Peck Launches New 7-Day Rotating Schedule for 2024-25 School Year

Peck faculty and staff are thrilled to kick off the 2024-25 school year with the introduction of a new 7-day rotating schedule. This innovative approach, developed in partnership with the leading independent school consulting firm Independent School Management (ISM) is designed to provide both divisions—Lower and Upper School—with abundant opportunities for students to connect with one another and their teachers, while also allowing for more sustained and thoughtfully paced learning experiences.

The schedule will rotate on a 7-day letter cycle, beginning with "A" and ending with "G," which allows us to be more thoughtful through the week and is intended to make the pace of the school day slower, thoughtful, and more consistent. The new schedule also offers unique benefits tailored to the needs of each division:

Lower School Highlights:

• Special “Bands”: Students will benefit from a predictable daily routine, as Specials will occur at the same time each day, creating a consistent flow throughout the day and week.
   
• Two Lunch Recesses: Second, third, and fourth graders will have recess before lunch so they can enjoy a calmer and more focused lunch period, while first graders will have their recess break after lunch and before returning to classes for the afternoon.
   
• Smooth Transitions: The new schedule will help ease the transition between kindergarten and first grade because these schedules will closely align with one another. Students in grades 2-4 will have afternoons that are composed more of special classes. This consistent homeroom time in the morning allows for more focused and deliberate instruction in core content areas.

Upper School Highlights:

• Daily Community Time: The new schedule includes daily community time with the flexibility to adapt for various activities, such as two advisory periods, two activity periods, and student-driven assemblies.
   
• Unified 5-8 Sports Block: A shared sports block for grades 5-8 reinforces the idea that the Upper School is a collective community. This block provides students with both formal and informal opportunities to build relationships, support one another, and engage across grade levels. It also supports Peck’s commitment to fostering cross-grade relationships and offers leadership and mentorship opportunities for eighth graders.
   
• Consistency and Variability: While maintaining consistency in the daily routine, the schedule also introduces variability in the specific subjects taught each day. This approach allows educators to meet students where they are, taking into account the best times for learning different subjects.

With this new schedule, Peck is excited to enhance the overall learning environment, making the school day more engaging and effective for all students.