time management—get a head-start on homework, meet slower, softer start to the day. Students told me the first with a teacher, study for a test, chat with friends, or play week of school this year that they felt it immediately. The a computer game. Figuring how best to use the breaks is 8:30 a.m. start time really does result in a less harried arguably as important as the breaks themselves. morning—no one has yet said that they’re missing those The longer class periods also give faculty the freedom 20 minutes from the school day.” to not only have a proper opening and closing to their In fact, Ms. Chatterji cites sleep as a top wellness lesson, but to delve deeper into material and—without challenge facing Pingry students. Students, in turn, argue the nagging worry about covering required material— that teachers assign too much work. “My answer to the assign less out-of-class work. In short, classes are more student would be, what are you taking? Did you realize student-focused, says Ms. Chatterji. how much work those courses would be? It’s important to What’s more, with the block schedule, students have do your research. We talk to students a lot about course only four classes a day to prepare for—one of which may balance after Grade 10, and Reid [Cottingham, Upper be an elective—slashing their average night’s homework School Academic Dean] and I talk a lot to parents about significantly. “The fact that our second class of the day this. Our approach is very personalized and it’s very welldoesn’t start until 10:30 a.m. is incredible. In the old days, they’d be on their third class without breaks,” “There’s a badge of honor in saying you stay up late she explains. Breaks throughout the day are doing homework. To the student who says teachers important, for a student’s mental assign too much work, I would say take fewer classes. wellness as well as their focus, and it’s something Upper School deans What we want is for students to do less so they can and counselors encourage. Thanks to understand their topics better.” —ANANYA CHATTERJI P’25 the work of a Pingry student, there’s data to support their approach. Two years ago, Ms. Chatterji advised a student whose Independent Senior Project (ISP) examness-related.” Which leads directly to a second major ined the transcripts of Pingry juniors going back five years. wellness challenge Ms. Chatterji sees among students: Those who took a full course load, without a free period— taking on too much in the hopes of impressing college the equivalent of seven courses—fared, on average, worse admission counselors. Colleges are not looking for stuin their GPAs than those who took fewer courses in favor dents who fill their entire day, she argues. They want stuof a free period (freshmen and sophomores take five coursdents who are interested in figuring out who they are and es, plus an elective; juniors and seniors typically take six, what they love. “If you spread yourself too thin, you don’t but can take up to seven). The research results confirmed get to do that,” she says. Ms. Chatterji’s suspicions. “I have yet to find a student who Having been at Pingry for over 20 years, Ms. Chathad a free period their junior or senior year and regretted terji recognizes the inherent tension in a demanding, it,” she says. “The more courses students take on, the more high-achieving school wanting to also nurture student we typically see them struggle.” wellness. While she is pragmatic about the cultural chalGrounded in neurodevelopmental research, which has lenges at Pingry, she is also sanguine. “I think we can proven that the brains of Middle and Upper School stuabsolutely do both well, but offering students the prodents don’t begin to function optimally until later in the gramming—and the conversation—to make them aware morning, was the Basking Ridge Campus’s decision to shift of the importance of wellness is something we could do the start of the school day this year, from 8:10 a.m. to 8:30 better.” Understand the effects of an over-full schedule a.m. When considering the change, then-Headmaster Nat and the stark reality of college admit rates. Make wellConard P ’09, ’11 reached out to numerous independent ness a topic of conversation in all classes, not just health. schools across the country who had already implemented Educate parents; the lesson starts at home. “The more we the later start time; every single one reported positively talk about wellness with kids, the more they will value on their decision. Many, in fact, were looking to push back it, but we need to program an appreciation for mental their start times even further. At Pingry, similar to the well-being by making it a topic of conversation early on shift to block scheduling six years ago, the effect has been and not shying away from it,” she says. “remarkable,” according to Ms. Chatterji. “It is a much
THE PINGRY REVIEW | WINTER 2019–20
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