 978-0-7689-3518-9.
  10. Miller, Helena; Grant, Lisa D.; Pomson, Alex (2011-04-02). International Handbook of Jewish Education. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 451. ISBN 978-94-007-0354-4.
  11. "Gann Academy's ShenaniGanns a hit with Fenway fans at Jewish Heritage Night". Jewish Journal. 2021-06-17. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
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