The Bullis School
Encyclopedia
Bullis School is an independent, non-denominational, co-educational college preparatory day school for grades 3-12. The school enrolls 640 students and located in Potomac, Maryland
, in the suburbs of Washington, DC.
. The school moved in 1934 to suburban Silver Spring, Maryland
and began its four-year college preparatory program. In the 1960s, the school moved to its current location in Potomac, Maryland, and in 1980 became co-educational.
Today the school offers a 10-year college preparatory program for boys and girls in grades 3-12 with a faculty of 95 educators. The school is governed by an independent board of trustees.
Students are required to wear school uniforms. There is an honor code in place. The head of school is Gerald L. Boarman, Ed.D.
The Upper School college preparatory curriculum includes traditional and innovative courses. Requirements include four years of English emphasizing writing and literary analysis; three years of math; three years of laboratory sciences (biology, chemistry, physics); and three years of social studies (one of which must be U.S. history). Students are required to complete at least two years of one language at the high school level and must study that language through a Level III course. Students may choose from art and technology courses.
Honors and Advanced Placement courses and tests are offered in 18 subject areas. No student is allowed to take more than four Honors or Advanced Placement classes during any given trimester without approval from the academic dean.
Bullis' Global Studies program organizes student trips for students to experience new countries through service, language study, or a specific area of academic exploration.
Upper School students are required to participate in sports, publications and/or theater after school for two trimesters each year.
Upper School students meet Bullis' fine arts requirement through studio work and history survey courses in art, music, dance and theater. Beginning and advanced courses in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, chorus, music theory, acting, stagecraft and set design are offered.
Upper school students participate in the IAC (boys) and ISL (girls) leagues. Fall sports include football, cheerleading, boys and girls soccer, girls' tennis, field hockey and cross-country. Winter sports include boys and girls basketball, wrestling, ice hockey and swimming. Spring sports include softball, baseball, boys and girls' lacrosse, boys' tennis, golf and track and field.
The school mascot is the bulldog, and the school colors are navy blue and gold.
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
, in the suburbs of Washington, DC.
History
Bullis was founded in 1930 by Commander William "Joey" F. Bullis as a preparatory school for the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. The school moved in 1934 to suburban Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
and began its four-year college preparatory program. In the 1960s, the school moved to its current location in Potomac, Maryland, and in 1980 became co-educational.
Today the school offers a 10-year college preparatory program for boys and girls in grades 3-12 with a faculty of 95 educators. The school is governed by an independent board of trustees.
Current profile
640 students: 45% girls, 55% boys; 29% minority students; 3.5% international citizens.- Lower school enrollment (grades 3,4,5): 89
- Middle school enrollment (grades 6,7,8): 185
- Upper school enrollment (grades 9-12): 400
- Faculty: 95
Students are required to wear school uniforms. There is an honor code in place. The head of school is Gerald L. Boarman, Ed.D.
Campus
The 104 acres (420,873.4 m²) campus includes buildings for administration and staff and the lower, middle and upper schools as well as:- The Marriott Family Library and Technology Center
- The Blair Family Center for the Arts, with a 750-seat auditorium, dance studio, and digital art and music labs. This building is solar powered.
- Kline Alumni Stadium with 2,000 seats and an artificial-turf field and 8-lane all-weather track
- Athletic Center with 1,000-seat gym, three basketball courts, wrestling gym, strength and fitness center
- 7 outdoor and 4 indoor tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, two baseball diamonds, four soccer fields, field hockey, softball diamond, football practice field, and lacrosse field.
Academics
The Lower School and the Middle School emphasize preparation in English, mathematics, science, history, art, music, classical and modern languages and computer literacy.The Upper School college preparatory curriculum includes traditional and innovative courses. Requirements include four years of English emphasizing writing and literary analysis; three years of math; three years of laboratory sciences (biology, chemistry, physics); and three years of social studies (one of which must be U.S. history). Students are required to complete at least two years of one language at the high school level and must study that language through a Level III course. Students may choose from art and technology courses.
Honors and Advanced Placement courses and tests are offered in 18 subject areas. No student is allowed to take more than four Honors or Advanced Placement classes during any given trimester without approval from the academic dean.
Bullis' Global Studies program organizes student trips for students to experience new countries through service, language study, or a specific area of academic exploration.
Upper School students are required to participate in sports, publications and/or theater after school for two trimesters each year.
Arts
All lower and middle school students take classes in art and music. Middle school students participate in the performing and production aspects of a yearly musical. A school-wide Festival of Light is performed in December.Upper School students meet Bullis' fine arts requirement through studio work and history survey courses in art, music, dance and theater. Beginning and advanced courses in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, chorus, music theory, acting, stagecraft and set design are offered.
Athletics
Competitive sports are introduced in middle school. Upper and middle school students participate in more than 60 interscholastic teams in a variety of sports with other area independent schools.Upper school students participate in the IAC (boys) and ISL (girls) leagues. Fall sports include football, cheerleading, boys and girls soccer, girls' tennis, field hockey and cross-country. Winter sports include boys and girls basketball, wrestling, ice hockey and swimming. Spring sports include softball, baseball, boys and girls' lacrosse, boys' tennis, golf and track and field.
The school mascot is the bulldog, and the school colors are navy blue and gold.
Extracurricular programs
In addition to athletics and arts, students may participate in student government, the honor council, publications (yearbook, newspaper and literary magazine), diversity club, academic clubs and teams, community service programs, and other clubs and activities.Summer programs
Bullis' summer programs are open to all children and include academic summer school as well as camp programs in sports, nature exploration, arts and crafts, and special events and field trips.Green energy
As a 3-12 school that uses renewable energy, Bullis ranks fourth in the nation according to the EPA's Green Power Partnership. The school is powered by wind through the purchase of wind credits and the production of solar energy from 540 photovoltaic solar panels installed in December 2009 on the roof of the school's Blair Center.Accreditation
Bullis is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Maryland Department of Education. It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, the Association of Independent Maryland Schools, the Secondary School Admission Test Board, and The Black Student Fund.Notable alumni
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) and author.