Student Life at Woodberry Forest School • December 2014
Math at Every Level basic skills to limitless possibilities
Even though he has a doctorate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has taught college mathematics, Woodberry’s math department chair David McRae chooses to teach the entrylevel course, Algebra I. “Most of our teachers have taught at all levels,” he says. “They know where their students came from and where they are going.”
Winter Activities afternoon activities for all interests
When days are short and cold winds blow, there is plenty for boys to do beyond the classroom at Woodberry. Some play on an athletic team or try another physical activity. Others pursue interests in art, music, or drama. Still others choose community service or start their own activity, such as our new film and photography club. Regardless of their choice, boys find ways to have fun throughout the winter. Basketball Woodberry offers teams for boys of all skill levels — varsity, junior varsity, and Bengal. Indoor climbing Our climbing team competes in indoor climbing gyms throughout the region. Indoor track Our varsity and junior varsity teams compete all winter long in the Barbee Center. Physical fitness Boys meet daily in Glover Fitness Center to complete a vigorous exercise regimen. Squash Varsity and junior varsity players learn the game or improve their skills in our squash pavilion. Swimming and diving Woodberry offers varsity and junior varsity swimming teams and a diving program.
Wrestling Our grapplers demonstrate character, courage, discipline, and toughness on the mat. Art Art is open to boys who demonstrate true passion for creative expression. Community service Boys volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club and help others who live in the local community. Debate Our debate team competes in Virginia Catholic Forensics League tournaments. Drama Boys act in shows on the main stage and the black box theater or assist on the tech crew. Music Woodberry musicians participate in an ensemble, take private lessons, or make their own music.
Teachers take pride in making sure students understand each concept before going forward, even when that means tutoring them outside of class. “One benefit of boarding school is that we can spend as much time helping boys in consultation as we do teaching class.” And while Woodberry boys get a firm foundation in their early math classes, they can also go further at the Forest than at almost any other secondary school. “Some students go two years beyond calculus,” Dr. McRae explains. “In our Seminar in Advanced Mathematics, boys delve into topics like number theory, symbolic logic, game theory, and Euclidean geometry.” Beginning next fall, those studies will take place in a beautiful new math facility currently under construction. The building will feature maththemed elements like artwork based on the golden ratio and floor tiles arranged in a Cartesian grid. More importantly, there will be white boards everywhere to make collaboration easy. No matter whether a boy is conquering the basics or challenging his limits, Woodberry’s math teachers are ready to lead him on an adventure through the world of numbers.
From the Headmaster “What we have here is the kind of culture that makes us better and challenges us to reach for high standards while embracing a place that is so much bigger and more enduring than we will ever be. It is the kind of place where a boy has the opportunity to act and lead in ways he never would have at home.” Byron Hulsey ’86, writing on his blog, What Matters Most Read more: www.woodberry.org/headmastersblog Woodberry Forest School
Dr. David McRae, mathematics department chair Tiger Tales • December 2014 • 1