Verde Valley School - Review #9

One or two examples don't do this school justice. However, if I had to pick two I think the two that impact the students the most are the way they engage you to become a global citizen in your thought and action, and their commitment to the environment. These attributes are evident in the school's curriculum, work jobs, sports, community life, and volunteer opportunities.

I think the best thing VVS does is they ask you what type of person do you want to be when you grow up and then they ask you to work towards this. I think a boarding school can ask this of you as a teenager. I am not sure I would have responded the same if my parents had asked the same thing of me. A good boarding school can ask a teenager to take responsibility for their development and choices.

I would have bought better bedding. Dorm beds are not as comfy as your bed at home so things like a eggshell crate foam pad for your bed or a feather duvet for under the sheets would have made a world of difference.

The community VVS creates for its staff, alumni and students. It is a place you want to return to years later. When you think back on it you are filled with wonderful memories that usually include the red rock surroundings, the beautifully buildings, the small class rooms, outdoor meetings/classes and dorm life.

Do not invest in white clothing of any sort (pants, shirts or shoes) because the red dust will turn it all pink in no time flat. This goes for your sheets and towels. Get to like colors. When your at VVS the red sand drives you nuts and when you leave you remember it fondly. Even now, I giggle at the thought of a new student worrying about their new white sneakers. It is a battle they will not win.

I really enjoyed the schools emphasis on taking a language or several. The Spanish I learned at VVS and continued learning in College has been such a great help to me through out my career.VVS not only encouraged me to take Spanish but taught me how to feel comfortable using it daily even though I am not fluent. They not only taught me Spanish but they taught me about the Mexican/Spanish culture. They introduced me to the culture and made me a part of its community and families for a short period in time in the annual field trips. To this day I love visiting or traveling to Spanish speaking countries and I feel a deep connection to their culture.

Read the "Activities" entry. I enjoyed all the travel associated with competitive sports at VVS. To play against another team you had to drive at least to the next town and usually that meant Flagstaff. With the riding program, I loved loading up the horses and packing up equipment for a competition. This meant loading up the horse trailer and several cars. Then we would caravan to the competition and this was a lot of fun.

I really did not participate in these programs. I took a few classes that I enjoyed. I really liked their ceramics program and I still have a few pots around my house today that I made in it but it was not my biggest area of interest.

The annual field trips where my favorite. For two weeks, you could choose to focus on a volunteer/community service opportunity. I still remember my first trip where I lived and worked with a woman who ran an after school program for troubled kids. She was so kind and sweet that I was surprised to see her quickly pin a kid to the floor on the second day I was there. The boy had picked a fight with another guy and they had to be separated. She calmly asked him to apologize, he did and she let him go. I had never seen a fight or a person being held against his will before that day. Over the next two weeks, I got to know and like this kid. He had anger issues that not only frustrated the staff but they frustrated him. I would have never understood him and his issues had I not been able to observe and participate for such an extended period of time.

I like that the first year you are there they place you with an international room mate. It is a cultural experience for both you and your room mate.The rooms are really well thought out, in that you get your own room but you share a bathroom and a walk-in closet. They are thoughtfully designed and large.

The dining hall is the center of campus and so meals are a very social activity. Plus the dining hall is really a wonderful building. All the tables are round so you are never talking down a table and almost everyone at the table participates in the conversations. The food was always healthy and this went for the snacks laid out between meals as well.

Sedona is a scenic destination for millions of people each year. The school's surroundings are spectacular and the valley the school is in is a gem. I think its view of Cathedral is one of the best views in Sedona. I am sure this is the reason why they host large outdoor concerts each summer for the locals on their soccer field.

The VVS community is very tight knit, diverse and accepting. I had more fun and connected with more people at VVS than I did at college. Before arriving at VVS I had been overseas for many years and I had no clue what was cool or in fashion in the US. I am happy to say that I never had to worry about that at VVS. Finding friends was all about your interests, personality and energy level. This basically helped determine who you would hang out with the most.As a VVS alumni, the thing that most amazes me is the loyalty of students to VVS. To this day, the strongest instant connection I can make is when I meet another VVS grad. It amazes me to see that when I meet another alumni there is this unspoken bond, an understanding that we've share something very special...time at VVS.