Statement of Purposes and Objectives
Avon Old Farms is a student-centered school; its mission is the education of adolescent males. To this end, Avon seeks to create a structured and supportive environment advantageous to the intellectual and physical growth as well as the social and moral development of young men.
Avon offers a thorough, straightforward, and structured program to students diverse in their academic abilities. In their efforts to succeed, all students are at once challenged and supported by faculty members who are consistently available to students for extra help outside the classroom. Avon believes that this approach, designed to nurture self-confidence and a healthy sense of self-worth, is excellent preparation for the demands and rigors of college.
Augmenting this pedagogical strategy, a broad athletic program emphasizes participation and intensity of play at all levels of ability and fosters self-esteem, teamwork and school spirit. Avon also offers extensive programs in the visual arts, music, and drama to support diverse interests and to encourage individual artistic expression. To promote a sense of the dignity of service, a work program within the school community provides each student with a job which he must complete satisfactorily and regularly. Through this commitment, a young man learns to accept personal responsibility and to feel a sense of involvement with his peers, his supervisors, and the school community at large.
Avon’s finest attributes lie in the strength, vitality, and coherence of its community, while the uniqueness of the architecture feeds and sustains a “sense of place.” The school’s size allows a family atmosphere to develop with faculty who interact with students regularly on the varied levels of teacher, coach, and advisor. Faculty members serve as role models for the students through this continual student/faculty interaction. Faculty families are an integral part of Avon’s vibrant community. A strong sense of belonging pervades the students, faculty, and administration of this single-sex school -- a sense of pride in being “Men of Avon.”
A strong code of ethics permeates the entire school program at Avon. Clearly articulated and consistent guidelines for behavior reinforce honesty, self-discipline, respect for self and others, and acceptable manners.
In the tradition of Avon’s motto, Aspirando et Perseverando, Avon continues to see its mission as one of structuring reasonable goals for its students and of supporting them in their efforts to succeed. This dynamic is the essence of the educational process at Avon Old Farms.
