College Prep Boarding School in Colorado, USA

Fountain Valley School of Colorado:
Located at the base of Colorado's majestic Rocky Mountains, Fountain Valley School of Colorado combines intellectual rigor with a spirit of adventure and exploration. The School offers a college preparatory program for motivated students who seek a diverse and challenging learning experience within a close knit and supportive community. Founded in 1930, FVS provides a co-ed, boarding and day school environment for students in grades 9-12 from across the United States and the world. The School currently enrolls 250 students with an average class size of 12, and FVS is dedicated to providing a strong curriculum in academic, athletics and the arts. FVS is accredited by the Association of Colorado Independent Schools and the state of Colorado.

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Advanced Placement:AP courses in English Literature, English Language, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History, Macro and Microeconomics, French Language, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Biology, Physics C, Environmental Science, Chemistry, 2-D Studio Art, 3-D Studio Art

Languages:FVS offers language instruction in three areas: Spanish (Spanish I-V, Spanish III Honors), French (French I-IV, French IV Honors) and Mandarin Chinese (Mandarin I-III).

Math, Science and Technology:Math courses range from Algebra I to AP Calculus. Students can take classes in such areas as geometry, statistics, trigonometry and precalculus. Science classes reflect both standard curriculum and electives focusing on the Colorado environment. Biology, chemistry and physics are offered as basic or AP courses, and there's also an AP Environmental Science class. Electives include Colorado Natural History, Geology, Physics and How Things Work, and Team Science. The technology program courses are offered based on interest, with classes in program design, Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, and beginning and advanced digital studio.

Arts:The School places a high emphasis on arts education. The Freshman Arts program is a required introduction to a breadth of artistic experiences and a foundation for subsequent study. Visual art classes include studio art, metal-smithing (jewelry-making), ceramics and photograpy. The School offers three choirs - Concert Choir, Girls Select and Boys Select; and students can also participate in the Wind Ensemble or Chamber Strings. The Theater Department puts on three shows each year, including a winter musical.

English:The English curriculum is based upon seminar-style classes and emphasizes reading, writing and critical-thinking skills. The program balances studies in world, British and American literature, and the writing process includes organization, effective argument, diction and mechanics. Yearlong courses include World Literature, British Literature, American Literature, AP English Literature and AP English Language and Composition. Electives vary, but include Short Fiction, Writing from Within, Modern Drama, Creative Writing, Postmodern Literature, The Eternal Battle: Good vs. Evil, A Fellowship of Fantasy and Film: J.R.R. Tolkien, and Twentieth-Century Irish Literature

History:FVS treats history in the broadest sense possible, as the study of all aspects of men and women through the past, both distant and recent. Testing involves essay writing, but evaluation also includes multimedia computer-based presentations, role playing, creative writing in a historical context and any other format that captures students' imaginations. Yearlong courses include Global Studies, Western Civilization, U.S. History, AP World History and AP U.S. History. Electives include 20th Century Latin America, History of Modern Africa, AP U.S. Government and Politics, Freedom and Authority, and Religion, Rebellion and Reaction in the 60s.

International/ESL Program:The International Program meets the needs of international students as they adjust to the academic and social environment of a college-preparatory boarding school. An English as a Second Language (ESL) program is available, as is an International Students' Activities Program that helps unite the FVS community. The goal of the ESL program is to transition each student into the mainstream curriculum. Courses include ESL II and III (intermediate and advanced), ESL U.S. History, ESL World History and Geography, and ESL Biology.

Leadership and Clubs:FVS offers many ways for students to be involved in the School community or the greater Colorado Springs community. Student can be involved in a variety of extracurricular activities such as Community Council, Honor Council and Gold Key, or clubs such as MatchWits competitive quiz team, Debate Club, Varsity Club, Student Cultural Organization, Philosophy Club, Conservation Corps, the yearbook, newspaper and many others. Community service is required, and students participate in both on and off-campus endeavors.

Residential Life Program:The School's Residential Life Program and facilities are designed based on a house system, where groups of 16-20 students and one or two faculty families live in a residential unit. Four residence halls are divided into 10 individual houses (five boys, five girls) where 160 students and 13 houseparent families live. Spacious double and triple bedrooms, common rooms, a kitchen, dining area, bathrooms, laundry facilities and a computer lab are laid out in floor plans unique to each house.

Weekend Activities:The weekends are packed with options at FVS. The School announces planned weekend activities and allows students to sign up for their chosen activity when needed. Activities include faculty-led shopping trips to Denver, exploring the beauty of Colorado, movies, skiing, and even "spontaneity" trips where students decide at the last minute where they want to go. Some of the most popular trips take place right on campus. These include Cupid and Stupid Weekends, which are creative and fun-filled seasonal celebrations; Club Frautschi, Reggae Fest, "make your pizza, or burrito, or sundae nights," and special events put on by individual dorms.