Shenandoah Valley Academy

Shenandoah Valley Academy
Building Christ's Character in the Heart of Nature
Address
234 West Lee Highway New Market, Virginia, 22844 United States
Coordinates	38°39′02″N 78°41′20″W / 38.650480°N 78.688945°W / 38.650480; -78.688945Coordinates: 38°39′02″N 78°41′20″W / 38.650480°N 78.688945°W / 38.650480; -78.688945[1]
Information
School type	Private/Parochial, Co-educational, Boarding
Religious affiliation(s)	Seventh-day Adventist
Established	1908
Authority	Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Principal	Spencer Hannah
Teaching staff	15[2]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	244[3]  (2010)
International students	15%
Average class size	30
Student to teacher ratio	11:1[2]
Campus size	450 acres (1.8 km2)
Campus type	Rural
Color(s)	Navy and      White
Slogan	Serve Christ, Value Knowledge, Access Life
Athletics conference	Cavalier Athletic Conference
Sports	11 Varsity Teams
Mascot	Stars
Accreditation(s)	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,[4] Virginia Council for Private Education,[5] Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools[6]
ITED Composite Average	70th%
Newspaper	Shen-Val-Lore
Yearbook	Shenandoan
Tuition	$17,000
Alumni	6,000<
Website	SVA 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. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)^[4] and the Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools.^[7] It is a member of the Virginia Council for Private Education.^[8] Founded in 1908, it has experienced steady growth with attendance standing at around 230 for the 2010-2011 school year. SVA is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second largest Christian school system.^[9]

History

In 1905 while on his death bed, Charles D. Zirkle donated 45 acres (180,000 m²) of his property to the Virginia Conference to build a school.^[10] In 1907, construction began on the main building of what was known as New Market Academy.^[11] The first students enrolled in 1908. In January 1908 New Market Academy assumed its current name, Shenandoah Valley Academy.^[12] The name was changed because New Market Academy duplicated an old private school in New Market, ironically, the new name was shared with another, now defunct, military school in Winchester, Virginia.^[13] At the time of its founding, Shenandoah Valley Academy was the seventh Seventh-day Adventist high school level academy in the United States.^[11] In 1911 SVA graduated its first four students.^[10] SVA students come from Virginia and Maryland across the United States to New York, Florida, or California and across national borders from places such as South Korea, Angola, the United Kingdom, and South America. By the time of its centennial in 2008 SVA had graduated over 6,000 students.^[10] During the 2009-2010 school year, SVA reached an enrollment of two hundred forty-four students.^[3]

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 and on the other sides by the Massanutten Mountain and Allegheny Mountain Range.^[10] Most classes are held in the Administration Building.^[14] Both the boys dorm, Phanstiel Hall, and the Girls Dorm, Hadley Hall, have been fully remodeled within the past two years.^[15]

Curriculum

SVA's curriculum consists primarily of the standard courses taught at college preparatory schools across the world. All students are required to take classes in the core areas of English, Basic Sciences, Mathematics, a Foreign Language, and Social Sciences.^[16] In addition, religion classes are mandated on a yearly basis. In addition to its core curriculum, SVA offers three Advanced Placement (AP) classes and Concurrent Enrollment classes including Introduction to Computers, Spanish IV, Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, US History, Personal Finance, Psychology, Jesus and the Gospels, and Knowing and Sharing Christ.^[17]

Diploma options

SVA offers its students three diploma tracks, an Advanced Placement Diploma, an Basic College Preparatory Diploma, and a Basic Diploma. The Advanced Placement Diploma is designed for students expecting to apply to highly selective schools such as those in the Ivy League, Public Ivies or the Little Ivies. The College Preparatory Diploma is designed to gain acceptance into colleges with less demanding acceptance requirements.^[16] Towards the conclusion of their junior year, the school selects their senior classes based on their course selections and grade point average to prepare them for the appropriate diploma option.^[18]

Academic Honors

International Academic Competition

A Senior at SVA was a National Recognition Recipient of the International Academic Competitions's Math Challenge for the 2010-2011 school year. The International Academic Competition are a triad of competitions that recognize outstanding achievement in essay writing, mathematical problem solving and English Vocabulary sponsored by the Center for Future Global Leaders.^[19]

Pacific Union College's Maxwell Scholarship

In 2010, Pacific Union College selected a member of the Class of 2010 as one of its five Maxwell Scholar Program winners. The program, Pacific Union College's most prestigious based on "high academic achievement, a commitment to Christian service, and outstanding leadership skills" represents a renewable grant of $15,000 per year to each of its recipients.^[20]

National Honor Society

SVA has an active chapter of the National Honor Society, which has existed since at least the year 1974.^[21]

Student life

Performing arts

SVA has an active, award winning, performing arts program.^[14][22] The department consists of two full-time faculty as well as a number of students from JMU who make free instrumental lessons available to all students at SVA. Music groups that are currently active at SVA include the Shenandoans their elite touring choir, the Handbell Ensemble, which goes on tour with the Shenandoans, there is also the Concert Choir, a large choir for everyone, and a Gospel Choir, singing the popular Christian music of the day. Apart from the vocal and bell groups, there is also the Orchestra, Brass Band, and the String Ensemble which rounds out the official music groups at Shenandoah.^[23] The Shenandoans, Handbell Ensemble, and the Orchestra are the organizations which tour most frequently.^[24] Not under the direction of the music department are the Praise Teams who lead the school population in singing at its weekly worship events.^[25]

There is also a small drama club on campus which writes and performs small plays for various elementary schools as well as for some school events. The drama club is primarily used as a recruitment tool, showcasing Shenandoah Students to middle school age students.^[26][27]

Athletics

The athletic department plays a large part in campus life at SVA, a large percent of the student body participates in the eight varsity teams, and many participate in its intramural sports.^[28] Many of the players on its varsity teams go on to play in college athletics at various colleges.^[29][30][31] The school has won a number of conference awards as well as tournament awards. During the 2009-2010 basketball season, SVA junior guard Ivan Delacruz had the highest scoring average in the area at 25.1 points per game.^[32]

Facilities

• The Charles Zirkle Gymnasium – Used as Basketball and Volleyball facility
• Full size professional soccer field (redone in Summer of 2009)^[33]
• Baseball field (redone in Summer of 2009)^[33]
• Heated Indoor Olympic Pool
• Outdoor Track
• Tennis Courts (Under Construction)^[33]

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

List of teams

Includes:

• Boys Varsity Soccer (Fall)^[3]
• Girls Varsity Volleyball (Fall)^[3]
• Boys Varsity Basketball (Winter)^[3][34]
• Girls Varsity Basketball (Winter)^[3]
• Boys Varsity Baseball (Spring)^[3]
• Girls Varsity Soccer (Spring)^[3]
• Boys Varsity Tennis (Spring)^[3]

Recent awards

• Boys Varsity Baseball - Conference Champions 2010
• Girls Varsity Soccer - Conference Runner Up 2011^[35]
• Boys Varsity Soccer – Conference Champions 2009^[36]
• Girls Varsity Volleyball Conference Runner Up 2011
• Boys Varsity Basketball – Conference Champions '09-'10^[34]
• Boys Varsity Basketball – Runner-up, SWAU High School Basketball Tournament, Division One^[37]
• Boys Varsity Basketball – Conference Champions '08-'09^[38]
• Boys Varsity Soccer - Conference Champions 2008^[39]
• Boys Varsity Basketball – Conference Champions '07-'08^[40]

Community Service

Annual Foreign Mission Trip

The Campus Ministries Office at SVA plans a yearly mission trip that students are encouraged to participate in.^[41][42] The trips are usually to Hispanic American countries or Brazil, but at times have gone to other locations. An average of about 40 students go on these trips.

Monthly DC Homeless Trips

Every month, a bus of students from Shenandoah Valley Academy go Washington, DC to help feed the city's homeless population.^[43]

Notable alumni

• Dale Twomley - Businessman/Educator, former President of Worthington Foods and Principal of a number of schools.

Principals

1908-1909 R. G. Ryan[44] 1909-1910 C. A. Maxwell[44] 1910-1911 H. M. Forshee[44] 1911-1912 M. E. Carr[44] 1912-1913 J. H. Smith[44] 1913-1914 No school this year[44] 1914-1915 E. W. Dresser[44] 1915-1916 R. G. Ryan[44] 1916-1921 H. M. Forshee[44] 1921-1926 John Z. Hottel[44] 1926-1927 J. J. Mair[44] 1927-1953 W. C. Hannah[11] 1953-1955 W. T. Weaver[11] 1955-1959 George H. Akers[11]

1959-1962 Harold E. Haas[11] 1962-1968 Loren E. Poole[11] 1968-1974 E. F. Reifsnyder[11] 1974-1978 Dale Twomley[11] 1978-1985 Lyle Botimer[11] 1985-1988 W. G. Nelson[11] 1988-1989 William Strickland[11] 1989-1996 Dean Hunt[11] 1996-2004 Mark Wile[11] 2004-2005 John Nafie[11] 2005-2007 Dale Twomley[11] 2007-2012 Spencer Hannah[11] 2012-present Travis Johnson

See also

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v t e

• List of Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools
• New Market, Virginia

References

External links

• Shenandoah Valley Academy (official)
• New Market Seventh-day Adventist Church (official)
• The Commonweal Foundation - Provider of scholarships to low income students at SVA
• The GHRoW Foundation - Provider of merit based scholarships for leadership to students at SVA
• Great School's Overview of SVA
• Shenandoah Stars Boys Basketball Stats

v t e Seventh-day Adventist academies in the United States Andrews Academy Auburn Adventist Academy Blue Mountain Academy Burton Adventist Academy Calexico Mission School Chisholm Trail Academy Escondido Adventist Academy Forest Lake Academy Georgia-Cumberland Academy Great Lakes Adventist Academy Greater Miami Adventist Academy Highland Academy Highland Adventist School Highland View Academy Indiana Academy La Sierra Academy Laurelwood Academy Lodi Academy Loma Linda Academy Madison Academy Midland Adventist Academy Milo Adventist Academy Monterey Bay Academy Mount Ellis Academy Mount Pisgah Academy Mount Vernon Academy Oakwood Adventist Academy Ouachita Hills Academy Ozark Adventist Academy Pine Tree Academy Portland Adventist Academy Puget Sound Adventist Academy Redlands Adventist Academy San Diego Academy Sandia View Academy Shenandoah Valley Academy South Lancaster Academy Spencerville Adventist Academy Spring Valley Academy Sunnydale Adventist Academy Takoma Academy Upper Columbia Academy Walla Walla Valley Academy Seventh-day Adventist Church Seventh-day Adventist education North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists

v t e Cavalier Athletic Conference Fredericksburg Academy (Falcons) Highland School (Hawks) Massanutten Academy (Colonels) Middleburg Academy (Dragons) Quantico High School (Warriors) Randolph-Macon Academy (Yellow Jackets) Shenandoah Valley Academy (Stars) Tandem Friends School (Badgers) Wakefield Country Day School (Owls) Wakefield School (Owls)