Fountain Valley School
Encyclopedia
Fountain Valley School of Colorado is a private, co-educational independent college preparatory school
for students in the 9th through 12th grades. The School's primary campus is located on 1100 acres (4 km²) of rolling prairie at the base of the Rocky Mountains
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
. The School also owns and utilizes a 40 acre Mountain Campus located near Buena Vista, Colorado
.
FVS is a member of The Association of Boarding Schools, or TABS, and is home to the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute for teaching professionals.
in Connecticut
. With the help of Colorado Springs entrepreneur and philanthropist Spencer Penrose
, she convinced the school's first headmaster, Francis Mitchell Froelicher to come West to start the school and commissioned architect John Gaw Meem
to use the Pueblo Revival Style architecture
model for its design. The site chosen for the School was a large ranch, known as Lay B Ranch, belonging to Palm Beach polo enthusiast Jack Bradley, and the school's first building was Bradley's spectacular 1927 home designed by Adison Mizner. The house was known as Casa Serena, and was surrounded by a polo field, stables, and some small residences for ranch hands. Hare purchased the Lazy B and all of its amenities for $150,000 in November 1929. The school opened as a boarding school for boys in September 1930. Original faculty members included F. Martin Brown, who taught science, Alexander S. Campbell (English), Roswell C. Josephs and Robert C. Langdon (mathematics), Ernest Kitson (music), C. Dwight Perry (French), Boardman Robinson
(art), and Froelicher himself, who taught history. Early funders, in addition to Hare and Penrose, included Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, Lucile Alsop, Hagner Holme, and Alfred Cowles.
The school has had only seven headmasters in its 80+ year history: Froelicher served from 1930 to 1950 and was succeeded by Henry B. Poor (1951–1958), Lewis Perry Jr. (1958–1978), Timothy Knox (1978–1987), Eric S. Waples (1987–1995), John E. Creeden (1995–2007), and current headmaster Craig T. Larimer, who is also a 1969 graduate of the School.
, Great Britain
, Bulgaria
, Hungary
, Macedonia
, Spain
, Japan
, South Korea
, Taiwan
, Thailand
, Saudi Arabia
, Syria
, Mexico
, Canada
, Guatemala
, and Australia
. 36% of students received some form of financial aid.
During the same year, the School employed 47 faculty members, 36 of whom were full time, 27 of whom lived on campus, and 70% of whom held advanced degrees in their field.
to hunter-jumper shows. The school has a rich, nearly 80 year history in Western Riding and has garnered numerous national awards. Since the inception of the English riding program in 2003, student teams won an Interscholastic Equestrian Association national title twice, in both 2007 and 2010.
The outdoor education program and the Western Immersion Program (WIP) are both part of the school curriculum and utilize the Mountain Campus throughout the school year. The outdoor education program sponsors overnight and day trips to the campus, and allows students to participate in rock climbing, mountain biking, and other mountain pursuits in place of a traditional NCAA sport or other extracurricular activity.
WIP was established in 1996 to allow 10th graders to utilize the Western landscape for an interdisciplinary study experience. The sophomores head to the Mountain Campus every October to learn how the Western environment shaped the people, history, culture and region. The Mountain Campus also hosts student ski trips, biking trips and other outdoor adventures throughout the year.
Students interested in the performing arts can participate in any of the school’s three annual productions, including the winter musical. The music program includes instruction in vocal and instrumental disciplines, with opportunities to participate in concerts, small ensemble performances and in statewide honor choirs and bands. The school also has a digital film studio.
The school's Bedford Gallery hosts two student art exhibits each year to showcase art such as painting, ceramics and jewelry making.
Two days in a six day rotation, the students and all faculty and staff join in the Lewis Perry Jr. Chapel to attend "All-School," which is when announcements, events, and performances are made. Senior students have the opportunity to share a meaningful presentation with the community during this time as well.
Students also participate in the annual interim program, which occurs during the first week of spring break. Interims allow students to explore their passions through experiential education. Past interim programs have included trips to foreign nations, such as China, Israel, The Baja Peninsula, France, The Bahamas, Great Britain, and Peru, as well as domestic trips such as "The American Deep South" and "Photography in Canon de Chelly." All freshmen participate in a locally based interim, through which they explore Colorado's rich history in ranching, mining, and pioneering.
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
for students in the 9th through 12th grades. The School's primary campus is located on 1100 acres (4 km²) of rolling prairie at the base of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. The School also owns and utilizes a 40 acre Mountain Campus located near Buena Vista, Colorado
Buena Vista, Colorado
Buena Vista is a Statutory Town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,195 at the 2000 census.Buena Vista is located in central Colorado roughly midway between Salida and Leadville in the Upper Arkansas River Valley at an elevation of . The area between Buena Vista and...
.
FVS is a member of The Association of Boarding Schools, or TABS, and is home to the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute for teaching professionals.
History
FVS was founded in 1930 by Elizabeth Sage Hare, a wealthy New York native who moved to Colorado Springs in 1927 in hopes that the fresh air would help heal her husband's tuberculosis. Ms. Hare dreamed of creating "a great progressive school in the West" in the tradition of prestigious schools in the East, such as Avon Old FarmsAvon Old Farms
Avon Old Farms is a single-sex boarding school for boys located in Avon, Connecticut. It was founded by Theodate Pope Riddle, an RMS Lusitania survivor and a master architect. It opened in 1927 and closed for a period during World War II to serve as a convalescent hospital for blind veterans. The...
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. With the help of Colorado Springs entrepreneur and philanthropist Spencer Penrose
Spencer Penrose
Spencer Penrose was a philanthropist in and around Colorado Springs at the turn of the 20th century. He was born into a prominent Philadelphia family of Cornish descent and was brother to Boies Penrose and Richard Penrose...
, she convinced the school's first headmaster, Francis Mitchell Froelicher to come West to start the school and commissioned architect John Gaw Meem
John Gaw Meem
John Gaw Meem IV was an American architect based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is best known for his instrumental role in the development and popularization of the Pueblo Revival style...
to use the Pueblo Revival Style architecture
Pueblo Revival Style architecture
The Pueblo Revival style is a regional architectural style of the Southwestern United States which draws its inspiration from the Pueblos and the Spanish missions in New Mexico. The style developed at the turn of the 20th century and reached its greatest popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, though it...
model for its design. The site chosen for the School was a large ranch, known as Lay B Ranch, belonging to Palm Beach polo enthusiast Jack Bradley, and the school's first building was Bradley's spectacular 1927 home designed by Adison Mizner. The house was known as Casa Serena, and was surrounded by a polo field, stables, and some small residences for ranch hands. Hare purchased the Lazy B and all of its amenities for $150,000 in November 1929. The school opened as a boarding school for boys in September 1930. Original faculty members included F. Martin Brown, who taught science, Alexander S. Campbell (English), Roswell C. Josephs and Robert C. Langdon (mathematics), Ernest Kitson (music), C. Dwight Perry (French), Boardman Robinson
Boardman Robinson
Boardman Robinson was a Canadian-American artist, illustrator and cartoonist.-Early years:Boardman Robinson was born September 6, 1876 in Nova Scotia, Canada. He spent his childhood in England and Canada, before coming to Boston in the first half of the 1890s...
(art), and Froelicher himself, who taught history. Early funders, in addition to Hare and Penrose, included Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, Lucile Alsop, Hagner Holme, and Alfred Cowles.
The school has had only seven headmasters in its 80+ year history: Froelicher served from 1930 to 1950 and was succeeded by Henry B. Poor (1951–1958), Lewis Perry Jr. (1958–1978), Timothy Knox (1978–1987), Eric S. Waples (1987–1995), John E. Creeden (1995–2007), and current headmaster Craig T. Larimer, who is also a 1969 graduate of the School.
Mission
FVS is dedicated to creating a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum in academics, athletics, and the arts. It seeks to serve "motivated students within a close-knit and supportive community", which in turn endeavors to foster a lifelong love of challenge and learning in an environment of diversity and mutual respect, and to prepare adolescents to become individuals who are open-minded, curious, courageous, self-reliant and compassionate.Students and Faculty
During the 2010-2011 academic year, FVS enrolled 260 students, 173 of whom were boarding students and 87 of whom were day students. Of those students, 48% were male and 52% were female. They hailed from 27 different states and 19 different countries, and 22% of them claimed permanent residence in a nation other than the United States. International students during the first decade of the 2000s matriculated from many diverse countries around the world, including GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. 36% of students received some form of financial aid.
During the same year, the School employed 47 faculty members, 36 of whom were full time, 27 of whom lived on campus, and 70% of whom held advanced degrees in their field.
Outdoor and Equestrian Programs
FVS is home to a world-class equestrian program and a spectacular 40 horse herd. Both English and Western riding programs are available, and students compete in everything from gymkhanaGymkhana
Gymkhana is a typical Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for "racket court," is an Indian term which originally referred to a place where sporting events take place. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held...
to hunter-jumper shows. The school has a rich, nearly 80 year history in Western Riding and has garnered numerous national awards. Since the inception of the English riding program in 2003, student teams won an Interscholastic Equestrian Association national title twice, in both 2007 and 2010.
The outdoor education program and the Western Immersion Program (WIP) are both part of the school curriculum and utilize the Mountain Campus throughout the school year. The outdoor education program sponsors overnight and day trips to the campus, and allows students to participate in rock climbing, mountain biking, and other mountain pursuits in place of a traditional NCAA sport or other extracurricular activity.
WIP was established in 1996 to allow 10th graders to utilize the Western landscape for an interdisciplinary study experience. The sophomores head to the Mountain Campus every October to learn how the Western environment shaped the people, history, culture and region. The Mountain Campus also hosts student ski trips, biking trips and other outdoor adventures throughout the year.
Athletics, Arts, and Extracurricular Activities
The school sponsored 33 competitive athletic teams during the 2010-11 school year. Offerings include cross country, field hockey, golf, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming and diving, ice hockey, skiing and snowboarding, lacrosse, soccer, and track and field, in addition to the previously mentioned equestrian program and climbing and outdoor education programs.Students interested in the performing arts can participate in any of the school’s three annual productions, including the winter musical. The music program includes instruction in vocal and instrumental disciplines, with opportunities to participate in concerts, small ensemble performances and in statewide honor choirs and bands. The school also has a digital film studio.
The school's Bedford Gallery hosts two student art exhibits each year to showcase art such as painting, ceramics and jewelry making.
Academics
In 2010, FVS offered more than 70 courses, including 19 Advanced Placement courses. Coursework can include anything and everything, from AP Government to photography to an ever-popular course devoted exclusively to the study of Shakespeare. Every night, Sunday through Thursday, boarding students are required to attend study hall from 7-10 pm where they are required to attend to their work. The first hour is “closed study hour” where students work quietly and independently. After a half-hour break, the rest of study hall is “open” – students have the option of quiet study time, group study, project work or faculty meetings.Student Life
Students live in four residence halls that are composed of 10 houses (five boys houses and five girls houses). A house typically includes eight student rooms, a common area, kitchen and dining area, computer area, bathrooms and laundry facilities, as well as the houseparent’s office and residence.Two days in a six day rotation, the students and all faculty and staff join in the Lewis Perry Jr. Chapel to attend "All-School," which is when announcements, events, and performances are made. Senior students have the opportunity to share a meaningful presentation with the community during this time as well.
Students also participate in the annual interim program, which occurs during the first week of spring break. Interims allow students to explore their passions through experiential education. Past interim programs have included trips to foreign nations, such as China, Israel, The Baja Peninsula, France, The Bahamas, Great Britain, and Peru, as well as domestic trips such as "The American Deep South" and "Photography in Canon de Chelly." All freshmen participate in a locally based interim, through which they explore Colorado's rich history in ranching, mining, and pioneering.
Notable Alumni
- John Perry BarlowJohn Perry BarlowJohn Perry Barlow is an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist who has been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties. He is also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic...
, digital rights activist and lyricist for the The Grateful Dead - Allison Chase, producer of "The Amazing Race"
- Brad DourifBrad DourifBradford Claude "Brad" Dourif is an American film and television actor who gained early fame for his portrayal of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and has since appeared in a number of memorable roles, including the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, Younger Brother in...
(HBO’s DeadwoodDeadwood (TV series)Deadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
and The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
movie trilogy) - Dominique DunneDominique DunneDominique Ellen Dunne was an American actress.Dunne made appearances in several made for television movies, television series, and films, and played a supporting role as the oldest daughter, Dana Freeling, in the 1982 film Poltergeist...
(Actress, appeared in Poltergeist) - Griffin DunneGriffin Dunne-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
- Blair Fuller, former editor of the Paris Review
- Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
- Jack LaneJack LaneJohn William "Jack" Lane was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward.-References:...
, director of the Dallas Museum of ArtDallas Museum of ArtThe Dallas Museum of Art is a major art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In 1984, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Arts District, Dallas, Texas... - Steve LemmeSteve LemmeSteven "Steve" Lemme is an American actor, writer, and producer, and one of the members of the Broken Lizard comedy group. He attended The Dalton School, a high school in New York, but after one year transferred to Fountain Valley School in Colorado, graduating in 1987. He attended Colgate...
of Broken Lizard Comedy Troop (starring in movies such as Super TroopersSuper TroopersSuper Troopers is a 2001 crime-comedy film directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, written by and starring the Broken Lizard comedy group . Marisa Coughlan, Daniel von Bargen and Brian Cox co-star while Lynda Carter has a cameo appearance...
, Club DreadClub DreadClub Dread is a 2004 comedy horror film written by the comedy group Broken Lizard, who also created Super Troopers...
, and BeerfestBeerfestBeerfest is a 2006 beer-themed comedy film by the comedy group Broken Lizard. Along with the regular members of Broken Lizard, other actors who appear in the movie include Will Forte, M. C. Gainey, Cloris Leachman, Kendra C...
) - Paul MatissePaul MatissePaul Matisse is an artist and inventor. He is known especially for his public art installations, many of which are interactive. He is also inventor of the Kalliroscope....
(grandson to Henri MatisseHenri MatisseHenri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
) - Jonathan Ormes, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
- Belding Scribner, pioneer of kidney dialysis
- Ed Sherin, producer of Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
- Bob WeirBob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
, a member of the Grateful Dead