About
From the Head of School
Being a part of an educational community that has thrived for nearly 250 years inspires confidence. As I move through my 14th year as Head of School at Newark Academy, I am confident that our outstanding faculty, our high academic standards and our innovative, forward-looking curriculum sets the NA educational experience apart. Our long and rich history ensures us that we are capable of weathering almost any storm – educational, societal, cultural; experienced enough to avoid being swayed by fleeting trends; and bold enough to reimagine what educational rigor should look like in the 21st century.
This boldness results in a Middle School that proffers its own unique identity and signature curriculum designed specifically to meet the educational and developmental needs of students in grades 6-8. Project-based collaborative learning and end-of-year Capstone Experiences capture students’ curiosity and create opportunities for them to apply their growing knowledge to real-world situations. By eighth grade, Newark Academy students demonstrate a level of self-understanding unusual for their age by assembling detailed portfolios that highlight their progress in acquiring skills and knowledge across a range of disciplines.
In the Upper School, the curriculum grows more sophisticated, as our faculty engage and inspire students in a wide variety of courses. An intellectual vitality informs the Upper School academic program, allowing curious and qualified students to take a range of advanced learning courses as well as an impressive array of electives.
This boldness results in a Middle School that proffers its own unique identity and signature curriculum designed specifically to meet the educational and developmental needs of students in grades 6-8. Project-based collaborative learning and end-of-year Capstone Experiences capture students’ curiosity and create opportunities for them to apply their growing knowledge to real-world situations. By eighth grade, Newark Academy students demonstrate a level of self-understanding unusual for their age by assembling detailed portfolios that highlight their progress in acquiring skills and knowledge across a range of disciplines.
In the Upper School, the curriculum grows more sophisticated, as our faculty engage and inspire students in a wide variety of courses. An intellectual vitality informs the Upper School academic program, allowing curious and qualified students to take a range of advanced learning courses as well as an impressive array of electives.
Learning continues beyond the traditional classroom settings through our required Immersion Experience and the experiential learning-based June Term courses, both of which result in our students growing more self-confident and mature while building a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it.
Our 68-acre suburban campus provides outstanding academic, arts and athletic facilities, providing our students, at every grade level, with an array of curricular and extracurricular outlets to develop their talents and hone interpersonal and leadership skills.
Our 68-acre suburban campus provides outstanding academic, arts and athletic facilities, providing our students, at every grade level, with an array of curricular and extracurricular outlets to develop their talents and hone interpersonal and leadership skills.
Though our students and faculty set high standards for themselves, they thrive in a comfortable atmosphere of trust, respect, collaboration and good humor. A common spirit and purpose bind the community together, as do the traditions we share, from Morning Meetings and Spirit Week to Senior Projects and Middle School WinterFest.
I invite you to visit our campus so that you can experience, first-hand, the tradition, confidence and boldness that makes Newark Academy extraordinary.
Sincerely,
Donald M. Austin
Head of School
Head of School
The Newark Academy Mission:
Newark Academy will contribute to the world engaged individuals instilled with a passion for learning, a standard of excellence, and a generosity of spirit.
Newark Academy will contribute to the world engaged individuals instilled with a passion for learning, a standard of excellence, and a generosity of spirit.
An independent school for students in grades 6-12