Student Life at Woodberry Forest School • september 2014
Tigers Circle the Globe
A New Leader
Boys thrive during study abroad opportunities
dr. Byron hulsey becomes
Woodberry boys always have an answer when they’re asked, “What did you do over the summer?” Many choose to participate in exciting enrichment opportunities the school offers through a variety of study abroad programs — this year in China, Nicaragua, Oxford, Scotland, and Spain. Designed and led by Woodberry teachers, these multi-week adventures for small groups of boys offer high-level instruction, including intensive language classes; cultural immersion; and, in some cases, opportunities to help others. Plus, they’re all great fun! Girls from nearby boarding schools also participate in the Scotland program. Any Woodberry boy can apply for study abroad and financial aid is available.
ninth headmaster
Woodberry Forest has always been a family place. On July 1, Woodberry welcomed a new family to campus — Headmaster Dr. Byron Hulsey; his wife, Jennifer; the couple’s children, Ben and Claire; and the family dog, Hank.
Here are just a few of the activities that kept Woodberry boys engaged: •
Hiked up — and sand-boarded down — Cerro Negro, a volcano in Nicaragua
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Climbed the Karsts of Guilin, magical land formations in southern China, and the Great Wall in northern China
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Scrambled gorges in the Central Highlights near Balmoral Castle, Scotland
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Punted (steered a longboat with poles) on the River Cherwell in Oxford, England
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Practiced bullfighting at a cortijo in Spain with a professional bullfighter
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Played an interactive game to reenact the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn in Stirling, Scotland
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Sampled paellas on the Mediterranean
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Screened the movie Frozen, in Spanish, to teach comprehension skills to Nicaraguan children
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Studied code and cyphers at the University of Oxford
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Enjoyed tea houses during the day and home-cooked meals at night with host families in Liuzhou, China
ua
Nicarag
Dr. Hulsey, a Texas native and Woodberry graduate, is dedicated to ensuring that the school offers motivated boys what they need — challenging academics, exciting athletics, and many social and cultural opportunities. “I first arrived at Woodberry as a young boy in search of a better education and a life challenge,” he said. “I got what I was looking for and so much more.”
Spain
As a student, he served as senior prefect, the top student leadership position. He also earned AllState honors in cross country, lettered in track and baseball, and was editor-in-chief of the yearbook. He earned a history degree from the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar and graduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Hulsey returned to Woodberry as a teacher, coach, and college counselor. He later taught at a boarding school in England and served as assistant headmaster at Norfolk Academy. He most recently spent eight years as headmaster of Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama.
Oxford
Scotland
The Hulseys are now settled into their new home, the historic Residence. “Here boys become lifelong learners,” Dr. Hulsey said, “and they also have lots of fun!”
Woodberry Forest School Tiger Tales • september 2014 • 1
Tee Up with Woodberry's Golf Team tigers prove they are aces on the green
Even boys who might never join a golf team like to grab a club after dinner and head out with buddies to play. The school’s nine-hole course was designed by famed golf course builder Donald Ross a hundred years ago and is kept green with water from the school’s Robertson Lake.
student snapshot
Christian Zaytoun ’15 Woodberry boys often think of their fellow Tigers as brothers, but Christian Zaytoun ’15 of Raleigh, North Carolina, has always had a true brother at the Forest: Haynes graduated in 2013 and Rocco ’17 started at the Forest last fall. Christian plays quarterback, pitches for the baseball team, and competes in the 55-meter dash on the track and field team. This summer, his fellow prefects chose him to be senior prefect, and he’ll be head ropes course instructor this year. Christian plans to study engineering and play football in college. What have you been doing this summer? I was back on campus as a Woodberry Sports Camp counselor, and then I helped with the Woodberry Football Camp. I also attended some football camps of my own. I went to Colorado with the rest of the prefects to learn the leadership skills I’ll need on dorm. What does being selected senior prefect mean to you? I feel honored that students and faculty members view me as a responsible student who can set an example for others. I’m looking forward to be working closely with Dr. Hulsey during his first year as headmaster. What is your favorite part of your Woodberry day? The hour after seated dinner and before study hall is a great time to play a few holes of golf or hang out and relax with friends. What are you most looking forward to during your senior year? Of course the upcoming football and baseball seasons will be exciting, but mostly I look forward to spending time with my friends before we head our separate ways.
“We want golf to be available to every student who wants to play,” said head varsity golf coach Marc Hogan, explaining that Woodberry has four teams. “It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or an accomplished player. Our coaches teach a love of the game, so guys can play for the rest of their lives.” This year, Woodberry’s most accomplished players competed at a high level. The varsity team won the Virginia Prep League title for the third year in a row. At one home match, they posted the best team score ever shot by a Woodberry golf team. Several individual players spent the summer competing in regional tournaments. Peter Knade ’16 made the field at the men’s Maryland Amateur and tied for fifth in the Maryland Junior Amateur event. Bo Pettegrew ’16 holds the top scoring average in the Lake Erie Junior Golf Association. Another rising junior, Basil Boyd, won his Virginia State Golf Association junior qualifier and will play in the Optimist International championship in Florida. Coach Hogan, named Prep League Coach of the Year for the fifth time this year, is a competitor, too: He qualified for the Virginia State Golf Association Senior Amateur championship this fall. “Golf teaches sportsmanship, integrity, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment,” said Coach Hogan. “The team’s core values fit well with Woodberry’s honor system.”
Basil Boyd ’16
Teachers Study Abroad Too!
history faculty prepare for new curriculum
Five Woodberry history teachers traveled together to England for a week this summer to study ancient Athens, Sparta, Rome, and China at the University of Cambridge. They attended lectures and spent time in conversation to prepare to teach Stories and Histories, a new course all Woodberry's third formers will take starting this fall. The instructors will use some of history's most interesting events — from both ancient and more recent times — to spark students' curiosity. "These are stories with juicy plots and intriguing characters," said Fred Jordan, history department chair. Among the topics freshmen can look forward to learning more about the assassination of Julius Caesar, the trial of Galileo, and the deployment of the atom bomb. And they’ll get the reading and writing skills they need to help them succeed in future history study. from left : Frank Tallman ’95, Nolan LaVoie, Benjamin Axelrod, Will Sutherland ’08, and Matt Boesen
2 • september 2014 • Tiger Tales
Woodberry Forest School
A Blur of Activity
another successful year for woodberry's summer camps
When the school year ended, the action didn’t stop at the Forest! During June and July, the campus played host to six camps, so boys — and some girls and dads — got a chance to have fun and make memories in a friendly, supportive environment. Father-Son Camp welcomed dads and their young sons for a weekend of clinics and free time to explore. The pairs chose from sports like baseball, basketball, canoeing, climbing, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis. They could also participate in science labs in the Manning Family Science Building and theater and art workshops in the Walker Fine Arts Center.
faculty feature
Ryan Alexander Sports Camp — the camp that started it all forty-seven years ago — kicked off on June 15 when 180 boys arrived to play sports all day, every day. Boys joined fifteen teams for competitive tournament play. They also received individual instruction in specific sports throughout the three-week camp. Field trips included hiking local landmark Old Rag Mountain, riding the roller coasters at Kings Dominion, and getting soaked at Water Country USA.
Ryan Alexander teaches sophomore and junior English and serves as the offensive coordinator for the varsity football team and assistant coach of the varsity lacrosse team. He and his wife, Mandy, who recently earned an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School, live on Dowd-Finch. The two spent the summer in Oxford, England, where Ryan is doing coursework toward a master’s in English. How does coaching and teaching the same students help the students?
After Sports Camp came a series of sessions focusing on specific sports. Participants — seventy-three for football, eighteen for squash, sixty-four for basketball, and sixty-nine for lacrosse — enhanced their skills with drills, exercises, and scrimmages. Coaches included past and current Woodberry coaches and student athletes. Campers enjoyed a healthy competitive spirit and tons of fun. As always, visits to the outdoor pool and the Fir Tree Snack Bar were on the agenda.
Getting to teach and coach the same boys is one of my favorite things about working at Woodberry. I get to know boys in different ways in the classroom and on the athletic field. When I know a student more fully, I can teach and coach him better. How does your wife get involved in school life? Like me, Mandy wears a lot of hats at Woodberry. She cherishes being a dorm “mom” to the DowdFinch guys, and she’s the statistician for the varsity football team. Mandy loves basketball — she played for Davidson College — so she organizes our senior intramural basketball league, the “Average Joes.” How do you structure your classes to work for younger students?
Just as in past years, Woodberry’s 2014 camps provided a mix of team play, individual attention, and excellent facilities to young athletes. This summer tradition means all ages can make memories at the Forest.
The biggest goal of the English classroom is to make boys into strong writers. I meet with my students in one-on-one consultations because that is the single most effective tool for teaching young students about writing; it’s much better than leaving a note at the end of an essay. I can see if a student understands my comments, and we can have a dialogue about his writing. What’s one way the all-boy environment benefits boys? I think they’re more likely to engage in a class discussion or ask questions in an all-boy setting. A single-sex environment helps our students sustain self-confidence during their formative years.
Woodberry Forest School Tiger Tales • september 2014 • 3
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Woodberry Forest School Office of Admissions 898 Woodberry Forest Road Woodberry Forest, VA 22989-9989
September 2014 Tiger Tales
Fall is a beautiful time at the Forest!
Campus visits began on September 13. There are fifteen weekends to visit before the application deadline of January 15.
Interviews are offered on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday.
Woodberry also welcomes overnight visits on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday nights.
Call us to schedule a visit!
WWW.WOODBERRY.ORG
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888-798-9371
wfs.admissions@woodberry.org
Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school–administered programs. This school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.