Grace Schedule Talk
Media provided by Cassie B. ’26 from the Official Grace Church School Website.
Grace students opened their inboxes on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025, to a survey seeking their feedback on Grace’s current schedule. This survey launches a multi-year effort to rethink how we optimize our time during the school day.
In addition to the survey, working groups will be held for students and faculty to share feedback on the schedule. Together, these working groups and surveys are the first step in a broader reevaluation of the schedule. It’s monumental as well, as it is the first time in the high school’s history that the administration is factoring students’ opinions on the structure of the school day.
The administration’s goal in this revaluation is to determine whether the day could be better optimized. Tom James says, “We’ve had the same schedule, give or take, since the founding of the high school, so it’s really high time for us to take a fresh look at it. It’s time to ask [ourselves], does the current schedule best serve our mission?”
Currently, the schedule is a 6-day rotation with 3 80-minute classes per day, a 2-hour lunch block, and a 60-minute elective that alternates on a 4-day cycle. On Wednesdays, students take pass/fail classes in niche areas, as well as required courses, to build real-world readiness. Wednesdays also feature an hour-long study hall, a community meeting, and a lunch elective.
Grace’s unorthodox schedule is part of what makes the school unique and appealing to many, but it can also pose some logistical challenges. Some classes perform better during longer periods than others. During the week, study halls are not included, to many students’ dismay.
Many students are satisfied with the current schedule and are concerned that a change could increase their workload or reduce time for community bonding activities. Some believe Wednesdays, while less academic, are still valuable parts of the week, giving them time to pursue their interests in less formal or stressful classes and to meet with their teachers.
“I really like the current schedule, says Senior Chloe R. ‘26, “I love the Wednesday schedule. I love the 80-minute classes. I think it’s a great schedule for people who do a lot of extracurriculars.”
The most consistent criticism was that the schedule does not allow time for independent work. Nelly Z. ‘28 suggests: “An hour and twenty-minute class could be shortened so that we have more time to work on our homework.”
Beno S. ‘28 echoes Nelly’s opinion: “Personally, I like Wednesdays. I think the only thing I’d change is adding more study halls to get work done, because I rarely have time to get it done in class. One of the main problems we have is not enough time to get work done.”
Other students emphasized that the current schedule helps prevent burnout. “I like the schedule, because it doesn’t feel too long”, says Mara M. ‘27, “If we had more classes a day, we’d have a lot more homework.”
In December, during student-faculty focus groups, additional ideas were raised to improve engagement in Wednesday classes. Students noted that while they liked the 80-minute classes and rotating periods, long classes can often lead to disengagement.
Some students suggested that allowing students to choose their Wednesday classes as early as freshman year could make these days more valuable. Students lamented the requirements, including Introduction to Inquiry and Community and Diversity. These students said they’d prefer to take classes that focus more on niche interests, like those offered to upperclassmen.
These ideas and others will be reviewed by the High School Schedule Working Group, a 19-person committee comprising faculty and students, before being presented to the admin. According to Mr. James, the group “still believes that our schedule should adhere to the science of learning and that we should be on top of the research about how adolescents learn.” The goal is to make a recommendation “informed by evidence” that draws on input from students, teachers, parents, and scientific data. The administration plans to complete these conversations by the end of 2025-2026 and make a preliminary recommendation to Ms. Perry shortly thereafter.
Zarina M. ‘26, the author, is a Senior Columnist for The Grace Gazette.