The Orme School Explained

The Orme School
Motto:Excellence. Tradition. Character.
Schooltype:Private Boarding School
President:Kris Durow
Address:1000 E. Orme School Road
Zipcode:86333
Country:USA
Coordinates:34.432°N -112.0706°W
Enrollment:140 students
Mascot:Warriors
Colors:Red and white[1]

The Orme School is a private college preparatory boarding school serving students in grades 8 through 12 in Mayer, Arizona, United States. The 300 acre campus adjoins the Orme Ranch and is located adjacent to the Prescott National Forest. The students are from around the world and across the country. Programs of note include horsemanship, sustainability, and outdoor education.

History

In 1929, Charles H. Orme, Sr. and Minna Vrang Orme left their dairy farm in Phoenix and bought a ranch in the high grassland of central Arizona. To educate their three children and those of the ranch employees, they opened a one-room school in an old ranch house that year.[2] That ranch house, called "Old Adobe", is still in use as an English classroom.[3]

The school's symbol is the historic brand of the Orme Ranch, which surrounds the school on three sides. Called the "Quarter Circle V Bar", it has been the brand of the ranch and the symbol of the school since their founding. It is a registered brand with the State of Arizona's Department of Agriculture.[4]

In 1987, the school experienced an on-campus shooting incident. After being caught drinking and facing suspension, a student went on a shooting spree, wounding several teachers with a shotgun and another teacher with a pistol which was owned by the school. The student was confronted by police officers while still on campus. After dropping the shotgun, he drew his sidearm and pointed it at police, who shot and killed the student.[5] [6] [7]

Campus

The Orme School campus, amidst the ranch, is set on 0.5mi2. The campus consists of the Phillips Library, the Willits Gymnasium, Student Commons, Founders' Dining Hall, the Old Main Administration Building, Welcome Center, Buck Hart Horsecollar Theater, Morton Vrang Orme Memorial Chapel, Lecture Hall, Burns Health Center, Mosher Math and Science Center, and seventeen residence halls.

Athletics

The school's athletic programs have been within the Arizona Independent Athletic Association of independent and private schools and later in the Arizona Interscholastic Association. The boys' football team won the CAA State Championship in the fall of 2013. The boys' basketball team went undefeated and won the AIA 1A state title in 2011,[8] with a starting lineup composed of all international players.[9] The use of international players at Orme and at Westwind Preparatory Academy, another basketball school that won a state title in 2011, resulted in the AIA changing its rules about those students.[10] In response, Orme left the AIA and joined the Canyon Athletic Association (AZCAA).[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AIA. Aiaonline.prg. May 24, 2018. December 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131227095504/http://www.aiaonline.org/schools/school.php?id=184. dead.
  2. Web site: Orme School History. Ormeschool.org. May 24, 2018.
  3. Web site: Educatius. Educatius.org. May 24, 2018.
  4. Web site: Arizona Department of Agriculture. Azda.gov. May 24, 2018.
  5. News: Student Killed at Private School After Shooting 3. February 15, 1987. LA Times. May 24, 2018.
  6. News: Student, Caught with Beer, Rampages and is Slain. The New York Times. May 24, 2018.
  7. News: Orme Student Killed after Shooting Spree. Farqhuar. Brodie. February 17, 1987. The Tribune. 1–12. July 28, 2015. Prescott, AZ.
  8. Web site: Arizona Boys Basketball Championships: Orme Wins 1A State Title. Scott. Schroeder. February 20, 2011. SBNation.com.
  9. Web site: Arizona Boys Basketball Championships: Orme Wins 1A State Title . www.sbnation.com . February 20, 2011. October 17, 2018.
  10. Web site: Archived copy . October 17, 2018 . October 17, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181017203246/https://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/regii/2013/International_Student_Athletes-On-Your-Mark_Get-Set_Go.pdf . dead .
  11. Web site: Canyon Athletic Association Members.