Buffalo Seminary
| The Buffalo Seminary | |
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| Location | |
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| 205 Bidwell Parkway, Buffalo, NY, US | |
| Information | |
| Type | private, all-girls |
| Established | 1851 |
| Songs | Alma Mater and Jerusalem |
| Head of School | Jo Ann Douglass |
| Faculty | 40 |
| Number of students | 157 |
| Mascot | Red Tailed Hawk |
| Website | www.buffaloseminary.org |
The Buffalo Seminary, commonly called Buff Sem or simply Sem, is a private, nonsectarian, all-girls college preparatory school located at 205 Bidwell Parkway in Buffalo, New York, United States. The school operates independently from the New York State guidelines established by the Board of Regents.
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History
Founded in 1851, Buffalo Seminary is Western New York’s only nonsectarian, college preparatory school for girls. The school was originally named The Buffalo Female Academy, and has maintained all-female attendance. Its original mission was to provide an exceptional education to young women throughout its 150-year history. Originally, it offered education for young girls from kindergarten through sophomore year in college. In 1889, the school adopted its current name, The Buffalo Seminary. Graduates of the seminary founded the Twentieth Century Club in the late 1800s.[1] The school changed its policy in 1899 to teach only grades 9 through 12 after merging with the Elmwood School. In 1908, the school moved from its initial founding address on Johnson Park to the current address on Bidwell Parkway.
Facilities
The Seminary's main building is located at 205 Bidwell Parkway. It was designed by Boston architect George F. Newton, who also designed the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. It was completed in 1909, in the Tudor Revival style, the school's building features buttresses, terra cotta sculptures, Gothic style arches, and limestone ornamentation. The interior of the building features a library with a fireplace, a remodeled study hall, traditional chapel (the location of every day's morning meeting) as well as modern computer labs, laptops, and Smartboard technology. A remodeled kitchen and atrium provide areas for students to enjoy mealtimes and free-periods. A contemporary Performing Arts Center, MAC lab, darkroom, gymnasium, and a fitness room have helped keep the school modern. Additionally, the building features the West-Chester Hall, now used for meetings, but previously served as a private residence for the headmaster or mistress.
Sports
The Buffalo Seminary Red Hawks are part of the Monsignor Martin Girls Athletic League. The students compete with other schools in the league as well as other local high schools in various sports. The school offers 12 sports in which the girls may participate in both the Varsity and Junior Varsity level. Notably, Buff Sem sent 2 boats to the US National Scholastic Rowing Championships in Camden, NJ. Their women's junior four boat took first place, as National Champions in 2007[2]. The school's mascot has recently been changed to the Red Tailed Hawks. Formerly, they were known as the Seminary Sirens, a reference to Greek myth.
Traditions
One of the school's prominent traditions is the Hornet and Jacket tradition. After admission to the school, a student is randomly sorted into either team. Throughout the year, different festive and often holiday themed contests are held, such as costume contests, and the teams compete against the other. Points are awarded to the winning team, and at the close of the school year, the points are tallied, and the winning team is engraved into the "Cup."
Another tradition not common in other schools in the area is the Morning Meeting. Other local high schools usually begin their day with an assigned homeroom for students, but traditionally, at Sem, all students gather in the chapel in the morning. Announcements are read here, in a more informal atmosphere to give a greater sense of community. Students commonly perform comical skits meant to be educational, and singalongs also take place to start the school day with a more positive attitude.
Cultural References
In City of Light by Lauren Belfer, a novel exploring the cultural mores of old Buffalo wealth, The Buffalo Seminary serves as inspiration for the Macaulay School for Girls, of which the main character is Headmistress.
See also
Gallery
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Buffalo Seminary, November 2010
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Buffalo Seminary Entry Details, November 2010
References
External links
Coordinates: 42°55′28.041″N 78°52′30.0426″W / 42.92445583°N 78.875011833°W
