STUDENT LIFE AT WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL • JULY 2012
Graduation
THE BEGINNING, NOT THE END
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE
HILTON COLLEGE
MICHAELHOUSE
A SOUTH AFRICAN STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE
Each year Woodberry joins forces with three South African all-male boarding schools — Michaelhouse, St. John’s College, and Hilton College — to give students the opportunity to experience another country and culture in a semester-long immersion program. Michaelhouse and Hilton are rural schools located in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, while St. John’s is an urban school located in the heart of Johannesburg. At their adopted schools, boys are immersed in the day-to-day life just as they would be back at Woodberry. Joining sports teams — like cricket, rugby, and water polo — attending classes, completing assignments, and taking advantage of weekend excursions create an unforgettable immersion experience. “My favorite part of my time in South Africa was the opportunity to take a weekend trip to a game preserve with a young teacher and five other students from Scotland and Australia. At school, I took African Economics and had an interesting history class that focused on the last century. It was exciting to hear another perspective on the United States that I hadn’t considered before. It was a fantastic experience, and I would go back again if possible.” — William Shelton ’13
The Forms
“I find comfort in knowing that, although we will leave Woodberry tomorrow, Woodberry will not leave us,” said Marshall Deal ’12, Woodberry’s senior prefect, in his graduation speech. “We will never lose the relationships we’ve built or the things we’ve learned here.” The lessons boys learn at Woodberry will serve them well as they begin life’s next chapter. Transitioning to college will be a breeze for the graduates because they have already lived away from home, done their own laundry, dragged themselves out of bed for 8:00 a.m. classes, shared a room, and handled a rigorous workload. Writing papers, understanding the importance of scheduling a consultation with a professor for extra help, and managing their time wisely will enable them to hit the ground running at their new schools. Though graduation is a bittersweet end to their Woodberry years, the boys are ready for every challenge that lies ahead!
FAST FACT
One of Woodberry’s oldest traditions is its use of the term “form,” rather than “ninth grade,” “tenth grade,” etc., to denote a grade. The school’s founder, J. Carter Walker, began this custom, which follows British terminology, in 1896. At Woodberry, we start at the third form (ninth grade) and go to the sixth form (twelfth grade). WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL
TIGER TALES • JULY 2012 • 1