Student Life at Woodberry Forest School • march 2015
Winter Fun at Woodberry Long Winter weekend offers something for everyone
Tim Sheng ’15, Justin Mitchell ’16, and Marion Anderson ’15 consult during the physics tournament.
Beyond the Classroom Science events build higher learning
’16 Mr. Reid and Rob Prater . ges jud fair nce serve as scie
“We don't teach science just so students can pass our tests,” said Greg Jacobs, chair of Woodberry’s science department. “We do science here.” Students take what they learn in their core subjects – conceptual physics, chemistry, and biology – to another level when they choose advanced courses like Anatomy and Physiology, Research Physics, and Biomechanics.
Long Winter Weekend, which arrived in the middle of the trimester, offered boys a break from their winter routines. Many guys took trips to their own or friends’ homes, and some stayed on campus to compete in the US Young Physicists Tournament. Others participated in a local robotics tournament, ventured out for dinners at local restaurants, or gathered for a Super Bowl party.
The ability to communicate is just as important in science as it is in English or history. So when Curtis Phillips’s biomechanics class completed its experiment on what exercises best activate the hamstring muscles using high-tech measuring devices called EMG sensors, the class presented its research to Dr. Todd Jarry’s anatomy and physiology students.
But the luckiest seven might have been the ones who went with Nolan LaVoie, Woodberry’s director of outdoor education, to Snowshoe Mountain for four days of skiing and snowboarding in fresh powder. They spent days tackling the resort’s fiftyseven trails, located right outside their cabin’s front door. After long days of fun in the deep snow, they hit their cabin’s sauna and hot tub, cooked dinner, played Xbox, and watched ski-bum movies.
The main event for Research Physics students, the US Invitational Young Physicists Tournament, brought teams of students from all over the world to the Forest to present and debate solutions to physics problems they’d spent the whole year working on. This year, Woodberry took second place in the competition in which they investigated and built devices like a magnetic “rifle,” a swing that shows parametric resonance, and wooden windowsills that test the “teapot effect.”
“The ski trip was the most fun I’ve had in a while!” said Gus DuPree ’18. “We were right next to the mountain, which allowed us quick access to the slopes.” Warren Matthews ’18 agreed. “Hitting the sauna and hot tub at the end of the day was the best.”
Recent special science events offer further evidence of how far a boy can go. Mr. Reid and Mr. Aubin took their Honors Biology scholars to a nearby middle school one January morning to serve as science fair judges. “Our students can see the level of expertise they've gained, and they can immediately recognize the best projects,” said Mr. Jacobs.
The success of these events and presentations comes from the everyday work boys have done since they walked into their third-form physics lab. As Mr. Jacobs says, “Designing, performing, and analyzing experiments are part of the everyday nature of our courses."
From the Headmaster “The primary purpose of Woodberry Forest is not to prepare you for college, though that is surely important; it is not to prepare you for the workforce, though that is important, too. The purpose of this place is to prepare you to live a great and bold and courageous life." Byron Hulsey ’86 in his sermon in St. Andrew’s Chapel Read more: www.woodberry.org/headmastersblog
Robin Kay ’16
Woodberry Forest School Tiger Tales • march 2015 • 1
year » 6th Form (senior)
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
NATE INGRAM
hometown » Charlottesville, Virginia AdvisEr » Mr. Amos sportS » Football (Co-captain, slot receiver), Track (300m, 4 x 400m), Lacrosse (Co-captain, middie) college » Accepted to Carnegie Mellon and University of Virginia so far Why I chose Woodberry » When I came to Woodberry Forest Sports Camp, I loved the school. Now I spend my summers as a Sports Camp counselor.
2014–2015 Prefects
8:00 am wake up I have first period free today, so I wake up late and study for my French test. Other mornings, I go to breakfast for a bagel and some cereal.
French IV with Mr. Culbertson We only speak in French in that class. We’ve been watching and translating a French music video called “Pas Tois” and reading books in French.
8:45 am
9:30 am Free time I get together in the Fir Tree snack bar with the other members of the prefect board’s executive committee for an informal meeting and a snack.
11:45 am LUNCH in reynolds family dining room I usually have a sandwich and a salad.
Fact or Fiction with Mr. Blain We’re reading All the King’s Men in Senior English. My biggest challenge this year was memorizing the “To be or not to be” soliloquy from Hamlet.
Seminar in Advanced Mathematics with Dr. McRae We’re making graphs of the pathways around the Woodberry campus to help us find the most efficient ways to get from place to place.
10:15 AM
1:00 Pm
At Woodberry, David Woodson ’14 wasn’t afraid to get involved. He helped to orient new students. He played football and ran track. He played basketball all four years — becoming a team captain his final year. He participated in the school’s diversity conference, Taking the Lead. And he engaged in swordplay on stage in The Three Musketeers. David, a native of Laurel, Maryland, is currently a freshman at Syracuse University. Which Woodberry activity challenged you the most? The play was something new for me. It forced me to understand that life is truly about embracing new things until you feel comfortable. Did you feel ready for college? Woodberry prepared me perfectly! I breezed through my first weeks of college while many of my closest friends here struggled. At Woodberry, I learned to make sure my work is completed before I do other things — and to take time to rest and enjoy myself.
Alumni Spotlight
David Woodson
2 • march 2015 • Tiger Tales
What is your major? I’m studying communications with a focus on online journalism and newspapers. I’m also interested in sports management — I want to understand sports from a financial perspective and as a fan. I also write a sports blog: www.24secondsandcounting.com. What’s fun about Syracuse? Basketball games are incredible. Being in the Carrier Dome with 30,000 other screaming people is an insane experience and one I would not trade for the world. GO ORANGE!!! Woodberry Forest School
1:45 Pm
Nate lives on Griffin House.
Honors Government with Dr. Jordan We just finished a huge videocreation project on a government policy. My group made a six-minute video on Obama’s executive action on immigration.
3:45 Pm Lacrosse Practice at Hanes Field My favorite part of my Woodberry day is going down the hill with my friends and working toward the same goal of building a better team.
Statistics with Mr. Holmes It’s interesting learning about polling people’s opinions, and Mr. Holmes always makes up fun word problems. Every test has a theme; in December, the test was all about Christmas.
7:00 Pm STUDY HALL I usually start studying early so that I’ll have enough time to read a little and get my work done before senior half-hour starts.
Seated Dinner I’m at Mr. Reid and Mr. Aubin’s table right now. Mr. Aubin just got out of college, so he and I talk about what school I should pick.
6:15 pm
10:30 Pm ON DORM Since I’m a prefect, I make sure the dorm is settled before I turn in for the night.
AVERAGE JOES BASKETBALL LEAGUE Our team, Tune Squad, has a game in the Dick Gym. We may not be as good as the varsity players, but we are serious about competing!
9:30 Pm
2:30 pm
An Auburn University graduate, experienced math teacher, and baseball fanatic who has coached college and professional ball, Chris has been at Woodberry for four years. Students love him for his friendly ways, his sports expertise — he coaches football, JV basketball, and varsity baseball and knows tons of stats — and his colorful wardrobe. How did you learn about Woodberry? I first encountered Woodberry boys at a football camp at the University of North Carolina. They really stood out as tremendous athletes and well-spoken, intelligent young men. I knew then I would really like teaching in an academically rigorous environment. What classes do you teach? I teach Honors Algebra II and Honors Statistics. I’m proud that enrollment in Statistics has more than doubled since I began teaching it. What’s special about coaching at Woodberry? It’s almost like coaching my own children. I eat with my players, advise them, help them study for tests, and encourage them to make good decisions. What do you enjoy most about Woodberry? Faculty Feature I like being able to invest lots of time in my students. I taught at a great school in Alabama, but if I had tried to organize a Wednesday evening study session, my plans would have met resistance. Woodberry, though, values time spent between teachers and students any time of day. Woodberry Forestat School Tiger Tales • March 2015 • 3
Chris Holmes
Presorted First Class U.S. Postage PAID Orange, VA Permit No. 97
Woodberry Forest School Office of Admissions 898 Woodberry Forest Road Woodberry Forest, VA 22989-9989
March 2015 Tiger Tales
What is your favorite thing about Woodberry?
The campus in springtime Richmond ’16 • One-Club golf Jared ’15 • Research physics Marion ’15 free periods Efose ’17 • performing Plays in Dr. Broaddus's class Jackie ’18 • making friends for a lifetime Patrick ’15 • school spirit Richie ’17 • Advisory dinners with Mr. Amos Connor ’15 • Formal Neal ’15 Bengal soccer Jero ’18 • Bacon cheeseburgers at the Fir Tree Jerry ’17 • bowties Jack ’17 • The River Jack ’18 Mr. Phillips and Biomechanics class Greg ’18 • Coach Hemming's speeches to the lacrosse team Nick ’15 • barbecue competition Jared ’15 • The beautiful campus Kevin ’16 • Freedom Jonathan ’17
Drama is an afternoon activity option every trimester.
Woodberry hosts a Semi-Formal and Formal dance each year
The Rapidan River borders campus and provides opportunities for tubing, boating, and fishing.
Boys compete in a barbecue competition each Spring.
Every new boy has an opportunity to visit the ropes course.
WFS offers sixteen different sports, and teams for every skill level.
Woodberry is one of the few boarding schools in the US with a golf course on campus.
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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.