A lot of people ask what a typical day is like for an Avalon student. Sometimes staff members will hem and haw a bit before giving a response. It’s not because we don’t want to answer your question, it’s just that “typical” can vary quite a bit from student to student…
Typical Middle School Schedule
9:00 - 9:20 Morning Advisory
9:20 - 10:20 Independent Project/Art (alternate days)
10:20 - 11:05 Math/Science (Friday elective)
11:05 - 11:50 Science/Math (Friday elective)
11:50 - 12:20 Silent reading in advisory
12:20 - 1:00 Lunch/Recess
1:00 - 1:45 Language Arts/Social Studies (Friday Circle time)
1:45 - 2:30 Social Studies/Language Arts (Friday Circle time/elective)
2:30 - 3:30 Physical Education/Human Development or Spanish (alternate days)
3:30 - 3:40 Closing Advisory (DTL’s, acknowledgements, etc.)
A Day in the Life - High School
This was an assigned journal topic for some students during the 2005-2006 year.
Just a note: These are “raw” writings. They are not censored or edited by the staff of Avalon School. The writings are the property of the student that wrote them, and do not reflect the opinions or views of Avalon School’s staff. Etc. Etc.
Many students do not edit or proofread the majority of their journal entries. There’s nothing inappropriate in them, but you might find a typo or two…
A Day in the Shoes of an Avalon Middle School Student
By Holly Marsh
I am an eighth grade student this year in Avalon’s middle school program. As a returning student, I was very excited about beginning a new and rewarding year in Avalon’s diverse and very strong community.
School begins at 9:00 am with advisory, but visitors will often see friends “hanging out” with each other before Anna and Monessa call us into our rooms.
In advisory, about 18 or so students sit in a circle with either Anna or Monessa, who each have their own advisories. It is important for anyone considering or just looking at Avalon to know that in our circles, there is no beginning and no end. They are meant to make each student feel equal and comfortable.
Every morning we begin with a greeting, check-in question, announcements, and a game or two if there is time before the first class begins. On Mondays the middle school ends advisory early so we can be a part of the all-school meetings, which are held downstairs in the high school. And although the meetings are known to last longer than is always comfortable, they are a good time for students and advisors to make announcements where we can all hear them.
(9:20) After advisory then is math. The entire school has this class at the same time, but there are several classes based on skill level that are geared to meet each students’ personal learning needs.
Upstairs Regina teaches basic math which leads into pre-algebra. Bret and Laura then, are the instructors for the previously mentioned.
Downstairs, algebra one students can choose to work with the Accelerated Math Program, or be taught in a regular class that is held in the café area.
I, personally, am in the Accelerated Math, and I love it. It has brought a sense of confidence and independence to me that I believe is vital while learning more difficult math. My favorite part of that class is the presence of our math advisor who is always happy to help with individual questions.
(10:20) When math ends the middle school breaks into classes by grade. 8th graders head upstairs into the computer lab for independent project, and the 7th graders troop downstairs for science.
Independent project is a class that I feel has helped me to prepare for high school and beyond. The process takes you step-by-step through the project process, and students present their final products to the class at the end of the block.
Science is my favorite class, and it has inspired me to dig deeper into the subjects that we cover in the curriculum. Our school also has a science fair every year that is a terrific opportunity to learn more while having fun.
Our grades then switch classes (11:05 – 11:50) before silent reading back in our advisories. I really enjoy Avalon’s reading time because there is no pressure that dictates how many or which books we must read before a certain time. Our advisors just want us to unwind with a good book before heading to lunch at 12:20.
After lunch the advisors allow us about 20 minutes for fun exercise outside in the park where our school sits. Soccer and football are two of our favorite games, but we can be very creative!
The next two classes are Language Arts and Social Studies, taught by Anna and Monessa respectively. Both of these are very fun and equally well taught. 7th graders have LA first, then switch with the 8th graders. (1:00-1:45 and 1:45-2:30)
The last classes of the day are divided by groups A and B. Mondays and Wednesdays are gym days for group A, and Tuesdays and Thursdays for group B. Both groups go outside and to the YMCA on Fridays.
The group who stays in then, is divided into 1 and 2. These groups go into Spanish and Human Development.
For the last 10 minutes of school we go back into advisories and fill out our DTL’s (Daily Time Logs) with what we did that day. It is a good way to keep on track.
School adjourns at 3:40, and students who need to stay after can almost always find an open advisory either downstairs or up where they can do their work.
Fridays are special for Avalon’s middle school. We have regular math and sometimes science/independent project before breaking into very small groups for elective classes. These have ranged from knitting and drama to yoga, cosmology, and introduction to auto mechanics. Our advisors have a great time teaching these classes where they can “show off” their individual talents.
Then there is reading, lunch, recess, and study hall in advisories. After that we meet in the Big Room for Circle, which is a democratically run discussion about or community.
The middle school then goes to the YMCA for gym before retuning to fill our DTL’s.