Not sure what kind of trouble a kid is likely to get into on a Saturday morning. (I don’t think Saturday classes run all day at most schools, but I could be wrong. They didn’t at Choate.) In any case, my kid chose to get more sleep on Saturday AMs. I’m sure he was dreaming about a lot of shenanigans and nonsense but, really, what kind of Saturday AM trouble are we talking about here? I can’t imagine. I say any policy that might give students a few more hours of sleep is a good one.
I think what others are saying is that if you have classes on Sat am, perhaps sports on Sat pm then Sunday is more likely to be dedicated to homework. Just less free time in general.
It all works out to the same amount of time, just changes how it’s spread through the week. My kids have half days Wed and Sat, and they really like it because it means they have a few more free periods scattered throughout their week days than they would if it was a 5 day class week. Plus then at least one day a week (often Wednesdays) ends up being a pretty light day class-wise, so the night before that is a bit of a mid-week reprieve, which is also nice. Having to do at least some homework 6 nights a week, instead of 5, definitely helps my kids, as I know they’d end up just goofing around on Friday nights if they didn’t have homework due the next day.
With Saturday classes, schools also avoid giving boarding students 51 straight hours of unscheduled, unsupervised time from the end of Friday classes to Sunday dinner.
I’m in the camp that unscheduled, unsupervised time is a good thing – even 51 or more teenage hours. Depends on your kid, I guess.
Putney has short classes on Weds and Sats, still time to decompress, rest and reboot and back to work Sunday night. Lots of breaks through out the year, on average a week a month.
Community service is not required at St. Andrew’s, but lots of kids do it, despite being all-residential. The trick is the half-day Tuesday, which nominally was one of two days scheduled for games. (Now, games occur just about any day of the week, in addition to the traditional Saturday.) Students who choose service find an option off or on-campus and have a few hours after lunch to fit it in before any afternoon extracurricular. Tuesday implies the need for the half-day on Saturday, but two schedules alternate every school week, and students likely can sleep late on at least one of the Saturdays. I believe that the free periods scattered throughout the week (that half-days make possible) are helpful for many reasons. Not only is there a possibility for sleeping in on a weekday, but private lessons and meetings (extra-help or otherwise) can be scheduled, making time for the breadth of the experience.
I’m fairly certain that any school with Saturday classes only runs them half day; they still need to be finished in time for the sports programs on Saturday afternoons.
I think the implication is that there is a greater likelihood to get into trouble on Friday night, since one did not need to study for Saturday, although my own experience does not bear this out.
I understand, ski.
It just never crossed my mind that FormerCK would ever get into trouble for anything whether at home or at boarding school, and I always wished he were (way, way) less scheduled. We did not send him to BS to keep him out of trouble; in fact, I kinda hoped BS would loosen him up a bit on that score. Last year, Choate needed to move a discipline case into his double (due to its size and location). He went to the dean and explained that he could not be even remotely associated with the behavior that this student might exhibit while under his roof and requested a transfer. He spent the last trimester of his senior year in the freshman dorm. And he chose a college full of straight arrows. I guess I’m never going to get one of those “interesting” calls. 
Biggest understatement ever
Peering into my crystal ball though, I predict that at least one of FormerCK’s kids will be the cause of one of “those calls.” 
Should I live that long.
Be careful what you wish for.
Mercersburg students seem to stick around on weekends, even w/o Saturday classes. The faculty “fun” planner does a great job coming up with planned things (activities, games, movies, mall runs, etc) to do on weekends and most kids stay on campus. My son enjoys the unstructured down time and there seems to be a real sense of community.
Does hours long uninterrupted chat on animal or social issues between 2~4 kids in a sunny garden happen?