Founded in 1968, Edmund Burke School enrolls 315 students in grades 6-12 (approximately 90 in the Middle School and 225 in the High School) on a city campus in Van Ness, Washington, DC. With a student / teacher ratio of 6:1 and average class size of 14, Burke is a place where each individual is known and engaged.
... Now, how about some lesser-known facts?
List of 15 items.
7
grade-wide civic engagement programs
11
junior & senior history electives
0
students cut from plays and sports teams
14
minutes to Rock Creek Park & Peirce Mill on foot
36
different colleges and universities attended by the class of 2023
40
percent students of color in 22-23
59
zip codes represented in 23-24
18
display spaces dedicated to 3D and 2D art work
2
mascots - one official and one less so
12
bands and choruses across all grades
58
different schools sending new students to Burke in 23-24
20
advisor meetings per student annually
3
different math pathways offered in 7th and 8th grade
"At the conference table and in the minds of men, the Free World's cause is strengthened because it is just. But it is strengthened even more by the dedicated efforts of free men and free nations. As the great parliamentarian Edmund Burke said, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' And that in essence is why I am here today."
Our school's founders also drew inspiration from that saying and built a school committed to civic engagement and action. While often attributed directly to Edmund Burke, the phrase likely derives from his writings in April 1770: "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."
Our campus is a great size (and in a great location) for us. The school consists of three connected buildings, extending down Upton Street from Connecticut Avenue NW.
The four-story building directly on Connecticut mainly houses the middle school, plus an underground parking garage. A pedestrian bridge (aka: "Albert's Alley") connects to the Library and Atrium spaces, which are an extension of the original school building at 2955 Upton Street. That building mainly houses the high school and the Gym (renovated in 2021-22). Our athletic teams use Howard Field, which is just down the block, as well as the UDC Pool.
We somehow wound up with two. Our official athletic mascot is the Burke Bengal Tiger. (Did you know adult bengals can grow to 10.5 feet long and 650 pounds?) However, we also have Little Ned, a dancing 6th grader in a powdered wig, who makes an appearance at Homecoming annually.
Everyone is new in 6th grade, and the grade generally grows by 20-25% in 7th grade and then doubles in 9th grade – so there are numerous opportunities to make new friends. We also welcome several new students in 8th, 10th, and 11th annually.
Blues musicians included in study of the Great Migration:
Big Bill Broonzy (1903-1958) Howlin' Wolf (1910-1976) Lightnin’ Hopkins (1912-1982) Muddy Waters (1913-1983) Robert Johnson (1911-1938) Son House (1902-1988)
3-D Explorations Ceramics Chorus Comedy Digital Illustration Digital Photography Filmmaking Instrumental Music Play Production Photography Stagecraft Urban Alchemy
• Determination of Equivalent Mass of a Metal by Electrolysis • Determination of the Standard Enthalpy and Entropy Changes in a Chemical Reaction • Preparation and Interpretation of Titration Curves • Preparation and Properties of Buffer Solutions • Spectrophotometric Determination of the Rate Law for the Reaction of Phenolphthalein with Sodium Hydroxide
Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle Bloodchild by Octavia Butler Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff October Country by Ray Bradbury The Complete Lovecraft by H. P. Lovecraft The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan The Weird ed. Ann & Jeff VanderMeer Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
3D Game Development Artificial Intelligence Augmented Reality Build Your Own Computer Ethical Hacking Independent Project Python Projects Smart Devices Social Media & Big Data Web App Development
"Dyin' Ain’t So Bad" from Bonnie & Clyde "Dear Maria" by All Time Low "Stupid With Love"" from Mean Girls "Dos Oruguitas" from Encanto "Hor Ich Das Liedchen" by Shumann "Mi Buen Amor" "Fine" from Ordinary Days "Last Midnight" from Into the Woods "I Love You" by Billie Eilish
As a non-profit school since our founding, Burke is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and has no shareholders or owners. Revenues from tuition and fundraising go right back into the school – supporting academic, athletic, and arts programs, as well as buildings, technology, and professional development.