Lincoln School, Rhode Island

Lincoln School is a college preparatory day school for girls nursery through twelfth grade, located in Providence, Rhode Island.

Established in 1884, the school is named for John Larkin Lincoln, who was the founder's favourite professor of Latin. It was originally founded to educate only eight girls, Miss Daisy Dwight and her friends, but today enrolls nearly 400 day students.

A member of the Friends Council on Education, Lincoln's strong Quaker heritage encourages respect for the dignity and worth of each individual.

Lincoln is the only K-12, all-girls, independent school in Rhode Island and the only all-girls Quaker school in the nation.

Since 1993, Lincoln's endowment has grown from $750,000 to $7 million.

Total enrollment is 380: 166 students in grades 9-12, 81 students in grades 6-8, 133 students in grades N-5.

Average class size: 13

One-fifth of the student body receives tuition assistance; the average aid award has increased by 12%.

Twenty-nine percent of new students in 2005-2006 are students of color.

Annual scholarship opportunities for Upper School students include the Greenhalgh Scholarship and the new Lincoln Scholars Program, a four-year scholarship for a maximum of two students entering ninth grade.

66% of the faculty hold an advanced degree.

Students attending Lincoln come from 69 different urban, suburban, and coastal communities, including 30 in Massachusetts.

Lincoln's new facilities are completely accessible for people with disabilities.

Lincoln's 33-acre athletic complex, Faxon Farm, is located in Rehoboth, a 15-minute drive from the Providence campus.

Lincoln's athletic teams include: Field Hockey, Tennis, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Swimming, Ice Hockey, Squash, and Crew.

Lincoln is within walking distance of the Brown University campus and minutes from downtown Providence.

The Lincoln community is home to more than 20 clubs and organizations.

Lincoln's music program hosts the only all-girls Jazz Band in RI.

There are currently 3,551 Lincoln School alumnae living from coast to coast and throughout the world.

Traditions
Awards Night Held in late spring to honor the academic, athletic, and community achievements of Upper School students.

Commencement Usually the first or second Thursday of June; held in the afternoon. Graduates wear long white dresses and carry flowers.

Lumina: A Celebration of Light Previously called Vespers. This event sustains the beauty and pageantry of the Lincoln During Lumina the songs that are sung are: One Little Candle, Take Up the Song, Instrument of Peace, Misstresses and Masters, The Peace Round, and Garden on the Earth.

Senior Dinner Held for seniors and their parents the evening before Commencement prior to Step-Singing.

Silent Meeting In the manner of Friends, students and faculty in Middle and Upper School gather each week on Friday for Silent Meeting. Individuals may feel moved to speak, bringing a message of concern to the school community. Members of the senior class sit at the front on the 'facing bench,' and signal the end of meeting with the shaking of hands. The Lower School has similar gatherings for silent reflection.

Step-Singing Held the evening before Commencement, this is one of the most beloved traditions during which there is both stepping and singing. It is an exchange of songs (usually parodies of popular music, all reflecting a common theme) between the graduating class and the juniors. It is held on the front steps of the school, and just before the seniors sing their last, most sentimental song, the juniors (who sing standing on the bottom step) change places with the seniors, who sing on the top one.