5
Number of years in a row, since 2009-2010, that The Rubicon has earned a First Class ranking from the National Scholastic Press Association for excellence in student journalism.
that they’ve found brand-new activity or affinity group they love. “We push them through that initial hesitation,” Delgado says, “and then back off and let them have their own experience.” Mary Hill, Director of College Counseling and Academic Planning, says that giving students an early taste of what’s possible over the next four years at SPA is essential for cultivating a thriving school community—not to mention an attractive college admissions profile. “The sooner you explore, the more quickly you discover the things that bring you joy,” she says. “Students who take time to discover their talents are better positioned to show they’ve achieved a level of depth when it comes time to demonstrate that in the college application process.” Co-curricular activities such as debate and The Rubicon, that include both curricular requirements and extracurricular commitment, offer students the framework to follow their interests even farther than they could in the classroom. “When I talk about The Rubicon, I tell students it’s a class, it’s a club, and it’s a calling,” says Rubicon advisor Kathryn Campbell. Campbell adds a fourth “C” to that list: community. “We have conversations around the fact that the entire SPA community will be reading what you write, and may not be looking at things with the same perspective you have,” she says. “We have a larger purpose in the school community, and we talk about ways students can say things that may be provoking, but in ways that people can hear.” “Our student life offerings include a level of public recognition and accountability that’s different than what happens in the classroom,” says Chris Hughes, principal of SPA’s Upper School. Hughes notes that the Upper School’s shift three years ago to a more flexible “block” schedule has enhanced both classroom life and student life by offering a more immersive classroom experiences while freeing up time for students to take part in a wider range of clubs, performances, and electives. “Now we have well over 50 to 60 percent of the Upper School taking part in these purely elective opportunities, so it’s
not uncommon to see students who participate in a sport, take part in debate, or play in a concert all in the same week,” he says. “I think the level of participation and the decisions we’ve made to support it are the signs of healthy community. If kids are just grinding out homework all the time we’re not preparing them for much of anything in the long term.” Upper School history teacher and debate coach Tom Fones agrees; Fones believes the block schedule “has been one of the best things we’ve ever done. It really changed the tenor of the school in very positive way,” he says. Not only do the 75-minute class periods give students a chance to dive deep into their material without being interrupted by a bell, “we also have dozens and dozens of kids going to debate tournaments, and that’s because they can fit it in to their day and into their lives,” says Fones. SPA’s six-day schedule has also made it possible for students to pursue their passions off-campus as well, allowing senior Jack Romans to meet all of his classroom requirements while still making the curtain call for recent productions at the Children’s Theatre Company and the Steppingstone Theater. Romans says going deep into the role of Gregor Samsa for an SPA adaptation of “The Metamorphosis” his sophomore year inspired him to start connecting the dots between theater, history, literature and the discussions he and his classmates have everyday around a Harkness table. “At one point I was even thinking about how Gregor Samsa would think about what I was reading in class, and it was like the whole experience was making me susceptible to learning everything I could,” says Romans. “That’s when I realized that getting really into theater was actually making me better at school.” That’s the lesson Bryn Roberts hopes SPA students of every age learn from participation in student life. “When you’re really taking part in your school community, you learn that there are bigger interests than your own,” Roberts says, “and if we have given our students that understanding then we have fulfilled a large part of our mission as educators and as a school community.” u
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