SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019
BUXTON TODAY A report on our current academic, health, and student-support programs
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TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Letter from the Director Faculty List 2018-2019 Sexual Health and Education at Buxton Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct Resurces and Responses Letter from Katelin Roberts, School Counselor Advising System Fall Classes 2018 Winter Study Classes 2019 Spring 2019 Classes/Schedule Buxton Customs Main House, Gatehouse, Barn Customs Day Student Customs Health Class Overview Wise Bodies School Calendar
p. 3 p. 4-5 p. 6 p. 8-9 p. 10 p. 11 p. 12 p. 13 p. 14-15 p. 16-19 p. 20-21 p. 22-23 p. 24-25 p. 26 p. 28-29
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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR: BUXTON NOW & THEN To the Buxton Alumni Community, When alums visit campus after they’ve been away for a while, I have noticed that two things typically happen: they comment on how much the campus looks and feels the same, and they ask what’s changed since they were students. This illustrates a beautiful truth about Buxton: it has remained remarkably true to its progressive roots, while it has changed and adapted to the world around it. Although students, alums, and even faculty sometimes talk about the “Buxton bubble,” Buxton is designed to be a lived education in and for the world the students will be walking into when they leave our campus. What that means is that Buxton remains small, student-oriented, creative, and intellectual. Work Program and Kitchen Crew are still going strong; we still have student-elected dorm supervisors and Rec Committee heads. We eat meals familystyle and have announcements after lunch and dinner. Creative Writing still meets on Tuesday nights in the Billiard Room, and the school trip (now called the “Urban Intensive”) is still a highlight of the school year. But the customs have evolved, the class offerings have deepened and increased, the extracurricular offerings have varied and morphed, and the kinds of supports and structures we need to offer today’s students are probably somewhat different from those you remember. That’s why we have put together this booklet: to give you a taste of what Buxton is like now. We hope you’ll flip through these pages and get excited about some of our new math electives, or feel reassured by our much more robust sexual-health education. We hope you will feel good about the fact that we now have a learning-support person and a mental-health counselor on our staff. And we hope you will also get a strong sense that Buxton is still the intentional, unusual, creative, and warm community you remember. Enjoy! Franny Shuker-Haines Director
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Faculty List
Teaching Assignments 2018-2019 Nicholas Aro B.A. UMass Boston Teaches: French I, II, III, IV Willie Binnie B.A. Pitzer College, M.F.A. SMU Meadow School of the Arts Teaches: Video Production David Bluestein B.S. and M.A.T. Earlham College Teaches: Chemistry, Algebra II, Psychology Linda Burlak B.A. Carlton College, M.S. Cornell University Teaches: Physics, Biology, Geology, Astronomy Chiara Carrino Teaches: Geometry, Health, Story Forms David Denhard B.A. State University of NY Teaches: Music I, II, III, Piano, Vocal Coaching, Chamber Music, Chamber Orchestra, Chorus Cordelia Fuller B.A. Smith College Teaches: English II, Anthropology, Feminism, ESL Gabe Guadalupe B.A. SUNY Albany, M.A. State University of NY, PhD candidate SUNY Albany Teaches: Spanish III, IV, V, Russian Callie Henriksen B.A. Pace University, M.A. Hofstra University Learning Specialist Frank Jackson B.F.A. Virginia Commonwealth University, M.F.A. University of California-Davis Teaches: Painting, Drawing, Life Drawing Matt Kramer Teaches: Agriculture, Health, Materials Workshop Amrita Lash B.A. Bennington College Teaches: Ceramics, Folk Singing Allison Lerman-Gluck B.A. Hampshire College, M.A. City University of NY Teaches: English II, Drama I, II, Drama Activity
5 Micah Manary B.S. California Institute of Technology Teaches: Pre-Calculus, Statistics, Multi-Variable Calculus Kathleen Oliver Teaches: African Dance, Drumming Ben Ripley B.A. St. John’s College, M.F.A. Art Institute of Chicago Teaches: English IV, Geometry, Photography, Life Drawing Franny Shuker-Haines B.A. Wesleyan University Teaches: English IV, Creative Writing Timothy Shuker-Haines B.A. Swarthmore College, M.A. San Francisco State, Ph.D. University of Michigan Teaches: American History, Western Tradition, Economics, Modern China Henry Smith B.A. Bard College Teaches: English I,III, Architecture, History of Modern Jazz Story Southworth B.A. Connecticut College Teaches: English III, American History, Human Rights, Civil Rights Adrian St. John B.A. Bennington College Teaches: Algebra I,II, Calculus Derek Yiu B.A. University of Hawaii-Manoa, M.A. TESOL Middlebury College Teaches: Conversational Mandarin, ESL, Spanish I, II
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Sexual Health and Education at Buxton Students enter Buxton at crucial point in their social, emotional, intellectual, and sexual growth. As with every aspect of the school, we want sex education to be as comprehensive, sensitive, and realistic as possible. To promote and ensure that safe and informative environment, we offer a wide array of resources, training, and education throughout a student’s time at Buxton. • Every incoming freshman and/or sophomore must take a one-semester health class. This class is team-taught by male and female faculty members, whose curriculum covers a wide array of health issues—including (among many other topics) mental health, nutrition and sleep, alcohol and other intoxicant use, and, crucially, sexual health and education. These teachers have received specific training in this area from Planned Parenthood, and they strive to create a classroom environment that is trusting and open so that students get critical information and can ask and receive answers to any questions they might have. • We hold mandatory sexual-health and consent-education information sessions and workshops at the beginning of every year. We have recently been working with a local sexual-health and -education nonprofit called Wise Bodies, which works with students throughout our area. • The student Dorm Supervisors are involved in planning these talks and workshops and in giving feedback to the facilitators every year, ensuring that we are meeting students’ current needs and responding to their questions. • The faculty are trained in the guidelines and protocol of mandatory reporting in meetings before the start of the school year. Three faculty members are designated to submit the reports to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. • Dorm Supervisors are also instructed on how to bring sensitive information they receive from other students to the faculty/administration’s attention. • Our full-time school counselor is also a trusted and experienced resource for both faculty and students in the area of teenage sexual health and wellness. • Dorm faculty make condoms and informational resources available to students. • We maintain a relationship with Tapestry Health Services, a local women’s health organization that provides birth control, STI testing, and other resources to our students as well as confidential telephone consultations. We also have access to a Planned Parenthood office in Bennington, Vermont. • And, as always, advisors play a crucial role in talking with students frankly about all aspects of their lives, including their relationships with other students.
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HELPING STUDENTS GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED Information sheets with the text that is below and on the following page are posted inside bathroom stalls in both dorms. It is crucial that students be able to access this information confidentially, which is why they are posted in a private space where the students do not have to worry that they will be seen copying down phone numbers or websites.
Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct Resources and Responses If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking: Get to a safe place. Your safety is the highest priority. Get away from the assailant quickly. You can call 911. Know that what happened was not your fault. You are not responsible for the actions of others. No one deserves to be sexually assaulted. No one deserves to be stalked. No one has the right to hurt you or touch you against your will or without consent. It is not your fault. If you were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of the incident, you will not face school discipline for drug/alcohol transgressions by coming forward. Reach out for support. You have choices. There is help on campus and off campus. BUXTON RESOURCES School Director: Franny Shuker-Haines, (413) 281-3279 School Counselor: Katelin Roberts, (413) 877-3954 School Nurse: Regina Ungewitter, Nurse’s Office Mon-Fri, 7AM-11AM Advisors/on-campus faculty/trusted adult
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All Buxton faculty and staff are mandated reporters. We are required by law to report sexual assault and misconduct to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Additionally, the school will conduct an internal investigation/mediation process, with respect to the wishes of the survivor(s). (For more information on mandatory reporting and/or school policy, ask your advisor, Franny, Peter, or Chiara.) EXTERNAL RESOUCRES Elizabeth Freeman Center 24/7 hotline: 1-866-401-2425 National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline: 1-800-656-4673, rainn.org/get-help National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline: 1-866-331-9474, or text loveis to 22522, loveisrespect.org Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453, childhelp.org/childhelp hotline Local police: 911 or (413) 458-5733 Family member(s) Spiritual/religious advisor Therapist or counselor More resources: rainn.org/national-resources-sexual-assault-survivors-and-their loved-ones
TREATMENT FOR PHYSICAL INJURIES AND/OR MEDICAL CARE School Nurse: Regina Ungewitter, Nurse’s Office Mon-Fri, 7AM-11AM Planned Parenthood: (802) 442-8166, 210 South Street suite 4, Bennington, VT Tapestry Sexual and Reproductive Health: 289 Church Street, North Adams, MA Berkshire Health Systems: (413) 664-5000, 71 Hospital Ave., North Adams, MA Southwestern Vermont Medical Center: (802) 442-6361, 100 Hospital Dr., Bennington, VT
Letter from Katelin Roberts, school counlselor To the Buxton Community, What a lovely graduation! Each senior speech was so thoughtful; some purposefully revealing of the speaker, some couched in metaphor. Many students traced the trajectories of their lives at Buxton. They talked about growth and gratitude, overcoming isolation, developing self confidence, and evolving awareness of their own personhood. As a newly arrived (last February) member of the Buxton community, there is still much that is new to me about the Buxton culture but, as a long time educator in the independent school world, there is much that is familiar. The lives of teenagers have some common themes, no matter where you find them. My career in education began as a teacher of theater, and expanded to include the developmental issues that creative teenagers—and their families—were dealing with. After graduate school at Boston University, I worked as an adolescent and young adult psychotherapist at Jewish Family and Children’s Service, and in private practice. The opportunity to become Director of Counseling at Groton School led me back into the school world and my ten year tenure at Groton. Groton was a wonderful home for those ten years. And the plunge into boarding school life was softened by the fact that my own four years of high school were as a boarding student. Those friends remain among my closest all these years later. After Groton, I spent two years as Director of Counseling at Greenwich Country Day School, then returned to my favorite population, teenagers, for ten years at Trevor Day School in Manhattan. I had the pleasure and challenge of starting a counseling department there, working with sixth through twelfth graders, parents, and faculty. After ten years, I stepped away from the joys and angst of adolescence to work with seniors in assisted living, developing literary projects and life stories. Then came the call to Buxton. Students, faculty, and the wonderful Franny Shuker-Haines have all been so welcoming. As you all know, it has not been an easy year, but I have been struck by the resilience of the community. I believe the school will continue to offer a unique experience both to students and to its outstanding faculty. In addition to teaching, the faculty has been dealing with the daily stresses that confront their students, with recovery from the year’s very difficult events, and with the sometimes serious mental health challenges that can occur during adolescence. A school counselor can provide support to all members of the community. My introduction to students and my approach going forward has been to let them know that I want to get to know everyone. I began by inviting kids in to see me, setting up appointments when students contacted me, and gathering referrals from teachers. Some students set up regular weekly appointments, while others came only a few times. The school counselor provides risk assessment, ongoing supportive counseling, referrals for psychiatric consultation or outside psychotherapy, consultation to parents, and consultation to faculty and administration. We have made a good start. I am hoping for a restful, recuperative summer for everyone. I believe Buxton will begin again in the fall with a renewed sense of optimism and purpose. Katelin Roberts, MSW
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The Advising System In keeping with Buxton’s personal approach, a key element to a student’s success at the school is the advising system. Here’s how it works: • New students are assigned an advisor before they arrive on campus. That teacher can remain a student’s advisor for the entire time they are at Buxton, or a student can choose a different advisor as they get to know the faculty and, potentially discover that another teacher might be a better fit. (Teachers are well coached on how to handle this gracefully!) • The advisor serves as a conduit between the student and the rest of the faculty as well as between the parent(s) and the rest of the school. • Students and advisors typically meet every week to discuss classes, ponder questions, talk about Buxton, and generally check in about how a student’s life is going. • Advisors are in regular contact with students’ parents about how students are doing at Buxton. • Advisors are the first line of defense if a student is struggling academically: the advisor can serve as a liaison between a student and the teacher whose class presents a challenge, help the student (as appropriate) with their work in a given class, and help strategize the best way(s) to get help. • When parents have an issue or question, the advisor is their primary go-to person. • If students have a concern about any aspect of their life at Buxton, the advisor serves as a trusted confidante to whom they can bring those concerns. The advisor can then share those concerns with the director, with other faculty, or with the whole faculty group, as appropriate. • At the end of the junior year, students choose a college advisor. This is sometimes the advisor they have had throughout their time at Buxton; sometimes it is someone new. The college advisor becomes the student’s primary advisor for their senior year.
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Fall semester Classes 2018 English
English I, II, III, IV
Math
Algebra I Algebra II Geometry Pre-Calculus Probability and Statistics Calculus Advanced Calculus
Language
French I, II, III, IV Spanish I, II, III, IV, V Russian E.S.L.
Science
Biology Chemistry Physics Astronomy Health Agriculture
Social Science
Civil Rights Feminism American History The Western Tradition History of Modern China
Humanities Electives Architecture Psychology Learning Center
Arts
Music I, II/III Studio Art Ceramics Drama Photography Video Production
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Winter Study Classes 2019 Board Game Design Escape Room High Heel Movement & Choreography Language History and Myths Life Skills
Lounging - Reimagining the Barn Lounge Materials Workshop: wood, metal, cars Musical Theatre Practical Politics Resiliency
Spring Semester Classes 2019 English
English I, II, III, IV
Math
Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Pre-Calculus Probability and Statistics Calculus Advanced Calculus
Arts
Music I, II/III Studio Art Ceramics Drama Photography Video Production
Science
Biology Chemistry Physics Geology Health Agriculture
Social Science
Human Rights Anthropology American History The Western Tradition Economics
Humanities Electives Modern Jazz Dev. Psychology Story Forms Learning Center
Language
French I, II, III, IV Spanish I, II, III, IV, V Russian E.S.L.
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2019 Spring Sem Time 8:30-9:15
9:20-10:05
10:10-10:55
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesda
English I English II - A & C American Hist. - S & T English IV
Geometry - B & C Algebra II - A & D Pre-Calculus French I Russian Spanish II, Spanish III Spanish I, Spanish IV Adv. Calculus Calculus Algebra I French IV French II Economics Story Forms Geology Drama I/ II “A” Biology Spanish II, Spanish III Spanish V French III Adv. Calculus Calculus Prob. and Statistics Dev. French II Psychology History of Modern Jazz
Spanish I, S Algebra I Economics Story Forms Geology Geometry - B Algebra II - A Pre-Calculus French I Russian English I English II - A Hist. - S & T
10:55-11:05 11:10-11:55
Geometry - B & C Algebra II - A & D Pre-Calculus French I Russian Chemistry
12:00- 12:45 Physics
Anthropology Human Rights Health
Eng. III - H & S Western Trad. Learning Center Walk in ! Spanish V French III Prob & Stats Dev. Psych Hist. Mod. Jazz
Biology Lab
Anthropology Human Righ Health
Drama I / II
Lunch
1:00-1:30 2:00-2:45
Music I Drama II
2:50-3:30
Studio Art Ceramics Photography Video
Work Program 2:00 - 3:30
Biology English III - H Western Trad
Drama I / II Spanish V French III Probability & Dev. Psychol History of M
E.S.L. classes, Learning Specialist meetings, Music Lessons, a
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g Semester Schedule
esday
Thursday
I, Spanish IV I French IV ics rms
Chemistry Physics Anthropology Human Rights Health Biology English III - H & S Western Tradition
ry - B & C II - A & D culus
I II - A & C American & T English IV
Spanish I, Spanish IV Algebra I French IV Economics Story Forms Geology
Friday Biology English III - H & S Western Tradition Spanish V French III Probability & Statistics Dev. Psychology History of Modern Jazz Chemistry Physics Anthropology Human Rights Health
Snacks
ology Rights
I / II “B”
Chemistry Lab Physics Lab Sections of arts classes
Music II Drama I
Studio Art Ceramics Photography Video
Spanish II, Spanish III Adv. Calculus Calculus French II English I English II - A & C American Hist. - S & T English IV
unch (Waiters at 12:45)
III - H & S Tradition
I / II “C” V II ity & Statistics ychology of Modern Jazz
Spanish II, Spanish III Adv. Calculus Calculus French II Music I English I English II - A & C American Hist. - S & T English IV
Geometry - B & C Algebra II - A & D Pre-Calculus French I Russian Spanish I, Spanish IV Algebra I French IV Economics Story Forms Geology
ns, and additional sections of Art are scheduled separately
3/29/19
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Buxton Customs 2018-2019 The Customs are meant to reflect some of the bedrock expectations that support the healthy, productive culture that Buxton is designed to promote. The list is not exhaustive nor does it carry with it a set of immutable consequences. The intention of the customs is to alert you to important guiding principles, to help you see what we really value, and to serve notice that, should you break a custom, you will be held accountable in real, personal, and lasting ways by those around you. Social Behavior A Buxton Education happens everywhere and all the time. The most important aspect of that education is the life we live together as a community. Customs that promote a sense of shared responsibility, that foster the trusting and transparent relationships between students and faculty, that guard against the most mundane and deadening of “typical” high-school behaviors are of utmost importance to the faculty and the school. 1. Buxton students are meant to live mindfully, thoughtfully, and intentionally. Being part of a multi-age community of learners, creators, doers, and citizens is central to being at Buxton. All members of Buxton should live their lives in mindful consideration of what’s best for those around them. 2. Respectful language & behavior: In keeping with the first custom, it is essential that members of the Buxton community pay careful consideration to their language and behavior. Using words or engaging in behavior that delegitimizes, targets, or denigrates people based on their race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other aspect of a person’s background has no place at Buxton. 3. Drugs, alcohol, and other intoxicants are forbidden at all times, whether students are on campus or off. Buxton is meant to be a place that fosters intellectual and ethical growth—something that requires a clear and clearly thinking mind. Using intoxicants at Buxton runs contrary to that goal. In addition, it pulls people away from a community that is meant to be shared; it forces students to hide from the honest, transparent student/teacher relationships that are central to personal growth and are a hallmark of the school. 3. Use of tobacco in any form is not permitted at any time, again, whether students are on campus or off. Smoking carries many of the same negative social effects addressed in the previous custom. It is also physically harmful, addictive, and in direct contradiction of Buxton as a growth-promoting place. E-cigarettes and vaping are also not allowed. 4. Meals: Buxton meals are served family-style with the expectation that everyone will eat and interact together twice a day. Students are expected to be at lunch and
17 dinner (including the weekends)—without headphones or cell phones—through announcements, which are a crucial means of school-wide communication. 5. Students are expected to center their social lives in the school community. As a result, significant social contact with Williams College or local students is discouraged. Students’ friends from home may visit, but only with faculty and parental permission; visitors may not stay in dorms. Boarding students may visit day students’ homes with permission from the day student’s parent(s) and the faculty; a parent is expected to be present during that visit. 6. Leaving campus: Downtown times are Tuesday afternoons between 4:30 and 6pm during soccer season; 3:30 and 5:45pm the rest of the year; Saturday afternoons between 1pm and supper; after supper on Saturday evenings until 9:30, when students must check in with "on duty" faculty. Faculty permission is required if students wish to leave Williamstown (even to go to North Adams) or if they will be returning to campus late. Students need faculty permission to leave campus at any other time. With the exception of those driven by visiting parents or older relatives, students may not ride in cars, including taxis, without faculty permission. Hitchhiking is forbidden. Academic Life 7. Students are expected at all their classes every day. If students miss classes for any reason, they are responsible for any missed work and/or homework assignments. 8. Evening study halls: All students are expected to work quietly between 7 and 9pm on Sunday-Thursday nights—unless they are otherwise engaged in an evening arts activity on a given evening. Supervised study halls are required for most students; some will be granted room study. 9. Sick days: If students are sick, they must see the school nurse before classes begin. If students become ill later in the day, they must contact a faculty member and get permission to go back to bed. A sick day is meant to be spent in a student’s own bed, recuperating. Students on sick days should not go into town or engage in other activities without faculty permission. Dorm Life 10. Visiting and Privacy: Barn residents are not allowed upstairs in the Main House or Gate House. Similarly, Main and Gate House residents are only allowed in the Barn Lounge. Couples should conduct themselves in a way that allows others to feel comfortable in their rooms or other campus spaces at all times.
18 11. Bedcheck: Students are expected to be in dorms by 10pm on weekdays. To encourage and protect everyone’s right to sleep, the dorms should be quiet at night, and students should heed the guidelines for bedcheck posted in the dorms. Students are expected to stay in their dorms from bedcheck until wake-up. On Saturday nights, students must be on campus by 9:30 and in their dorms no later than 11:00pm. 12. Students are expected to keep their rooms tidy during the week and to deep-clean their rooms every Sunday. Campus Care & Safety 13. Fire safety equipment and the fire-prevention regulations exist to protect life. Respect for all rules and equipment relating to fire safety is expected of everyone at all times. The use of any open flame or unauthorized heat-producing appliance in a dormitory will result in swift disciplinary action. 14. Respecting the school and each other’s property is essential. Be kind to the buildings and grounds; don’t go on the roofs of buildings (as it both hurts the building and puts you in serious danger); don’t take what isn’t yours. 15. Students are required to pay for damage to any school property. If the damage is willful, the school reserves the right to impose an additional fine. Respecting Our Neighbors 16. The Clark Art Institute is an important resource and our use of it is a rare privilege. Students must treat the Clark and its grounds respectfully and should regard this resource as a place of serious academic and/or artistic pursuit.
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17. Williams College: Those areas of the Williams campus or property that are open to the public should be treated with respect. Most Williams facilities are not available for student use; students should check with faculty before entering or using Williams facilities other than the library. Buxton students should not trespass on the golf course or in any Williams buildings. 18. Williamstown: Remember that when you are in town you represent Buxton. Treat merchants, parks, other public spaces, and fellow citizens of Williamstown with respect and decorum.
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Buxton Main, Gatehouse, and Barn Dormitory Customs 2018-2019 Bedcheck / Nights: 11. Students are expected to be in their respective dormitories by 10pm Sun. through Fri. nights. 22. On Saturday nights, students must be in their respective dorms no later than 11:00pm. 33. Students are expected to stay in their dorms from bedcheck until 5:30am at the earliest. • IF there are reasons to be out of the dorm between bedcheck and 5:30am, please be sure the faculty member doing bedcheck knows this ahead of time. • If you are going for a run early in the morning, please wait until it is light out AND make sure someone knows your approximate route and when you are expected back. Evening expectations: 11. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, Work Jobs should be completed as quickly as possible starting at 10pm along with your DS group. If there’s a need to do a work job earlier or at a different time, please arrange that ahead of time with your Dorm Supervisor. Tuesday evenings there is room cleanup in lieu of Work Jobs. The goal is to give rooms a quick but effective pick-up to keep things clean, neat, healthy and looking great for the week. 22. To encourage and protect everyone’s right to sleep, the dorms should be quiet by 10:30pm. This is the absolute biggest priority for evenings. To make this happen most easily, students should aim to be settling into their own rooms, or into late study, by 10:30pm, with all laundry, kitchen use, moving between other rooms, etc. completed by 10:45 at the latest. Late study can be taken in one’s own room or in the dining room or student lounges (not the Billiard Room or hallway.) Please remember: downstairs is a public space! 33. Lights should be off in all rooms and everyone settling to sleep by midnight at the latest. Sick days: If students are sick, they must see the school nurse in the Main House before classes begin Monday-Friday. If you become ill later in the day, you need to contact a faculty member (in person if at all possible) and get permission to go back to bed. On a weekend, please also make sure that faculty members on duty know you are ill so that you will get the care (medicines, etc.) you need to help you get better. • A sick day is meant to be spent in a student’s own bed, recuperating. Students on sick days should not go into town or engage in other activities without faculty permission. • Roommates are expected to help bring meals to their roommates who are sick. Please let faculty members know if you need help with this or if everyone in a room is sick.
21 Room Clean-up/Maintenance: 11. Rooms should be kept clean and tidy: beds made and floors kept clear throughout the week. 22. On Sundays, after brunch, all roommates are expected to help deep clean the room before starting any other activities: • laundry put away and beds made • all surfaces organized and wiped down • all items off the floor and stored away, and the floor swept or vacuumed • trash/recycling taken out
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Buxton Day Student Customs 2018-2019 Day students at Buxton are welcome and expected to have as immersive experience in the life of the school as possible. To that end, they are given room assignments (with beds, if possible), are part of room change, are welcome to spend the night (within reason), and should feel free—in fact, encouraged—to participate in as many aspects of school life as possible. In addition to the regular Buxton Customs, day students have a few extra guidelines to follow to facilitate a safe and responsible life on and off the Buxton campus. 1. Day students are expected to live by the Buxton Customs whenever they are on campus, during the school day and during weekend obligations, and whenever they are with other Buxton students while school is in session. 2. Day students should arrive on campus in time for their first-period class each day, and should stay on campus until their final obligation of the day. 3. During soccer season in the fall, day students are expected to stay at school for either soccer practice or A-Sports. Exceptions can be made for day students with ongoing afternoon commitments. 4. Day students are encouraged to engage in evening arts activities from 7-9pm. They are also allowed to spend evening study hall at school as long as their presence is not disruptive. Day students can be picked up or go home right after dinner if they have no other obligations that night, at 9pm if they have stayed for an activity or study hall, or 10pm if they wish to stay for evening snacks. By 10pm, day students should be off campus unless they are staying overnight. 5. Day students are expected to attend all lunches and as many dinners as family obligations will allow. If a day student is a waiter that week and will be missing dinner, they should alert the Heads of Waiters so that a substitute can be arranged. 6. Sickness protocol: Please call or email the School Coordinator by the start of the school day to let her know that your child will be missing school that day. 6. Day students may spend the night at Buxton on occasion (one to two nights a week is the norm). Parents should inform Amrita (day-student liaison) of their student’s weekly schedule at the beginning of each term. Each night your student stays at Buxton, you must email Buxton’s noreply email address to inform bedcheck faculty: overnight@buxtonschool.org. It is important that faculty know which students are staying over on a given night!
23 7. On weekends, day students are expected to be at dinner and “Rec Committee” on Friday nights in addition to Work Program on Saturday mornings (10am to 12pm). The rest of the weekend is free until Sunday night dinner, which is a semi-formal affair (kids should dress nicely). 8. Boarding students may visit day students’ homes with permission from the day student’s parent(s) and the faculty; a parent is expected to be present during that visit, and Buxton customs should be followed throughout. 9. If a day student drives to school, they are expected to park in the first upper lot and to leave their car in place for the entire time they are at school. Day students are not allowed to drive during the school day without faculty permission. 10. Day students may not drive any other students without faculty and parent permission.
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Health Class Overview The order and length of the units is subject to change. We cover all of these subjects, but depending on the semester and the students we are teaching, we may end up spending more time on some than on others, per the interests/ needs of the group. Introduction What do we mean by “health”? Sleep Why we do it, why it’s important, how to prioritize it in a practical and realistic way. Mental Health Recognizing and addressing the emotional struggles common for adolescents in today’s society. Focusing on proactive approaches and breaking down the stigma associated with mental illnesses. Technology Pros/cons of modern technology (particularly smartphones and social media); exploring the way our brains react to these things and working to adopt healthy relationships to our devices. Exercise Overview of strength and cardiovascular exercise, stretching, and balance, with a focus on finding and making a habit of physical activity that one finds genuinely enjoyable. Food and Eating Basics of nutrition, balanced meals, and hands-on cooking classes. Emphasis on food as nourishment and the diversification of one’s eating habits.
25 Sexual Health A comprehensive and medically accurate exploration of a wide range of subtopics, including but not limited to: Anatomy and hygiene/care Pregnancy and options Protection methods Sexually transmitted infections Abstinence/postponement Gender/identity Relationships/communication/consent Substances Unbiased, fact-based presentation of the short and long term effects of commonly used/abused substances. Discussion regarding the choices they face in this regard as they navigate high school and college (and beyond!). While we try to stay away from blatant scare tactics, we acknowledge and remind students the reality that there is true potential for harm when it comes to some of these topics, and that their developing brains are uniquely susceptible to some of the longer term effects.
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Wise Bodies 2019 Wise Bodies first came to campus last winter to meet with a panel of students and see if they were the right fit for Buxton. Here is a blurb from their website: "Wise Bodies grew from the recognition that we all benefit from the opportunity to learn about human sexuality in an environment that is warm, intelligent, student-led, family-friendly, and safe. An environment in which all questions are most welcome.� Students felt excited about working with Wise Bodies, and so formed a group of about 15 students (ranging from Sophomores to Seniors) to meet 3 times to develop the curriculum for the first all-school (mandatory) sessions. These all-school sessions had overwhelmingly positive feedback, with students responding really well to the engaging activities and emphasis placed on education as power. We will meet one more time this spring with the Wise Bodies leaders to review the feedback (a survey was sent out to all students) and start developing the curriculum for next year. The hope is that they will return to campus with a regularity that allows a real relationship to be built between the leaders and students, and time to explore the many, many topics under the umbrella of Sexual Health!
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BUXTON SCHO 2018 September 2018 Mon 3 Labor Day Tues 4 Faculty meetings begin Wed 5 Faculty meetings continue Returning Seniors arrive by 6:00pm Dinner with Faculty Thurs 6 Returning Juniors arrive by 6:00pm Fri 7 Returning Sophomores arrive by 1:00pm Sat 8 All NEW students arrive New Family Reception Mon 10 First semester classes begin October 2018 Sat 6 Mon 8 Wed 10 Th 25 Sat 27 Sun 28
SAT or Subject tests for Seniors Columbus Day (classes as usual) & Open House PSAT for Juniors Fall Home Weekend begins at 8:00am ACT for Seniors Students return by 10:00pm
November 2018 Sat 3 SAT or Subject tests for Seniors Fri-Sun 16-18 Fall Arts Weekend & Open House – Saturday Sun-Sun 18-25 Thanksgiving Holiday (Release begins AFTER the last arts presentation on Sunday 11/18) Sun 25 Students return by 10:00pm December 2018 Sat 1 SAT or Subject tests for Seniors Sat 8 ACT for Seniors Sat 15 Winter Vacation begins at 8:00am
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HOOL CALENDAR 18-2019
8)
January 2019 Tues 1 Sun 6 Mon 21 February 2019 Fri 1 Sat 9 Wed 13 Sun 17 Sun 24 March 2019 Sat 2 Fri 8 Sat Sun
9 31
April 2019 Sat 13 Fri 19 Sun 21
New Year’s Day Students return by 10:00pm Martin Luther King Day (classes as usual) & Open House Application and Financial Aid Deadline ACT for interested Juniors Winter Home Weekend begins at 4:00pm Students return by 10:00pm All-School Trip begins All-School Trip ends Final performance of the All-School Play at Buxton Theater for family & friends Spring Vacation begins at 8:00am Students return by 10:00pm ACT for interested Juniors Open Weekend begins at 8:00am Students return by 10:00pm
May 2019 Sat 4 SAT or Subject tests for Juniors Fri-Sun 24-26 Spring Arts Weekend & Open House – Saturday Junior Parent Meeting – Saturday at 4:15pm Mon 27 Memorial Day (classes as usual) June 2019 Sat 1 Sat 8
Mon Fri-Sun
SAT or Subject tests for Juniors Graduation at 11:30am Reception and Buffet Lunch after graduation Senior Class Dinner with Faculty 10 End of Year Faculty meetings 14-16 Reunion
A report on our current academic, health, and student-support programs - May 2019