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The Story With Mondays

Casual interactions are a defining feature of Burke: in the halls, on the stairs, in the Atrium, and in the Commons. In planning for remote and hybrid programs in Fall 2020, the question arose, "could we create those deeply valuable interactions in a virtual space?"
That question, in part, led to the design of Virtual Monday. Community and discussion-focused, the Monday schedule stays constant in either a remote or hybrid model (when Monday will be the deep cleaning day). This schedule also enables the entire school to begin the week together and to lock in time for energy-giving pursuits: clubs, affinity groups, and all-school assemblies.

Why Monday and not Friday? Especially in affinity group contexts, challenging questions can (and should) arise, and crucial discussions can begin. Those discussions can extend throughout the week, rather than stall over the weekend.

What are Office Hours? These meetings are required, but do not introduce new material. Instead, they give students and teachers a chance to interact casually, catch up, and focus on points of interest or confusion. They can also provide some good practice for college!

What might a sample schedule be? Here's a sample 10th Grade schedule from yesterday, September 28:

8:15 AM - Faculty & Staff Meetings
10 AM - All-School Assembly
10:15 AM - 10th Grade Meeting
10:30 AM - Feminist Cooperative Group Meeting
11:30 AM - Office Hours: Advanced Algebra 2 
12 PM - Lunch Time
1 PM - Young Innovators Club
2 PM - Office Hours: Modern World Literature
2:30 PM - Office Hours: French 2
3 PM - Office Hours: Instrumental Music
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Co-ed, progressive, college prep school in Washington, DC featuring a challenging curriculum in an inclusive environment for grades 6-12.