Buckley School (New York City)
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The Buckley School
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| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private Independent |
| Motto | Honor et Veritas |
| Established | 1913 |
| Founder | B. Lord Buckley |
| Headmaster | Gregory J. O'Melia |
| Grades | K-9 |
| Number of students | 374 |
| Color(s) | Blue and white |
| Mascot | The Blue Demon |
| Website | www |
Overview
The Buckley School is an independent, K-9 day school for boys that is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. The school has three divisions: Lower School (K-3), Middle School (4-6) and Upper School (7-9), with a student body of approximately 370 pupils and 90 faculty and staff members. The headmaster is Gregory J. O’Melia, who is the sixth headmaster to be appointed since the school’s founding in 1913.
Buckley is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the New York State Association of Independent Schools and the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. Additionally, it is a charter member of the Manhattan Private Middle School League and the Metropolitan Private Middle School Track and Field Association. The school’s motto is “Honor et Veritas” (Honor and Truth), and its official seal is a shield.
History
B. Lord Buckley, a professional educator, founded Buckley in 1913 as a boys’ elementary school with the aim of offering a classical curriculum. The original school was located above a milliner’s shop on Madison Avenue. In 1917, the school moved to a larger building on East 74th Street. In the late 1990s, Buckley purchased a townhouse on 73rd Street where the main school is currently located. The 74th Street Hubball building continues to be a part of the school and houses Beginners classrooms and athletic facilities. Five headmasters have succeeded B. Lord Buckley: Evelyn Adams (1932-1940), James Hubball (1940-1972), C. Brett Boocock (1972-1982), Brian Walsh (1982-2001) and its current headmaster, Gregory O’Melia (2001-present).
Traditions
At Buckley, student year groups are known as Classes, for example: Class III, Class IV, Class V; not third grade, fourth grade or fifth grade. The kindergarten students are known as Beginners. Class IX boys convene around a Harkness table for group discussions as part of their English and history curriculum. The Jack Woodruff Public Speaking Contest is a hallowed Buckley competition that dates back to 1949. Each student in Class VII and VIII develops a persuasive argument based on a current event topic and presents his case in homeroom. The boys with the best arguments advance through the quarter and semi-finalist rounds, and the six finalists are invited to deliver their speeches before the school and a panel of three judges: a head of school, a Buckley alumnus who is a past Woodruff winner and a member of the Woodruff family. The judges select the winner based on presentation, content, enunciation and the breadth of his argument. Buckley students and their teachers enjoy family style lunches which encourage proper table manners and lively conversation. Each year, every age group at Buckley performs a class play for the school. Dressed in costume, the boys sing and dance for an entertained audience. Around the holidays, the school’s youngest pupils in Classes I and II participate in the Nativity Play, while the Middle and Upper Schools perform an annual Carol Concert. Alumni often attend the Carol Concert and are invited to sing in the “Hallelujah Chorus” with the boys at the concert’s conclusion. In their final year at Buckley, students carve a wooden plaque to commemorate their time at the school. These plaques, which include their name, year and personal illustrations, are displayed in Buckley’s corridors and entranceways for all to view. Visiting alumni enjoy looking up their plaques when they return to Buckley. Class V boys and their parents participate in a medieval feast in the spring. Banquet tables are spread with traditional food: suckling pig, chicken drumsticks, bunches of grapes and fresh bread. Events such as sword fighting, juggling and singing take place, and boys are knighted by the Headmaster. Buckley students enjoy new traditions as well, such as the Classes VIII & IX Scavenger Hunt held every fall, the Mother/Son heritage lunch for Lower School boys and the student/faculty talent show.
Sports
Buckley offers a wide-range of athletic activities to encourage fitness and strong sportsmanship. Games and practices are held on Randall’s Island. Cross country, football and soccer are offered in the fall; basketball, gymnastics, strength training and wrestling are offered in the winter; baseball, gymnastics, lacrosse and track compete in the spring. Every year, varsity football teams from Buckley and a rival, the - Allen-Stevenson Schol - compete in a match known as the East Side Bowl. The winning team takes home the East Side Cup. The Buckley varsity wrestling team competes in the King of the Ring Tournament every year. In 2012, they won the league championship for the 25th consecutive year. Field Day takes place at the end of the school year on Randall’s Island. Boys in every class compete in traditional track races as well as fun events, such as tug of war, sack races, egg relays and the obstacle course.
In Popular Culture
- Mad Men's Pete Campbell is portrayed as an alum, as well as of Deerfield Academy and Dartmouth.
- The Bonfire of the Vanities's Shermon "Master of the Universe" McCoy is portrayed as an alum, as well as of St. Paul's and Yale.