Adelphi Academy marks 50 years in Bay Ridge

September 25, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Students at Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn recently started a new school year. Photo courtesy of Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn

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Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn’s 153rd academic year is shaping up to be extra special, as the historic private school is also marking its 50th year in Bay Ridge.

Adelphi was founded in 1863 and was located for more than 100 years in Downtown Brooklyn. But 50 years ago, the school opened its current campus on a hilltop at 8515 Ridge Blvd.

Students in all grade levels gathered in the academy’s John Lockwood Auditorium Theatre on Sept. 10 for the first day of the new academic year.

Students and teachers spent the day engaging in various community-building exercises designed to break the ice and make youngsters comfortable and ready for a brand new school year.

As part of the ice-breaking process, the academy assigned each grade a different “house” and assigned house names modeled after the system used in Hogwarts Academy, the fictional school in the “Harry Potter” novels.

Students were also given the opportunity to participate in the creation of a house seal and banner reflective of the characteristics and principals of each individual house.

The day after classes opened, the kids were treated to a pizza party in The Panther Café, the school’s dining area.

There are many new programs available for the 2015-2016 school year, according to academy officials. The new programs include Adelphi’s Theater Arts Program, a new Middle School Robotics Program and an expansion of the Lower School’s Early Childhood Develop-ment Program.

“This is going to be an exciting year for Adelphi,” Head of School Iphigenia Romanos said in a statement. “As always, we welcome new students to our academy who are eager to experience Adelphi’s rich academic curriculum, after-school activities and overall sense of community.”

New and ongoing after-school athletic and extra-curricular activities available for the fall include fitness, soccer, theater, creative crafting and art studio. New classes include public speaking, expanded SAT prep and astronomy.

In addition, students will be able to participate in etiquette classes and receive hands-on career. guidance and mentoring.

Several renovations have already taken place throughout the campus and more are underway, from new paint in the hallways and classrooms to the revitalization of the Academy’s art studio, music tower, recording studio and computer and science laboratories into state-of-the-art educational centers.

“The start of the school year brings about a sense of wonder and excitement within the students, who want to experience all they can during their time here and get the absolute most out of the Adelphi experience,” Romanos stated. “The ongoing and regular physical expansions and renovations of our campus facility in order to meet the growing enrollment of our school and the ever-changing needs of our students are very important.”

For more information, visit www.adelphinyc.org.