Extracurricular Life

Overview

It’s 3:00. What now?

Asheville School requires all students to participate each season in the afternoon activities program. 9th and 10th graders (we call them 3rd and 4th Formers) are specifically required to play at least one team sport during the year. In addition to competitive athletics, other afternoon offerings include equestrian, mountaineering, art, dance, music, drama, and life fitness. Students with a demonstrated passion in an area outside our usual offerings may design a special program, providing it meets certain criteria. Across all our programs, we encourage student involvement, growth, and teamwork. This all spells an active student body and busy, bristling school.

Arts

Setting: Asheville School.
Time: Early Afternoon.
Motivation: Creativity

Enter the Asheville School Arts program. In class, we introduce students to music theory (optional) and the basics of art composition (required). Outside class, we help students find their voices through extracurricular options in drama, dance, studio art, private lessons in instrument or voice, and various arts clubs. There’s a chorus, even a handbell choir. The school stages two main productions annually in our Graham Theater, one of the nicest small theaters in Western North Carolina. And the Crawford Gallery, home to rotating exhibits of local and regional artists, showcases our exceptional student work each spring. A small but growing number of graduates pursue arts-related majors in college or attend arts schools.

Athletics

Asheville School students are good sports.

On and off the field, our students embody the principles of good sportsmanship. And, 75% of our students play at least one team sport in any given year. The options are wide-ranging: from traditional favorites like football, soccer, and basketball, to offerings not found at every school, like field hockey, golf, and swimming. Our best teams fare well in state competition; several have been state champions, or runners-up, over the past few years. A number of sports have both Varsity and Junior Varsity teams, allowing students at various skill levels to compete.

The opportunity to participate in competitive team athletics—often not possible at larger public schools—builds school spirit and helps students develop teamwork and leadership, skills they'll use long after a season's last pitch or final seconds.

Mountaineering

You won't believe our playground.

Asheville's unparalleled mountain geography offers an ideal setting for adventure. Available all three seasons, Mountaineering, a signature program, teaches students outdoor skills and safety, as well as respect for the environment. Activities range from mountain-biking and skiing to kayaking, rock-climbing, and caving. A new, advanced afternoon course, developed in partnership with North Carolina Outward Bound School, focuses on outdoor leadership and wilderness response. On campus resources include the Paulsen Mountaineering Center—with space for instruction, equipment storage, and meeting—and an alpine tower, high ropes course, practice climbing walls, and lots of great biking trails.

Equestrian

The equestrian program, also distinctive, gives students the opportunity to learn to ride and care for horses. Trail rides on school property are a regular part of the program as students learn English and Western riding styles. More advanced riders may choose equestrian as an afternoon activity and participate in horse shows.

Student Activities and Weekends

We value academics at Asheville School, but we also value fun.

Our Student Activities Director schedules plenty of entertainment during student downtime. On-campus pursuits include barbecues, athletic tournaments, bingo, movies, and school dances. Students also take in plays, concerts, shopping, movies, and sporting events in Asheville. Here’s the best thing: except for personal spending money, student tuition covers the costs for all school-sponsored activities.

Surrounded by breathtaking mountains, and featuring all the amenities of a vibrant city, Asheville still retains its small town safety and friendliness. Internationally recognized as an arts Mecca, it's no surprise that Asheville offers a menu of galleries, music, dance, and theater. It's also home to some fantastic restaurants and coffee shops, popular street festivals, and minor league teams in baseball and basketball. The historic Biltmore House is here in the area, as well as the Thomas Wolfe house, O. Henry's grave, and many other literary landmarks. Even the occasional movie production visits Asheville.

Publications and Clubs

"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand."

As the Chinese proverb suggests, a first-class education connects students with practical and worthwhile experience. To this end, Asheville School hosts enough student organizations to meet almost any taste. For example, students may bolster their writing and editing in publications like the Ashnoca (newspaper), Blue & White (yearbook), or Review (literary and visual arts magazine). And they may hone their leadership skills in clubs like the Student Council, Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA), or the ever-popular Mitchell Cabinet, a service organization.