Shenandoah Valley Academy
Address
234 West Lee Highway

New Market
,
Virginia
22844

United States
Coordinates38°39′02″N 78°41′20″W / 38.650480°N 78.688945°W / 38.650480; -78.688945[1]
Information
School typeParochial Private, Day & Boarding
Religious affiliation(s)Seventh-day Adventist
Established1908
AuthorityPotomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
PrincipalDonald Short
Teaching staff13
Grades9-12
GenderCo-educational
Enrollment244[2] (2010)
International students15%
Average class size30
Student to teacher ratio11:1[3]
Campus size450 acres (1.8 km2)
Campus typeRural
Color(s)  Navy and   White
SloganServe God, Value Knowledge, Accept a Life of Service
Athletics conferenceCavalier Athletic Conference
Sports7 Varsity Teams,[4] 1 Junior Varsity Team
MascotStars
AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools,[5] Virginia Council for Private Education,[6] Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools[7]
ITED Composite average70th%
NewspaperShen-Val-Lore[8]
YearbookShenandoan[9]
Tuition≤$21,200[10]
Alumni<6,000
WebsiteSVA Website

Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA) is a private, co-educational, boarding, high school in New Market, Virginia, United States. It has both boarding and day school programs serving approximately 250 students in grades 9 through 12. The campus is located in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, approximately 90 minutes west of Washington, DC. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)[5] and the Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools.[11] It is a member of the Virginia Council for Private Education.[12] The school was founded in 1908, with its first students enrolling that fall and graduated its first senior class in the spring of 1911.

History

The original building at Shenandoah Valley Academy pictured in 1924. The building had numerous additions since the school was founded in 1908. It has long since been replaced by the modern Administrative Building.

In 1905 the dying Charles D. Zirkle of New Market bequeathed his share of his father’s property, a 42-acre piece of land on the outskirts of town, to the Virginia Conference of Seventh day Adventists. He wanted to have a school built for Adventist youth education. Two years later, construction began on what was originally known as New Market Academy. Since the name duplicated that of a former private school, it was changed to Shenandoah Valley Academy, still in use.[13][14]

When the private school opened in September 1908, it had ten grades. That first year enrollment was 15 students, the first four of whom graduated in 1911.[15] When founded, Shenandoah Valley Academy was the seventh Seventh-day Adventist academy in the United States to offer high-school level classes.[13]

SVA did not operate in 1913-1914 because of extreme financial difficulties. From 1916 to 1921 the school was struggling to survive, but continued under the leadership of H. M. Forshee, Principal, and the help of Elder R. D. Hottel, pastor of the New Market Seventh-day Adventist Church. Hottel collected funds and foodstuffs for the needy school. In addition to losing students because of the Great War, in 1918 the school suffered from the Spanish flu epidemic; one person died and the school temporarily closed.

In the fall of 1927, W. C. Hannah became principal. He served for 26 years, the longest serving principal in SVA's history. He brought much advancement to the school and the campus.

Today most SVA students come from the states of Virginia and Maryland, but many come from other areas, namely from the Midwestern Region and the Mid-Atlantic states, and a few from the far South and West. There are also international students, from South Korea, Angola, and nations of Latin America. As of 2019, SVA has graduated over 5,300 students.

Campus

The school is located on a 450 acres (1.8 km2) campus in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, and is bordered on one side by the Shenandoah River. It has vistas of Massanutten Mountain.[16] Most classes are held in Twomley Hall, which is also the home of the school administration, library, and auditorium.[17] Hewitt Hall contains the student center and applied arts classrooms. The boys' dorm, Phanstiel Hall, and the girls' dorm, Hadley Hall, were fully renovated in the first decade of the 21st century.[18]

Academics

SVA's required curriculum includes classes in English, Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies, yearly religion courses, applied or fine arts, personal finance, and physical education. Foreign language as well as additional science and mathematics courses are required for the College Preparatory and Advanced Studies Diplomas.[19][20] In addition to its core curriculum, SVA offers Advanced Placement (AP) classes and Dual Credit classes including English, Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, Precalculus, Calculus, Personal Finance, and 2 religion courses.[21]

Diploma options

SVA offers three diploma tracks: an Advanced Studies Diploma, a College Preparatory Diploma, and a Standard Diploma. The Advanced Studies Diploma is designed for students expecting to apply to more selective schools.[20][22]

Student life

Performing arts

SVA has an active, award-winning, performing arts program.[17][23] The department consists of two full-time faculty and several graduate students from James Madison University; they teach a full range of instrumental lessons to students at SVA. It is one of only 12 high schools in Virginia with a full orchestra. Music groups at SVA include the Shenandoans, an elite touring choir; the Valley Ringers, a handbell ensemble; and the Chorale, a large choir. In addition to these, there is a Concert Band and a String Ensemble.[24] The Shenandoans, Valley Ringers, Concert Band and the Symphony Orchestra tour frequently.[25] All of these groups make annual music tours to out-of-state or out-of- country location. Recent tour destinations have included Germany, Austria, Florida, and Costa Rica.

Praise Teams, which lead the school population in singing at its weekly chapel events, operate independently of the Music Department.[26]

A drama club on campus has members who write and perform small plays for various elementary schools and to be performed at some school events.[27][28]

Athletics

Shenandoah Valley Academy Stars girls' soccer team (April 2010)

The athletic department plays a large part in campus life at SVA. A large percentage of the student body participates in the eight interscholastic teams, and many more participate in its intramural sports.[29]

Facilities

  • The Charles Zirkle Gymnasium – Used as Basketball and Volleyball facility
  • Full size professional soccer field (redone in Summer of 2009)[30]
  • Baseball field (redone in Summer of 2009)[30]
  • Heated Indoor Olympic Pool (Now decommissioned)
  • Outdoor Track

Other sports meet on off campus locations such as the tennis courts in New Market, Virginia.

List of Interscholastic Teams

SVA Girls Volleyball (Late 2016)

Includes:

  • Cross Country (Coed)
  • Boys' Varsity Soccer (Fall)[4][2]
  • Girls' Varsity Volleyball (Fall)[4][2]
  • Boys' Varsity Basketball (Winter)[4][2][31]
  • Girls' Varsity Basketball (Winter)[4][2]
  • Boys' Varsity Baseball (Spring)[4][2]
  • Girls' Varsity Soccer (Spring)[4][2]
  • Boys' Junior Varsity Basketball (Winter)

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Shenandoah Valley Academy". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Myers, Emily, ed. (2010), Shenandoan "Free To Be", vol. 62 ('09-'10 ed.), Shenandoah Valley Academy
  3. ↑ "School Detail for Shenandoah Valley Academy". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "SVA Sports & Physical Fitness". Shenandoah Valley Academy.
  5. 1 2 "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Virginia Council for Private Education" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  7. ↑ "Find a School - Adventist Education".
  8. ↑ "Shen-Val-Lore: Student Voice of SVA for 86 Years". Shenandoah Valley Academy.
  9. ↑ "Shenandoan Yearbook Archives". Shenandoah Valley Academy.
  10. ↑ "Tuition, Fees, Work". Shenandoah Valley Academy.
  11. ↑ NAD Office of Education. "Adventist Education Directory". Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  12. ↑ List of State Recognized Schools. Page 29. Archived March 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  13. 1 2 Harris, Richard E. (1995). Divine Destiny (PDF). New Market, VA: Shenandoah Valley Academy. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  14. ↑ Letter from Harry L. Smith, State Board of Education, Commonwealth of Virginia to Richard E. Harris, December 6, 1965. Letter from Forrest S. Racey to Richard E. Harris, October 20, 1965.
  15. ↑ Minutes of the Board of Trustees, August 17, 1907 and January 29, 1908.
  16. ↑ "Shenandoah Valley Academy Stays Strong". Daily News- Record. May 15, 2008. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  17. 1 2 "Shenandoah Valley Academy Displays Its Rich History". Daily News-Record. April 5, 1998. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  18. ↑ Shenandoah Valley Academy, Dorm Experience, archived from the original on June 7, 2010, retrieved May 19, 2010
  19. ↑ Shenandoah Valley Academy, Shenandoah Valley Academy - Graduation Requirements, retrieved January 12, 2017
  20. 1 2 Shenandoah Valley Academy. "Shenandoah Valley Academy Student Handbook" (PDF). Shenandoah Valley Academy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-03. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  21. ↑ Shenandoah Valley Academy, Shenandoah Valley Academy - Advanced Classes, retrieved April 6, 2017
  22. ↑ Shenandoah Valley Academy (2009), "Selection of Classes and Diploma Tracks", Student Handbook
  23. ↑ Shenandoah Valley Academy Department of Music Archived August 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ Van Ornam, Hannah (ed.), Shenandoan ('09-'10 ed.), Shenandoah Valley Academy
  25. ↑ "SHENANDOAH VALLEY ACADEMY SYMPHONY". The Washington Post. April 8, 2005. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  26. ↑ Shenandoah Valley Academy - Spiritual Experience Archived August 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  27. ↑ One of the required events is a drama/music program put together by the school
  28. ↑ "Tree of Life Christian Prep School". The Free Lance-Star. May 1, 2006. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  29. ↑ "End of an era at SVA". Daily News-Record. June 15, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  30. 1 2 Columbia Union Conference SVA: Hannah and Dodge Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ↑ "Wakefield nipped by Shenandoah Valley Academy in Conference Finals". MaxPreps.com. February 22, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Shenandoah Valley Academy Yearbook Archives, 1960" (PDF). Shenandoah Valley Academy.
  33. ↑ "How couples can spot warning signs of domestic abuse". MSN.
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