The Seahawk Experience

My day at Bishop Seabury was everything I expected, but at the same time it was nothing I expected at all. I expected the uniforms, more classes than what I’m used to, the middle schoolers and the small class sizes.

I have been going to Seabury events for about two years because I am friends with most of the senior class, and so I had a rough idea of how the school day worked before I went. But even with all of my expectations I was still taken off guard.

I did not expect to not have to check in, I definitely did not expect to be introduced to the entire school during lunch, I did not expect the break in the morning and after lunch, I did not expect having to walk outside so much and I did not expect having to pray twice a day. But most of all, I expected bells that were not there.

I see the benefits of uniforms, but I enjoy picking what to wear and deciding if I want to wear sweats or look nice. Everyone looked the same, which technically is the point but I enjoy going to school and seeing crazy outfits and everyone's personalities.

The class sizes are similar to public school, just a bit smaller. The amount of classes overwhelmed me though. Eight classes in one day is so many, especially since I struggle with seven. The amount of classes allow students to take more classes overall, but the workload does not seem worth it.

I work best with structure and a strict routine, and as a result the lack of bells really threw me. Not knowing the schedule was part of it, but bells create exactness, which I think is important at school.

Something that surprised me was that the students are very respectful and do their assigned cleaning jobs, and everything seemed to be run by students but still ran smoothly. Classes were informal but very informative, which usually isn’t the case in public school, where it is one of the other.

Assigned seats at lunch threw me off, especially because each table had an assigned teacher. The entire school ate lunch at the same time. It felt like the eating part of the period was extremely short. Announcements were kind of bizarre, but it makes sense because it will get to everyone without interruptions. But the food was actually good, and that is not the case in most public schools.

I have been to dances, sports events, and plays. The dances are fun; it can be a little strange to have middle schoolers there, but overall I have enjoyed all of them, which I can not say about my school dances.

I go to a lot of cross country meets and JV basketball games, so most of the time I am one of the few spectators, but I always have a good time. The varsity basketball and volleyball games I have been to are always packed and spectators are mixed with parents and students. It is comparable to public high school sports which is not something I expected when I first started going.

I am always impressed with the plays; they are entertaining and the free admission makes it completely accessible. The students seem to be very involved in the production and a huge variety of students participate. It seems like a great program to be apart of and very inclusive.

It is apparent that the school needs expanding; the portables are not the greatest solution, it is very cramped and the bathrooms are in the other buildings so students and teachers have to go outside, which is inconvenient and time consuming. But the bathrooms are impressively clean, so that is a plus.

Overall, Bishop Seabury seems like a great school, but it is not for me. I do not doubt that it is definitely perfect for others. I like easy classes and a super flexible schedule. I like bells, they give me a concept of time. I like being able to eat lunch in my photo teacher’s classroom. And I like being able to pick and choose who I talk to and who I have to spend time with.

Even though it is not for me, Bishop had a lot of aspects that I wish my school had. The senior lounge was a neat environment to be in, forms trips and other overnight adventures that I have heard about seem so fun, everyone can try anything and not be worried about be terrible at it, and everyone knows everyone and you have an abundant amount of friends.

I am glad I went; this experience really solidified my views that having different options for education available is important. Public school does not work for everyone. Having private, religious and disciplinary schools available alongside public schools is beneficial to our students and our country.