A Residential Community

At Woodberry, we promote the personal development of our students and secure the growth of a healthy residential community. In the dean of students office we work with faculty advisors to ensure that you build a relationship with caring adults who are committed to your academic success and character development. We work with the faculty who live in your dorm so your time there is safe, positive, and enriching. We work with the director of health services to help you receive the best medical care. We work with the activities director to plan student activities that are positive, appropriate, and fun. We oversee the discipline system, which is designed to help you take responsibility for your actions. Finally, we work with the Prefect Board, our group of senior student leaders, to help you understand the privilege of living in a boys top-rated college prep school community that values honor and integrity.

Health Services

Student Wellbeing is our Top Priority

Our mission is to foster and support students' physical, mental, and emotional well‑being so they can thrive academically and socially. Located right on campus across from the Walker Fine Arts Center, our center offers immediate evidenced based nursing care, mental health support, screenings, preventative care, wellness promotion, and health education opportunities. We collaborate with families and school staff to create a safe, confidential space where students can receive care without missing class or travel.The Woodberry Forest Health Center provides individualized, student centered care for numerous chronic and acute health conditions. The Health Center is open 24 hrs a day by licensed nurses, with oversight from the overseeing medical practice, Orange Family Physicians.

Wellness Collaboration

The Woodberry Forest Health Center collaborates and partners with our local family medicine practice, Orange Family Physicians. When students arrive at the Health Center needing further medical intervention or evaluation, our team of dedicated nurses will ensure that students are referred to a provider at Orange Family Physicians in a timely manner. Additionally, the Health Center refers students as needed to local urgent care centers, orthopedic practices, orthodontia care practices, Health Departments, etc. on an as needed basis and in collaboration with parents.

Mental Health Services

Woodberry is committed to Student Mental Health and Wholeness in all of its dimensions as we aspire to know, challenge, and love each of our students during their teenage years. Nonetheless, the unique stressors and demands of adolescence can be tough to navigate for many of our students, so having a safe, confidential space to talk about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be very helpful. Whether it’s homesickness, relationship problems, depression, anxiety, grief, and/or academic struggles, please reach out to Dr. Christal Boesen, licensed clinical psychologist and the director of health services, by phone at (540) 672-4676 or via email at christal_boesen@woodberry.org for additional information and help setting up services.

Additional Mental Health Programming

Woodberry has partnered with Endure Mentality, a mental health service provider that facilitates workshops, consultations, individual, and group sessions to support student athletes (www.endurementality.com). Led by Sarah Lewis, LCSW, and Shannon Noe, LPC, Endure meets with our teams, captains, coaches, individual athletes and small groups throughout the year to help promote mental fitness in athletics.

Spiritual Life

One of the abiding principles of Woodberry Forest is the belief that students should have a reverence for things sacred. With this in mind, there is the belief that spirituality is vital to the health of the community. Although Woodberry was founded on Christian principles, the boys' school does not maintain formal ties to any particular denomination.

Each Monday evening in St. Andrew’s Chapel, nondenominational services for the students, faculty, and surrounding community take place. As a Woodberry student you will have the opportunity to hear visiting speakers in the chapel several times during the year, and to participate in weekly meetings of the Christian fellowship group.

You may also join us for Chapel-sponsored activities that include weekly Christian fellowship meetings, Bible study, communion services on Wednesdays, off-campus services, and special Holy Day services.

John Amos
Chaplain

Clubs and Activities

At Woodberry, you can pursue a range of activities outside of the classroom. Along the way, you'll gain valuable leadership skills and build friendships you'll keep for the rest of your life. There are more than thirty clubs and plenty of activities for you to enjoy at the Forest. You can choose to travel abroad, explore your spirituality, reduce your carbon footprint, become a photographer, publish a newspaper, mentor or take a leadership position, paint or sculpt, or enjoy the great outdoors. You'll find that you have endless opportunities at our boarding prep school to learn, to grow, and to change your life forever.

Ansley Higginbotham
Director of Student Activities and Transportation

Woodberry Forest School is an exceptional private school community for high school boys in grades nine through twelve. It is one of the top boarding schools in the United States and one of the only all-boys, all-boarding schools in the country.

Woodberry Forest, VA 22989
Phone: 540-672-3900

Explore & Resources

Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs. The school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.