Private, In-Home Tutoring in New Haven, Connecticut

Worthington Hooker School is located at 180 Canner St., New Haven, CT 06511. Worthington covers kindergarten through eighth grade. Contact Worthington at (475) 220-7200. The mission statement of WHS is, from their website, to be “New Haven’s most culturally diverse school; Worthington Hooker prides itself on its multicultural and international student population; We value the variety of attributes and qualities that each student, parent, faculty and staff member bring to the school; We strive to support a school culture that models academic excellence and respect for all; We foster an arts-infused approach to learning; We help each child realize his/her potential to become a responsible and productive citizen of the world.” The school itself is named after a University Professor and Physician, Dr. Worthington Hooker, who lived from 1806 to 1867. The school has two separate buildings, one for grades K-2 and one for grades 3-8, in total there are around 450 students, of which a large percentage are Yale professors’ students.

Amistad Academy is located at 130 Edgewood Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511. Amistad covers kindergarten through twelfth grade. Contact Amistad at (203) 772-7000. The foundations of the Amistad Academy system are based on a few key beliefs outlined on their website: “We are high performing: We have some of the best schools in the country. Our students are outperforming kids across our cities and states. And they’re going on to college to become whatever they dream of. We care about people: We can help you become who you’re meant to be, whether you’re 8 or 38. Because at Achievement First, we know that taking care of kids means taking care of teachers, too. We are innovating & growing: We never stop learning and evolving. It’s a part of everything we do, from our bold new programs to the way our network of schools continues to grow in the communities we serve.” The Amistad Academy network is 36 schools strong, all of which are not for profit, so you can be assured that the quality of education is coming before profit margins.

Engineering-Science University Magnet School is located at 130b Leeder Hill Hamden, CT 06517. Engineering-Science University Magnet covers sixth grade through twelfth grade. Contact Engineering-Science University Magnet at (203) 946-6610. The mission of the Engineering-Science University Magnet School, as laid out on their website, is to provide a “solid academic foundation that encourages students to continue education at college level. Offering mentoring opportunities with University of New Haven scientists and engineers. Developing strong critical thinking and analytic reasoning skills in all areas of the curriculum. Fostering students confidence in their ability to succeed academically. Engineering and Science University Magnet School, a public college preparatory middle and high school, challenges students to imagine, investigate, and invent while preparing them for demanding STEM programs at the collegiate level.” The Engineering Science school is unique due to not only their progressive views on education, but also the vast expanse of one of a kind course offerings available to their students. This includes courses such as: Robotics, Digital Media, App Development, Coding, ECommerce; Digital Media and Movie Making, and Gateway College Credit Engineering.

Educating Our Parents: Understanding the New Haven District Curriculum

An initiative known as “School Change” has been seeking to change the achievement gap found in its inner-city urban schools. Each school will be supported in its own particular needs to best help both their students and teachers. One goal is to attract and keep the best teachers and increase community involvement. They want to make school meaningful for the students to raise test scores and educational attainment.

These efforts are supported by the focus on core academics, literacy, mathematic and scientific knowledge being central to the curricular goals. The emphasis on these subjects is intended to increase the level of analysis and interpretation, problem-solving, and inquiry-guided thinking processes that students have the opportunity to do. This curricular emphasis fully prepares students for college and career pursuits.

The city of New Haven is the seat of New Haven County on New Haven Harbor. New Haven is the second largest city in the state. New Haven is a relatively small city, covering an area of 52.1km2, and housing a population of 129,779. New Haven is a part of the New York Metropolitan area, despite being in a different state, and is also a coastal city, it is on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. New Haven, as its name might imply, was the first planned city in America. It was founded by English Puritans in 1638, and had eight streets laid out on a grid. The city originally had a park in its centre, which is still present today, having been designated a National Historic Landmark. It is also home to Yale University, which is the largest employer in the city.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports a 2010 population of 129,779, with 47,094 households and 25,854 families within the city of New Haven. The population density is 6,859.8 people per square mile (2,648.6/km²). There are 52,941 housing units at an average density of 2,808.5 per square mile (1,084.4/km²). The ages of New Haven’s residents are 25.4% under the age of 18, 16.4% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years, which is significantly lower than the national average.

The Yale University Art Gallery

The stated mission of the Yale University Art Gallery is to “encourage appreciation and understanding of art and its role in society through direct engagement with original works of art. The Gallery stimulates active learning about art and the creative process through research, teaching, and dialogue among communities of Yale students, faculty, artists, scholars, alumni, and the wider public. The Gallery organizes exhibitions and educational programs to offer enjoyment and encourage inquiry, while building and maintaining its collections in trust for future generations.”

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

From their website, the mission of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is to “serve Yale University by advancing our understanding of earth’s history through geological, biological, and anthropological research, and by communicating the results of this research to the widest possible audience through publication, exhibition, and educational programs. Fundamental to this mission is stewardship of the Museum’s rich collections, which provide a remarkable record of the history of the earth, its life, and its cultures. Conservation, augmentation and use of these collections become increasingly urgent as modern threats to the diversity of life and culture continue to intensify.”

The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

The mission of The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, from their website, is to “collect, catalog, preserve, and make accessible rare books, manuscripts, and other formats from ancient to modern times in support of the teaching and research mission of the students and faculty of Yale University and visiting scholars throughout the world. To support intellectual communities at Yale and beyond, the library sponsors conferences, classes, fellowships, symposia, digital initiatives, and print publications related to its collections.  Beinecke Library exhibitions, lectures, concerts, and other cultural events seek to enliven and enrich the Yale and New Haven communities.”

Interesting Facts

• The first hamburger in the United States was made and served at Louis’ Lunch which is still in operation today. The first pizza was also served in New Haven.
• Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephones were installed in New Haven and the country’s first telephone book (with 50 names) was printed.
• The lollipop, on of America’s sweetest creations, was developed and commercially produced in New Haven.
• 1940s Yale students recycled Frisbie pie plates. A famous American toy was born!
• Nick Carraway, the humble narrator of The Great Gatsby, doesn’t state exactly which college he went to when he said he graduated from “New Haven,” but it was probably Yale.
• Claire Danes, Jodie Foster, Lupita Nyong’o, Sigourney Weaver, the incomparable Meryl Streep—powerful actresses from many different generations are all Yale grads as well.
• New Haven has its own resident ghost (or ghost story, at the very least). Mary E. Hart was buried in 1872, but after her aunt had a disturbing dream in which Mary had been buried alive, the family went to disinter the coffin, just in case. Turns out there was evidence to suggest that “Midnight Mary” may have been laid in a little prematurely—blood on the fingertips and scratch marks on the coffin. You might even see her ghost around the area at night, so watch out.