Landon School

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Landon School
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Virtute et non vi
By virtue, not by force
Address
6101 Wilson Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
United States
Information
Type Private, College-prep
Religious affiliation(s) Nonsectarian
Established 1929
Headmaster Jim Neill
Teaching staff 85.9 (FTE)
Grades 3–12
Gender Boys
Enrollment 672 (2013-2014)
Student to teacher ratio 7.8
Campus Suburban
Campus size 75 acres (30 ha)
Color(s) Brown and White
         
Athletics 20 interscholastic sports
Athletics conference Interstate Athletic Conference
Mascot Bear
Website www.landon.net
[1]

Landon School is a private, nonsectarian, college preparatory school for boys in grades 3–12, with an enrollment of approximately 680 students, in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

Background

Paul Landon Banfield and his wife, Mary Lee, founded Landon School in 1929. The school’s first location was a former residence in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C., now home to the Embassy of Estonia. Banfield moved Landon to its present 75-acre (300,000 m2) campus in Bethesda in 1935. The farmhouse, stables, and barn from the previous use of the Bethesda property still stand on the campus and are used today.

The school's original location in Washington, D.C. now serves as the Embassy of Estonia.

At the start of each school year, every student and faculty member signs Landon’s Code of Character as a pledge to uphold the values of respect and honor that are central to the school’s Civility and Honor Codes. These same values are present in the school’s motto, "Virtute et non vi" — which means "By virtue, not by force."

The Landon School's headmasters have been:

  • Paul Landon Banfield: 1929–1970
  • Hugh Riddleberger: 1970–1981
  • Malcolm Coates: 1981–1989
  • Damon F. Bradley: 1990–2004
  • David M. Armstrong: 2004–2015
  • Jim Neill: 2015–present

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 672 boys enrolled for the 2013-2014 school year was:[1]

  • Native American/Alaskan - 0.3%
  • Asian/Pacific islander - 8.3%
  • Black - 17.6%
  • Hispanic - 4.0%
  • White - 67.0%
  • Multiracial - 2.8%

Academics

In the Lower School (Grades 3-5), students are taught mathematics, history, English and science. In the third grade, students have a primary teacher for the core subjects, but study independently at art classes in Torrey Hall, science labs in the Barton Alumni Athletic Center, and music classes and play practice in the Mondzac Performing Arts Center. At the fourth and fifth-grade levels, teachers specialize in their subject.

Lower School students' learning experiences include STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) challenges and off-campus field trips, such as visits to the National Gallery of Art, barge rides down the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and book readings at Politics and Prose.

The annual Mini-Mester program allows Middle School boys (Grade 6, Forms I and II) to choose a field of study — from space exploration and crime scene investigation to guitar playing and sustainable living — and delve into it with on and off-campus expeditions.

Upper School students take honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. All juniors take two semesters of an interdisciplinary Humanities class, a study of major ideas and influences that have shaped European culture from the Classical to modern era through analysis of history, literature, art and music.

Every student’s time at Landon ends with an Independent Senior Project, which have included climbing mountains in Alaska, building Habitat for Humanity homes, opening an on-campus coffee shop and constructing and racing an electric car.

Students learn computer programs, including PowerPoint, Word and Excel; become more critical readers using the Kurzweil 3000 program; and keep track of tests and homework assignments through the school’s online portal.

Arts

All Landon students must participate in the arts (specific requirements vary by division), and the school offers 25 courses in music, theatrical arts and studio arts. Landon’s program is among the strongest and most highly regarded in the region, thanks to teachers and instructors who still practice their own craft. For example, the 30 members of adjunct music faculty, some of whom have played with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, perform at marquee venues such as Radio City Music Hall and the Kennedy Center. And the theatrical arts program director is a working actor who recently appeared on the acclaimed Netflix series House of Cards.

The school's musical groups — including a jazz band, concert band, string ensemble, handbells, and various choirs — routinely travel to regional and national competitions, where they have often achieved superior gold ratings (the highest possible).

Landon’s studio art classes include ceramics, digital art, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and architecture. Each division has at least one dedicated art studio, and artists frequently display their works in the school hallways, as well as in the on-campus Landow Art Gallery. In recent years, Landon’s painters have won awards at the annual Best of the Independent Schools Art Competition (hosted at Landow Gallery), the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the Congressional Art Competition.

Landon’s theatrical arts program features classes that teach boys acting techniques and introduce them to elements of stage, set construction and costume design. Students also act in, design the sets for, and act as backstage technicians for a series of plays each year. The Lower School stages a play in the spring, and Middle and Upper School boys have the opportunity to participate in two plays each year in conjunction with girls from sister school Holton-Arms.

Athletics

Every boy at Landon is required to participate in daily sports — varsity, club or intramural — to stay physically fit and learn about the value of healthy living and teamwork. Students are guided in their athletic endeavors by their teacher-coach-mentors.

The school offers 26 athletics options, including varsity interscholastic sports such as soccer, water polo, football, cross country, ice hockey, wrestling, basketball, baseball, track, tennis, golf, rugby and lacrosse. Landon also offers interscholastic club sports such as riflery, sailing, fencing, squash and ultimate Frisbee, as well as intramural sports and strength and conditioning, a class that teaches boys the value of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

Landon’s varsity teams have won 188 total Interstate Athletic Conference (I.A.C.) championships, including 48 I.A.C. tennis championships and 30 I.A.C. lacrosse championships. In addition, Landon’s varsity lacrosse team, coached by Robinson Bordley, won national championships in 1999, 2001 and 2002.

Many Landon graduates — including 20 members of the Class of 2015 alone — have gone on to play National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I or Division III sports.

Character education

In 2008, Landon adopted a Code of Character, which brings together the principles of respect and honesty that are central to the school’s Civility and Honor Codes.

As part of the Ethics program, 13 seniors are selected as Prefects (student leaders) by their peers and faculty members. Prefects are expected to model ethical behavior across all divisions by establishing relationships with assigned homerooms and advisories in the Lower and Middle Schools, proctoring the Upper School library and media center, and leading form meetings.

In addition, Landon’s George Boiardi ’00 Memorial Forum for Ethical Reflection series, named in memory of a Landon alumnus, brings special guest speakers to campus to share their vision with students, faculty and parents.

Faculty: The Teacher-Coach-Mentor Model

Landon has a teacher-coach-mentor model. The 125+ members of the school’s faculty are also coaches, advisors and leaders.

For example, History Department Chair Bill Reed is also the head coach of the varsity soccer and baseball teams, as well as an Upper School advisor. Math Department Chair Adam Atwell, who employs an innovative "problem-solving" curriculum in some of his algebra courses, has coached the varsity tennis squad to three consecutive Interstate Athletic Conference (I.A.C.) titles, and earned All-Gazette Coach of the Year honors in 2014 for his efforts.

Campus and Facilities

Bethesda, Maryland, is just outside the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C.. Landon’s 75-acre campus resembles that of a small college.

The Barton Alumni Athletic Center — the home of Landon’s basketball and wrestling programs, as well as physical education and strength-and-conditioning classes — includes two gymnasia, a wrestling room, a team room, a fitness room with weight and cardio equipment, locker rooms, and an atrium that is often used for events.

Landon’s lacrosse and football teams play at Triplett Field, while four other grass fields provide the setting for varsity soccer and rugby matches, as well as junior varsity, Middle School, Lower School and intramural sports.

Notable alumni

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References

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External links

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