Landon School

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Landon School
Image:Whiterocks.jpg
Virtute et non vi
Established 1929
School type Private Preparatory School
Religious affiliation Non-sectarian
Headmaster David M. Armstrong
Location Bethesda, MD, USA
Campus Suburban, 75 acres (.30 km²)
Enrollment 675 total
Lower School: 125
Middle School: 216
Upper School: 334
Faculty >100
Average class size <15
Student:teacher
ratio		 6:1
Average SAT
scores (2006)		 644 math
625 verbal
629 writing
Athletics 15 Interscholastic Sports
Color(s) Brown and White
Mascot Bear
Conference IAC
Homepage http://www.landon.net/ Landon School homepage

Contents

[edit] Background

Landon School is an independent, non-sectarian, college preparatory school for boys in grades 3-12. Current enrollment is 675 students. The school sits on 75 acres in Bethesda, Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C. It was founded by Paul Landon Banfield, with the help of his wife Mary Lee, in 1929. The school's first location was an old brownstone in the embassy row area of Washington, D.C. Banfield moved Landon to its present campus in Bethesda in 1936.

Landon's mission statement reads,

"Landon School prepares talented boys for productive lives as accomplished, responsible and caring men whose actions are guided by the principles of perseverance, teamwork, honor and fair play."

The school's motto is "Virtute et non vi", meaning, "By virtue, not by force."

Landon School's Headmasters have been:
Paul Landon Banfield: 1929-1970
Hugh Riddleberger: 1970-1981
Malcolm Coates: 1981-1989
Damon F. Bradley: 1990-2004
David M. Armstrong: 2004-present

The school prides itself on its student-initiated and student-run Honor Code, begun in the early 1960s.

[edit] Athletics

Notable for its athletic programs, Landon is often recognized for its sports teams,in particular its tennis and lacrosse teams. As of 2005, Landon had won 45 IAC tennis championships and 23 lacrosse IAC championships. The lacrosse team in particular is the pride of the school's athletic program. Consistently among the top 20 programs in the country and several times #1, it is Landon's most well-known sport. Landon had won 23 straight IAC championships and had beaten arch-rival Georgetown Prep 17 game in a row before losing in 2003. This 17 game run was widely known in lacrosse circles as "The Streak" and its end was as epic as it was inevitable. The Landon-Prep lacrosse game is the sporting event of the year for both schools and is arguably the most heralded rivalry lacrosse game in the country, drawing thousands of fans. Georgetown Prep has always been competitive with Landon, even if they had not beaten them before, and has actually won the league championship the last two years, ending Landon's long dominance of the area.

Landon's Varsity Lacrosse Team was national champion in 1999, 2001, and 2002. Currently, many Landon graduates captain NCAA Division 1 lacrosse teams, including University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Virginia and University of Maryland. Landon boasts numerous All-Americans in NCAA Division 1 and 2 lacrosse, and the class of 2005 featured an unheard of 13 Division 1 recruits. The team has an astounding 29 graduates currently playing Division 1 Lacrosse.

Landon currently offers varsity sports in football, soccer, cross country, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, swimming, riflery, lacrosse, baseball, track and field, tennis, rugby, water polo, and golf, as well as excellent intramural programs including a fencing and Ultimate Frisbee team.

[edit] The Arts

The Arts play a very important role at Landon. The school boasts one of the best programs in the private school sector of the Washington, D.C. area. The Upper School has a two-year requirement for either music or art. The school's musical groups include the Bearitones, a Jazz Band, a Concert Band, a String Ensemble, Handbells, and various choirs for younger students. Studio art classes include ceramics, digital arts, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

The Landon Symphonette
The Landon Symphonette is a compendium of talented musicians from the school, as well as other local area high schools and colleges who play together with professionals.

In its 16th Season (as of 2006-07) under the direction of Mr. Richard Weilenmann, The Landon Symphonette has become an premiere mentoring orchestra in the Washington Metropolitan area. Participation in the orchestra is attained through recommendation by the students’ music teacher or private instructor, and a required audition from the Symphonette Director.

The Landow Art Gallery
The Landow Gallery is a coveted gallery for temporary exhibits of artwork of everything from Landon student work to professional showings, and artwork by artists from other local-area schools. The intimate space is ideal and alternately used for recitals, small-scale musical produtions, poetry readings and faculty performances. It was established by original curator and beloved long-time former landon teacher Ellie Johnson, who passed away in the summer of 2006. The current gallery curator is prominent Washington, D.C. artist and Landon art teacher Mr. Walt Bartman.

Located in Landon's Middle School building terrace, the Landow Gallery is open all school days from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. as well as Weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

[edit] Academics

While well-known for both athletics and the arts, Landon's academics are the backbone of the school and its most important aspect. The academic experience at Landon is unique, and ranks among the best of the elite private schools in the country.

Landon currently offers Advanced Placement courses in US History, European History, Economics, French Language, Latin Literature, Chinese Language and Culture, AB Calculus, BC Calculus, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics B, Physics C, Computer Science, and Music Theory.

Landon students often go on to successful years in study at such top-tier Universities as The University of Virginia, Duke, Georgetown University, The University of Maryland, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, The University of Pennsylvania, Miami University of Ohio, and The University of North Carolina, among others.

Humanities
All Landon juniors are required to take two semesters of Humanities: Landon's unique and rigorous interdisciplinary course designed to introduce students to the rudiments of Western culture and civilation. The course is a study of major ideas and influences that have shaped European culture from the Classical to Modern era through thorough analysis of history, literature, art and music.

Economics
In its third annual “Advanced Placement Report to the Nation 2007,” published on February 7, 2007, the College Board has recognized Landon School as an exemplar program in AP Microeconomics among non-public schools in the world. Teacher Mr. John Bellaschi and his Advanced Placement students ranked first in nation in the small-size school evaluation category (<300 students in grades 10-12). Landon is one of five schools in Maryland recognized this year by the College Board’s report.

Buchanan Library
Built in 1962, Landon's Buchanan Library is dedicated to Wiley T. Buchanan, a former Landon parent and trustee. The Library boasts a collection of over 27,000 volumes, including a prolific reference and literary criticism section.

[edit] Cheating Scandal

In 2002, the Washington Post reported of10 Landon seniors who had cheated on the SATs. Eight of these seniors came forward on their own and admitted to wrongdoing, while two held out. The eight who came forward were suspended for the remainder of the fall semester and the two who did not readily come forward were expelled. Much was made in the media of the fact that a few of the cheaters were also members of the school's prominent lacrosse team.

[edit] Faculty

Landon uses the teacher-coach model, in which its faculty also serve as advisors and coaches to the boys. Every coach at the school also teaches a subject. As of 2005, significant faculty members include Tom Dixon, Mac Jacoby, Steve Sorkin, Alan Rosenthal, Earl Jackson, Frederico Mora, Bob Long, Rob Bordley, Sara Atherton, Drew Johnson, Richard Brockhaus, Ellie Johnson, Edwin Sundt, Richard Tuckerman, Bill Reed, Austin Zimmer, Alfredo Benavides, Peter Swinehart, and Fred Zirm.

[edit] Notable Alumni




Landon's sister school is the Holton-Arms School, also located in Bethesda.

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes


    Interstate Athletic Conference
    Members

    The Bullis School • Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia) • Georgetown Preparatory School • Landon School • St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.) • St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School
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