Academic classes meet across campus, weaving the intellectual fabric of our community.
Our purpose-built science facility, which opened in fall 2016, was designed to promote the circulation of ideas. The lass walls in CA Labs allow in ample natural light; retractable, sound-curbing partitions and portable lab benches with chemical-resistant countertops and ventilation hoods enhance classroom reconfigurability; and wide hallways offer additional collaboration zones—all in service of the cross-pollination of ideas. Students and faculty analyze weather patterns from the green rooftop experimental station and create protytypes in the first-floor fabrication lab. A museum-worthy elevator allows equipment to be moved easily for outdoor testing in Makers Alley. While CA Labs is primarily home to the Science Department, classes from other disciplines are also routinely held in this building, enhancing the interdisciplinary opportunities of this space.
The J. Josephine Tucker Library is the heart of academic inquiry at CA. Built in 1987 under the direction of architect James Freeman P’74, the space is not only home to CA’s expansive literature catalog but also a co-working hub, abuzz with students collaborating on projects, meeting with their advisors, or catching up on coursework.
Dedicated to J. Josephine Tucker, a former head of school from 1940–49, the space honors Miss Tucker’s belief in the importance of a school library, even though the town library was a short walk from campus. The library was refreshed over the summer of 2017; now houses the Academic Support Center and a multipurpose space for group collaboration or classroom use. The library also has separate areas for quiet, independent study.
Always evolving with changes in pedagogy and community needs, these spaces are equipped with whiteboards, projectors, flexible seating, and glass walls, allowing for plenty of natural light. A mixed-use space, the J. Josephine Tucker Library is more than bookshelves and reference materials, but truly the starting point for curiosity, research, and shared inquiry.
Housed within the library, the Academic Support Center is an easily accessible area where tutors offer students help with study skills on a free and temporary basis. Tutors might assist with organization, reading efficiency, or the creation of study schedules as well as offer limited content-specific help.