Life at Burke

We open early and close late. Doors open starting at 7:30 AM, and students can socialize in the Commons, study in the Library, or enjoy our outdoor spaces until 8:30 AM.*

On a typical day, students have five class periods, with community period, 3rd period, and lunch running consecutively – providing a midday opportunity for field trips, lab work, and experiential learning in DC. Everyone has different cognitive highs and lows during the day, so we use a rotating schedule to move different classes through different time slots.

Our daily community period from 10:20-11 AM rotates among assemblies, grade meetings, homerooms, affinity groups, and more – so students always have time to connect with friends, both within and outside their own grade.

Everyone has lunch at the same time, and students can purchase a meal plan or bring lunch from home. We have an open campus in the High School, so students also take full advantage of the carry-out and food truck options lining Connecticut Avenue (within a specified radius of campus) and decide where to eat and relax.

At 3:30 PM, classes wrap up for the day – but most students stay on campus for rehearsals and sports practices, while others set up shop in the computer lab, head to an open art studio, or chat with friends in the Atrium. We also offer proctored study halls until 5:30 PM.

* Notice the later start time? That's new. The pandemic required some creative scheduling – and a couple changes worked so well that we decided to keep them.