Blue Ridge School

Blue Ridge School
Location
St. George , Virginia United States
Information
Type	private, all-male boarding school
Motto	"Teaching Boys To Reach"
Established	1909
Headmaster	Dr. John R. O'Reilly
Enrollment	195
Student to teacher ratio	5:1
Color(s)	Blue and White
Mascot	Barons
Website	Blue Ridge School

Blue Ridge School is a private, all-male boarding school for students grades 9-12 in Saint George, Virginia, near Charlottesville. The school was founded in 1909 by the Reverend George P. Mayo. About 190 students attend Blue Ridge from 33 states and ten foreign countries, with many from Virginia and the rest of the South. The schools' campus is 751 acres (3 km²) and adjoins the Shenandoah National Park at the base of Brokenback Mountain.

History

The School opened its doors to about 35 students early in 1910, and when the word "industrial" was removed from the title years later, it added to the School's stature as an academic institution. Blue Ridge School, which still requires students to attend chapel three times per week, held its first commencement in 1918, when two graduates were awarded diplomas. Five years after the School opened its doors, 49 boarding students and 44 day students attended Blue Ridge and have since expanded numerous times. The original 148 acre (0.6 km²) campus, located 20 miles (32 km) from Charlottesville, VA, at the foothills of the historic Blue Ridge Mountains, has grown to nearly 800 acres (3.2 km²). The campus features a lake, several ponds. The Robert A. Gibson Memorial Chapel, the Martha Bagby Battle House (Headmaster’s Residence) and the old St. George Post Office still stand on Blue Ridge School's grounds. Headmaster Hatcher C. Williams felt the capable boy, with just a little help, could learn to take care of himself and maximize his growth academically and personally. That philosophy still prevails on the campus. In 1962, the School was reorganized by a Board of Trustees into today’s program, a college preparatory boarding school for boys, many of whom did not realize their potential in other settings. The Current headmaster is Dr. John O'Reilly. Today, Blue Ridge School asserts that it is dedicated to providing a sound college-prep education for capable and willing young men. Blue Ridge is a supportive, structured community where self-esteem is founded upon solid accomplishment in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in the arts and in a host of co-curricular activities. In 2011, 53 of 55 graduates (96%) were accepted by colleges and universities. School programs emphasize the development and refinement of individual talents and skills essential to success and fulfillment in academics and life.

Athletics

Blue Ridge School has many sports and participates in the fall, winter and spring seasons. It participates in the Old Dominion Football Conference (ODFC), the Cavalier Athletic Conference (CAC), and the Virginia Independent Conference (VIC) for Varsity Soccer. The basketball team is consistently one of the best in Virginia and has competed in the State finals. It has a 22,000 square foot (2,000 m²) field house and its sports Include:

Fall

• V Cross-Country
• JV Cross-Country
• JV Football
• JV Soccer
• Mountain Biking
• V Football
• V Soccer
• Outdoor Adventure Sports
• Volley Ball

Winter

• Indoor Soccer
• JV Basketball
• Outdoor Adventure Sports
• Squire Basketball
• V Basketball
• Wrestling

Spring

• Outdoor Adventure Sports
• Baseball
• Golf
• V Lacrosse
• JV Lacrosse
• V Tennis
• JV Tennis
• Track & Field

Notable alumni

• Grits Gresham (1922-2008) -- nationally-known outdoorsman and sportsman who hosted ABC's The American Sportsman from 1966-1979 and authored eight books on hunting, fishing, and guns
• Chazz Woodson 01' Professional lacrosse player for the Boston Canons

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External links

• Official website
• Blue Ridge School Boarding School Review