The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush

The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush
Address
11081 Knights Road
northeast Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19154
United States
Information
Type Public, Magnet, Art
Motto Per artem doctrina
(Learning through art)
Established 2008
School district The School District of Philadelphia
Principal Lori DeFields
Grades 9-12
Enrollment ~600
 • Grade 9 ~150
 • Grade 10 ~150
 • Grade 11 ~150
 • Grade 12 ~150
Campus Urban
Color(s) Purple, Black         
Mascot Knight
Publication The Palette
Website www.rushartsonline.org

The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush (also known as Benjamin Rush, Rush Arts, or simply Rush) is a public, magnet high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rush Arts is known for placing its focus on both academia and the visual/performing arts, as well as encouraging creativity and the development of strong critical thinking skills.

Mission Statement

"Our special admissions school is based on the belief that the arts provide an unequaled opportunity to foster intellectual growth by connecting arts and literacy. Visual and media literacy skills will permeate all subjects at the high school. Reflective teaching and learning will be expected in every classroom with an emphasis on building a community of learners to be thinkers and creators, and who are preparing for college or professional careers. At the same time, the school will prepare students to be participating members of a democratic society by engaging them as stakeholders in their education. The spirit of intellectual curiosity will be encouraged in and through the arts."[1]

Core Values

Rush Arts embraces a set of core values, abbreviated as "ICEPAC." All students are expected to both follow and help enforce this moral code; to serve as a reminder to everyone, it is depicted in both classrooms and hallways on posters.

Academics

Each student at Rush Arts auditions for one specific "major" out of the five that the school offers. These are the visual arts (which have graphic, media, and fine arts as three subcategories), dance, theatre, instrumental music, and vocals. Students generally stick with one major throughout their high school career; while they have the option of switching majors, this requires a re-audition and acception into that field.

Athletics

The school competes as a representative of PIAA District XII, Public League. The school mascot is the knight, while the team colors are purple and black. Rush Arts offers Six Varsity sports; four for girls and two for boys. The girls sports are volleyball, soccer, basketball, and softball. The boys sports are basketball and baseball.

The girls soccer team began varsity competition in spring of 2010 (moved to the fall in 2012). Since they began play, the team has won the Public League Class AA Championship in both 2012 and 2013. In addition, they won a Bronze Division Championship in 2011 and have reached the playoffs every season since the team began.

The girls softball team began varsity competition in spring of 2013 (they were a JV program prior to that) and have yet to lose a regular season game. The softball team won the Public League Bronze division undefeated in 2013 and the league's Silver Division in 2014. They lost in the playoffs both seasons.

The boys baseball team began varsity competition in spring of 2013 (they were a JV program prior to that) and have qualified for the class A playoffs both seasons.

The volleyball team and basketball teams have not yet qualified for league or classification playoffs. The Volleyball team did successfully achieve a division promotion however after the fall 2014 season.

Extracurricular activities

Since its establishment, The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush has offered a number of extracurricular activities for students to participate in. Among these are...[2]

In addition, many teachers will stay after school on specified days to aid students academically.

References

  1. ↑ Jessica M. Brown "AABR Mission Statement", The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, accessed March 16, 2011.
  2. ↑ "After School Clubs", The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, accessed March 16, 2011.

Coordinates: 40°04′58″N 74°58′28″W / 40.082816°N 74.974393°W / 40.082816; -74.974393

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