W
atch out, because “Ms. Wendy is coming down the hallway
to inspect your room.” A student’s life does not end in the
classroom; at Keystone this extends to the halls of residence, especially
for high school students. And overseeing this part of the students’ lives
is Dean of Student Life, Wendy Bradley. She is their go-to person in the
post-classroom hours.
Wendy grew up in boarding schools. It was almost her calling in life
to return to an academic career closely knit to forming and molding
students’ lives. She is intensely passionate and emotionally personal
about her role. Keystone will be her family. To date, Wendy receives
letters and pictures from her former students around the world.
According to her, “these connections go well beyond school life and
the boundaries of campus.” Parents have nothing to worry about, as
Wendy will be at the center of their children’s lives every day and every
step of the way.
Here, she elaborates on the details of the U.S.-style boarding
arrangements and how Keystone’s residential life program will groom
students to be better individuals.
Q:
What is the typical day like for a student in a
U.S.-style boarding school?
A:
Life at boarding school is a very busy and engaging
process. For boarders, they get up and have a good
breakfast before their day begins. Then they engage in their entire
academic school day, with a break for lunch. In the middle of the
afternoon, between 3:30-5:30pm, students have activity periods
that may involve athletic teams, music lessons, drama, or club
activities like robotics, gardening or juggling, etc. Following
activity periods, students have a little bit of a downtime before
dinner. Some of our evening meals are family-style meals where
students are assigned to sit with faculty members like you would
at home, around the table together. Other meals are self-serve,
buffet. The nice thing about a dining hall is that it becomes a
central meeting hub – you meet there three times a day. There
is not separate dining for students and staff, we all share in the
meal together in the same space. Students will have time to
sit with their friends, they need that time. There may be times
when the students need help with homework or need to meet
with a faculty member. Meal times are an opportunity for these
tasks to naturally take place. After meals students have room
inspection. Staff members make sure that kids are keeping their
rooms tidy and organized - this is an important skill to learn
in the boarding setting. After this, study hours in individual or
small groups from about 7:30-9:30pm. Students are supervised
during study hours. Finally, students have some time to wind
down after the busy day and get ready for bed. Lights out and
internet shut down is between 10:00-10:30pm depending on the
student’s age.
www.keystoneacademy.cn
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