The John Cooper School

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The John Cooper School is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational day school located in The Woodlands, a planned community in unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas.

[edit] History

The school was founded in 1988 by John H. Cooper, who had previously served for several years as Headmaster at The Kinkaid School in Piney Point Village, Texas, near Houston. The concept had the full support and cooperation of George Mitchell, the developer of The Woodlands. Mitchell set aside a well-sized tract of land in what was then the town's outskirts specifically for the purpose of establishing a school. 175 students were enrolled in one building for the 1988-1989 school year in grades pre-kindergarten through seventh grade. A subsequent grade was added each year thereafter, and the pre-kindergarten program was dropped after 1992. In 1993, a gymnasium, a visual arts center, and a new academic building opened. The school's first senior class of twenty five students graduated in 1994, with George H.W. Bush as the keynote speaker at the Baccalaureate ceremony.

In recent years, the school has embarked on a major expansion program, called The John Cooper School Capital Campaign. This fundraising effort, which lasted over several years, yielded a track & field complex and a second gymnasium in 2002, the addition of a new wing to the middle/high school building in 2003, the expansion of the fine arts complex in 2004, and a cafeteria and student center in 2005. Construction on an auditorium and performing arts facility have begun, and are scheduled to be completed late 2008/early 2009. After the announcement of reinstating the pre-kindergarten program, after 16 year hiatus, a new wing was built in the Lower School in 2007.

[edit] Reputation

Although it is a relatively young school, John Cooper has in a very short time cultivated a reputation as one of the Houston area's most highly-regarded private schools. In keeping with the school motto, "From curiosity to wisdom", the John Cooper curriculum is heavily based in the liberal arts, and creative and persuasive writing are heavily emphasized in classes as early as elementary school. The faculty is exemplary, with many holding graduate and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, Duke University, and other esteemed national universities. Enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year was roughly 950-1000 students. Despite its small size - the high school only has about three hundred twenty students - Cooper has also created a noteworthy athletic program. In recent years, the Varsity Boys' Basketball and Girls' Cross Country teams have been awarded state titles.

Cooper is also highly regarded for its attractive, heavily forested campus, which includes an arboretum and several gardens and ponds. Since its construction in 1988, the lower school building has won several architectural awards for its aesthetic use of light and space.

The mean SAT score for John Cooper High School students for the 2003-2004 school year was 1302. As a college preparatory school, John Cooper has a 99% college attendance rate, with Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Boston University, and Vanderbilt University being particularly popular schools of choice for Cooper graduates.

[edit] Teaching Methods

The Upper School utilizes harkness tables in its history and social science classrooms, and is one of the few secondary schools to do so. By arranging students around a large table with the teacher, a more engaging environment is achieved and discussion and analysis are more easily facilitated.

Critical analysis is considered fundamental to a Cooper education and students begin writing research papers at the elementary school level.

[edit] Notable alumni

• Elizabeth McIngvale, founder of Peace of Mind, an OCD awareness foundation, and daughter of Houston businessman Jim McIngvale (attended but graduated elsewhere)
• Dallas Jessup, founder and spokesperson of "Just Yell Fire" (attended for kindergarten only)

[edit] Other Information

[edit] Tuition

Tuition at The John Cooper School varies by grade level, ranging from $10,600 to $15,650 ('07-'08) and does not include the cost of textbooks for middle and upper school students (6-12). 11% of the student body receives some sort of need-based financial assistance.

[edit] School Trips

Class trips are offered annually for students in grades 6-11. Grades 6 through 8 take class trips in April of every year; 6th and 7th graders go to camps in central Texas for various team-building activities, while 8th graders visit Washington, D.C. as a capstone to the American History course taken that year. In the Upper School, freshmen and sophomores spend four days in the fall at John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. Juniors visit several colleges, such as Baylor University and the University of Texas at Austin. Attendance on these trips is strongly encouraged, though not mandatory; costs are not included in yearly tuition. In addition, summer trips are often arranged for smaller groups of Middle and Upper School students; teachers in past years have accompanied students to Spain, Greece, France and other exotic locales.

[edit] Affiliations

The John Cooper School is accredited by The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Its athletic teams compete in the Southwest Preparatory Conference with other private schools in Texas and Oklahoma.

[edit] Administration

• Head of School, Michael F. Maher
• Assistant Head of School, Joseph Broccoli
• Head of Lower School, Karen Francis
• Assistant Head of Lower School, Kelly Kennedy McPherson
• Interim Head of Middle School (07-08), Walter Steadman
• Middle School Dean of Students, Walter Steadman
• Head of Middle School (Starting 08-09), Jon Strecker
• Head of Upper School, Joseph Broccoli
• Upper School Dean of Students, C. Randall Noll
• Athletic Director, Michael Cooper
• Assistant Athletic Director, Scott Holland
• Director of Development, Troye Skipworth
• Director of Admissions, Craig Meredith
• Director of Technology, Rodney Lisembee

[edit] External links

• The John Cooper School
• The John Cooper School - Teacher's Websites