Daily Life & Wellness

The School Day

What does a daily routine look like on our waterfront campus? Beyond moving from class to class, a Gunston education is built around structured mentorship, community connection, and student responsibility.

The Gunston Rotation at a Glance

Our dynamic schedule is designed to balance student workloads, mixing short touchpoints with extended learning blocks.

• Arrival & Dismissal: Standard arrival is 7:50 AM with athletics concluding at 4:25 PM (Buses depart at 4:30 PM).
• Wednesday Delayed Start: Every Wednesday, classes begin later with a 9:05 AM arrival to allow for faculty meetings.
• Deep-Dive Blocks: Mondays feature quick, 45-minute check-ins for all classes. Tuesday through Friday transition into extended 70-minute blocks—perfect for lab work, seminars, and waterfront training.
• Midday GX Block & Split Lunch: Our community rotates through a midday split-lunch and academic innovation block (GX), separating 9th/10th and 11th/12th clusters to maintain an intimate dining experience.

Morning Preparation & Dress Code

The academic day is deliberately set aside as a professional "time for work." All students are expected to arrive on campus fully in dress code, wearing button-down Oxford or Gunston polo shirts paired with khaki-style pants or skirts. This uniform environment fosters an focused academic mindset and removes social fashion competition.

Advisory & Morning Meetings

Every day begins with an intentional community check-in.

• Advisory Days: Students meet in intimate groups of roughly twelve peers with a faculty advisor. These sessions are used to discuss academic progress, balance schedules, navigate social dynamics, and guide college planning.
• Morning Meetings: Led by student government officers in the Field House, the entire school gathers to celebrate birthdays, share club and athletic announcements, and center the day with a morning quote.

ACT Period (Advisory, Club, and Tutoring)

Following the morning meeting, students use a dedicated block for flexible academic growth. Depending on the day's schedule, ACT period is used for structured study, student club meetings, or one-on-one extra help sessions with faculty members.

Mid-Morning Break & Lunch

• The Break: After the first two classes, a brief mid-morning recess allows students and teachers to grab breakfast items in the cafeteria, visit lockers, and recharge before the next academic blocks.
• Family-Style Dining: Lunch is fully included in tuition and split into two grade-based shifts. Faculty and students dine together, enjoying hot entrees, a full salad bar, house-made soups, and healthy refreshments prepared daily by our dining staff.

Independent Study Privileges

To prepare students for the freedom of a college schedule, we use a tiered study hall system during open academic blocks:

• 9th Graders: Develop foundational habits in a structured, supervised classroom environment.
• 10th & 11th Graders: Can earn the privilege of independent campus study based on exceptional academic performance.
• 12th Graders:  Are granted open campus study privileges to manage their own coursework independently.

Afternoon Athletics & Transportation

The day concludes on the fields and on the water. All students fulfill their physical education requirement by participating in at least two seasons of competitive team sports or recreational fitness programs annually.

To ensure every student can fully participate in the afternoon athletic block, all school bus transportation departs campus after the conclusion of afternoon practices.