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Flexing for the Better: Reflections on a New Student-Oriented Schedule

As a follow-up to Head of Middle School Marti Champion’s Graland Today article in the fall about the new Flex Wednesday schedule at Graland, several Grade 6 and Grade 7 teachers took the time to reflect on how the new program has positively impacted their students inside the classroom and out. 
Grade 6
By Mitch Masters, Jolene Collier, Aaron Murray, and Emily Siskind, Grade 6 Teachers

As a teacher, there are amazing insights to be gained by listening as students mill about our doors on any given Wednesday, checking out the schedule for the day, and discovering which elements of “Flex Day” await them. There are gasps of excitement, groans of uncertainty, and glimpses into all the things that a sixth grader looks forward to on any given day. Most importantly, the reading of the schedule to start the day on Wednesday shows the sense of engagement and community that is building during their time together. Wednesdays are a blank slate, a weekly experiment to engage students with new and dynamic opportunities.

We already see the Flex Wednesday benefit to our buddy program, as we have enjoyed more frequent and longer chances to meet with our second grade friends. It is heartwarming to see our students embrace their role as an older friend and mentor to their younger schoolmates and to see how much they missed this interaction over the past year and a half.

Assemblies are another “live and in-person” part of school life that was missed last year and is now incorporated into our Flex Days. What a joy to be back together as a Middle School; even when some of the assemblies have been via Zoom, it is a different experience to “group watch” and interact with classmates during these assembly times. 

Flex Wednesdays provide a chance to take our outstanding advisory program and really kick it up a notch as well. We have used the time to take a deeper dive with our small groups and better meet the social and emotional needs of the students. Time management, empathy, and community-building activities have all been enhanced because advisors and advisees can slow down and explore these ideas to the fullest.

On the instructional side, additional academic coaching that is built into Flex Days is a huge boon to both teachers and students. Adding academic coaching to Flex Wednesdays gives students the gift of time; time to see teachers in different settings, time to get support with academic struggles, and time to interact with information from a variety of perspectives. Flexing when teachers see students and the length of those interactions keeps everyone engaged and enthusiastic.

Certainly, the place that students have and will experience the biggest advantage of this flexibility is in our service learning work. We have welcomed guest speakers from the community and have already added workshops to help break down myths about people experiencing homelessness. In late November, we began the off-campus service part of our service learning experience. Restrictions around COVID have changed the opportunities that are available in the community, yet with the additional flexibility in our schedule, students are now able to take these trips in smaller groups, and we can assure that we have the right people in the right place to support our students as they support others.

Wednesdays provide an opportunity to build schedules that “flex” the day and accomplish things that might not be possible in a more traditional schedule. 


Grade 7
By Emma Simmons and Steve Collins, Grade 7 Teachers

This fall, Grade 7 students did some digging into the Graland archives to learn more about the school’s history using primary sources from its founding days. During this project, students and teachers alike were reminded that Graland has been a leader in progressive teaching practices in Denver since the 1920s. While taking learning beyond the four walls of a classroom and out into the wider world is nothing new for Graland teachers and curricula, the new Flex Day schedule has provided a systematic way to incorporate curiosity, agency, and empathy into student learning on a weekly basis. 

The Grade 7 teaching team has worked hard this first semester to take full advantage of Flex Days and the opportunities they provide to build community, enhance our intergenerational service learning and memory box work, and prepare students for their class trip to Washington, D.C., in the spring.

So far, the class has enjoyed intramural games on campus planned by the Grade 7 student council, adventured to CU Boulder to tackle individual and team challenges on their high-and-low ropes course, and traveled to Downtown Denver to visit Civic Center Park, the State Capitol building, and the Judicial Learning Center at the Colorado Supreme Court. Utilizing their new schedule, the Grade 7 students have also spent time with Jiminy Wicket, a local organization that uses croquet to promote intergenerational play and connection, and volunteered with A Little Help, a local non-profit that connects neighbors of all ages through service projects. 

In just a few short months using the new Flex Day schedule, the Grade 7 team has witnessed students stepping into new roles, pushing themselves to grow, and cultivating compassion for others. Visual arts teacher and student council advisor, Andrea Crane, reflected that Flex Days have given student council members a chance to “brainstorm, delegate, work together, and compromise” when planning events for the class. Grade 7 English teacher Kelly Gaudet added, “It has been so rewarding to see students lead their peers with confidence.”

When asked to reflect on all of the Flex Days so far, several Grade 7 students were excited to share their experiences. According to Grade 7 student Sebastian Meyers, “I liked how Jiminy Wicket works to connect different generations through a game that is really fun to play.” Grade 7 student Kendall Anderson added, “I enjoyed going to the CU Ropes Course because it was really fun connecting with our advisory in a way we had not before.” For Grade 7 student Henry Edelmann, the field trip downtown has been the highlight of the Flex Day schedule so far. “I liked the trip to Civic Center Park because I have never been inside the State Capitol or any State Capitol, and I thought that was so cool, and the tour was awesome,” Edelmann said. 

As the year continues, the Grade 7 teaching team plans to keep using Flex Days to expand and enhance how we cultivate curiosity, inspire leadership, and build community. We aim to take students off-campus to local museums, provide time and space for student-led activities, and dive deeper into our theme of intergenerational connection. In many ways, Grade 7 student Isabelle Jurek captured the energy and possibilities of upcoming Flex Days best when she said, “I’m excited for everything that is to come.” 
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.