The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush (also known as Benjamin Rush, Rush Arts, or simply Rush) is a public, magnet high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rush Arts is known for placing its focus on both academia and the visual/performing arts, as well as encouraging creativity and the development of strong critical thinking skills.
Mission statement
Promotional Video for the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush -
"Our special admissions school is based on the belief that the arts provide an unequaled opportunity to foster intellectual growth by connecting arts and literacy. Visual and media literacy skills will permeate all subjects at the high school. Reflective teaching and learning will be expected in every classroom with an emphasis on building a community of learners to be thinkers and creators, and who are preparing for college or professional careers. At the same time, the school will prepare students to be participating members of a democratic society by engaging them as stakeholders in their education. The spirit of intellectual curiosity will be encouraged in and through the arts."
Core Values
Rush Arts embraces a set of core values, abbreviated as "ICEPAC." All students are expected to both follow and help enforce this moral code; to serve as a reminder to everyone, it is depicted in both classrooms and hallways on posters.
- IMAGINATION: What if...?
- COMMUNICATION: How can I be sure I'm understood?
- EMPATHY: Who is affected?
- PERSPECTIVE: Through what lens do I examine this? Where is this coming from?
- ANALYSIS: How do I know what I know?
- COMMITMENT: What action do I need to take?
Academics
Each student at Rush Arts auditions for one specific "major" out of the five that the school offers. These are the visual arts (which have graphic, media, and fine arts as three subcategories), dance, theatre, instrumental music, and vocals. Students generally stick with one major throughout their high school career; while they have the option of switching majors, this requires a re-audition and acception into that field.
Athletics
The school competes as a representative of PIAA District XII, Public League. The school mascot is the knight, while the team colors are purple and black. Rush Arts offers Six Varsity sports; four for girls and two for boys. The girls sports are volleyball, soccer, basketball, and softball. The boys sports are basketball and baseball.
The girls soccer team began varsity competition in spring of 2010 (moved to the fall in 2012). Since they began play, the team has won the Public League Class AA Championship in both 2012 and 2013. In addition, they won a Bronze Division Championship in 2011 and have reached the playoffs every season since the team began.
The girls softball team began varsity competition in spring of 2013 (they were a JV program prior to that) and have yet to lose a regular season game. The softball team won the Public League Bronze division undefeated in 2013 and the league's Silver Division in 2014. They lost in the playoffs both seasons.
The boys baseball team began varsity competition in spring of 2013 (they were a JV program prior to that) and have qualified for the class A playoffs both seasons.
The volleyball team and basketball teams have not yet qualified for league or classification playoffs. The Volleyball team did successfully achieve a division promotion however after the fall 2014 season.
Extracurricular activities
Since its establishment, The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush has offered a number of extracurricular activities for students to participate in. Among these are...
- Art/clay club
- Build-On (community service)
- Cheerleading practice
- Chemistry club (with tutoring)
- Dance practice
- Jazz band
- Journalism club
- Manga/anime club
- Mathletes club/tutoring
- Model United Nations (UN)
- Scrabble club
- Glee club
- Student council
In addition, many teachers will stay after school on specified days to aid students academically.
External links
- The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush official website