University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Established	1896
Type	Private Secondary
Founder	John Dewey
Director	David W. Magill
Students	1773 (2008-2009)
Grades	Nursery(age 3)–12
Location	1362 E. 59th St., Chicago, Illinois, USA
Coordinates	41°47′19″N 87°35′38″W / 41.7886°N 87.5940°W / 41.7886; -87.5940Coordinates: 41°47′19″N 87°35′38″W / 41.7886°N 87.5940°W / 41.7886; -87.5940
Nickname	Lab
Mascot	Maroons
Yearbook	U-Highlights Yearbook
Newspaper	U-High Midway
Website	www.ucls.uchicago.edu

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (also Lab School and abbreviated UCLS; the upper classes are nicknamed U-High) is a private, co-educational day school in Chicago, Illinois. It is affiliated with the University of Chicago. About half of the students have a parent who is on faculty at the University.

History

The Laboratory Schools were founded by American educator John Dewey in 1896 in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The school began as a progressive institution that goes from nursery school through 12th grade.

Campus

The Lower School, Middle School, and High School are a part of the main 1362 E 59th Street building. The main building consists of five smaller, interconnected buildings: Judd, Blaine, Belfield, Middle School and U-High. Similarly, there are two gymnasiums, Kovler and Sunny, which stand as interconnected buildings. Kenwood Avenue has a cul-de-sac between the schools and the gyms, thus the recreational playground area between the gyms and the schools is known as Kenwood Mall. The Nursery School consists of two smaller, separate buildings and is a block west and a half block north on Woodlawn Ave.^{[citation needed]}

Student body

The school has over 1,700 students currently enrolled, though there are plans to increase the size.[1] It is considered one of the top preparatory schools in the United States, reflected in the Wall Street Journal's findings that the school is amongst the top five feeder institutions in the nation for elite colleges. It has been heralded as one of the more diverse independent schools with about 35% students of color and over 44 nationalities represented. The student body is about 60% white.

The main entrance to the Lab Schools at Blaine Hall

Today the school is divided into a Nursery School (Pre-K and Kindergarten), Lower School (1st through 4th grade), Middle School (5th through 8th grades), and High School (9th through 12th grades). Many children begin the school in nursery and continue through their high school graduation, and 75% of applications are for nursery school or 9th grade.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, the school was ranked fourth in the nation for its record of sending graduates to elite universities and colleges. ^[1]

Extracurricular activities

The high school math team and the science team are regular contenders for state titles. The school's newspaper (The Midway) and the school's yearbook (U-Highlights) regularly win regional and national awards, as does the arts magazine, Renaissance. Other popular activities include theater, ethnic clubs, Student Council, and Model UN. The Model UN team is consistently ranked top in the nation, and is world-renowned for its competitive excellence. ^[2] It recently was ranked in the Top 5 High School Model UN teams in the United States.^[3]

The school's athletic teams, the Maroons, compete in the Independent School League (ISL) and are members of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The high school has eight boys and eight girls teams, while the middle school has five boys and five girls teams. Both operate with a "no cut policy," meaning any student who wishes to participate may.

Notable persons

Main article: List of University of Chicago Laboratory Schools people

Judd Hall as visible from the adjacent Charles M. Harper Center.

References

1. ^ The Wall Street Journal, "How the Schools Stack Up," http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-COLLEGE0711-sort.html
2. ^ The Diplomat, Issue #335, May 5, 2010, University of Chicago Press.
3. ^ America's Best High School Model UN Teams: 1-5. Best Delegate, http://bestdelegate.com/americas-best-high-school-model-un-teams-top-1-5/

• University of Chicago's Facilities Service Website

External links

• Official website
• 100 Years of Learning at The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

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