College-preparatory / CoeDuCational / boarDing anD Day / graDes 6 through 12

t h e p e r k i o m e n s c h o o l

PERK

t h e p e r k i o m e n s c h o o l page one

PERK

are you ready to explore talents you may not even know you possess,

meet challenges that seem beyond reach, and discover

possibilities you’ve never even

imagined?

make this place your own

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make this place your own

a perk education is about entering new worlds

of ideas, acquiring powerful skills, and most important, igniting a burning flame—

a passion for learningthat will lastfor life.

make this place your own

The body of a teacher is found face-down in the campus swimming pool beside her

kayak. An unfortunate accident has occurred—or a murder? Students in Perk’s Forensic

Science class need to find out.

For these students, learning takes some unexpected forms: analyzing blood spatter

patterns, matching bite marks, questioning suspects who may have had a grudge. Of

course, the crime and the evidence are all simulated, but the challenge is quite real: to

think like a forensic scientist and figure out how to solve a murder.

At Perk, we believe that to learn and grow requires a certain kind of risk, a willingness

to face new challenges. Take Mandarin Chinese, try-out for a sport you’ve never played

before—or hit the crime lab to find a killer. Of course, you will make a mistake or two.

Just be sure you learn from the experience.

As one of our upper school teachers put it, “I support my students in pushing beyond

their comfort zone and into new territory. Otherwise, how can they achieve their best?”

riskthe power of

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beyond the expected perk students have the chance to take on many original and intriguing challenges—creating their

own works of historical fiction, managing mock political campaigns, even investigating simulated homicides in a class on

forensic science. in this hands-on course, students work together in the lab and at the crime scene, applying the science

they are learning to solve complex crimes.

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a personal education.One of Perk’s most striking strengths is its intimate scale. This is a campus where nearly every student, teacher, and staff

member knows nearly everyone else. At Perk, you will be understood and appreciated—in class and beyond, not just as a

student, but as a complete person. As you move through your personal journey here, you will be surrounded by mentors,

guides, and friends. You will be part of classes, dorms, teams, and a school community that all have the feeling of family.

a culture of creativity.It’s been said that life is about the people you meet and the things you create together. If you share this view, then you will

love Perk. Whether your interest is music, theater, or visual art, you can move from building skills to creating original work at

a high level. The opportunities are all here, from the Jazz Combo, to electives in filmmaking and digital design, to the chance

to work one-on-one with a teacher to develop an outstanding portfolio for art school.

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this school is a big,hard working amazingly diverse open-hearted,open-minded family.

make this place your own

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discussion, debate, discovery perk’s small classes allow learning to become truly interactive. advanced placement

european history, one of more than 20 ap courses, is typical. class time focuses on discussion. the teacher leads the way, but

every voice and point of view is heard. it’s a powerful way to really understand history, and a great preparation for the kind

of intellectual challenge students will encounter in college.

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Perk offers its students a superb college preparatory education—from a middle school

experience that nurtures independent inquiry, to the latest instructional technology

applied in innovative ways. Why not learn about the characters in Canterbury Tales by

creating an interactive graphical blog (or “glog”) capturing their voices and views?

Perk teachers make learning both challenging and fascinating by going beyond the

basic facts and into the ideas behind them. Consider our AP European History class.

It covers the Year 1450 to the modern day—everything from the Thirty Years’ War to

tomorrow’s headlines on the European Union.

“But the historical events are just the starting point,” says the teacher. “We look at

original source materials—pictures, maps and letters—to see how people thought about

the history when it happened. We look for the connections between the events, and

connections with the world today. And when we get to a topic that’s particularly

interesting for my students, we slow down and delve deeply.”

Deeplydelving

a great campus.Perk’s 165-acre campus is a safe and beautiful place to call home. Historic structures like Kriebel Hall with its iconic cupola and

the 1913 Carnegie Library sit beside the Schumo Academic Center, a state-of-the art structure barely a decade old. Beyond the

rolling green hills of the Pennsylvania countryside and the small-town charm of Pennsburg, Philadelphia lies an hour away, New

York City two hours, and Washington, D.C. three hours.

a global community.It would be hard to imagine a better place to prepare for life in today’s internationally interconnected world than on this

global village of a campus. Since Perk welcomed its first international student in 1896, the school has drawn applicants from

around the world, with 20 countries now represented. A striking diversity of perspectives come together here, making every

conversation—whether in the classroom or dorm room—a mind-opening experience.

Perkiomen offers its student the support of an outstanding college counseling program.

The defining strength of this program is the truly exceptional degree of personal

attention the school’s counselors are able to provide to each student. As one of our

counselors says, “Our graduating classes total just 70 or 80 students, and we know and

work closely with every single one of them.”

The college counseling process begins early—as students start their upper school

careers. Later, as they prepare for the SAT or ACT, students can take advantage of

excellent on-site test preparation services. They also benefit from Naviance®,

a state-of-the-art software system that helps organize the college application process.

In addition, they can meet with representatives of 80 selective colleges and

universities that visit campus each year, thanks to the careful relationship-building

work of the Perkiomen college counseling staff.

The result of this process is an impressive list of college destinations—a list that reflects

a determined effort to help each graduate find a school that represents a true fit for his

or her unique strengths and aspirations.

of possibilityA World

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preparing for success perk students go on to achieve success at a range of excellent colleges and universities,

including some of the nation’s most selective. in our most recent graduating class, more than 60 percent of students gained

admission to their first-choice institution. of all the acceptances, 34 percent were to u.s. news & world report top 100

national universities, and 27 percent to schools ranked by barron’s as highly competitive or most competitive.

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middle school

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Identity and Philosophy In every way possible, the Middle School at Perk

seeks to provide students in grades six, seven, and

eight with an outstanding experience of learning and

growth and a strong preparation for the rigorous

college preparatory program that awaits them in

Upper School.

The Middle School has its own independent

identity within the larger Perk community, while

simultaneously very much being a part of the

community at large. Middle Schoolers make full

use of all the campus’s superb facilities and have

opportunities to form connections with upper

schoolers. These occur during all-school morning

meetings and through trips and special events, some

of which are open to the entire student body and

some of which are designed exclusively for

Middle Schoolers.

The Middle School serves both day and

boarding students.

Perk’s Middle School provides a warm, supportive,

and appropriately structured home to young

adolescents as they grow through years of great

change—socially, emotionally, physically, and

intellectually. These years are sometimes thought of

as stressful; on the contrary, we believe they can and

should be thoroughly enjoyed.

Academic Program The Middle School provides a balanced program in

English, history, math, science, fine and performing

arts, world languages, and physical education. In

addition to the content in each of these disciplines,

there is a strong focus across the curriculum on study

skills, organizational skills, and time management.

Students can take advantage of a number of

exceptional opportunities in the curriculum—to

complete not only algebra but also geometry by the

end of eighth grade; to take two full years of study in

Latin, Spanish, German, or Chinese (and then

continue any of these languages in Upper School);

and to pursue opportunities in the arts that are rare

at the middle school level, such as Explorations in

Acting, Drawing Technique and Composition, and

Middle School Instrumental Program.

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Faculty The Perk Middle School faculty are highly qualified,

deeply dedicated, and in tune with the special

energy Middle Schoolers bring to every endeavor.

With an average class size of just nine students,

teachers know each of their students well and have

a remarkable opportunity to differentiate classroom

instruction, meeting students’ individual needs.

Through a well developed advising program, faculty

guide students not only in their academic progress,

but also in dealing with any social or emotional

concerns.

Athletics All Perk Middle Schoolers participate in an

afterschool sport each season. This provides an

outstanding opportunity to develop skills and

prepare for Upper School athletics and also to spark

the habits of a fit and active lifestyle. Students’ level

of athletic ability is not important; our teams have

a place for every student and our coaches strive to

ensure that all have a fun and positive experience

and grow in skill. Sports for girls are field hockey,

basketball and lacrosse. Sports for boys are soccer,

basketball, and lacrosse.

Activities After school and on weekends, students stay busy

with a varied line-up of clubs and activities. They

can take part in the Orchestra, Choir, or the Strings

program and activities such as Math League or

Student Senate. Approximately half are active in

Reading Olympics, a popular competition in which

students read a list of preselected books and answer

related questions. Each year the Middle School

also sponsors several dances, festivities such as the

Halloween party or swim parties, movie trips, mall

trips, bowling trips, and ski trips. Weekend activities

are particularly of interest to boarding students. Of

course, day students are always welcome to come

join in, and most of the time they do.

Trips Each year Middle Schoolers take part in a multi-day

Signature Trip that combines fun and learning with

the chance to grow in independence and bond as

a group. In recent years, experiences have included

an excursion to Washington, D.C., with a focus on

American History; an Outward Bound urban

adventure in Philadelphia; and a back-packing trek

along a portion of the Appalachian Trail. These

memorable events are in addition to day outings to

science or art museums, historical sites, and the like.

upper school

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Program of Study Perk offers a rich college preparatory curriculum,

with courses spanning English, history, mathematics,

science, world languages (Spanish, Latin, German,

and Chinese), fine and performing arts, and health

and physical education.

In addition to the full range of standard courses in

these subjects, students may select from a variety of

interesting electives such as Astronomy, Ceramics and

Sculpture, Crime Fiction and the Detective, Ethics,

Environmental Topics, Forensic Science, Introduction

to Acting, Multicultural America, Philosophy, World

Religions, and others.

Technology The school is committed to integrating the latest and

best instructional technology into the curriculum in

meaningful ways. Across campus, all classrooms and

dorm rooms are wired, and all classrooms feature

computers and ACTIVBoards. Kindles and iPads

are available for student use in the Library, and

campus-wide, both Macs and PCs are widely available

and well supported. Students also have access to

specialized resources such as professional-grade

audio and video editing software through the Digital

Arts Lab. Class assignments often make innovative

use of Wikis, glogs (graphic blogs), student-produced

videos, and other new media. In addition, the library

offers access to excellent specialized research

databases.

Advanced Challenges Perk’s academic program provides ample challenge for

even the best of these students. Highlights include

the Senior Seminar, a small interactive class focusing

on independent research and culminating in a digital

senior thesis. In addition, seven honors courses

and more than 20 advanced placement courses are

offered. Perk students have a strong record of earning

high scores of 4 and 5 on the AP exams and many are

honored each year as AP Scholars. AP courses

currently offered include the following:

AP Art HistoryAP BiologyAP Calculus ABAP Calculus BCAP ChemistryAP Chinese Language and Culture AP Computer Science AAP Economics—MacroAP Economics—MicroAP English Language and CompositionAP English Literature and CompositionAP Environmental ScienceAP European HistoryAP Latin: VergilAP Music TheoryAP Physics BAP Physics C MechanicsAP Spanish LanguageAP StatisticsAP Studio Art Drawing Portfolio AP Studio Art 2D DesignAP United States HistoryAP United States Government and PoliticsAP World History

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Faculty The school’s faculty are an exceptionally talented and

dedicated group, continually exploring new ideas and

approaches. Seventy percent hold advanced degrees,

and all benefit from an extensive range of professional

development opportunities. These range from support

for master’s-level studies at the prestigious Bread Loaf

School of English to attendance at national conferences

on teaching methods and new technologies.

Teachers form close bonds with students not only in

class, but also as resident advisers in the dorms and as

coaches and advisers to clubs and organizations.

Personal Attention With a student-faculty ratio of 7:1 and an average

class size of just 12, the school offers an exceptionally

personal learning experience. Faculty provide

differentiated instruction, tailoring course content to

students’ individual needs, and are always available to

meet with students requiring extra help. Students find

ample opportunities to pursue specialized interests

through independent study.

Athletics All students take part in an after-school activity each

term, and this typically includes one or more seasons

of team sports. Along with the option to take part in

a fitness-focused boxing program, the sports listed

below are offered. In many sports, the school fields

junior varsity as well as varsity squads, helping ensure

the opportunity for all students to take part.

Athletic facilities include expansive practice and

playing fields, lighted tennis courts, and the

Hollenbach Athletic Center, home to our gyms, pool,

fitness center, locker rooms, training room, and

batting cage.

Boys Girls Badminton Swimming Badminton Baseball Tennis Basketball Basketball Track Cross Country Cross Country Field Hockey Football Lacrosse Golf Soccer Lacrosse Softball Powerlifting Swimming Soccer Tennis Track

Extracurricular Activities The school offers a varied line-up of clubs, community

service projects, and other extracurricular options.

Leadership opportunities include roles in Student

Senate, dorm proctorships, or special experiences

such as the chance to travel to a diversity summit with

representatives of other schools.

Weekend trips to malls, movies, ball games and shows

are frequent. These include weekly outings to the

regional shopping capital of King of Prussia and to

Walmart, a popular destination for all the essential

supplies of boarding school life. New York and

Philadelphia are easily within reach, and convenient

bus service is available.

Student ideas inspire many campus events, from a

mid-winter dodge ball tournament to a “Mr. Perkiomen”

mock beauty pageant, to a fun re-creation of the

The Hunger Games.

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as a perkstudent you have the chance to make your

own place hereand to make this place your own.

make this place your own

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perkiomen.org

200 seminary street / pennsburg, pennsylvania 18073 / 215.679.9511 t / 215.679.5202 f

perk is located in the borough of pennsburg, a safe and welcoming community nestled in the pennsylvania countryside

about an hour from philadelphia, two hours from new york city, and three hours from washington, d.c.