Bancroft School in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, is an independent, co-educational, PreK–12, college-preparatory day school. Students typically live in Central Massachusetts and MetroWest Boston. The school campus measures 30-acre (120,000 m2). The school has three divisions: pre-kindergarten and lower school, middle school, and upper school.

Bancroft School
Bancroft School from the west
Location
Map
Coordinates42°18′15″N 71°48′55″W / 42.30417°N 71.81528°W / 42.30417; -71.81528
Information
TypePrivate secondary
Established1900[1]
Head of schoolStephanie Luebbers
GradesPK-12
Enrollment429 students
Color(s)   Blue and gray
Athletics conferenceEastern Independent League (EIL), New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC), and New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA)
MascotBulldogs

History

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The School was named for George Bancroft, 1800–1891, educator, diplomat, philanthropist, and writer who helped found the U.S. Naval Academy and wrote the first comprehensive history of the United States.[2][3]

  • 1900: Bancroft School established at 93 Elm Street by a group of Worcester parents.
  • 1922: Moved to new facilities on Sever Street.
  • 1958: Moved to current location at 110 Shore Drive after Norton Abrasives (now a brand of Saint-Gobain) donated 27 acres (110,000 m2) of land.
  • 1969: Converted to fully co-ed. Prior to 1969, the Lower and Middle Schools served both boys and girls, but the Upper School enrolled girls only.
  • 1970s: Added language lab, a larger woodworking shop, a new gym, an art building, and expanded playing fields.
  • 1980s and 1990s: Dedicated the Art Center, Fletcher Athletic Center, Fuller Science Center, Harrington Performing Arts Theatre, Stoddard Center, and Garfield and Prouty Libraries.
  • 2002: Renovated the Fuller Science Center and opened the McDonough Center, which houses the Lower and Middle School programs.
  • 2009: Signed agreement with Tongji University, Shanghai, China, to establish a teacher and student exchange program between Bancroft and Tongji’s Number 1 High School.
  • 2010: Installed 462 high-efficiency solar panels on the McDonough Center roof.
  • 2011: Installed an additional 434 solar panels on the roof of the Fletcher Athletic Center.
  • 2011: Initiated the region’s first iPad initiative for classroom teaching and learning.[4]

Photos

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Athletics

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As one of the 11 member schools in the Eastern Independent League (EIL), Bancroft competes in a number of sports with other teams in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC).[5][6]

Athletic Offerings

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MS teams include:

  • Boys: Baseball, Basketball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Tennis
  • Girls: Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball
  • Coed: Cross Country, Tennis

US varsity teams include:

  • Boys: Baseball, Basketball, Crew, Lacrosse, Soccer, Tennis
  • Girls: Basketball, Crew, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Tennis, Softball, Volleyball
  • Coed: Alpine Skiing, Cross Country, Track & Field, Golf, Swim

Bancroft's athletic program has produced EIL and NEPSAC Championships across a number of its sports.[7]

Sport EIL Championships NEPSAC Championships
Girls' Volleyball 14 5
Field Hockey 11 0
Girls' Tennis 10 1
Girls' Cross Country 9 2
Softball 9 0
Boys' Tennis 7 2
Boys' Cross Country 6 1
Girls' Soccer 6 2
Boys' Basketball 4 1
Boys' Soccer 2 1
Boys' Lacrosse 2 0
Golf 1 0


Record-Setting Volleyball Program

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Bancroft's girls' volleyball program was established in 1996[8] by coach Bob Stein and Athletic Director Steve Kelley. Within three years, the Bulldogs claimed their first EIL Championship. Between 1999-00 and 2012, Bancroft won 12 consecutive Eastern Independent League titles and five straight NEPSAC Championships.[7] In the midst of this run, the Bulldogs set the Massachusetts state record for consecutive wins by winning their 111th straight game on January 16, 2009 against Dana Hall School.[9] The streak continued until October 5, 2011 when Bancroft fell to Buckingham Browne & Nichols after winning 168 consecutive matches.

Headmasters & Headmistresses

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  • 1900–1915: Frank Robson
  • 1915–1926: Miriam Titcomb
  • 1926–1938: Hope Fisher
  • 1938–1943: Bradford Kingman
  • 1943–1959: Henry Tiffany
  • 1944–1946: Edith Jones (interim)
  • 1959–1960: Elizabeth Vandemoer (interim)
  • 1960–1981: Wyatt Garfield
  • 1981–1992: Marigolden Tritschler
  • 1992–1998: Theodore G. Sharp
  • 1998–1999: Wyatt Garfield & Edgar Gauthier (interim-heads)
  • 1999–2014: Scott R. Reisinger
  • 2014–2022: James P. "Trey" Cassidy[3]
  • 2022-2023: Tim Saburn (interim)
  • 2023-Present: Stephanie Luebbers

Notable alumni

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Notable alumni of Bancroft School include:

References

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  1. ^ Patterson, Homer L. (1932). Patterson's American Educational Directory. Vol. 29. Chicago. hdl:2027/uc1.b3970358.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ "George Bancroft". Encyclopædia Britannia.
  3. ^ a b "History of Bancroft School".
  4. ^ "Bancroft School launches iPad initiative". Worcester Telegram and Gazette. GateHouse Media.
  5. ^ "EIL Athletics These programs are run out of Bancroft's state of the arts Science of Athletics Center, or B-SAC for short". Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  6. ^ "NEPSAC League".
  7. ^ a b "Bancroft School: Awards & Honors". www.bancroftschool.org. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  8. ^ SCHOOLS, Jim Wilson HIGH. "Streak serves Bancroft right". telegram.com. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  9. ^ "2009 Bancroft Volleyball Sets State Record". Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  10. ^ "Bancroft School: Alumni Awards". www.bancroftschool.org. Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  11. ^ Red, Christian (2012-01-28). "New England Patriots have someone watching over them during Super Bowl journey". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  12. ^ "Financier pardoned in Clinton uproar dies; was ex of Worcester native Denise Rich". Worcester Telegram and Gazette. GateHouse Media.
  13. ^ "BANCROFT SCHOOL ALUMNI AWARD DESCRIPTIONS". Bancroft School. Archived from the original on 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
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