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Reading Hall
A new evening routine
When designing our new schedule, our timetable committee examined all elements of the Shawnigan day – including our longstanding evening routine. After extensive discussion and planning, they developed a new schedule with free time directly after dinner, a completely reimagined Prep time, and an earlier sign in for all grades. The end result challenges students to become more independent, gives them greater access to tutorials, and helps them wind down before bedtime.
At the core of our revised evening program is Reading Hall, a time set aside for out-of-House tutorial time with teachers and peer tutors. On Monday to Thursday evenings, the staff member on duty in each boarding house is available for tutorials in their respective teaching space – be it a classroom, the art room, the gym or the library – from 7:00-8:00 p.m. A schedule with duty staff and their tutorial location can be found on ShawNet so students can plan ahead.
Students are encouraged to come with specific questions to streamline the tutorials. If the demand on teachers is too great, they can set up appointment times or open a nearby classroom and encourage peer tutoring while offering individual help. Space has been built into the schedule on Saturday mornings for longer catch-up sessions if they are needed. Other academic opportunities abound – for example, the observatory was recently open in the evening for students to view the heavens!
Gone are the days of strictly supervised homework time for all but our Grade 8 students. This culture shift was driven by our desire to give students more autonomy in preparation for university and to create an exciting academic culture on campus. It now falls on the student to use this time to seek help from a teacher, collaborate with classmates from other Houses, and complete their prep.
Current research shows that it is beneficial to disassociate work from sleep – another advantage to our new system, which encourages students to do their homework outside of their bedrooms.
Reading Hall ends at 8:30 p.m. with an in-House sign in followed by regular House meetings. Once students are in for the night, they may use the remainder of their evening to finish their homework, ask for help from a peer or senior student, have House-based downtime or go to bed early.
Shawnigan Lake School is adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines released by the BC Ministries of Health and Education, including those regarding learning cohorts, physical distancing and mask-wearing when appropriate.
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At the core of our revised evening program is Reading Hall, a time set aside for out-of-House tutorial time with teachers and peer tutors. On Monday to Thursday evenings, the staff member on duty in each boarding house is available for tutorials in their respective teaching space – be it a classroom, the art room, the gym or the library – from 7:00-8:00 p.m. A schedule with duty staff and their tutorial location can be found on ShawNet so students can plan ahead.
Students are encouraged to come with specific questions to streamline the tutorials. If the demand on teachers is too great, they can set up appointment times or open a nearby classroom and encourage peer tutoring while offering individual help. Space has been built into the schedule on Saturday mornings for longer catch-up sessions if they are needed. Other academic opportunities abound – for example, the observatory was recently open in the evening for students to view the heavens!
Gone are the days of strictly supervised homework time for all but our Grade 8 students. This culture shift was driven by our desire to give students more autonomy in preparation for university and to create an exciting academic culture on campus. It now falls on the student to use this time to seek help from a teacher, collaborate with classmates from other Houses, and complete their prep.
Current research shows that it is beneficial to disassociate work from sleep – another advantage to our new system, which encourages students to do their homework outside of their bedrooms.
Reading Hall ends at 8:30 p.m. with an in-House sign in followed by regular House meetings. Once students are in for the night, they may use the remainder of their evening to finish their homework, ask for help from a peer or senior student, have House-based downtime or go to bed early.
Shawnigan Lake School is adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines released by the BC Ministries of Health and Education, including those regarding learning cohorts, physical distancing and mask-wearing when appropriate.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
