The Bolles School
| The Bolles School | |
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| File:BollesSchoolLogo.PNG | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private, Day, Boarding |
| Established | 1933 |
| Head teacher | Dr. John E. Trainer |
| Faculty | 200 |
| Number of students | 1,800 |
| Campus | Suburban, 84 acres |
| Color(s) | Blue & Orange |
| Mascot | Bulldog |
| Tuition | $32,500 (7-day boarding) $15,500 (Day Student 9-12) $15,000 (Day Student 6-8) $12,000 (4-5) $9,500 (K-3) $6,500 (preK) |
| Website | www.bolles.org |
The Bolles School of Jacksonville, Florida is an internationally known co-educational college preparatory day and boarding school serving grades Pre-K through 12.[1] In 2007, the school celebrated their 75th anniversary. The school's mascot is the bulldog.
History
The school was founded as an all-boys' military academy in 1933 by Agnes Cain Painter, a friend of philanthropist Richard J. Bolles. The original campus is located on San Jose Boulevard along the east bank of the St. Johns River. Bolles announced that it would drop its military status in 1961 and the graduating class of 1962 ended the military era; it began admitting women in 1971. Today, the ratio of males to females is close to 1:1. The San Jose campus looks like a small college and contains sports facilities that many colleges would envy.[2]
Boarding students come from more than 25 countries, but make up less than ten percent of the total school population. Boarders must be in grade 7 or higher, with male students living on the San Jose campus and female students living at the Bartram campus. Bolles enrolls 1,800 students (approximately 800 in the Upper School) spread across four campuses:
Upper School (grades 9-12) - San Jose Campus (Jacksonville)
Middle School (6-8) - Bartram Campus (Jacksonville)
Lower School (preK-5) - Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra Beach) & Whitehurst (Jacksonville) Campuses
It is a secret NINJA TRAINING SCHOOL
Academics
Bolles has been a fully accredited Florida high school since 1934, and is known for its challenging college preparatory curriculum. The Bolles Faculty hold 13 doctorate degrees and 90 master's degrees, so almost 50% of the faculty holds an advanced degree. There is a ratio of one faculty member for every nine students. Bolles operates on a two-semester academic year.
For students looking to challenge themselves, Bolles offers Advanced Placement courses in:
In 2009, Bolles had 9 National Merit Finalists, the second most in the Jacksonville area.
Art
Bolles offers an extensive program in five areas: dance, drama, instrumental music, vocal music, and visual arts. Artistic opportunities include both academic classes during the day and a range of activities after school. Mankind has expressed itself through philosophy, art, music, literature, religion, drama, and science, and we should value and preserve the greatest creative artistic and scientific achievements. The arts are seen as fundamental to understanding the past and to preparing for the future.
Athletics
In 2005, Sports Illustrated named Bolles's athletic program the ninth best in the country, and second best in Florida. Of the top twenty-five schools, Bolles was the only one with an Upper School enrollment of under 1,000 students.[3] Bolles has received the Florida High School Athletic Association's Dodge Sunshine Cup/Floyd E. Lay All-Sports Award (given to the best overall athletic program in each school type/size classification in Florida) for eleven consecutive years.[4] The school has recently won state championships in baseball, cross country, football, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, crew, volleyball and wrestling.
The swim team, which established prominence under Coach Gregg Troy, who now coaches at the University of Florida, is arguably the nation's best. Bolles's boys and girls swim teams have been state champions every year since 1984, usually sweeping most events at state meets. The girls team has won the National Championship nine (9) times, while the boys team has won or been runners-up for the National Championship eleven (11) times. The school recruits swimmers sometimes from as far away as Asia. The school's swimming facility has its own offices, weightroom (NOT apart from the weightroom that the rest of the school uses), and two swimming pools (one Olympic-sized). Bolles has had at least one alumnus or student competing in every summer Olympics since 1972. In recent Olympics, up to two dozen Bolles students and alumni have swum for their respective countries. The Bolles Sharks, Bolles's club swim team, compete and practice year-round.
Bolles's football team is coached by Charles "Corky" Rogers, the all-time winningest Florida high school football coach, and has won ten state championships, nine under Coach Rogers. The football team works out in the weightroom and track several times a week. For the 2009 season, the Bulldogs went 12-1, losing only to Cocoa High School, 44-37 in overtime. They defeated Tampa Catholic in the state championship game on December 12, 21-7.[5]
Bolles School Championships[6] Season Sport Team Championship F A L L Football Boys 29 District Championships 2 times State Runners-up 10 State Championships Volleyball Girls 22 District Championships 18 Final Four berths 7 times State Runners-up 2 State Championships Golf Boys 8 District Championships 2 times State Runners-up 1 State Championship Girls 11 District Championships Cross Country Boys 7 District Championships 2 times State Runners-up 3 State Championships Girls 8 District Championships 4 times State Runners-up 5 State Championships Swimming & Diving Boys 45 District Championships 12 times State Runners-up 28 State Championships 7 times National Runners-up 4 National Championships Girls 29 District Championships 5 times State Runners-up 21 State Championships 1 time National Runners-up 9 National Championships W I N T E R Basketball Boys 20 District Championships 10 Final Four berths 4 times State Runners-up 3 State Championships Girls 2 District Championships Wrestling Boys 11 District Championships 1 time State Runners-up 2 State Championships Soccer Boys 17 District Championships 14 times Final Four berth 4 State Runners-up Girls 14 District Championships 13 times Final Four berth 3 times State Runners-up 4 State Championships S P R I N G Baseball Boys 26 District Championships 16 times Final Four berth 3 times State Runners-up 4 State Championships Softball Girls 1 District Championship Tennis Boys 30 District Championships 7 times State Runners-up 2 State Championships Girls 30 District Championships 7 times State Runners-up 3 State Championships Lacrosse Boys 3 District Championships Weightlifting Boys 6 times Top 5 in State Crew Boys 5 State Championship Boats Girls 5 State Championship Boats Track & Field Boys 12 District Championships 1 time State Runners-up 1 State Championship Girls 2 District Championships 1 time State Runners-up
Activities
Bolles places a particular emphasis on community service. Although there is no community service requirement, the majority of students devote serious time to service clubs like Dreams Come True, HabiJax and Magnolia Pointe after-school Day Care Center. Some are community organization-sponsored clubs, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Youth Against Cancer, March of Dimes, and Adopt-a-Grandparent. The school also hosts blood drives and food drives periodically. One of the biggest community projects the school hosts is Relay For Life which is organized by the American Cancer Society and the school's Youth Against Cancer Presidents.
The school has had significant success in academic competitions by their Foreign Language Clubs. Bolles perennially ranks among the best in state and national Spanish, French, and German competitions. Most recently, Bolles's Spanish Congreso team placed first in the state, and its French team placed second at the State French Competition.
Although Bolles's Superintendent's Academic Challenge team is the youngest in the Jacksonville area, it has quickly established itself as one of the best in Jacksonville, winning first place in 2005 and second in 2006. In its short history, Bolles's team has already placed four different individuals on Team Duval, which represents Duval County in the Commissioner's Academic Challenge, Florida's precursor to the Panasonic Academic Challenge. The Debate Club is also very competitive.
Bolles's drama program has had recent success, as well. Every other year the school performs a musical, every third year a Shakespeare play. There is also an annual night of one act plays, directed by students. Students frequently garner "Excellent" and "Superior" ratings at local and state drama competitions, and mainstage plays are often chosen to perform at the State Thespian Competition in Tampa. The Improvisation Group also performs regularly.
The OBC (Obnoxious Bulldog Club) is a tongue-in-cheek spirit organization founded in 1987 that has gained significant notoriety around campus. It leads school spirit efforts during Bolles's well-attended football games in the fall.
Student Publications include: the school newspaper, The Bugle; the literary magazine, Perspective and the yearbook, Turris.
Student Government is composed of Honor Council, Student Council and Class Officers.
Interest clubs exist, depending on participation. Chess Club, Young Life, Desi Club, Debate Club, League of International Students, Photography club, Sailing club, Horseback Riding, Weightlifting and Art Club. Environmental Club, Students Against Drunk Driving, Young Republicans.
Academic groups Mu Alpha Theta (Math Club) and Curie Society (chemistry club) and Computer club and the Slavic Culture Club, where students can learn Russian . The Alpha Society is a National Honor Society chapter at Bolles.
Service groups are Dorm Proctors, Peer Counseling & Peer Tutoring.
Performing groups include Jazz Ensemble, Stage Band, Choir, Choral Music and Dance.[7]
Values Statement
Recognizing the unique opportunity to encourage moral growth, these values reflect a shared philosophy:
- Respect—for the property and opinions of others
- Responsibility for one’s actions—self discipline and accountability
- Hard Work—to achieve mental and physical excellence
- Concern for Others—especially for those less fortunate
- Pride—in our community
Honor Code
Bolles's Honor Code reads:
"I will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate anyone who does."
The school takes its Honor Code very seriously, and students are often required by their teachers to write "I have not given or received unauthorized help" on their papers and examinations. Sometimes instructors simply require the word "Pledged" beneath the student's signature to acknowledge that the student has promised to uphold the Honor Code.
Notable alumni
- Linden Ashby – actor[8]
- George Bovell – Olympic bronze medal swimmer[9]
- Dee Brown – former National Basketball Association player[10]
- Greg Burgess – Olympic silver medal swimmer[10]
- Trina Jackson – Olympic gold medal swimmer[10]
- Chipper Jones – Major League Baseball player[10]
- David Larson – Olympic gold medal swimmer[11]
- David López-Zubero – Olympic bronze medal swimmer[12]
- Martin López-Zubero – Olympic gold medal swimmer[12]
- Anthony Nesty – Olympic gold medal swimmer[10]
- Gram Parsons – country rock musician[13]
- Riley Skinner – college football quarterback[14]
- Jason Spitz – National Football League player[15]
- Fred Tyler – Olympic gold medal swimmer[16]
- Dez White – National Football League player[17]
- Ashley Whitney – Olympic gold medal swimmer[10]
- Mari Wilensky – 2006 Miss Florida[18]
- Rick Wilkins – former Major League baseball player[10]
- David Treadwell – former NFL Football player[10]
References
- ^ Boarding School Review: Directory/Florida/The Bolles School
- ^ Georgia Tech Alumni Association: Winter, 2005 Yellow Jackets Magazine-"Corky" Rogers by Tom Cornelison
- ^ Sports Illustrated Magazine: May 16, 2005-Best High School Athletic Programs
- ^ FHSAA News Release: Jun 11, 2007-St. Thomas Aquinas, Bolles, P.K. Yonge, Port St. Joe, Maclay sweep Dodge Sunshine Cup all-sports awards
- ^ Cushnir, Chad: "Bolles Wins Class 2B Football Title" First Coast News, December 12, 2009
- ^ Bolles School website: Athletics
- ^ The Association of Boarding Schools website: The Bolles School
- ^ "Bolles School grad hangs 10 to land 'Melrose Place' role", Nancy McAlister, The Florida Times-Union, July 29, 1997.
- ^ "Auburn swimmer adds to proud family tradition", Austin American-Statesman, March 28, 2003.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Florida's Bolles School claims top spot", USA Today, November 26, 1996.
- ^ "Swimmers Receive Goodwill Invitations", Orlando Sentinel, April 17, 1994.
- ^ a b "Sergio Show Moves to Jacksonville", CollegeSwimming.com, May 30, 2007.
- ^ "Waycross' forgotten son", J. Taylor Rushing, The Florida Times-Union, July 20, 2005.
- ^ "In Wake of Injury, It's Skinner's Job", Hartford Courant, September 14, 2006.
- ^ "Packers have failure to communicate", Jeff Elliott, The Florida Times-Union, December 15, 2008.
- ^ "Tyler Gets Back in Swim of Things", Orlando Sentinel, August 27, 1986.
- ^ "Playing with a Passion", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 20, 1998.
- ^ Miss America contestant archive
External links