<p>Maybe this has been on here before, but as a new member with some recent information, I'll go ahead and ask. I just found out from admissions that, for the "health" of the students, Andover is scrapping its Saturday classes. I think that's a great idea. BS is challenging enough without having to go to school six days a week!</p>
<p>My daughter’s school has arts classes and sports on Saturday. It seems to be working well for her. I think 6 days of academics would be too much.</p>
<p>I’m of two minds about this. Saturday classes make the weekend shorter and busier and make it harder for boarders to go home for the weekend, but they also take some of the pressure off the mid-week schedule. My child’s school has a short day on Wednesday and I would imagine that would have to disappear if the school scrapped Saturday classes.</p>
<p>I like the 6-day schedule. It really does help with the athletics portion since Wed/Sat are shorter (half) days which allow for travel. Obviously, that is irrelevant for schools that do not have required athletic participation.</p>
<p>Saturday classes are the best</p>
<p>I think Saturday classes ease the pressure, with Wed. & Sat. being days with fewer academics. Also helps fill the weekend for kids in rural school locations, in the darkness of winter.</p>
<p>Have to admit, when I viewed it from teachers’ perspective, I would hate it. Having a 6 day a week job is no fun.</p>
<p>D has never once complained about Sat. classes.</p>
<p>I think it was good prep year when structure helped ease transition. The downside of fewer Saturday classes for us is shorter breaks and more expensive flights because they are closer to holidays.</p>
<p>My C was against Saturday classes, and it definitely factored in, when it came time to choose and rank schools. I think it depends on the kid. Mine loves to have 1 full day for non-academic fun, socializing, play, quiet relaxation. Then C is ready to buckle down and study on Sundays.</p>
<p>Kids seem happier overall at schools without sat classes. But that could just be a correlation.</p>
<p>Saturday classes can be a little overwhelming to some people, but they have a purpose. If its really good and advanced, it makes all your projects and homeworks easier because you understand the topic better. I went to saturday classes for 6 months and it was great. It was at a different school, and i met new people.</p>
<p>My son is a Junior (freshman) at Andover and they do not have Saturday classes. The week is so full, the break of Saturday and Sunday provides a breather to relax, get caught up and in some case get a fresh start on the week ahead. I have even heard him say how much he was looking forward to the weekend.
I think it works for the best interest of the students. I firmly believe kids need unscheduled time to hang with their friends. Saturday classes and formal dress were deal breakers for my son.</p>
<p>To be honest, I didn’t think that I would like Saturday classes. I still wouldn’t say that I like them, but they’re actually not that bad. It all evens out because there are half days on Wednesdays. And just for the record, even with Saturday classes, there’s plenty of time to hang out with friends even with Saturday classes. The only annoying part is having to get up early everyday(except for Sunday) but I think without them I’d be sleeping way too late haha!</p>
<p>I hate to point this out but it’s a reality. Schools with no Saturday classes also have half-day Wednesdays, the same as their 6-day peers. It is the way they can fit in sports midweek, just like schools with six days of class. I happily attended a school with six days of classes and was convinced that it was the best approach, keeping kids busy etc. After being involved with many approaches, I think the 6 day schedule works well but can’t help to appreciate the 5 day model. In an era where pressure has built exponentially on students, having an extra morning for rest and study/reflection seems important. I have greatly enjoyed touring schools with no Sat. classes and finding the dining halls with 100+ kids studying/gathering late on a Saturday morning, it just seems like a nice change of pace to my experience on Saturday mornings at boarding school when I was rushing to finish lunch, after class, to make a bus on time. Just my 2 cents, there is no perfect approach!</p>
<p>Bottom line…I don’t think it’s a deal breaker, one way or the other.</p>
<p>I am of two minds on this. For my older girl at SAS, I think it’s a good thing, especially due to 100% residential environment. For my younger girl, we are looking exclusively at schools WITHOUT Sat. class so she has flexibility in off-campus athletic training and competition.</p>
<p>My children like(d) Saturday classes. As there are games on Saturday, even the day students have to be on campus Saturday afternoon. You might as well get up and go to class. </p>
<p>Saturday classes also make it possible to have longer vacations. Has Andover extended the school calendar to make up for the lost Saturdays?</p>
<p>It’s also thought to be healthier to get up and go to bed at the same time each day: [Sleep</a> Hygiene: Tips & Techniques](<a href=“http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/ask-the-expert/sleep-hygiene]Sleep”>What Is Sleep Hygiene? | Sleep Foundation).</p>
<p>Andover has always had very few Saturday classes. Did they further reduce the Saturday classes recently? Exeter on the other hand used to have many Saturday classes and I know they are now reducing them significantly. Not sure if Exeter is extending the school calendar.</p>
<p>Lots of BS’s are reducing or eliminating Sat. classes (Loomis Chaffee for example). Deerfield never has Saturday classes–but makes up for it by having 70 minute classes Wednesday and Thursday-- 3 on Wednesday, so classes still end early for sports, and 4 on Thursdays. That also makes homework a little lighter on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (all 7 classes meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays). My DS likes it because he has music commitments off campus on Saturdays. It seems like either way works, but a lot of schools are cutting back on Saturdays.</p>
<p>I think Andover has the same week day schedule as Deerfield.</p>
<p>Bentley–Exeter did shorten breaks. I’ve found that flights around holidays are now often way more expensive. And we liked seeing our kid more. He, on the other hand, likes it better this way.</p>