Madeira School

Madeira School
Address
8328 Georgetown Pike
McLean, Virginia 22102
United States
Coordinates 38°57′55″N 77°14′6″W / 38.96528°N 77.23500°W / 38.96528; -77.23500Coordinates: 38°57′55″N 77°14′6″W / 38.96528°N 77.23500°W / 38.96528; -77.23500
Information
Type Private Boarding and Day school
Motto Festina Lente
(Make haste slowly)
Established 1906
Founder Lucy Madeira Wing
Head Pilar Cabeza de Vaca
Teaching staff 33.3 (on an FTE basis)
Grades 9-12
Gender Girls
Enrollment 310 (2013-14)
Student to teacher ratio 9.3
Campus Fringe rural
Campus size 376 acres (1.52 km2)
Color(s) Red & white         
Nickname Snails
Website www.madeira.org
[1]

Madeira School is a private, non-denominational college-preparatory boarding school for girls located in McLean, Virginia, United States.

Madeira School Oval and Main building

History

Originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., it was founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906 and moved to the Northern Virginia suburb of McLean in 1931.[2]

Madeira School girls 1912

Since 1931, its campus has grown beyond the original campus buildings-- Main, the dining hall, Schoolhouse, East, West, and North South Dorms, The Land, the Annex (infirmary), and the two gatehouses at the entrance to the Oval-- to include the Chapel/Auditorium, the indoor riding ring and Gaines Hall, the science building, a renovated and expanded dining hall, Hurd Sports Center, and Huffington Library.[3]

Madeira's mission is to "launch women who change the world"[4]. Since 1966, the school has carried out its keystone Co-Curriculum Program. For five weeks every year, all sophomores intern at community centers and schools, juniors intern in Congressional offices, and seniors create their own internship in the DC area or abroad.[5]

In 2018, Madeira was named the #1 Best Private High School in Virginia, #1 Best Boarding School in Virginia, and #1 Best All-Girls High School in Virginia by Niche.[6] The school has an average SAT score of 1340 and average ACT score of 30.[7]

Important Madeira traditions include Red and White Teams, the Oval (which walking across is forbidden), Founder's Day, and 13 Red Roses. The school's mascot is a snail; spectators at Madeira sports often cheer "Go, Go Escargots."[8]

Madeira has one of the best equestrian programs in the country; it has been a core component of the school's offerings for over seventy years. In 2017, Madeira's equestrian team won the IEA Reserve National Championship, defeating over 1300 teams in the country.[9]

In 1980 the then Head Mistress Jean Harris was arrested for the murder of Herman Tarnower. Harris' testimony regarding her motive and state of mind at the time brought to light a tradition of hazing at the academy,[10] which reportedly led to injuries and hospitalization of at least one student.[11]

Demographics

Madeira is a boarding school, with students from twenty states and fifteen countries. The demographic breakdown of the 310 girls enrolled in 2013-2014 was:[1]

  • Native American/Alaskan - 0.7%
  • Asian/Pacific islanders - 21.6%
  • Black - 13.9%
  • Hispanic - 3.5%
  • White - 55.5%
  • Multiracial - 4.8%

Campus and facilities

The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km2) overlooking the Potomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.

Public access

The Madeira school has had many disputes over the use of its land. In 1966, Fairfax County proposed the turning of 208 of Madeira's privately owned 376 acres (1.52 km2) into public park land.[11] In 1991 Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike, as well as $89,000 for that trail construction to complete the Potomac Heritage Route without visitors entering the main area of the campus.[12] However, this trail was never completed by the park officials. In 2008, the Fairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira an easement near the Potomac River to permit the completion of a 100-mile (160 km) loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans. This one-mile (1.6 km)-long trail section through Madeira's property would connect the county's Scott's Run Park to Great Falls National Park. The Madeira School declined this easement, citing concerns about safety and environmental impacts.[13][14]

Administration, faculty, and staff

The Madeira School is controlled by a board of directors, and the school is administered by a Head of School.

Heads of School

  • (1906–1957) Lucy Madeira Wing
  • (1957–1962) Allegra Maynard
  • (1962–1964) Marian W. Smith
  • (1964–1965) Allegra Maynard
  • (1965–1977) M. Barbara Keyser
  • (1977–1980) Jean Struven Harris
  • (1980–1981) Kathleen Galvin Johnson '53
  • (1981–1988) Charles McKinley Saltzman II
  • (1988–2010) Elisabeth Griffith
  • (2010–present) Pilar Cabeza de Vaca

Notable alumnae


Notable faculty

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for The Madeira School". nces.ed.gov. US Department of Education. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Madeira School". Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  3. ↑ https://www.madeira.org/about-madeira/history-vision/
  4. ↑ https://www.madeira.org/about-madeira/history-vision/
  5. ↑ https://www.madeira.org/what-is-the-co-curriculum/
  6. ↑ https://www.niche.com/k12/the-madeira-school-mclean-va/
  7. ↑ https://www.niche.com/k12/the-madeira-school-mclean-va/
  8. ↑ https://www.madeira.org/student-life/boarding-at-madeira/madeira-traditions/
  9. ↑ https://www.madeira.org/athletics/riding-program/
  10. ↑ Feron, James (January 30, 1981). "Mrs. Harris Gives Jury Her Version of What Led To Death of Tarnower". The New York Times.
  11. 1 2 "Notable Dates in Madeira's History". The Madeira School. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  12. ↑ "Madeira Interacts with Local Government". The Madeira School. September 24, 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  13. ↑ "Letters to the Editor, The Madeira School's Prudence". Washington Post. September 12, 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  14. ↑ Gardner, A. (September 9, 2008). "Elite Setting's Property Debate: Fairfax County, Madeira School Clash Over Trail". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  15. ↑ http://www.madeira.org/alumnae/alumnae-profiles/notable-alumnae/
  16. ↑ Andrew J. Cosentino (17 November 1983). The Capital Image: Painters in Washington, 1800–1915. Smithsonian. ISBN 978-0-87474-338-8.
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