Headmaster: Peter J. Caldwell
Head of Upper School: Darren Burns
Director of College Counseling: Noreen L. Cassidy
Associate Director of College Counseling: Roslyn Estrada
Associate Director of College Counseling: Keith Vassall
College Counseling Assistant: Heather McClanahan
Profile: The Class of 2015
At Mor r istow n-Bea r d we believe
that the School community is responsible
for discovering and developing the unique
ind ividua l potentia l of each student.
Students, parents, trustees, administrators,
teachers, staff and coaches understand that
school environment plays a profound role in
cultivating intellectual, physical, aesthetic,
moral and ethical excellence. We believe
that a Morristown-Beard School education
prepares individuals to be enlightened,
morally responsible citizens of the world.
Our curriculum is designed to further this
mission by providing a rigorous academic
prog ra m t hat i s a ge appropr iate a nd
responsive to different learning styles. We
offer stimulating and challenging experiences
in the classroom, on the playing field,
THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Morristown-Beard is an independent, coeducational day school serving
students from 83 communities and nine counties in northern New Jersey.
There are 573 students in grades 6-12, with an Upper School enrollment of
417. There are 93 faculty members, of whom 58% hold advanced degrees.
The School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and
Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools and is
approved by the New Jersey State Department of Education.
CURRICULAR PHILOSOPHY
The Morristown-Beard curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, problem
solving, independent thought, and intellectual risk taking. It supports crossdisciplinary connections and a holistic view of knowledge. It encourages
integration of habits of intentional speaking and writing so that students
may develop and articulate their ideas. The curriculum is process-oriented,
and teachers’ assessment of student work reflects the means by which a
student creates and learns in addition to final product. The curriculum
at Morristown-Beard esteems the qualitative as well as quantitative
dimensions of learning and supports students’ making connections to other
areas of intellectual thought and the larger world.
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS
Humanities Program
The Humanities approach to the study of English and history in grades
9-11 merges the traditional subject areas of these departments to create a
richer and more engaging experience of both literature and history. An
integrated curriculum, organized thematically and global in perspective,
allows students to make new and surprising connections among different
cultures, works of literature and time periods, while enhancing a common
set of critical skills. The program relies heavily on analytical writing,
critical and creative thinking, discussion-driven classes, close reading and
oral presentation. It is also a model of cross-disciplinary collaboration for
both students and faculty.
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
In 2011, Morristown-Beard became the first high school in the country
to annually administer NSSE to our graduating seniors. Used by
well over 1,000 American colleges and universities, NSSE is typically
administered to college freshmen and seniors in order to evaluate students’
experiences against five benchmarks – Level of Academic Challenge,
Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction, Enriching
Educational Experiences, and Supportive Campus Environment. After
CEEB Code: 310845
and through participation in activities,
performances, exhibits, and community
service. Our method is to expose students
to multiple ways of thinking and responding.
Our ultimate objective is to increase their
awareness of and connection to the larger
world. To this end we instill, through precept
and action, our Core Values, Habits of Mind,
and Essential Skills.
three years, useful, actionable data has emerged. Not only do the survey’s
results affirm a positive school culture and an outstanding learning
environment at Morristown-Beard, they demonstrate that the level of
student engagement among our seniors often surpasses the national level of
college freshmen. Moreover, this feedback about the School’s teaching and
learning environment allows us to craft informed and intentional responses
that are being played out in the classroom and beyond.
Technology in the Curriculum
Morristown-Beard is committed to helping students thrive in today’s
information-rich culture by using technology effectively. Simply being
“tech-savvy” isn’t enough – students need to develop as capable and
responsible users, information seekers, problem solvers and decision
makers. From our formal digital courses to the Humanities curriculum,
the challenge and focus is to harness these incredibly powerful tools within
the fabric of our academic day. In 2010, Morristown-Beard was among the
first to launch a one-to-one iPad program and beginning in the summer of
2013, all classrooms on campus have been equipped with ceiling-mounted
projectors and wireless media streaming via AppleTV. The synergy of these
various technologies has fulfilled a long-term goal of integrating technology
so completely into the fabric of the day that it becomes virtually invisible.
With no disruption to the flow of conversation, students and teachers are
able to quickly and seamlessly share information, give a formal presentation,
or peer edit a text. Numerous classes have moved to a completely paperless
flow, and we are seeing a dramatic increase in the incorporation of primary
source material and faculty-authored texts.
Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is a pedagogical movement that values
writing as a method of learning across all fields, not merely in the traditional
areas such as English and history courses. When students are given frequent
opportunities for WAC, they think more critically and creatively, engage
more deeply in their learning, and are better able to transfer what they have
learned from course to course, context to context. In 2011, MBS established
a comprehensive Writing Center (modeled closely on the writing centers
found in every college and university) led by a trained academic writing
specialist who has helped to establish a robust writing program at the School.
Transformative assignments have been integrated into Science, Math,
Wellness, Foreign Language, History, and Performing Arts departments. In
2013 we created a junior elective designed to train students to be peer tutors
in composition. Students engaged in academic writing at MBS are supported
through a variety of writing workshops, feedback from faculty and peers, and
other services offered by the Writing Center.
 WHIPPANY ROAD, MORR ISTOW N, NJ  r -- r W W W.MBS.NET
CURRICULUM NOTES
ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM
Students must fulfill required prerequisites and have
departmental approval in order to enroll in any of the 12
AP courses offered. With the exception of those taking
Chemistry and United States History, the majority enrolled
in AP classes are seniors. In addition to courses offered,
recommended juniors may also sit for the English Language
and Composition exam.
CLASS OF 2015:
JUNIOR YEAR GRADE DISTRIBUTION
Grades
ADVANCED SEMINAR PROGRAM
Advanced Seminars are an opportunity for highly motivated
juniors and seniors to explore an intellectual area in depth,
under the guidance of faculty members with a special expertise
and interest in the field. The seminar format promotes
critical thought and discussion, requires students to work
independently, and is flexible enough to encompass a broad
range of course themes. The level of research, reading, writing
and critical discussion approximates that of a semester long,
foundational-level college course. Seminars are small (4-8
students) and enrollment is by permission of the instructor.
1
3
B+
B
B-
C+
C
19
30
43
31
10
3
15
42
15
1
1
3
1
9
4
English Electives *
1
5
10
6
2
5
3
1
Humanities History 11
7
8
11
21
Humanities History 11 (H)
8
15
7
1
2
7
4
History Electives *
2
6
4
5
History Electives (H) *
1
6
3
1
Intermediate Algebra
Advanced Algebra
1
1
5
Advanced Algebra (H)
Pre-Calculus (H)
7
2
Calculus AB (AP)
6
6
6
2
1
Statistics (AP)
3
1
1
1
4
3
1
1
4
1
1
1
4
2
1
1
1
1
2
4
2
3
2
1
4
1
1
French 3 (H)
1
French 4
1
3
French 4 (H)
2
1
1
2
2
2
Latin 3
1
Spanish 1
2
1
Spanish 2
2
3
1
8
Spanish 4
1
Spanish 4 (H)
1
Spanish 5 (H)
1
Seminar- Business Ethics*
2
Seminar- Intro to Arabic*
1
TEST SCORES (CLASS OF 2014)
Middle 50%
Mean
530-610
572
SAT
587
581
ACT
23-28
2
1
1
3
French 3
Composite
2
3
3
Forensic Science *
520-630
4
2
Sports Medicine *
Writing
4
12
2
530-640
1
5
Genes and Society*
Math
1
7
3
Critical Reading
4
10
Spanish 3 (H)
Points
4.00
4.00
3.67
3.33
3.00
2.67
2.33
2.00
1.67
1.33
1.00
0.67
0.00
3
3
17
Spanish 3
Grade point averages are unweighted and calculated based
on the system below. A cumulative GPA is not calculated,
nor do we rank our students.
1
7
9
Advanced Geosciences (H)
GRADING SYSTEM AND CLASS RANK
6
11
3
Advanced Physics 2 *
4 YEARS
3 YEARS
3 YEARS
3 YEARS
3 YEARS
1 YEAR
1
19
Chemistry (AP)
Latin 1
2
1
7
Advanced Physics 1 *
26
2
6
8
2
5
7
5
1
4
1
2
1
2
2
4
2
1
8
D+
2
3
2
Biology (H)
French 1
C-
2
Math and Art*
Biology
8
1
Pre-Calculus
The School utilizes a modified block schedule. Classes
meet seven times in a 10-day cycle including a 30-minute
workshop period designed for students to step outside the
traditional structures of the classroom and find creative,
student-centered ways to engage in their discipline. The
academic year is divided into two semesters during which
a minimum academic load is six courses. While a total
of 24 credits is required for graduation, we encourage
students to pursue their academic interests by going
beyond the minimum requirements of:
Grade Range
97-100
93-96
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
Below 60
A-
English Electives (H) *
US History (AP 2)
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
A
Humanities English 11 (H)*
Our Independent Study program encourages students to
explore areas of interest that fall outside the traditional course
catalog. Under the guidance of selected faculty members
with a special expertise or interest in the field, students work
side by side to develop a scope and sequence curriculum,
create authentic class specific content and create original
assessments. Independent Studies are ideal for motivated,
high-achieving students. Current topics include Bayesian
Modeling, Climate Study, Mac Hardware Programming,
Mandarin, Sign Language and Sports Psychology.
MATHEMATICS
HISTORY
SCIENCE
WORLD LANGUAGE
PERFORMING/VISUAL
& DIGITAL ARTS
A+
Humanities English 11*
INDEPENDENT STUDY
ENGLISH
* Semester Courses
2
4
1
JUNIOR YEAR GPA
DISTRIBUTION
(106 students)
3.75 – 4.00
9
3.50 – 3.74
36
3.25 – 3.49
22
3.00 – 3.24
20
2.75 – 2.99
15
2.50 – 2.74
1
2.25 – 2.49
2
Below 2.25
1
U P P E R
S C H O O L
ACADEMIC COURSE OFFERINGS -
ADVANCED SEMINARS
(11, 12; honors):
Art History
Eastern Philosophy
Ethics
Introduction to Arabic Language and Culture
Medical Breakthroughs: Past, Present and Future
Molecules that Changed History
Science, Culture and the Decade of the 1960s
ENGLISH
Humanities English 9 (standard & honors)
Humanities English 10 (standard & honors)
Humanities English 11 (standard & honors)
English 12 (standard & honors – semester electives)
English 12 (AP)
Senior Semester Electives
(11, 12; standard & honors):
British Poetry, 20th Century British Literature, Crime
and Conscience, Harmony and Discord: Music in
Literature, “The Hollow Crown”: History Plays of
Shakespeare, Irish Literature in Context, Journalism,
Literature of The Great War, Lost Souls, Monsters and
Madmen, The Novel, Quests, Shakespeare and Film,
Time and Eternity: Literature of Wisdom, Villains,
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Semester Electives
Advanced Composition (11,12)
Creative Writing (11,12)
Introduction to Communication (11,12)
Writing Studies: Peer Tutor Training (11)
HISTORY
Humanities History 9 (standard & honors)
Humanities History 10 (standard & honors)
Humanities History 11 (standard & honors)
United States History (11-12, AP)
European History (12, AP)
Semester Electives
(11,12; standard & honors):
Constitutional Law, Continuity and Change in the
Middle East, Economics, Geography of the Developed
World, Geography of the Developing World, Irish
History, The Living Constitution, Medieval Studies,
Real to Reel 1-2: History through Pop Culture Social
Psychology, The Rhetoric of Leadership, The Vietnam
War, Women’s History
MATHEMATICS
Algebra 1 (9, standard)
Geometry (9,10; standard & honors)
Intermediate Algebra (10,11; standard)
Algebra 2 (9,10,11,12; standard & honors)
Pre-Calculus (9,10,11,12; standard & honors)
College Math Topics (12, standard)
Calculus (11,12; standard)
Calculus AB (10,11,12; AP)
Calculus BC (11,12; AP)
Statistics (11,12; AP)
Semester Electives
(11,12 unless noted; standard):
Advanced Topics 1: Linear Algebra, Advanced Topics
2: Discrete Mathematics, Introductory Statistics and
Probability (10,11,12), Inferential Statistics (10,11,12),
Math and Art, Non-Euclidean Geometry (10,11,12),
Personal Finance and Business Math
PERFORMING ARTS
(9,10,11,12 unless noted):
Theater 1: Introduction to Theatrical Medium
Theater 2-4 (10,11,12)
Musical Theater
Technical Theater 1-4
Theater Dance 1-4
Chorus 1-4
Jazz Ensemble 1-4
Percussion Ensemble
String Ensemble
Woodwind Choir 1-4
Introduction to Dance
Dance Performance
Advanced Dance
Morristown-Beard Dance Ensemble
Semester Electives
(9,10,11,12 unless noted):
Chorus Mini Session (11,12), Music as Social Reform,
Soundtracks and Soundscapes
SCIENCE
Physics 9 (standard & honors)
Mathematical Physics 9 (standard & honors)
Chemistry (9,10,11; standard & honors)
Biology (10,11,12; standard & honors)
Full-Year Electives:
Advanced Geosciences (11,12; standard & honors)
Biology (11,12; AP)
Chemistry (11,12; AP)
Physics C Mechanics/Electricity and
Magnetism (11,12; AP)
Physics 2 (11,12; honors)
VISUAL AND DIGITAL ART
Introduction to Art (9,10,11,12)
Art 1 (9,10,11,12)
Art 2 (10,11,12)
Art 3 (11,12)
Art 4 (12)
Studio Art (12, AP)
Engineering Drawing 1 (9,10,11,12)
Engineering Drawing 2 (10,11,12)
Architecture 1 (11,12)
Architecture 2 (12)
Introduction to iOS Programming (9,10,11,12)
Semester Electives
(9,10,11,12 unless noted):
Ceramics, Crafts 1-2, Introduction to Digital Arts,
Digital Graphic Design, Digital Video Storytelling,
Photography 1, Photography 2 (10,11,12), Alternative
Photographic Processes (10,11,12), Advanced
Photography (11,12), Digital Photography, Music
Production, Sculpture
WELLNESS
Wellness 9 (full year)
Wellness 10 (one semester)
Driver Education Theory (10, one semester)
Wellness 11 (one semester)
Semester Electives
Diversity Perspectives (10,11,12)
Introduction to Hatha Yoga (11,12)
Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (11,12)
Peer Group (11,12)
WORLD LANGUAGES
(9,10,11,12):
French 1 (standard)
French 2-4 (standard & honors)
French Language (AP)
French 5: Creative Oral French (standard & honors)
Spanish 1 (standard)
Spanish 2-4 (standard & honors)
Spanish 5: Hispanic Culture through Music and Film
(standard & honors)
Spanish Language (AP)
Latin 1-3 (standard)
Latin 4-5 (honors)
OTHER
Service Learning
Senior Project
Semester Electives
(11,12 unless noted; standard):
Advanced Physics 1- 2; Anatomy and Physiology (12);
Forensic Science; Genes and Society; Reading Science,
Writing Science; Sports Medicine
 WHIPPANY ROAD, MORR ISTOW N, NJ  r -- r W W W.MBS.NET
2011-2014
MATRICULATION LIST
American University
Auburn University
Barnard College
Bates College
Bentley University
Berklee College of Music
Binghamton University
Boston College
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryant University
Bucknell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Champlain College
Chapman University
Clark University
Clemson University
Colby College
Colgate University
College of Charleston
College of the Holy Cross
Connecticut College
County College of Morris
Dartmouth College
Denison University
DePaul University
Dickinson College
Drew University
Drexel University
Elmira College
Elon University
Emory University
Fairfield University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Florida State University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
Georgetown University
Gettysburg College
Hamilton College
Haverford College
High Point University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Houston Baptist University
Howard University
Indiana University
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
Kean University
Kenyon College
Lafayette College
Landmark College
Lehigh University
Loyola University Maryland
Marywood University
McGill University
Miami Dade College
Miami University
Middlebury College
Montclair State University
Morehouse College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Saint Mary’s University
Muhlenberg College
New England College
New York University
Nichols College
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Providence College
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College
Roanoke College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rollins College
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Rutgers University
Saint Joseph’s University
Salve Regina University
Santa Clara University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Seton Hall University
Sewanee: The University of the South
Siena College
Skidmore College
Smith College
St. John’s University
St. Lawrence University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stonehill College
Suffolk University
Susquehanna University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Temple University
The American University of Paris
The Citadel
The College of New Jersey
The George Washington University
The University of Tampa
Trinity College
Tulane University
Union College
University of Alabama
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Illinois
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of New Hampshire
University of New Haven
University of Pennsylvania
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Diego
University of Scranton
University of South Carolina
University of Southern Maine
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Waterloo
University of Wisconsin
Ursinus College
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wesleyan University
Western New England University