Asheville School Humanities teacher Tim Plaehn already had a busy summer planned, but now that his screenplay has the potential to become a Chinese hit film, his summer plans have gotten even crazier.

Student musicians joined forces with Asheville School humanities teacher and local musician Jeff Mettee in a new afternoon activity: Song Craft. Over the course of the spring semester, they created their own music in a variety of styles.

Asheville School’s 56 seniors have received 198 total acceptances to 113 different colleges, and 19 seniors have received a combined total of $1,482,780 in merit scholarships.

After breaking five school records and receiving one individual state championship trophy, the Asheville School boys’ and girls’ track and field teams were proud of their effort in the state competition this year in Raleigh.

At the Fine Arts Banquet on May 16, several students were recognized and honored for their contributions and participation in music, art, drama, dance and writing programs at Asheville School.

Asheville School’s Athletics Department recently honored four senior track and field standouts who will compete at the collegiate level next year. Seniors Ben Fiedler (Asheville, NC), Will DuBose (Columbia, SC), Robert Cook (Rock Hill, SC), and Paul Jordan (Asheville, NC) were all honored in the Rodgers Athletic Center’s Hunt Room for their contributions in cross country and track and field.

This spring, Asheville School’s drama students created six 3-10 minute plays and filmed and edited them in a cinematic style. These were screened in Graham Theater in a short film festival on Tuesday, May 14 at 3:30.

Asheville School’s music department will present their Spring Music Concert in Graham Theater in the Walker Arts Center on Thursday, May 16 at 5:15 pm. The concert is free and open to the public.

In his senior year, alumnus Michael Jones 1994 set Asheville School’s pole vault record at 12.5 feet. Nearly 20 years later, and after a year of being tied with the record, senior Will DuBose is the new record holder after clearing 13 feet at the Volunteer Classic at the University of Tennessee on April 20. Less than two weeks later, in her first season of track and field, senior Ashton Caudle vaulted to 8 feet to break the girls' record in a meet at Christ School.

Asheville School’s dancers will perform “Invasion of the Golden Record” in Graham Theater in the Walker Arts Center on May 9 and 10 at 7:15pm. The performance, inspired by the Interstellar Voyager Mission, is free and open to the public.

Enjoy a run in West Asheville to celebrate longer days and warmer weather! Asheville School is hosting its first 5K race on Sunday, May 5 at 1:30 PM. This is a family friendly event and all are encouraged to participate.

Senior Ben Fiedler’s piano recital will take place on Friday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Walker Arts Center at Asheville School. He will play pieces from Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy and Kreisler. There will be a reception following the recital.

The new Asheville School App for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch is now available for free on the App Store. Visit www.ashevilleschool.org/app to install the app today.

Students in Asheville School’s Handbell Ensemble will perform at two Asheville retirement communities over the next two weeks. The ensemble will perform at Deerfield Retirement Community on April 24 and at the Givens Estate on May 1. The program includes The Star-Spangled Banner, Ashokan Farewell, Setting of the Southern hymn tune JEFFERSON, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, and Rondo Passacaglia.

Author and illustrator Maira Kalman will speak at Asheville School’s Founders’ Day convocation on Thursday, April 25 at 7:15 p.m. in the Walker Arts Center’s Graham Theater. The event is free and open to the public with limited seating available.

Three Asheville School students recently participated in the Brevard College High School Art Show, with senior Elizabeth Bleynat placing second in the competition out of 70 participants.

David Weigel 2006 is entering the electrifying career of opera. After graduating from Furman University with a Bachelor’s Degree in music and vocal performance, he went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Music and Vocal Performance at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Weigel is currently a Professional Artist Certificate candidate at the Fletcher Opera Institute at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

Over 1,000 contestants ranging from age 3 to 90 came from approximately 45 states to compete in the NASTAR (National Standard) ski racing championships on March 22 and 23 in Colorado. Asheville School sophomore Gammon Rodriguez was one of those contestants, and he finished in first place for his age group (14-15) in snowboarding.

Asheville School sophomore Madison Fiedler (Biltmore Lake, NC) was recently selected to attend the 2013 session of North Carolina Governor’s School. She will participate in the performing arts discipline of Choral Music.

Alexa Caldwell, girls’ lacrosse coach at Asheville School, has won Positive Coaching Alliance’s coveted Double-Goal Coach Award presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance for her positive impact on youth athletes.

Thomas Stern 1997 has just taken the next big step in his career and has opened AV.E Health in Asheville, a company that provides “skilled, caring staff to support individuals with dementia and their family caregivers on wellness-focused vacations.”

Asheville School seniors Jonathan George (Lexington, KY) and Matthew Gilliland (Montreat, NC) have been selected as finalists for "full-ride-plus" scholarships.

The final races for Asheville School’s ski team were Sunday, March 3 at Cataloochee Ski Area, and the Blues finished in first place! They had a great season, after finishing first place every week.

On Friday, March 8, Asheville School will celebrate World Awareness Day — a day when students share innovative ideas and learn about how they can change the world around them. Several guest speakers will share their knowledge and passion for a better world, including local poet Jeff Davis, forestry specialist Monty Wooten, and many more.

During the Green Cup Energy Challenge, Asheville School reduced its energy usage by 8.5%, which is 15,252 kWh lower than the baseline measurement. Asheville School ranked 4th out of the schools located in the Southeast.

Asheville School’s Robotics team returned from Greensboro after placing 7th in the state tournament out of 35 teams.

Asheville School senior Robert Cook has committed to run college cross country and track for West Point. Cook was part of the Blues’ NCISAA 3-A runner-up cross country team in 2012 and placed ninth individually at the state meet (16 minutes, 18.41 seconds).

Students in a physics class at Asheville School recently teamed up with two engineering students at UNC-Asheville for help in constructing miniature cars made out of found objects and mousetraps.

Based on preliminary scores from national testing (PSAT), Asheville School senior Ian Van Wye (Asheville, NC) has advanced to the finalist round in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Asheville School swimmers set 26 personal records and four school records while competing in the NCISAA State 3A Swimming Championships on Monday, February 18. The meet was held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, and the competitors came from teams throughout North Carolina.

Drama, dance and music students at Asheville School are preparing for a 2-night performance of the musical, Cabaret, on Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1 at 7:15 pm. Friday night's performance is open to the public with limited seating available.

Asheville School Art teacher Casey Arbor recently graduated from The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University with a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts degree. In conjunction with her graduation, Arbor’s graduate work was on display at AIB’s University Hall Gallery.

The Asheville School boys’ and girls’ swim teams claimed CAA Championship trophies after competing in the CAA Conference Championship Meet on Friday, February 8 in Asheville School’s Ambler Pool against Carolina Day School, Shannon Forest, Rabun Gap Nacoochee School, and Asheville Christian Academy.

It’s been a record-breaking year for the Blues swim team in 2013, with the boys’ team remaining undefeated the week before the conference meet for the fifth year in a row. This year, both teams are hoping to perform well at the CAA meet and welcome a record number of students into the finals next weekend, says Blues coach and Science Chair Frank Kriegler.

Asheville School sophomore Perla Haney-Jardine plays the lead role in Future Weather, alongside Amy Madigan, Lili Taylor, William Sadler, Marin Ireland, and Anubhav Jain. The film premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival and will open in select theaters on February 22, 2013. Click here to watch the recently released official trailer.

A new exhibit, Ragtime Reminiscent, is on display in the John M. Crawford, Jr. Art Gallery at Asheville School until March 9th. The exhibition features the works of two artists with contrasting styles. The gallery is open every weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

This year Asheville School artists entered the WNC Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Competition over Winter Break. This nonprofit organization's legacy dates back to 1923 with a noteworthy roster of past winners including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford and Joyce Carol Oates.

Nat Wittstruck 2001 is currently living in Brooklyn, New York, and works as Creative Director in graphic design for Empire Entertainment. Nat designs and creates a vast range of printed design work for Empire, and he has also worked as an associate producer on Empire events.

On June 12-14, teachers and administrators from independent and public schools across the country will participate in Asheville School's Project Connect, an inaugural summer institute on interdisciplinary studies. Acclaimed American writer Allan Gurganus is the keynote speaker at the 3-day institute.

Asheville School seniors Avi Goldstein and Ian Van Wye were recently named finalists for the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship, awarded by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA) at Asheville School are asking their fellow Asheville School Blues to go green and participate in the 2013 Green Cup National Energy Challenge.



On January 12, Asheville School hosted the annual Buncombe County Swim Meet, where 11 high school teams competed. The Asheville School boys’ swim team came in first place, and the girls’ team came in third place.

Equipped with an understanding of how art, literature and history are connected, Asheville School’s European Studies students will visit the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University to explore paintings from modern masters they’ve learned about in their classes. This art exhibit has another connection to Asheville School through its alumni, specifically the Cone family.

National Players, America’s longest running classical touring company, will perform Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Asheville School’s Graham Theater on Thursday, January 31 at 7:15 p.m. as part of their 64th Annual Tour.

Every January, students at Asheville School take time to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by studying the history of the Civil Rights era. This year, however, students and teachers will do much more than study the history; they will sing its history. The sounds of freedom songs -- what Martin Luther King Jr. called “the soul of the [Civil Rights] Movement” -- will resonate across the Asheville School campus January 13-18.

During the holiday break, our Boys’ Varsity Basketball team will return to Asheville on December 26 to prepare for the third annual WNC Holiday Classic tournament December 27-29.

Craig Hunt, who graduated from Asheville School in 1970, has had a varied and exciting career. After his time at Asheville School, Hunt attended Wittenburg University, a liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio closer to his home state of Indiana.

Asheville School's Director of Academic Technology Varghese Alexander wrote this entry for the faculty blog about integrating technology in our classrooms.

Asheville School senior Ben Fiedler and sophomore Madison Fiedler organized a benefit concert in their community to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Kim To Perform at the Asian Music Awards -- When it was time for Roy Kim '12 to meet the final challenge on Superstar K4, the Korean equivalent of American Idol, he looked back to his days at Asheville School.

Asheville School fifth former Dylan Bilski (Glendale, NY) was one of two recipients of an award for volunteer service from Congressman Bob Turner’s office during Thanksgiving break.

After the three judges asked him to perform an original song, Kim recalled a song he'd written during his time at Asheville School when he was writing and recording songs in Anderson Hall.

After winning a Nissan Cube and the hearts of countless pre-teen girls, Asheville School alumnus Roy (Sang Woo) Kim ’12 hopes to win it all this Friday.

Ben Fiedler, a classical pianist and sixth former at Asheville School, won the First Place Award this past weekend in the Senior Competition of the annual Sonata Festival at Milligan College in Tennessee.

On November 9, alumnus Roy Kim '12 found out he is now in the top three contestants on Korea's Superstar K. Click here to watch his most recent performances (6:50 & 13:35).

The Appalachian Pastel Society’s 2012 National Pastel Exhibition is hanging in The John M. Crawford, Jr. Art Gallery at Asheville School. The show will continue through December 14, 2012.

A recent visitor to our campus, Grant Lichtman, author of The Falconer: What We Wish We Had Learned in School, wrote a wonderful Blog entry titled "Interdisciplinary Programs Promote Truly Deep Learning at Asheville School." Lichtman is on a journey to discover how leading educators at over 60 schools across the nation are implementing change to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

Asheville School alumnus Roy (Sang Woo) Kim ’12 made the difficult decision to defer for a year from Georgetown University to pursue his dreams and compete on Korea’s fourth season of SuperstarK – Korea’s most popular singing competition show. On Friday, November 2, Kim found out he advanced from one of 2,084,337 people to audition to being in the top four contestants – and all four won a Nissan Cube.

Asheville School’s drama department will present All in the Timing on October 25 and 26 at 7:15 pm in Graham Theater. The show runs about an hour and a half, and is free and open to the public with limited seating available.

Saturday marks the 86th football game between Asheville School and Christ School. Known as the oldest prep sports rivalry in the Carolinas, the Blues will compete against the Greenies in Arden at Christ School (click here for directions). The game will stream live here.

With the addition of new tennis courts and a new coach this summer, Asheville School’s girls’ tennis team also has a new record -- an undefeated season. Asheville School is thrilled about the team’s 9-0 record this fall, and the team recently learned that they earned the #11 seed in the NCISAA Tournament. The Blues tennis team will face the #6 seeded St. Mary’s at 11:00 a.m. Saturday.

Spirits were high as the Asheville School community cheered on female athletes representing cross country, tennis, volleyball, and field hockey during the annual Girls’ Sports Day on October 13. This day was created in the late 80s as a time to celebrate Asheville School’s female athletes. All of our girls’ teams were recognized and honored during seated meals the week leading up to Girls’ Sports Day.

Two of the nation’s premier political commentators will visit Asheville School on Thursday, October 11 to take part in a Red vs. Blue debate at 7:15 p.m. in Graham Theater. Peter Beinart and Jonah Goldberg, who have garnered much esteem for their lively and enlightened discussions of contemporary world affairs, will debate before students and faculty members. The debate is free and open to the public with limited seating available.

After a competitive audition, Asheville School senior Jeff Park (Seoul, Korea) was selected to be a member of the North Carolina Music Educators Association’s (NCMEA) High School Honors Chorus 2012.

The 2012 Appalachian Pastel Society Juried National Exhibition will open at The Crawford Gallery at Asheville School on Thursday, October 18, and continue through December 14, 2012.

Dave Wottle, gold medalist in the 1972 Munich Olympics for the 800-meter race, will join Asheville School for Family Weekend on Friday, October 5. He will talk about his famous Olympic victory to students, parents, and faculty members of Asheville School from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Graham Theater.

For the past few years, Randy Ashley’s Cross Country teams at Asheville School have surprised their competition with strong finishes. This year, however, Ashley's talented Blues runners have risen to the top of the rankings, with the Asheville School boys ranked third among all schools in NC and first in the NCISAA conference. The girls' cross country team is ranked sixth in the NCISAA conference.

Last spring, the Asheville School Board of Trustees voted to honor alumnus Dr. Ben V. Branscomb 1941 with the school's Award of Merit – the highest honor the School bestows. Dr. Branscomb will be presented the Award of Merit on Thursday night, September 27 at 7:15 p.m. after he speaks to students, faculty members, trustees, and parents about his 60-year medical career and his pioneering work in pulmonary medicine.

Asheville School alumnus Patrick Darab ‘05 auditioned in front of millions of television viewers on Fox’s The X Factor with his new band Citizen -- a five-member boy band based in Los Angeles.

Alumnus Roy Kim 2012 continues to perform on Korea’s SuperStar K. Kim competed against Jung Joon Young on SuperStar K, as they both sang Kim Kwang Seok’s “Be Dust.” Click here to watch a video of his performance.

Based on preliminary scores from national testing (PSAT), Asheville School senior Ian Van Wye has been selected as a semifinalist in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. Ian has the opportunity to apply and to advance to the Finalist level to compete for National Merit Scholarships.

It is easier than ever to stay connected with our athletic teams, thanks to communications initiatives put in place by Associate Director of Athletics Justin Leith.

Freshmen in Mr. Gordon's Third Form history class studied Amid Rugged Mountains by Steve Levin '73 to learn about the history of Asheville School. Co-Director of the Cody Annual Fund Meredith Bryson was able to sit in on these classes and shares her thoughts on the Faculty Blog. Click here to read her post.

Sixth former Libby Malinowski shares her favorite Rockmont Day experiences on the Hoste Society blog. Click here to read her post.

Players and coaches on Asheville School’s Cross Country team will collect food donations for MANNA Food Bank during all Blues home games this fall.

After four years of practice performing popular songs with his acoustic guitar in front of his Asheville School peers, Roy (Sang Woo) Kim ’12 now finds himself enjoying celebrity status in Korea with a crowd of supporters eagerly anticipating his next appearance on Korea’s equivalent of American Idol – Superstar K.

Student and faculty musicians from Asheville School will take the stage at Pack Square in downtown Asheville on Thursday, August 23 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the second annual Opening Week concert -- Shindig with the Blues. All are invited to attend.

After a very busy summer filled with renovations, additions, updates, and overhauls -- we are excited to welcome students, families and friends to Asheville School in the days ahead. As our students begin trickling in, the faculty anticipates a rewarding and successful upcoming school year.

Six Asheville School athletes joined Girls’ Lacrosse Coach Alexa Caldwell at the Sports Challenge Leadership Academy for nine days of training, where all Asheville School students were awarded red shirts - which are only given to athletes with exemplary leadership skills.

Even though statewide cross-country practices didn't officially begin until July 30, the Blues were getting noticed early in the summer. Asheville School knows their Boys' Cross Country team is preparing for a very successful and noteworthy season - and now they are being recognized by NC MileSplit as the #15 team in the preseason countdown for all North Carolina high schools, both public and private. MileSplit anticipates the Blues jumping into the top 10 teams this fall among high school teams in North Carolina.

Asheville School’s Bow Tie Society supports local businesses while keeping traditions alive.

Anna Weeks, Asheville School class of 2001, is committed to environmental conservation. Since her time at Asheville School, Weeks has been drawn to this field in regards to education, career choices and volunteer opportunities.

Talley Summerlin’s Digital EP Offers Twenty-First Century Protest Songs

Asheville School Swim Coach Frank Kriegler has already proven he knows how to swim a marathon. This summer, he’s turned his swimming adventure into a family affair.

There is a series of educational job fairs held in various cities around the country, and recent products of our nation’s colleges and universities eagerly crowd hotel ballrooms to present themselves to deans of faculties, high school administrators and principals, who sit regally behind tables covered in white tablecloths or adorned with elaborately printed signs saying “School X” or “School Y.” Every year I come home from these fairs buoyed by the sense that the next generation of teachers will have the talent, energy and commitment to resolve any problems it faces. These young people are remarkable.

The Blues claimed victory this week over the Greenies in the inaugural Blues vs. Greenies Giving Challenge.

While construction on the Asheville School's new tennis courts nears completion, the athletics department added a new talented tennis coach to its coaching staff this fall -- an athlete with many noteworthy tennis accolades.

Please join Mr. Bonner and Mr. Gregory on an epic summer reading adventure. As part of our Humanities Department's focus on the core works of Western civilization, we invite you to read with us the following book: The Aeneid, by Virgil.

There is a new addition to this year’s closing weeks: we are in a challenge with our rival, Christ School. The Blues and the Greenies are facing off to see which school can receive more annual fund donations between May 15 and June 30. This challenge is open to all alumni, parents, and friends who have not made a Cody Annual Fund gift this fiscal year.

Recent Asheville School graduate P.J. Eckerd (Asheville, NC) was awarded the North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s National Merit Scholarship, where he will begin as a freshman in the fall.

Several Asheville School faculty members traveled to The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia for the American Studies Institute 2012 on June 7-8. This year’s workshop was “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised? American Culture: 1970- Present.”

Remy Heskett 2002 is working as a financial advisor at Waddell & Reed in Raleigh, NC. After graduating from Asheville School, she went on to North Carolina State University where she initially studied Engineering, and ultimately transferred to Business Management. From NCSU she went to work at Best Buy for six years as a General Manager for Best Buy Mobile SAS, before joining the team at Waddell & Reed.