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Name: Fountain Valley School of Colorado |
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Notable alumni include: Steve Lemme of Broken Lizard Comedy Troop (starring in movies such as Super Troopers, Club Dread, and Beerfest); actor Brad Dourif (HBO's "Deadwood" and The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy); sculptor Paul Matisse (grandson to Henri Matisse); Jonathan Ormes, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center; Ed Sherin, producer of "Law and Order"; Blair Fuller, former editor of the Paris Review: Allison Chase, producer of "The Amazing Race"; filmmaker/producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr.; newspaper publisher James McClatchy; Jack Lane, director of the Dallas Museum of Art; Belding Scribner, pioneer of kidney dialysis, and Bob Weir a member of the Grateful Dead. |
Fountain Valley School of Colorado was established in 1929 and was opened the following year led by a group of visionary men and women who were philanthropists, statesmen, scientists, entrepreneurs and educators. Many had personal and professional ties to the East; all shared the conviction that the Eastern independent school tradition of academic excellence, progressive ideals, self-reliance and intellectual curiosity would thrive in the expansiveness of the Rocky Mountains. John Dewey, the notable American educational reformer, was on the first Board of Trustees, and his grandson graduated with the class of 1940. |
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The school's mission is to foster a lifelong love of 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. The school is situated at the base of Pikes Peak on 1,100 acres of rolling prairie in southeastern Colorado Springs. The school's 40-acre Mountain Campus is located near Buena Vista, Colo., 115 miles west of the main campus. All students participate in the afternoon program, whether they choose to compete in an interscholastic sport, outdoor education or fitness, or one of three theater productions (a fall play, winter musical and spring play). A full athletics program includes cross country (boys and girls), field hockey (girls), soccer (boys and girls); tennis (boys and girls), volleyball (boys and girls), basketball (boys and girls), swimming (girls), lacrosse (boys and girls), track and field (boys and girls), competitive climbing, competitive and instructional skiing and snowboarding.
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All students also participate in community service each year and have a number of clubs and organizations from which to choose. Students publish a monthly newspaper, annual yearbook and a biannual literary magazine. Art offerings include metal-smithing and jewelry-making, ceramics, acting, choir, wind ensemble, chamber strings, digital studio and studio art. The Western Immersion Program (WIP) is a signature interdisciplinary program for all FVS sophomores. Weaving together the disciplines of literature, history, science and art, WIP explores how the Western landscape shaped the people, history and culture of the region. The school's beautiful 40-acre Mountain Campus serves as the base for the program. The Interim program is an essential and anticipated part of every school year. Each March, students and faculty suspend regular classroom activities to participate in an Interim of their choice. Interim provides students with the opportunity to expand their intellectual, cultural and social horizons beyond the classroom. The weeklong program is curriculum based and includes such activities as learning about Chinese culture while in Beijing, discovering southern Culture and the blues in Memphis and New Orleans, kayaking in Georgia, and connecting with the American musical tradition on Broadway. Freshman Interim introduces students to the central premise of Interim‚ "learning by doing." Organized in small groups, the Freshman Interim program focuses on the history of Colorado by exploring ranching heritage, Hispanic heritage and pioneer heritage. |
