January 2020: Winterim, 2020

January typically brings windy blasts of cold air, snow, and ice to our area. This year, in addition to fairly mild weather for the month, our hearts were warmed and spirits raised by “Winterim” at Archmere. When I was a student at Archmere (1972-1976), we actually had a similar break between semesters, when teachers offered a variety of different and perhaps, unusual, courses for students. It offered a space in the school calendar unlike vacation breaks, when teachers and students could work together on interesting and different projects that had no impact on grades, but did fortify the student-teacher relationship and build community. This year, Winterim was reintroduced to the calendar. “New and improved,” the offerings were more creative, practical, and insightful than those I recall from the 1970s. Building a podcast, building furniture, travel writing, sports analytics, spiritual ecology, and faith and film, are just a few of the many offerings developed by teachers who worked solo or with a partner. The three-day program replaced mid-term exams this year.  

 

I have been asked the question if the academic rigor of our program has been sacrificed because we eliminated mid-term exams. My reply has been, “No.” On the contrary, from the conversations I have had with teachers, students, and parents, the change in the schedule has afforded many benefits to learning. Teachers have been able to present more content in their classes the weeks prior to Winterim, as opposed to spending time reviewing material with students. Students are less anxious about preparing for exams over what should be a relaxing Christmas vacation. Parents are pleased to see that their children have time to decompress from their active academic and extra-curricular schedules, particularly the upperclassmen who are in some part of the college selection process.  

 

While the faculty and administration will certainly “debrief” about the experience with input from the students, it seems that the overall experience was positive. The concept of reintroducing the Winterim is a result of discussions among faculty and administrators related to our second initiative of our strategic working group for the Middle States Re-accreditation process: “Work with The Independence School’s Center for Wellness, Innovation, and Learning (CWIL) to further research and assess current Archmere students’ experiences relative to stress, anxiety, social pressures, and other issues tangential but affecting student learning and positive growth.” The Winterim program was held in collaboration with The Independence School. Teachers and seventh and eighth grade students from Independence participated with Archmere teachers and students in four separate collaborative offerings, some held at Independence and some at Archmere.  

 

I was excited to participate in Winterim by offering a course on entrepreneurship and business management. Extremely impressed with the thirty-seven students scheduled in two class sections each day, I learned that many of them have part-time jobs, have had experiences with internships, and support working parents by taking responsibility for household chores. They are smart and mature in their thinking.  

 

It’s a challenge to fit into a three-day course all of the discussion and information that could be shared around a topic. The intent of my course was to give the students a sense of the skills, risks, and commitment required to develop something of their own. As we concluded the class, having developed with six student groups in each class, twelve separate organizational ideas and business plans, I shared with them that they might also develop a business plan for themselves, as it might be a helpful way for them to think about the academic, career, and personal decisions they will make that will shape them into the people they want to be.

 

It is a coincidence that we reintroduced Winterim in 2020; however, it is a nice way to think about the program: an opportunity for students to get to know themselves and others, pursue specific interests, and help them develop a clearer vision of their future – a 20/20 perspective. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I would consider Winterim at Archmere to be a positive addition to the calendar, and look forward to refining the program and offerings with our faculty and students in the years ahead.