Homelike boarding schools

Golfgr8
Mon, 20 May 2019 20:17:29 +0000

Just to reaffirm my previous post, I believe the home-like feel really reflects the culture of the school and the commitment of the school community. When looking at schools, do ask your student if this is something they are looking for. Is it more important to your student or to yourself? Define what this means, also, to yourself and your student.

When looking at schools, parents should ask themselves how important this sense of community will be to the student. Then ask about community building activities and how the school actually tries to foster this through programs, events, faculty training, and time for sharing. My hunch is that if you ask about community-building, this may also cover some of the aspects of school life you are asking for. Some schools are more “warm & fuzzy” than others. Our HOS knew kiddo’s name at drop off and asks “how is golfkiddo?” every time we meet. Other schcools have Deans that keep close tabs on kids in their grade/grouping/dorm, etc.

Home-like may also mean community spirit. There are schools where the students really get involved. For example, some schools have a Senior Class President who knows every student’s name and every student says “hi”. There are “uppers” that serve as “big brother” or “big sister”, or “green keys”, etc…IMHO The home-like feel has to go beyond this. Some schools have training for dorm parents and proctors on community building. I also think that some schools have a physical environment that just lends itself to feeling more home-like. For example, dorms that are houses or small sections/wings of a building with its own identity. Back in the old days, more BS’s had “house” systems - it transcended dorm life. Some schools still have this. Now, that type of thing seems to be limited to a handful of schools. The Freshman dorm at Taft had a great gatherine place with an open kitchenette. Emma has big comfy chairs and fireplaces with kitchens on every floor. MPS dorms have a feel like a house. Some schools have snack bar areas that have comfy seating with fireplaces and are meant for gatherings. It’s where you see big groups of kids gather after school - good places to get a school vibe if you are on a tour.

I will go out on a ledge here and guess that many parents want their child’s school to have a home-like feel or as someone said above make them feel their school is a “home away from home”. Maybe there are some parents that do want a “mini-college” experience for their entering 9th grader. Know that going in and ask yourself “why” you want that? You want enough support for your student that will make them feel confident in gaining more independence as they grow through the BS years — maybe this is something that will evolve with more opportunities for independence offered each year.

Fostering a sense of community is something that many (if not most) schools advertise. Not all really do it (BS of BS). Feeling part of a community and finding your home-away-from-home at school “family” is one of the important growth missions of students at BS.
Perhaps, one thing that most of us can agree on is that dorms should be designed for more comfortable community gathering.

I do know this much: It always feels like home in the clubhouse⛳️