A Day at Gow

Two smiling Gow students lean together in a hallway, one in a Bears T-shirt and one in a gray hoodie

Structure is one of the kindest things we offer. A predictable day frees students to focus on learning, and it builds habits they carry into college.

45: Minutes per class
3–7: Students in a typical class
7: Periods in a rotating schedule
100%: Of students take The Gow Method

The Daily Schedule

Three Gow students in navy blazers walk along a stone wall past spring flowers and a blossoming tree

Time	What Happens
7:30 a.m.	Alarms go off.
8:00 a.m.	Breakfast, with assigned seating. A satellite health office is open for students who take morning medication. Then house jobs.
8:30 a.m.	Morning classes begin.
12:00 p.m.	Assembly, where the Head of School teaches the week's theme.
12:25 p.m.	Lunch.
1:15 p.m.	Two more classes.
3:00 p.m.	Tutorial, 30 minutes of extra help with teachers.
4:00 p.m.	Athletics.
6:00 p.m.	Dinner, in dinner dress.
6:30 to 8:00 or 8:30 p.m.	Study hall, with teachers on hand for each main subject. Grades 5 to 8 finish at 8:00 and grades 9 to 12 at 8:30.
After study hall	Free time.
10:00 p.m.	Lights out for grades 5 to 8, who hand in their electronics.
10:30 p.m.	Lights out for grades 9 and 10.
11:00 p.m.	Lights out for grades 11 and 12.

Classes

A teacher points to a line on a pink worksheet as a student in a navy sweater writes his answer

Classes last 45 minutes, with three to seven students in a typical section, so no one can hide and everyone gets attention. Gow runs a seven-period rotating schedule: students take six classes Monday through Friday and four on Saturday. Every student, in every grade, takes The Gow Method.

How The Gow Method Works and Why Small Classes Matter.

Assembly

At noon the whole school gathers in Simms Theater in the Reid Art Center. The Head of School teaches a weekly theme, and the community starts the afternoon together.

Athletics for Everyone

A student in a crimson Gow jersey runs downfield with a football during a flag football game on the campus lawn

There is no gym class at Gow. Instead, every student plays a sport or takes part in an athletic activity each afternoon, from soccer and basketball to squash, ski racing, and wrestling. See teams and coaches.

At a Glance

Six classes Monday to Friday
Four classes on Saturday
Tutorial every afternoon
Supervised study hall every evening

Sit In on a Class

The best way to understand a Gow day is to spend one with us.

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Dress Code

How students present themselves is part of the Gow experience. Our dress code balances tradition with everyday school life, with students alternating between Academic Dress (blazer and collared shirt) and Dinner Dress (Gow logowear with appropriate pants or skirts). Both reflect the same expectation: to dress with care, take pride in how you present yourself, and show respect for the Gow community.

Weekends and Traditions

Saturday afternoons, trips into the region, and a calendar full of traditions give every student something to look forward to.

After Saturday classes, the weekend belongs to the students. Faculty plan activities on campus and trips around Western New York, so there is always something to do with friends.

Saturday Afternoons

On Campus

The Gow Center weight room and gyms, table tennis, billiards, and foosball.

Off Campus

Shopping and movies
Skiing
Professional and college sports games
Amusement parks and water parks
Theater
Skate parks and paintball
Niagara Falls

Winter Carnival and Spring Fest

Winter Carnival, a Gow tradition since 1986, fills a winter day with events like the human dog sled race and a pie-eating contest. In spring, Spring Fest brings everyone outside again.

Students competing in a Winter Carnival game in the Gow Center

Weekend Trips

Boarders can choose from up to five weekend trips to East Aurora and Buffalo.

Come for a Weekend Event

Ask about visiting during Parents Weekend or another tradition.

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A Year of Traditions

Month	Traditions
September	School starts at Labor Day; Convocation
October	End of the first marking period, Parents Weekend, fall break, Spirit Week, and the Crimson vs. Navy color war
November	All-school Thanksgiving
December	Charity Ball, Ugly Sweater day, and a gift exchange
January	A surprise snow day of ice skating or bowling
February	Inflatables day on the Saturday before the Super Bowl, a tradition since the 1970s
March	Spring break and the school trip
April	Spring Awards and the Cresting Ceremony, where seniors receive their crested blazers; spring carnival with a dunk tank
May	Prom (a new tradition), the Athletic Ceremony, Honors Convocation with National Honor Society inductions, and Commencement, where every senior gives a 3 to 5 minute speech

Spring Break Trips

Each March, students can travel with faculty on a school trip. Past destinations include Peru, Spain, Italy, Costa Rica, and Greece.

Student Leadership

Many students arrive at Gow unsure of themselves. Here they find their voice, and often lead others for the first time.

Leadership at Gow is real responsibility. Students run meetings, mentor younger boarders, welcome visiting families, and serve the wider community.

Student Council

Student Council includes a President, a Vice President, and an elected class representative for each grade, plus a Day Student Representative. A faculty advisor guides the group.

Resident Assistants

Students in grades 11 and 12 can serve as Resident Assistants, helping dorm parents and looking out for younger students in the residence halls.

Headwaiters

The Headwaiter Program is one of Gow's longest-standing student leadership traditions, open to students in grades 10 to 12. Chosen by the faculty advisor, Headwaiters help the Executive Chef and Dining Services staff supervise the dining hall. The role takes maturity, responsibility, and a real time commitment. Headwaiters are highly visible leaders and role models, and they earn privileges to match.

Crimson Key Club

Crimson Key members are Gow's student ambassadors. They give campus tours and are often the first students a visiting family meets.

Health Office and Library Assistants

Students can assist in the Health Office and the library, taking on trusted roles that help the school run.

Junior Firefighter Program

Students age 16 and older can join the Junior Firefighter Program with the South Wales Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, training alongside local volunteers, including Gow faculty.

Who Can Lead

Student Council: every grade
Resident Assistants: grades 11 and 12
Headwaiters: grades 10 to 12
Junior Firefighters: age 16+

Dorm leadership roles are for boarders.

Meet Our Ambassadors

A Crimson Key student will likely show you around.

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Dining

Meals in Weston Dining Hall are fresh, varied, and shared with faculty, a daily reminder that Gow is a family.

Every meal is a chance to slow down, talk with a teacher, and get to know someone new. Students eat together in the Donald M. Weston '42 Dining Hall, which opened in 2009.

Meal Times

Monday to SaturdayBreakfast, lunch, and dinner
SundayBrunch and dinner

That adds up to 19 meals a week on campus.

What's on the Menu

Meals are prepared by Sage Dining Services. Each day students can choose from:

Hot entrees
A deli bar and panini
A salad bar
Homemade desserts

Dietary Needs

Substitutions are available for students with dietary needs. Let us know about allergies or restrictions during enrollment so the dining team can plan ahead.

A Seat at the Table

Seating is assigned and rotates monthly, and every table includes faculty. Over a year, each student shares meals with many different classmates and adults, and no one has to wonder where to sit.

Flags from students' home countries hang in the dining hall.

Quick Facts

19 meals a week
Prepared by Sage Dining Services
Seating rotates monthly
Faculty at every table

Join Us for Lunch

Campus visits often include a meal with students and faculty.

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