Salem Academy
| Salem Academy | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | |
| 500 Salem Avenue Winston-Salem, NC 27101 |
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| Information | |
| Type | Girls' boarding school |
| Motto | The Beginning of Possible |
| Established | 1772 |
| Head of school | Mary Lorick Thompson |
| Faculty | 45 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | about 200 |
| Team name | Sabers |
| Information | 336-721-2643 |
| Website | Official Site |
Salem Academy is a boarding and day school for high school girls in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It shares its campus with Salem College, located near historic Old Salem. Salem Academy is one of the oldest girls' boarding schools in the United States.
Salem was founded in 1772 by early Moravian settlers who held the view that girls deserved an education comparable to that afforded boys. Among the town's early residents were 16 girls and women who walked more than 500 miles from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to join the new community. One of them was 17-year-old Elisabeth Oesterlein, who would be the first teacher of what is now Salem Academy and College. There were very few girls' schools at the time, particularly in the South; word spread about the girls' school, and the school accepted boarding students in 1802. The school grew considerably throughout the 19th century both in size and course offerings, with college-level courses being offered in the 1860s. As the college-level curriculum expanded, the school officially became known as Salem Academy and College in 1907. Despite such travails as the American Civil War and a measles epidemic in the 1800s, the Academy has never closed its doors in the more than two centuries since those first classes were held.
Founded by the Moravian Church, Salem Academy is now an independent institution that retains some of the traditions of the church. Salem's mission is shaped by the Moravian beliefs that have stressed the importance of education and learning as central to their mission for centuries. Other Moravian traditions still practiced at the school include the senior vespers held at the end of every fall term, which includes a Moravian Lovefeast.
Salem Academy is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
All applicants are required to send middle school transcripts and teacher recommendations, and must take the Secondary School Admission Test. Applicants are also required to undergo an interview before receiving admission. Salem accepts students from all over the United States as well as around the world.
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