CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES & CLUBS

Some of the most important learning happens beyond the classroom.

Our clubs, after-school activities, field trips, and school-wide traditions give boys opportunities to explore their interests, build friendships, challenge themselves, and experience the world around them. These aren't extras added to the school day, they are an important part of a Field School education.

Whether a boy is discovering a new hobby, developing his voice through debate, competing for his House, or hiking a trail with his classmates, he is learning, growing, and finding his place in our community.

There is always something to try. There is always somewhere to belong.

WEEKLY CLUBS

Our Wednesday and Friday club periods give every boy the opportunity to pursue an interest, try something completely new, or simply spend time doing something he loves with his friends. Because clubs happen during the school day, every boy gets to participate.

Our offerings change with student interests, faculty passions, and new ideas, but the goal remains the same: choice, curiosity, and connection.

  • Board Game Club

    Chess, strategy games, Catan, Dungeons & Dragons, and plenty of friendly competition.

  • Cooking Club

    Boys learn practical kitchen skills, try new recipes, work together, and (of course!) enjoy what they make.

  • Publications Club

    Boys publish the school newspaper and our yearbook, and curate the school’s library.

  • Math Club

    Puzzles, challenges, games, and opportunities to think about mathematics in new ways.

  • Homework Club

    A chance to get organized, get ahead, and have faculty support before heading home.

  • Outdoor Recreation Club

    Frisbee golf, ultimate frisbee, kickball, wiffle ball, tag, and just about every outdoor game you can imagine.

FIELD TRIPS & EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Boys learn best when they can experience what they are studying.

Every Field School grade takes three distinct field trips each year, each with a different purpose: to learn, to build teamwork and leadership skills, and simply to have fun. These trips and activities give boys opportunities to:

  • Connect what they learn in class to the real world.

  • Challenge themselves in unfamiliar environments.

  • Collaborate with classmates and faculty.

  • Build confidence by trying things they have never done before.

  • Discover interests and talents they might not find in a traditional classroom.

  • Develop leadership, resilience, and independence.

  • Create memories that become part of their Field School story.

  • Four children are standing in line at a zoo, petting a giraffe through a wooden fence under a large tree. The background shows other animals and a rural area with houses and trees.

    Richmond Zoo

    5th graders explore the natural world through hands-on experiences that bring science and environmental learning to life.

  • People walking inside a dark tunnel with rocky walls and a wet, gravel floor, illuminated with some lights.

    Crozet Tunnel & Pool

    An outdoor adventure that challenges 5th graders to work together, navigate new experiences, and build their emerging sense of independence.

  • A group of children and teenagers gathered around a large, illuminated globe of the Earth. They are in an indoor museum with black and gray decor, behind a gold-colored barrier. Some children are leaning on or holding the barrier, and some are pointing or looking at the globe. There is a small sign that says 'Please Do Not Touch the Pendulum.' The scene suggests an educational or museum setting focused on geography or science.

    Richmond Science Museum

    An interactive day for 5th graders, filled with discovery, exploration, and plenty of opportunities to be curious together.

  • Two smiling boys with short blonde hair sitting at a cafeteria table in a school lunchroom, with other students and a teacher visible in the background.

    Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

    6th graders experience great works of art firsthand, developing visual literacy and making connections between the classroom and the wider world of art and culture.

  • Three boys sitting on rocks outdoors with a scenic mountain view under a blue sky.

    Humpback Rocks & Pool

    6th graders get outside and into the Blue Ridge, building teamwork, confidence, and a willingness to take on challenges together.

  • A group of children and their adult chaperone standing outside in front of a red building labeled 'Grand Caverns,' surrounded by green trees, with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

    Grand Caverns

    6th graders head underground in Grottoes, Virginia, to explore a remarkable natural environment and enjoy an unforgettable adventure together.

  • Group of young students standing outside in front of a fence with the Virginia Holocaust Museum sign on a brick building in the background.

    Holocaust Museum

    7th graders engage deeply with history, developing empathy and considering the experiences and perspectives of others.

  • Children wearing helmets and harnesses on a rope course in a wooded area, climbing and navigating wooden platforms and bridges among tall trees.

    Blue Ridge Ropes Course

    7th graders take on physical and mental challenges together while building trust, communication, confidence, and resilience.

  • People wading in a river with a forested hillside and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

    James River Tubing

    7th graders enjoy a day on the James River filled with outdoor adventure, laughter, teamwork, and memories.

  • Aerial view of a college campus with large brick buildings, parking lots, surrounded by green trees and rolling hills in the background.

    Woodberry Forest

    8th graders experience another school community, broadening their perspective, and learning alongside their classmates.

  • Children climbing an inflatable water obstacle course shaped like a mountain with colorful sections, set outdoors on a sunny day.

    New River Gorge, West Virginia

    Our eighth graders return to West Virginia for a multi-day adventure that includes rafting, ziplining, aerial parks, paintball, and more. The boys also work together to think about how they can make their final year at Field School special—not only for themselves, but for the entire school community.

  • A group of boys and teenagers posing for a photo outdoors in a park. They are standing in front of a railing with trees and a tall tower in the background. It is a bright, sunny day.

    Kings Dominion

    A final spring adventure for 8th graders and a chance to celebrate the friendships, memories, and experiences built throughout their years at Field School.

SCHOOL-WIDE TRADITIONS

A calm river flowing through lush green forested hills under a clear blue sky.

Sherando Lake

We begin the school year together at Sherando Lake.

Hiking. Fishing. Swimming. Outdoor games. A school-wide cookout.

It is more than a field trip. It is a Field School tradition—and one of the first opportunities each year for boys to get outside, meet classmates from other grades, and begin building the relationships that define our community.

Two young boys standing in front of a brick wall, smiling, one with blonde hair wearing a gray T-shirt and the other with brown hair wearing a blue T-shirt.

House Games

At Field School, every boy belongs to a team.

New students are sorted into either the Blue Team or Silver Team, creating a school-wide community that includes boys from every grade. Throughout the year, the teams compete for points in academics, athletics, and some wonderfully unpredictable challenges.

House Games include Field School favorites like capture the flag, relay races, and tug of war, along with weekly math challenges and other competitions. Boys also earn points through random acts of kindness and actions that support and strengthen our community.

The result is a healthy, spirited competition that gives boys another reason to know one another across grade levels—and reinforces an important Field School lesson: how you compete matters, but how you contribute matters too.

A group of children with backpacks gathered around a man who seems to be giving a demonstration outdoors in a park. There is a Virginia Hop On Transportation bus visible on the left, and a scenic background with green trees and a cloudy sky.

Camp Albemarle

We close the school year together at Camp Albemarle.

Boys and faculty spend the day outdoors, take on new challenges, play, explore, and strengthen friendships across grade levels. It is a chance to step away from the routines of school and celebrate the community we've built throughout the year.

Start together. Compete together. Finish together. That's the Field School way.

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Model United Nations

Model UN gives boys the opportunity to explore global issues, research different perspectives, develop arguments, negotiate, and practice the skills of public speaking and leadership.

The experience extends beyond Field School as boys travel to a college campus to participate in Model UN competitions alongside middle school students from across Virginia.

Charlottesville Debate League

The Charlottesville Debate League is run through the University of Virginia, with UVA students providing instruction and coaching throughout the year.

Field School boys participate in both fall and spring competitions against students from other local middle schools. Along the way, they learn to make a compelling case, listen carefully, think on their feet, and engage respectfully with ideas and perspectives different from their own.