Asheville School

Asheville School is a private, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school in Asheville, North Carolina. Founded in 1900, the Asheville School campus sits on 300 acres (1.2 km2) amid rugged mountains and currently enrolls 275 students in grades nine through twelve.

Asheville School's academic course of study is rigorous and stresses a traditional core curriculum of the humanities, sciences, mathematics, foreign language and the arts. Through the study of these subjects, students learn the fundamentals of good writing, critical thinking and clear communication. Classes are small, with an average size of 12 students, and the student to teacher ratio is 7:1.

Asheville School has a unique Humanities program that integrates the study of literature, history, religion, art, music, architecture, film and dance into a series of four year-long courses: Ancient Studies, World Studies, European Studies and American Studies. English and history teachers may team-teach these courses, sometimes with the assistance of the school’s music teacher and other guest lecturers. The academic program is writing intensive, culminating in a final research project known as the Senior Demonstration. The "demo," as it is colloquially known, demands that seniors produce two lengthy papers on a topic of their choosing and complete an oral defense lasting twenty minutes.

Students at Asheville School are expected to live by high ethical standards and to uphold an honor code. The Asheville School Honor Code stipulates that no student will lie, cheat or steal, and that he or she will report any student who does. When submitting any independent work, students "pledge" that they have adhered to the honor code. Six students are chosen by their peers to serve on the Honor Council, a body composed of these students as well as a handful of faculty members that hears all violations of the Code. The Honor Council is largely didactic rather than disciplinary, and is complemented by a Conduct Council that hears cases involving infractions of school rules not pertaining to honor.

Situated among the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Asheville School has emphasized an appreciation of the great outdoors since its founding. The school's location offers great natural beauty and an abundance of recreational opportunities. Asheville School has a well established mountaineering program that provides the staff, training and equipment to give students the opportunity to participate in backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, snow skiing, caving and mountain biking. Many students take mountaineering as an afternoon activity for daily on-campus instruction and practice. On-campus facilities include a high-ropes course, an Alpine Tower, a bouldering wall, a swimming pool (for kayak instruction) and 200 acres (0.81 km2) of forested land with miles of trails for biking and exploring. Off-campus trips are frequently offered to places such as Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah National Forest, the Tuckaseegee and French Broad rivers, and the Tsali Recreational area. All new students go on at least one overnight camping trip during their first year at Asheville School that introduces students to the school's mountaineering program and to the beautiful region.

Asheville School offers students the opportunity to participate in a variety of musical groups, including the school chorus, chamber choir, instrumental ensemble, and a cappella group. Students may also pursue musical endeavors on their own by taking afternoon music lessons.The drama department produces two to three shows a year. In winter, the production is either a musical or a work by Shakespeare.Dance is offered as an activity during the winter and spring seasons. Dancers often design and choreograph their own shows, and typically collaborate with thespians on the winter musical.

The Asheville School student body is made up of approximately 80% boarding students and 20% day students. The school values diversity, and has students from 26 states and 13 countries. Roughly a quarter of the students receive need-based financial aid. The school has about the same number of males and females.

Boarding students live in one of three dormitories: Lawrence Hall, Anderson Hall, and Kehaya House.

Asheville School students are expected to maintain a well-groomed, well-dressed appearance. For boys, classroom dress includes jackets and ties; for girls, a dress skirt, jumper, or dress slacks with a blazer. Some substitutions may be permitted according to the season. Neat casual dress is required at other times.

The school stresses the need for a strong community, and the concept of "seated meals" perfectly exemplifies this belief. Most weekday lunches, as well as dinners on Thursday and either lunches or dinners on Sunday, are "seated:" students sit at a circular table headed by a faculty member, and are served by a student waiter. The composition of these table changes every two weeks so as to allow students to get to know nearly all members of the student body. The school prides itself on the ability of its students to learn the names of all students and faculty members by the end of the year.