Benefits of Boarding

The Saint James community is centered around boarding culture, and the life and well being of students who live away from home. Despite this, a large portion of our students commute to and from campus everyday. Living on campus provides students with complete immersion in school culture, which includes clubs, sports, study sessions, and school events. For those who live off campus, it can be challenging to stay involved with the community. Living in a dorm creates tight-knit relationships with friends as well as teachers. Furthermore, the opportunity of having a roommate in one’s high school years allows students to navigate relationships with people they live and study with. Rooming with a peer prepares students for dorm life in college, and teaches how to navigate close relationships early on, rather than later in life. Thanks to the set schedule for boarders throughout the week, students quickly gain time management skills, learning how to balance studying, athletics, extracurriculars, social life, and alone time.

On weeknights, students engage in Study Hall, proctored by a faculty member on duty in the dorm. Phones are confiscated, in order to ensure all focus is on academics from 8:00-9:30 P.M. Having to sit through a period of time without breaks or distraction teaches discipline, and builds healthy study habits. During Study Hall or after school, students can request assistance from on-campus faculty members with schoolwork. These extra opportunities for clarification and extra help from a teacher can have a significant effect on one’s grade. It also teaches students how to independently interact with figures of authority outside of the typical school day. Independence also develops in the dorms through chores and self care, seen when students do their own laundry, and are required to clean their rooms each night. Boarders are assigned chores weekly, ranging from trash duty to cleaning the fridge. These small responsibilities require everyone to stay involved in caring for the community, while learning how to do many important household chores. The boarding experience prepares students not only for college, but for a meaningful life beyond education.