 | Frequently Asked Questions | Below is a list of most frequently asked questions organized by topics related to different aspects of the FVS experience. If you do not find the specific information that you are interested in, please send your questions to: admission@fvs.edu and an answer will be e-mailed to you directly. |
| Q. | What are classes like at FVS?
| | A. | Challenging, interesting and student-centered. With an average class size of 12, students are actively engaged in the learning process. Close relationships develop among students and teachers as they share in the discovery and application of new knowledge.
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| Q. | What are FVS teachers like? | | A. | Our teachers are passionate practitioners of their disciplines—artists, scientists, writers, historians, mathematicians and linguists—who enjoy working with adolescents. They are also skilled coaches, avid outdoorsmen, caring advisers, and responsible houseparents who interact frequently with students outside the classroom.
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| Q. | How many classes can I take each semester?
| | A. | Freshmen and sophomores take five "major" classes—English, history, languages, math and science—plus an arts or technology course. Juniors and seniors can choose to take more than one class in an area of personal interest.
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| Q. | What's interesting about the FVS curriculum?
| | A. | In addition to core academic classes and AP and Honors level courses, there are a host of fascinating electives offered at FVS. These include courses in computer game design, photography, the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien, the 1960s and the opportunity to design and pursue an independent study in the senior year. Sophomores take part in the Western Immersion Progam (WIP), a four-day interdisciplinary field study based at the 40-acre FVS Mountain Campus at the base of Mt. Princeton. Each year, the weeklong spring interim offers opportunities for students and faculty to learn outside the classroom doing things such as: hut-to-hut skiing, language and culture immersion in Guatemala, exploring Anasazi ruins on foot, examining the history and culture of the Deep South, taking in the theater scene in New York City or kayaking off the barrier islands of Georgia.
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| Q. | What do students do in the afternoon?
| | A. | All students participate in the afternoon program each season, weekdays from 3:30-5:15 p.m. Participation is required of all students. While students are encouraged to build on their existing interests and skills, the diversity of opportunities allows them to also challenge themselves by trying a new sport or activity.
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| Q. | What happens when a student wants to participate in a sport not offered at FVS?
| | A. | Freshmen are required to participate in at least two Fountain Valley School CHSAA team sports per year, and sophomores are required to participate in at least one. Students who would like to participate in a Colorado High School Activity Association (CHSAA) sport or in an elite sport program not offered by FVS can petition to substitute their participation for athletic credit. The alternative program needs to have organized and daily supervision by a qualified coach, scheduled competitions, and must fit within the normal daily schedule of the School. Parents are responsible for all costs associated with a child participating in a non-FVS athletic program, including transportation to and from practices and games.
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| Q. | How competitive is the athletic program and what types of teams does the School compete with?
| | A. | Fountain Valley School competes in 15 different CHSAA varsity sports. The level of competition ranges from 2A to 3A, depending on the sport. All students have the opportunity to play and compete, whether they are vying for a state championship and wanting to continue play at the college level or are trying a new sport for the first time. Less experienced students have the opportunity to play in junior varsity teams while developing their skills.
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| Q. | How do parents find out about their child’s athletic performance?
| | A. | Coaches send out regular game summaries by e-mail and also post scores and highlights on the FVS web site within 24 hours of the game. FVS parents often take the opportunity to attend weekend games. The Athletic Department schedules a number of home games for families who cannot travel to school frequently and only participate in the fall and spring family weekends.
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| Q. | Is the riding program a recreational sport, or do students participate in competitions?
| | A. | The program is designed to challenge experienced riders while teaching fundamentals to those new to the sport. Both the Western and English Riding Programs regularly compete on a local and regional level. The English Riding Program also participates in the International Equitation Association’s national competitions and currently holds the National Grand Reserve Championship title. Both the English and Western programs also annually participate in a three-school (Orme, Ariz.; Thacher, Calif.; FVS, Colo.) Gymkhana competition.
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| Q. | Does the School have facilities for boarding horses?
| | A. | Yes, the school has various forms of boarding facilities, from pasture to pens, to stalls and runs. Costs vary based on the needs of the specific feeding and boarding requirements of a horse. Students must participate in the FVS Riding Program to board a horse in the FVS facility.
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| Q. | What if my child wants to participate in the program and does not have a horse? What else do they need to have?
| | A. | The School’s herd of 40 horses is available to all student riders participating in the program. Participants pay a monthly feed and tack fee.
Please see additional questions and answers in the School Life/Equestrian Program section.
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| Q. | Do students need to prepare for living in a very cold climate?
| | A. | Not really. Students should come to campus with clothes for all seasons—you can end up wearing shorts on warm days in February or still ski in the backcountry as late as May. Be sure to bring sleeping bags, hiking boots and warm weather gear for excursions into the mountains.
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| Q. | Is there a dress code?
| | A. | Yes. While FVS is generally a casual community, students are known for their accomplishments and not their hairstyle or clothing choices, and the School’s dress code requires that attire in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and at all meals should be neat, clean, modest and in good repair.
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| Q. | What do students do in their free time?
| | A. | The Frautschi Campus Center is a favorite spot on campus for socializing and grabbing a snack at the student-run RK Cafe. Pool table, ping-pong and foosball are available after school. Some students also use their free time, especially during the academic day, to study individually or in groups.
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| Q. | What are the students’ driving privileges?
| | A. | Junior and senior day students may drive to and from school provided that they have registered their cars and have written driving permission from their parents. Boarding students are not permitted to have cars on campus. Students must follow specific guidelines for driving and riding in cars outlined in the FVS handbook.
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| Q. | What kind of computer do students bring to school? What do we need to connect to the School network?
| | A. | Fountain Valley School supports both PC-based and Mac-based laptop and desktop computers. Computers and printers are available in each house, as well as in the computer lab and library available for student access. Students who bring their own computers are required to have the Technology Department check to ensure they have up-to-date patches and active anti-virus software installed.
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| Q. | Where do students eat? What is there to eat? What is the cost? | | A. | The dining hall serves three meals a day, seven days a week for all students and faculty. All meals are served buffet style. Both continental and hot meal options are available for breakfast. Lunch and dinners include salad, soup and sandwich bars, as well as hot meal selections. The dining hall also provides snacks for residence halls each day. There are no extra charges for meals—all food costs are included in the tuition fees.
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| Q. | Do students have roommates and how is that decided?
| | A. | The vast majority of students live with a roommate. The Admission Office and the director of residential life work together to place new students in specific houses. They rely on the information provided by new students in the Boarding Student Questionnaire to help decide roommate selections. Returning students select their own roommates and go through a lottery system for their room assignments. New boarding students have support from houseparents and proctors in navigating the challenges of living successfully with a roommate.
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| Q. | What are student’s responsibilities in the residence hall?
| | A. | Boarding students’ responsibilities are similar to responsibilities they would have at home. Students are required to keep their rooms tidy and complete a house job each day, such as sweeping the hall, vacuuming the common room or unloading the dishwasher. Boarding students are also responsible for checking in with the faculty member on duty at the required times.
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| Q. | What happens during weekends?
| | A. | Weekends have a much more relaxed pace; however, there are a host of on-campus and off-campus activities planned by students and a weekend team (10 faculty members on duty from Friday to Sunday). These planned activities may include special social events, mountain biking trips, movie marathons and taking advantage of cultural or sports events in the area. From late fall through the winter, the School sponsors one-day trips to Colorado ski resorts. Occasionally, the Mountain Campus is used for overnight ski trips. In addition, boarding students may take day excursions to shop, see movies, dine out, enjoy field trips to Denver, participate in cultural trips to plays and speakers at Colorado College, etc. Boarding students are often invited to spend the night at the homes of day students (this is coordinated through the Deans’ Office and appropriate permissions from families are required).
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| Q. | What if a student is having trouble adjusting or is homesick?
| | A. | Houseparents and proctors are important sources of support, helping boarding students deal with many issues, ranging from homesickness to homework problems. Students are also encouraged to talk to their advisers about any concerns they may have.
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| Q. | Since boarding students are not permitted to drive, how do they get around?
| | A. | During weekends, FVS faculty drive school buses at set times for mall or movie runs and for downtown excursions. Based on parents’ permission, students may also take taxicabs. Prior to school holidays, school-provided transportation is available to the Colorado Springs Airport.
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| Q. | What privileges should I allow my boarding child? What is the norm?
| | A. | Decisions about boarding student privileges are based upon each family’s personal preferences. Privileges usually depend upon the student’s age and level of responsibility. Many boarding students have permission to use cab vouchers (which are charged home monthly), ride in cars with faculty members and day parents, and to stay over at the homes of day students. Juniors and seniors usually have permission to ride in cars with day students at approved times.
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| Q. | Where do boarding students do their laundry?
| | A. | Each house is equipped with coin-operated washers and dryers. The cost is $1 per load for each machine.
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| Q. | Do I need to set up a checking account in town?
| | A. | Parents set up Student Allowance Accounts through the Spirit Store and determine the weekly amount the student can withdraw—the standard amount per week is $25. Parents can make deposits to the student account on a monthly or annual basis.
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| Q. | How is the weather in Colorado?
| | A. | While Colorado is best known as a ski destination, Colorado Springs also boasts 320 plus days of sunshine every year. The temperate weather allows for outdoor activities year round.
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| Q. | Does Fountain Valley School provide busing, if so, what is the cost and the schedule?
| | A. | Yes. FVS provides free busing to and from school for Colorado Springs and Pueblo students. The School has established several bus routes (you can contact the Deans’ Office for specific routes and stop locations). Day buses arrive at FVS by 7:50 a.m. and depart from FVS at 5:35 p.m. on weekdays.
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| Q. | What happens on weekends? | | A. | Quite often day students return to campus to participate in on-campus and off-campus weekend programs, athletic competitions and community service activities.
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| Q. | Can day students stay overnight on campus?
| | A. | Day students have the option of staying on campus due to late returns from athletic events or bad weather, and on weekends when a major school event is scheduled. Day students sometimes stay on campus after late night study sessions with friends and faculty members. The overnight stays will need to be coordinated with the Deans’ Office.
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| Q. | Can boarding students spend weekends with day student families? | | A. | Boarding students, with their parent’s permission and advance arrangements with the Deans’ Office, may spend weekends (depart Friday after their last commitment and must return by 7 p.m. on Sunday) at a day student family’s home.
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| Q. | Who is the primary contact person with whom parents stay in touch at the School? | | A. | The student’s adviser is most familiar with all aspects of that student’s academic, social and co-curricular activities in the School. The adviser serves as the primary contact person both for the student and for parents. Early in the year, parents and the adviser establish a plan for communicating about the student's progress.
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| Q. | How can I access my child’s academic information? | | A. | The School’s web site includes comprehensive information such as class schedules, assignments, test dates, report cards, adviser comments, campus events, directories, etc. in a password-protected online community. This information is the central resource for student, faculty and parent communications.
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| Q. | Are students allowed to have cell phones? | | A. | Yes. Students are allowed to have cell phones as long as they are not used in a disruptive manner. On the occasions when a parent has had difficulty reaching his/her child, contacting the houseparent or adviser is recommended.
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| Q. | What happens if a student gets sick? | | A. | Students visit the Health Center, a 10-bed on-campus facility for their medical needs. The center is staffed with a full-time and a part-time RN as well as a school physician who visits FVS campus on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. Students are given over-the-counter medications for mild illness and returned to class. If something other than a routine illness is found, the student will remain in the Health Center.
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| Q. | Where do students stay if they are sick? | | A. | Students stay in the Health Center under the care of the school nurse during class hours. If a student is excused from classes and/or athletics, he/she will remain in the Health Center. In the evenings, students can return to their dorm and will be monitored by the houseparent or faculty on duty.
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| Q. | Is there a charge for students’ use of the Health Center? | | A. | There is no fee for the school nurse unless a routine physical is needed, prescriptions, medication or supplies need to be dispensed, or if lab work is ordered. If the student needs to see the School’s physician, there is a copay, just as it would be with their own physician.
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| Q. | Does Fountain Valley School offer health insurance for students? | | A. | The School does not have a health insurance plan for students residing in the United States but does offer supplemental accident insurance to all students. The School offers insurance options for international student insurance. Additional information may be obtained from the Health Center or Business Office.
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| Q. | Is a day student allowed to leave campus during the day for doctor’s appointments? | | A. | Day students may be excused for an off-campus appointment between 8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Parental permission must be received at the Deans' Office, and students must check out with the Deans’ Office.
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| Q. | How are off-campus health appointments arranged for boarding students? | | A. | All appointments for boarding students are scheduled through the Health Center. |
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| Q. | What types of appointments can be scheduled through the Health Center? | | A. | The Health Center can coordinate orthodontic, dental, orthopedic, chiropractic, ophthalmologic and optometric appointments as needed or requested. |
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| Q. | How do boarding students get to an off-campus appointment? | | A. | The Health Center arranges transportation for off-campus appointments. Transportation fees must be paid by the student or billed home.
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| Q. | How are medications and prescriptions handled at the School? | | A. | All medications and prescriptions brought from home will be checked in at the Health Center and dispensed by the nurse at required intervals. This is absolutely necessary for charting purposes and for providing optimal health care. The misuse of prescription drugs is a violation of a major school rule.
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| | Find out about the Association of Boarding School's most recent research on the benefits of boarding school. |
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