Families often ask what daily life at Gow really looks like. So we followed Caroline B. ('24) through an ordinary day. Caroline is eleven and comes from Portland, Oregon. Her brother James is also a Gow student. She was nervous when she learned she would be following him here. A few months in, she feels at home.
Morning
7:30 a.m. Caroline's alarm goes off, and she and her roommate, Jordyn, start getting ready.
7:45 a.m. Her residential assistant, Yani, and dorm parent, Mrs. Fisher, make sure everyone is up and ready for breakfast.
7:50 a.m. The walk to breakfast is full of spring break stories. Her friend Charlotte went home to San Francisco. Caroline went to the beach with her mom and brother.
8:00 a.m. Breakfast with Mr. Rogers at her table. The Student Council President gives the morning announcements.
8:20 a.m. House jobs, Gow's version of chores. Every student helps keep the school clean, from vacuuming to emptying trash. Caroline wipes down the desks in the Main Building.
8:45 to 11:55 a.m. Morning classes. Classes are 45 minutes and rotate each day. Today: science, history, English and The Gow Method.
Midday
12:00 p.m. Assembly. Mr. Rogers teaches life lessons, such as the value of money and how to advocate for yourself. Sometimes his dog comes along.
12:20 p.m. Lunch. It's Taco Day, Caroline's favorite.
1:20 to 2:55 p.m. Two more classes and a daytime study hall. Mr. Rausch helps Caroline with her homework, even though he isn't her science teacher.
"This is the first school I have gone to that I feel every teacher gets me."Caroline B. ('24)
3:00 p.m. Tutorial, a 30-minute period at the end of every school day. Every teacher is available for questions about class, missing work or getting a binder organized. Students without questions head to study hall.
Afternoon and Evening
4:00 p.m. Athletics. Caroline has rowed crew and skied this year. Now she plays on the JV tennis team.
6:15 p.m. Dinner.
7:15 p.m. Evening study hall. New students study in an academic building with supervision. After a semester, teachers, coaches and dorm parents vote on whether a student has earned the Honor Scroll and can study in the dorm. Students need to give their best in class, be on time to athletics and follow dorm rules. It can take time to earn, and students who earn it work hard to keep it.
9:00 p.m. Evening activity. Tonight Mrs. Fisher and Yani host a cookie-decorating night to welcome everyone back from break.
10:00 p.m. Caroline tidies her room and heads to bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Talk with Us About Your Child
Our admissions team is glad to listen and answer your questions: 716.687.2001 or [email protected].