Byron C. Hulsey, Headmaster
OVERVIEW
Woodberry is an all-boys, all-boarding high school. 97 percent of the faculty live on our 1,200-acre campus in Central Virginia.
A Woodberry Forest School education is rooted in intellectual thoroughness and moral integrity. Our honor system allows students to enjoy an incredible amount of trust and freedom.
Woodberry operates on a trimester schedule. Students are normally enrolled in five core academic courses each meeting 3 3⁄4 hours per week, and may enroll in a maximum of six yearlong courses per academic year.
FACTS AND FIGURES
2024–2025 enrollment: 390 students (100 in senior class)
Abroad programs in Australia, Cuba, the Galápagos, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, and the UK
Nearly 40 percent of our students are involved in one of eight music ensembles (beginning band, concert band, jazz band, beginning strings, string ensemble, pipe and drum band, chapel choir, the Dozen)
Three to five major theater productions each year, including work written, produced, and directed by students
Members of the class of 2024 are attending 53 institutions in 21 states and two countries
GRADES
Woodberry Forest calculates a weighted annual grade point average. A weighted cumulative GPA is also reported. First trimester senior grades are considered mid-year grades. The average course grade across all disciplines is a B.
CLASS RANK
Woodberry Forest School does not rank its students. Only courses taken at Woodberry appear on our transcript.
PREFECT BOARD
After a vote by students and faculty as well as an interview process, the headmaster selects a group of eighteen seniors to serve as prefects each year. The prefects collectively administer the honor system and also run the dorms.
PEER LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
The Peer Leadership Council includes select fifth- and sixth-form students who each serve as mentors to five or six new boys and help them assimilate more quickly into Woodberry life.
THE TALON
For more than seventy years, Woodberry students have published poetry, prose, and art in The Talon, the school’s literary-arts magazine. Students who submit their own work can apply to serve on editorial review boards and then become section editors or editors in chief. The Talon is regularly recognized by the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and others as one of the best student-produced literary magazines in the country.
ENGLISH
Study in each year of attendance
HISTORY
Three courses required, including US History
^sixth-form course that doesn’t count toward three-year requirement
MATH
Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 required
SCIENCE
Three courses required, including lab course in Biology
LANGUAGE
Successful completion of the third level of one language
CURRICULUM
Woodberry offers courses at two levels of academic rigor: regular and honors. Honors courses carry an “H” label and are considered college-level.
*TRIMESTER COURSE HONORS COURSE
English 300
English 400
English 500; Honors
English 600; Honors
Stories and Histories: Intro to Historical Analysis
US History; Honors
FINE ARTS
Three trimester courses required; two for new-boy juniors
REQUIRED ELECTIVES & EXTRADEPARTMENTAL ELECTIVES
SCIENCE THESIS SEMINAR
Foundations in Algebra
Algebra 1
Geometry; Honors
Algebra 2; Honors
Foundations in Algebra 2
Functions, Statistics & Trig Pre-Calculus
Conceptual Physics Physics; Honors Chemistry; Honors Biology; Honors
Chinese 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Ind. Study Honors Chinese 3, 4, 5, 6 French 1, 2, 3
Honors French 4, 5 Latin 1, 2, 3
*Ceramics; Advanced
*Drawing; Advanced
*Painting; Advanced *Photography; Advanced *Printmaking; Advanced
*Sculpture; Advanced
REQUIRED TRIMESTER ELECTIVES: ECLIPSE
Health
Bible
ENGLISH 600 OFFERINGS: Mythology and Modern Literature Page to Stage and Screen
ELECTIVE HISTORY OFFERINGS: Honors American Govt. & Politics^ Honors Constitution^ Atlantic World; Honors Honors Democracy and Dictatorship Environmental History
Honors Intro to Calculus
Sports Statistics
Statistics; Honors
Calculus A; Honors
Honors Calculus B
Seminar in Advanced Math
Independent Study: Advanced Math
Honors Strangers in Strange Lands
Creative Writing; Honors Frontiers in Film and Literature; Honors
Europe and the World; Honors Historical Research Seminar^ World in Flames; Honors World War I & II & the 20th Century; Honors
COMPUTER SCIENCE OFFERINGS:
*Intro to Python
Honors Java Coding
Honors Topics in Python
Seminar in Advanced Computing
Environmental Science: The Woodberry Environment; Honors Honors Independent Study: Physics Honors Science Thesis Seminar
Honors Latin 3, Advanced Latin Lit. Spanish 1, 2, 3, 4
Honors Spanish 3, 4, 5, Ind. Study Russian Independent Study
Intro to Drama and Speech
Honors Drama: Adv. Acting & Directing Documentary Filmmaking Narrative Filmmaking Music; Honors (Choir, Concert Band, Dozen, Jazz, Pipe and Drum, Strings)
EXTRADEPARTMENTAL ELECTIVES: Applications of Engineering; Honors Intro to Engineering Design* Design & Editing for Lit. Pubs; Honors
Science Thesis Seminar is an undergraduate-level science course that allows juniors and seniors to dive into faculty mentored research projects and immersive short courses. Each student undertakes two separate projects/immersives, at least one culminating in an externally evaluated thesis defense. STS is an ungraded honors course. Students are selected based on authentic, demonstrated interest in science and an application and interview process.
ENGINEERING DESIGN
These project-driven courses blend math, science, and team-based design thinking. The honors class is designed for students interested in engineering at the collegiate level, and students need instructor permission to enroll.
SCAN HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF COLLEGE MATRICULATIONS
*Electronic Music
*Music Theory – Intermediate Honors Music Theory
Individual Instruction – Instrumental, Voice (no credit)
Honors Economics Journalism; Honors Yearbook