Community

Dorm Life

About 85% of our students live on campus, so dorm life is a huge part of your life at VVS. There are seven dorms on campus – three boys’ dorms and four girls’ dorms. The majority of our dorms are double rooms, with a number of single rooms as well. Dorms are centrally located on campus, have views of Sedona’s red rocks, and many open up to courtyards.

Birthday parties, weekly dorm meetings, holiday celebrations or just a cup of tea at their house, dorm parents take the job of being your parent away from home very seriously and work hard to support caring, nurturing dorm communities. Your teachers and coaches are also your dorm parents so they get to know you (and you get to know them) on many different levels.

Kevin Chisolm, Class of 2017

Living in a dorm is a great experience. My roommate from my freshman year is my best friend. That year I took him to my house during Thanksgiving break, and that summer, he took me to his home in France, which was my first time out of the states. Living in a dorm created a life long friendship I will never forget.

Dorms

With our intentional residential life curriculum we work very hard to make your living space at VVS your home away from home. Each dorm has between 3 and 5 dorm parents, who are also your teachers and coaches. Each dorm offers red rock views, shared common spaces (some with a fireplace) and laundry facilities. While our dorms are divided by gender, we see the value in integrating members of all grades into each dorm. Each room is equipped with bed, dresser, desk and closet for each student.

Long lasting relationships are developed during the time living in the dorms, both with each other and with dorm parents. Student-elected Residential Assistants serve as a liaison between dorm residents and dorm parents and through this responsibility and relationship members of the dorm are able to build the community they wish to live in. Students can spend time in dorm parent houses baking, having dorm parties, and strengthening the family relationship.

There is a definite rhythm to life on campus. Thursday through Sunday nights students begin study hall at 8:00. Depending on GPA, students either study independently, in their dorm room or in supervised study. Students may work on projects together and request help from dorm study proctors, take advantage of nightly “labs” where they can register for extra help in each discipline, and visit with teachers who live on campus (and that would be 90% of our faculty) for individual help. Study Hall finishes at 10:00 with dorm check-in, where students gather in common rooms with dorm parents. This is a very special time in the dorm as friends catch up on their days and students check-in with their dorm parents. Underclassmen lights out is at 10:30.

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Avery House

Avery is our most recently renovated dorm, conveniently located in the middle of the main campus, and currently houses students in our semester programs. A two-story house, Avery features solar-powered hot water and a mix of single and double rooms for 20 students. Avery has two attached dorm parent houses.
Perkins House

Near the dining hall and across the quad from Avery House, Perkins House is a boys’ dorm featuring double and single rooms. A two-story house, Perkins has bathrooms on each floor and a patio shared with classroom 9. Perkins has two attached faculty apartments.
Christensen House

Christensen is a boys’ dorm located at the north of the main campus. Primarily single rooms, the common room features student art, a fireplace, tv, and comfy couches. A dorm parent house is attached.
Dogpatch

Is a girls’ dorm located in the Sears Complex across the walking bridge from the main campus. Dogpatch’s back patio looks onto national forest land and the rock formation known as Cowpie. Each of the nine rooms is a single and supplied with bed, built-in desk, closet and built-in dressers. Dogpatch was completely renovated in 2013 with new heating and cooling systems, refinished wood floors and new bathroom and laundry facilities.
Motel

Sitting at the edge of the girls’ dorm complex, Motel houses nine single rooms where girls share shower and bathroom facilities. Motel has its own grassy quad that looks out onto Cathedral Rock, and each room is equipped with bed, desk, and closet with built-in dresser.
Sears North & Sears South

Our largest dorm in the girls’ complex, North and South are built surrounding an outdoor patio and are suite-style rooms. Each suite houses three to four girls, has two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. Each room is supplied with built-in desks and beds and dressers that can be moved to fit the style needs of the girls living in them. Each dorm has its own common room, which had a student designed and implemented renovation in 2014. The common rooms feature fireplaces and cozy furniture. All girls in the Sears complex meet in the common room each night for check-in. Sears dorms feature wonderful views of Cathedral Rock.