Making Room for Community

For years, Upper School students have had a block of time built into their school day for announcements, advisory time, class meetings, a variety of programming and, depending on the day, a little time to catch up on schoolwork or connect with friends. This year, that time has a new name – Community Time – and a more predictable structure. 

Previously called “Announcements Period” or “Advisory,” “Community Time” now brings together all those activities and opportunities in a clearer schedule. “The biggest change this year is that we’re trying to make Community Time more predictable for students,” said Head of Upper School Abby Abbott. “In the past, students might have had independent time one day and programming another day, and it could be difficult for them to know how they could plan to use that time. We wanted to impose some order while keeping the important tradition of coming together in our Upper School Commons.”

The Bass Upper School Commons remains central to the experience. Each day, students gather in the space to hear the day’s menu, school announcements, and updates from their peers and teachers – a daily reminder that even with the time to work independently, Community Time is about coming together. “There’s real power in bringing people together,” Abbott said. “We want to protect that. Community Time is not just about giving students a free block during the day. It’s about creating space for students to connect and to be part of the larger Upper School community.”

A Rhythm Students Can Count On
Each day, Community Time now has a specific purpose.

Mondays: After announcements, students structure their time as needed: meeting with a teacher; studying; visiting the library; playing ping-pong, foosball or spikeball; or simply taking care of something on their personal to-do list.

Tuesdays: Advisory takes center stage on Tuesdays. Students spend the first half of Community Time with their advisory group, followed by independent time they can structure for themselves.

Wednesdays: Wednesdays are dedicated to programming. Students do not have independent time on this day, allowing the time to be used for guest speakers, workshops and other presentations. 

Thursdays: Thursdays alternate between class meetings and club time. Class meetings give student leaders opportunities to practice leadership, and Class Representatives and Deans can hear directly from their classmates/students. Topics could range from artificial intelligence and what it means for the Honor Code to academic support, health and wellness, and community-building activities.

On alternating Thursdays, students have dedicated time for clubs – an opportunity that can be difficult to create outside the school day. The goal is to make club participation more meaningful. Clubs can also choose to meet before or after school when that makes sense.

Student leaders also play an active role in maintaining the new portal webpages for Student Council and clubs, giving them another opportunity to take ownership of their Upper School experience and giving students a reliable place to find information about important events, such as Homecoming.

Fridays: After announcements, students choose on their own how to structure Community Time. 

More Predictability, More Choice
The new structure is also supported by a change in how the students access information about their coursework. Teachers have standardized how they post homework and coursework on their portal pages, with the following week’s information available to students by noon on Saturday. Students can look ahead, anticipate the workload and make intentional decisions about how they use their independent time.

“We’re trying to create a framework students can count on, while still giving them ownership of how they spend their time,” Abbott said. “They may need to meet with a teacher. They may want to do club work. They may need a quiet place to study. Or they may just need 20 minutes to play ping-pong with a friend. Sometimes, the goal is simply to have fun, and that’s an important part of school, too.”

Last year, hacky sack made a comeback in the Upper School, and interest in the activity continues. Abbott is working to bring a former professional hacky sack player to campus in October to share the game’s history and demonstrate the skills behind it. Throughout the year, Friday Community Time may also include special guests and informal tournaments featuring foosball, ping-pong, UNO, and the latest retro activity making a comeback: yo-yo-ing.

Community Time is not designed to fill every minute with activity. It’s designed to make the time more meaningful and useful, whether that means meeting with a teacher, working with a club, attending a presentation, playing a game with friends, or simply having a few minutes to breathe before the next class. And with the “Away for the Day” cell phone policy now in place, students are more eager than ever to connect face-to-face.