Lakeside School

Optimizing educational systems, structure, and time (including the daily schedule) is part of Lakeside's focus on educational excellence. Interim Head of School/Upper School Director emailed the following message to Upper School parents and guardians today.
 

Dear Upper School Parents and Guardians,

We want to share a schedule pilot that we announced to students today.

A faculty and administrative team has been exploring ways to reduce the amount of instructional time students miss due to early dismissals for athletics. While Lakeside Athletics does an excellent job managing complex logistics, factors such as traffic, transportation, and facility availability have increased the need for students to leave campus before the end of the day, and this impacts the learning environment for all students.

Because athletics is a core part of our mission and an important part of our students’ experience and development, we are working to better align the schedule for our academic and athletic programs. As part of this effort, we will pilot a schedule change this spring in which we move the final academic block (A5/B5) earlier in the day and shift Community Time (advisory, assembly, clubs, etc.) to the end of the day.

This pilot will run from March 30 through April 30. The overall school day (8:30 a.m.–3:10 p.m.) and attendance expectations will not change. As a reminder, our expectation is that 9th through 11th graders should be on campus each day until 3:10 unless their parent/guardian has submitted an absence request to the school.

Below is the message shared with students, which includes additional details.

If your student has a specific need related to this change, we encourage them to reach out to a trusted adult at school. We also welcome your questions, feedback, and perspectives.

Thank you,

Ryan 

 

Message to Students

Dear Students,

As shared in Assembly today, we will be piloting a temporary change to our daily schedule for one month. From Monday, March 30 through Thursday, April 30, we will switch the timing of ACT (Community Time) and A5/B5.

This means your last academic class (A5/B5) will take place before Community Time, which will now occur at the end of the day. (See the revised schedule below.)

Community Time Schedule:
 

Mondays - Advisory 2:20-2:40

Tuesday - Activity period 2:20-3:10

Wednesdays - Assembly/Class Meeting 2:20-3:10

Thursdays - Activity period 2:20-3:10

Fridays - Advisory 2:20-2:40

Why are we doing this?

In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in early dismissals, which can significantly impact instructional time and the classroom experience for all students, not just student athletes. By moving A5/B5 earlier, we hope to reduce missed class time. We recognize that all schedules involve trade-offs, and this pilot is an opportunity to gather feedback and better understand what works best for our community.

Can students leave school “early”?

No, the academic day still runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., and all existing expectations remain in place. Our Statement of Community Expectations specifically says the following, which is still in effect:

• All community members are expected to meet all their school obligations, including attending all classes, assemblies, class meetings, advisories, and meeting all scheduled appointments.
• Students in grades 5-11 are expected to be on campus at all times during the school day unless they have written permission from their parents/guardians and have signed out in the divisional office.
• Twelfth-grade students have the privilege of leaving the school grounds when they have no academic obligations or appointments to meet; and are expected to be on campus enough to take a reasonable part in the life of the school.

Because Community Time now occurs at the end of the day, all students are expected to remain on campus for advisory, assembly, and other scheduled activities. Seniors may leave only after these obligations are complete. Ninth through eleventh graders should be on campus each day until 3:10 unless a parent/guardian has submitted an absence request to the school.

What if I already have appointments or other scheduled events that I made based on the current schedule?

We understand that some pre-existing commitments may be difficult to change. If you need to miss a class due to an appointment that was scheduled under the previous schedule, please follow the usual absence procedures. If you have concerns, reach out to your advisor, a counselor, Nurse Joy, or Whitney for support.

What if I am a Middle School Affinity Group Leader?

MS affinity groups will meet on April 21 from 12:45–1:30 p.m. Affinity group leaders will be excused from class and should prioritize attending and leading their group that day.

What if I have feedback about this change?

At the end of the pilot, we will ask for your feedback. Your experience will help inform decisions about future scheduling.

As always, reach out if you have questions or want to discuss further.

Thank you,

Mr. Boccuzzi