Private School for Girls in Union County, NJ

Kent Place School:
Kent Place School, located in Summit, Union County, New Jersey (20 miles west of New York City), is an all-girls kindergarten through 12 independent college-preparatory day school (with a coeducational nursery and pre-kindergarten). The academic program at Kent Place challenges girls, inspires their love of learning and offers them the best education possible. Our curriculum emphasizes reading, writing and analytical skills through a broad course of study in math, sciences, technology and the humanities, enriched by experiences in the fine arts and athletics. Our faculty members are masters in their fields, passionate about sharing their knowledge and committed to working with students one-on-one. At every grade level the classes are small, allowing each girl to contribute and be heard.

Primary School:
Primary School challenges students in the context of a supportive environment, helping them build strong academic skills along with self-confidence. Girls feel motivated to learn, take risks and ask questions. Lively, colorful classrooms and imaginative hands-on projects inspire a sense of excitement about learning. Whether they are practicing a Native-American dance, preparing for the Prairie Day Celebration, using math manipulatives or researching a sea animal for science class, students learn by reading, writing, listening and doing. Our girls feel connected with each other and with their teachers—and they thrive.

Middle School:
The Middle School program challenges girls without burdening them, guiding them as they navigate their way from childhood to adolescence. Our program balances a girl’s desire for increased responsibility and independence with her need for support and structure. Small classes and an advisory system ensure that every girl is known as an individual and can make meaningful connections with adult advocates. We teach study skills along with content, so that students are fully prepared for the demands of Upper School. We also give them many opportunities to explore their talents and develop their own definitions of “leadership.”

Upper School:
In Upper School, girls begin preparing for their lives beyond Kent Place. Our curriculum is designed to help them fulfill the admission requirements of the most competitive colleges—and be ready for the academic challenges of college once they get there. Each girl has a faculty adviser who assists her in developing her Academic Plan, a four-year schedule of courses that is appropriately challenging and consistent with her strengths and interests. We offer a wide range of Advanced Placement classes every year, and students who wish to pursue an interest in a specific discipline can initiate an independent study with a faculty member. Our graduates leave here with critical thinking, writing and analytical skills, which help them achieve success in the most demanding undergraduate programs, graduate schools and careers.

Advanced Placement Options:
Courses include Art History, Biology, Calculus AB and BC, Chemistry, Computer Science A, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, European History, French Language, French Literature, Latin Literature, Latin Virgil, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Music Theory, Physics B, Portfolio, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Statistics, United States History and US Government & Politics.

Sports:
Upper School teams in basketball, cross country, field hockey, squash, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; Middle School teams in basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

Arts:
Students in all grades can take advantage of visual arts, dance, drama and music instruction, as well as opportunities to join performing arts groups.

Service:
Kent Place has a strong tradition of commitment to service at all grade levels, with recent projects for the American Red Cross, the YMCA, area food banks, soup kitchens and hospitals.

Technology:
The Primary and Middle School have labs fully equipped with Apple computers, Internet access and multimedia equipment. Our laptop program equips every incoming ninth-grader with a portable computer that can utilize our wireless network.

After School Programs:
Kent Place Kids, an extended-care program offering supervised time for play, special activities and homework for students in Kindergarten through grade 5; The 3:30 Club, a program for Middle Schoolers that allows time for working in the computer lab or library, completing homework in a quiet study area or doing a recreational activity, such as a game or arts and crafts project.