Field School of Charlottesville broke ground on July 16 for its new “Aerie Campus” on Barracks Road that will be home to the next generation of Field School Falcons. The all-boys school serving fifth through eighth graders is one of only three independent all-boys middle schools in the country, and operates under a mission “to develop well-rounded boys of character and accomplishment.”
Housed in leased space on Crozet Avenue across from Crozet Elementary for more than a decade, the school has outgrown the building and will construct its own $15 million campus on 22 acres closer to Charlottesville. “This groundbreaking is about more than a new campus—it’s about opening our doors to more boys who seek what Field School offers,” said Bo Perriello, Head of School. At the groundbreaking ceremony, he celebrated the vision of Field School’s founder, Todd Barnett, who was in attendance.
“More than twenty years ago, Todd saw a need in our community and had the courage to do something about it,” said Perriello. “He believed middle school boys deserved a school designed specifically for them—a place where every boy would be known, challenged, and inspired to become a young man of character and accomplishment. Everything we celebrate today began with that vision.”
The new campus—“aerie” meaning the nest of a bird of prey, like a falcon—has been planned with boys in mind. “Field School has demonstrated that when boys are taught in an environment designed around how they learn best—with movement, purpose, challenge, meaningful relationships, and high expectations—they thrive,” said Perriello. The blueprints promise classrooms that open to the outdoors; fields, trails, and ropes courses to channel energy and growth; collaborative areas that blend natural beauty with modern resources; and an academic environment that cultivates resilience, teamwork and creativity…