Foxcroft School - Review #1

I think there are a lot of things Foxcroft offers that make it unique, but one that really sticks out. The school's tradition of the "Foxhound" is one that creates a lasting bond between the girls whether they are on the same team or opposing. This splits the school into Foxes and Hounds and offers events and celebrations throughout the year based on the friendly rivalry. During this time the girls are able to share the experience with friends and other classmates they may not have gotten to know as well otherwise. This brings in the entire school through its athletic competitions and offers varying levels of play so everyone can join. This is a great way for everyone to become involved in the school and having fun no matter who they are, how athletic they are, etc.

The best thing that happened to me was both the friendships I made and the confidence I gained. Going into school I was very shy and timid and during my time developed into a much more confident person. This translated into my future academic life and career and contribute some success I am finding now to my time at Foxcroft. The other best thing was the friendships I created, I graduated 7 years ago and still talk to my friends on a regular basis. Foxcroft creates a network that extends for years and allows girls to connect later in life whether they knew each other during school or not.

I personally can't think of anything I'd change, not because it went perfectly but because I think each thing shaped my experience. I think for advice I would tell girls going to a boarding school that everyone is as nervous and excited as you are, if you're starting as a freshman you're all in the same boat. Be sure to enjoy yourself and participate in the different activities, clubs, and experiences offered and take advantage of this excellent academic structure you are receiving.

I liked the bond between all the girls the best. I made lifelong friends during my time in boarding school and look back very fondly on those memories. I think participating in sporting teams, foxhound and other activities made this experience even better and a great way to connect with classmates. Foxcroft is well run and offers a friendly and positive environment, which is crucial for girls during their highschool years.

Since I've been gone a lot has been renovated so I think my dorm advice may not be relevant anymore! But, snack wise, I always loved the food at the dorm parties. The housemothers would do all they could to make girls happy and comfortable and many times that translated into freshly made cookies, cakes and brownies!

Foxcroft offers excellent academics in smaller team-based environments. Being a school with smaller individual class sizes, it allows each girl to learn and excel within the class. Each teacher gets to know and works with students on an individual level, so if you are excelling in a class they will do more to help you grow and challenge you or if you need extra help, they will work with you separately. This allows each girl to learn and grow as a whole while fine-tuning both the strengths and weaknesses which is essential to understand when picking a future career and college major.I also liked how collaborative the classes were. We had many projects that not only allowed us to interact and work with fellow classmates, but the community as well. My senior year engineering class allowed me, and teammates, to work in the local community and go on various field trips. After meeting with local clients, we were able to draw plans and fully build a grain shed from scratch to be delivered. It was a great experience to see our effort from start to finish be used within the community. Foxcroft put in a lot of effort to have the girls experience things outside of the school and work with those in the local community.Overall, I thought the environment was positive. The girls supported one another and were proud of each other's achievements; I did not face issues with competitiveness between students.

I think Foxcroft's athletic programs are run extremely well. There are nice fields and facilities and great coaches that help to ensure each girl is staying healthy while enjoying their time in athletics as well. While participation is mandatory, I personally saw that as a benefit rather than an issue. I think it is important to stay healthy and active and by having to participate in mandatory sports it ensures this. I also think the skills learned and experiences shared by being on a team translate well beyond the field, and girls use these skills well into their future careers. There were plenty of different sporting options and opportunities so everyone would find something they enjoy or feel comfortable with.

I personally spent less time with the arts and theater departments beyond my required studio art classes, which I enjoyed. The way I was involved with the music and theater departments was as a spectator. The girls were all able to showcase their individual talents and given many opportunities to perform for classmates. One aspect I really enjoyed was the support given to fellow classmates who were performing. Whether it was a play, solo, recital etc there was always a full audience cheering the girl on. There also were many performances during our morning meetings by our acapella groups, which everyone enjoyed. While I didn't directly participate in these programs, I still enjoyed them and saw the high-quality teaching and classes offered.

As a member and then head of the activities committee for Foxcroft, I spent a lot of time focusing on extracurricular activities for my classmates. Being a boarding student, it was important for me to be able to leave campus on the weekends and be offered a range of activities on a weekly basis to participate in.Foxcroft frequently offered trips to D.C., Tyson's mall, the movies, mixers with other schools, the Baltimore Aquarium, and more which gave girls a break from campus. If choosing to remain on campus, all weekend there were weekly movie nights, cooking clubs, and more that provided entertainment and fun as well.Beyond weekly trips, Foxcroft offered a yearly trip abroad which girls could participate in during the month of March. In my four years, I was able to join friends and classmates in Peru and Honduras which became some of my fondest memories of these times.Foxcroft and the activities committee was very open to input from students of what they would like to do and worked to plan trips that girls would enjoy.

The sleeping porch was the unique aspect of Foxcroft's dorm environment! Instead of having a bed in your room like a typical dorm setup, freshman-junior girls would share rooms with desks and closets but all sleep in larger rooms with bunk beds. This worked as a good way to bond with classmates you may not have otherwise and to get to know one another early on. There were pros and cons to the sleeping porches- a pro being you can go to sleep without worrying about your roommate making noise or having the lights on and con being lots of girls sleeping together could mean a lot of talking at night! Aside from sleeping arrangements, the dorms offered individual lounges to promote girls spending time with one another and a food closet to purchase snacks from the housemother. The room selection process allowed girls to request roommates for their sophomore-senior years and the dorm they would prefer to live in.

I enjoyed the dining hall we had; we were allowed to choose which foods we wanted to eat for each meal and sit where we pleased. The dining hall had large round tables so you could sit with 7-8 people for each meal. One good thing about Foxcroft is how positive the environment is there was never a table you would feel uncomfortable about asking to join, people were open and happy to invite anyone to join them for a meal. The dining hall had select hours it was open but if you were still hungry, each dorm had a food closet which snacks could be purchased from and the PX was open for snacks during school hours.

Middleburg is a quaint and beautiful location to be set in. It has a very small and well-connected community feel, and everyone in town knows Foxcroft well. I liked being able to enjoy this community and learn more about its residents and the equestrian lifestyle while still being able to venture to larger cities. While Foxcroft is in Middleburg, it is surrounded by larger towns with more stores and restaurants and only around an hour from Tyson's corner and D.C. This allowed us to enjoy a calmer environment while at school but still be able to spend time in cities.

I liked Foxcroft's social life because there were many events put on during the week for girls to enjoy. We would have club meetings, banquets, dorm parties, and more which girls could participate in and enjoy. This allowed us to have fun on campus along with the activities offered off campus.