“Imagine this, your alarm rings just a little earlier, 15 minutes to be exact,” junior Helen Beaudoin said.
That’s the reality this year for St. George’s Middle and Upper School campus students, as the start of the school day shifted from 8:30 to 8:15 a.m. to comply with updated Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) standards.
“We were in compliance seven years ago when we got accredited,” Associate Head of School Mrs. Pamela McCarthy said. “This [rule] has changed in that time.”
Administrators weighed two primary options when tasked to meet these expectations: adding time to each school day or extending the school year.
“I guess we could have added days, but no one wanted that,” Mrs. McCarthy said.
On July 23, 2025, Head of Student and Alumni Affairs Mr. Timothy Gibson announced the change to families via email. While the Lower School campus already met the requirements, the Middle and Upper School had to adjust.
“You don’t feel as though… ‘I have to get here an hour early.’ [Rather,] I have to get here 15 minutes early,” Mr. Gibson said.
On Wednesdays, students only need to arrive 5 minutes earlier than the previous 9:00 a.m. start time, due to morning faculty meetings replacing the CAC block.
The first five minutes of every day are now reserved for dress code and Yondr pouch checks, giving students a structured start without feeling rushed.
“It’s a softer start because classes don’t actually start right away,” Mr. Gibson said.
Beyond the first few minutes, the extra time also changes the structure of the school day by adding 10 minutes to the CAC block when chapel, assemblies, and advisories occur.
“We were always running over from chapel and were rushing to get to class or miss class time,” Dean of Students Dr. Helene Keenan said.
This shift allows the school to comply with the new SAIS standards without affecting after-school activities or athletic schedules.
Still, not everyone has found the transition seamless.
“Every single year recently [school has] always started at 8:30, so it completely throws me off in the morning,” Beaudoin said.
She would prefer the time be added to the end of the day.
“Ending later doesn’t take away from our sleep. It only pushes back free time slightly, which is easier to manage,” Beaudoin said.
