Moravian Academy is a preschool through 12th-grade co-educational college preparatory school that predominantly serves students from the

Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the n ...

region of eastern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

. Moravian Academy descended from the first school for girls in the

American Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centur ...

, established by

Benigna Zinzendorf Benigna Zinzendorf, also known as Henrietta Benigna Justine Zinzendorf von Watteville (1725–1789), was the founder of the first boarding school for girls in the British American colonies, which became Moravian College and Moravian Academy. She was ...

, a 16-year-old Countess. Moravian Academy is the ninth oldest independent school in the nation.

History

The original school was established in

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19,3 ...

in 1742. In 1929, The Swain School, a preschool through 8th-grade secular co-educational independent school, was founded by D. Esther Swain. Later, in 1971, Moravian Seminary for Girls merged with Moravian Preparatory School to form Moravian Academy. In August 2020, Moravian Academy and the Swain School merged, creating a new school still operating under the name Moravian Academy. The school has more than 900 students and 200 employees from across the region located on three campuses: *Downtown Campus: (preschool - 8th grade), situated along the national historic site in the heart of Bethlehem. *Swain Campus: (preschool - 8th grade), a 22-acre contemporary campus in the west end of Allentown, Pennsylvania. *Merle-Smith Campus: (grades 9- 12), situated on a 120 acres green expanse in Bethlehem.

Beginning School

The Beginning School consists of preschool - kindergarten classes on th
Downtown
an
Swain Campuses
Students in the Beginning School learn through responsive classroom techniques, experiential learning, and learning though play.

Lower School

The Lower School consists of students in grades 1 - 5 on the Downtown and Swain Campuses. The Lower School focuses on foundations skills, field trips, interdisciplinary project-based learning. Curriculum is built to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and perseverance.

Comenius Signature Program

The Comenius Signature Program is an honors independent study program designed to allow sophomores, juniors, and seniors to design and carry out a research project, under the mentorship of a faculty member and in collaboration with the Comenius committee. Students create projects beyond the Moravian Academy curriculum in areas of personal interest.Learn More

Administration

School Leadership History Henrietta Benigna Justina von Zinzendorf (1742, founds first school, Germantown, PA) Principals: * Reverend John Andrew Huebner (1785-1790) * Reverend Jacob Van Vleck (1790-1800) * Andrew Benade (1800-1813) * Reverend Lewis Huebner (1813) * Reverend John G. Cunow (1813-1815) * Right Reverend Charles G. Reichel (1815-1816) * Reverend Henry Steinbauer (1816-1818) * Reverend Charles F. Seidel (1818-1819) * Reverend John F. Frueauff (1819-1821) * Reverend Lewis Davis deSchweinitz (1821-1822) * Reverend Charles F. Seidel (1822-1836)

Notable alumni

* Sally Kohn, liberal political commentator * Santo Loqusto ‘61P, Tony Award winner *

Gilmer McCormick Gilmer McCormick is an American actress and singer best known for her performance in the stage and film versions of ''Godspell'' in the early 1970s and for her role as Sister Margaret in the 1984 horror film '' Silent Night, Deadly Night''. Earl ...

‘65P, Actress

References

External links

*
Moravian Academy athletics
official website
Moravian Academy profile
at Niche
Moravian Academy sports coverage
at ''

The Express-Times ''The Express-Times'' is a daily newspaper based in Easton, Pennsylvania. The newspaper provides national news and extensive local news coverage of the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855, ''The Express-Times'' is the lon ...

'' {{Coord, 40.678945, -75.311794, type:edu_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title 1742 establishments in Pennsylvania Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Educational institutions established in 1742 Educational institutions established in 1971 Educational institutions of the American (North) Province of the Moravian Church Moravian settlement in Pennsylvania Private elementary schools in Pennsylvania Private high schools in the Lehigh Valley

Private middle schools in Pennsylvania Schools in Northampton County, Pennsylvania