A Busy Day for the New Student Experience Block – Tilton School

By: Meg Smith

Tilton students stepped out of the traditional classroom for a day to dive deeper into the new Student Experience Block (SEB). SEB, formerly known as Grade Level Programming, went through some serious updates over the summer break, and students are starting to experience these changes firsthand.

9th graders spent the day engaging with their community in their Get to Know a Faculty Member afternoon. Students had the opportunity to join various faculty members on and off campus in a chance to explore what hobbies and passions our faculty have. Dean of Teaching and Learning Katherine McCandless brought students into Concord to explore her favorite local cafes; French faculty member Joe Scala-Harbert hosted cooking and meditation in the Head’s House; Dean of Students Chapel Love brought students to her family farm to showcase potato harvesting. While these are just a few of the opportunities students had to get to know a faculty, 9th graders returned having a better understanding of a member of their community.

10th-grade students participated in their first Outdoor Experiences course, where they learned vital skills for engaging with the natural world. Students and faculty set off from campus to hike Mount Gunstock nearby, and to practice healthy hiking skills in the process.

11th graders woke up early to take the PSAT that they have been hard at work studying for. Throughout the course of the SEB, 11th grade students have learned the importance of practicing and preparing for standardized tests, and many reported back that this helped them feel “better prepared for the SAT coming soon”.

Seniors and PG students spent the morning formally presenting their future plans to assorted Tilton community members in the annual Senior Defense. This presentation is a culmination of several months of research that senior students have conducted in order to best prepare for their future post-graduation. Whether their path is higher education or the workforce, seniors had the opportunity to share their ideas and aspirations for what comes next.