At Ashley Hall, we believe that time is one of our most precious resources. How we spend it should reflect who we are, what we value, and how our students learn best.

Over the past many months, faculty, staff, and administrators have been engaged in a deeply thoughtful and research-informed process to reimagine student schedules across our divisions, diligently led by Naa-Adei Kotey, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning. This work is grounded in a simple but powerful goal: to ensure that our daily rhythms truly center our students—their intellectual growth, their health, and their overall well-being.

As a leading independent school, we are committed to understanding how children, and especially girls, learn best. Our approach draws on the strength of our academic programs—Reggio Emilia, the International Baccalaureate (IB), Harkness discussions, and experiential learning—while also recognizing that meaningful learning requires balance. Students thrive when their days include time to think deeply, collaborate, reflect, and simply be.

A well-designed schedule should have both rhythm and cadence. It should honor the focused time needed for academic inquiry while also creating space for social-emotional development, connection, and restoration. When students feel balanced and supported, they are better able to engage fully and define their own success.

To guide this work, Ashley Hall partnered with Dr. Shannan Schuster and Dr. Andrew Taylor, both experts in research-based scheduling. Dr. Schuster brings deep expertise and extensive experience with girls’ schools in particular; Dr. Taylor offers a global perspective and extensive experience within the IB framework. Together, they have helped us think expansively and intentionally about how our schedule can best serve our mission, which, at its core, calls us to know, value, and challenge each student, equipping her to lead a life of purpose. A schedule that is truly aligned—one that prioritizes time for deep learning, meaningful connection, and personal growth—is not just well-designed, but essential to ensuring our students thrive.

This process has included extensive reflection, conversation, and analysis, and has intentionally elevated student voice as a vital part of the work. Through conversations with students, we have gained meaningful insight into their experiences, needs, and hopes for how their days are structured. We have asked ourselves important questions: How do we make certain that our schedules align with our values? How do we ensure that our students are not only achieving academically, but also growing as whole, healthy individuals? And how do we continue to evolve as a School, boldly using research to improve how we operate?

What has emerged is a shared understanding that our schedule must be a living reflection of our vision—one that prioritizes our students, supports their growth, and prepares them to thrive.

We are excited about the direction of this work and look forward to sharing more details as our plans continue to take shape. In the coming weeks, Division Directors will provide additional information as specifics are finalized. While there will be meaningful enhancements to students’ daily experience, our start and end times will remain largely consistent. Our focus is on thoughtfully reimagining the time in between, when students are on campus, to better align with our mission and support their learning and well-being.

Thank you for your partnership and for entrusting us with your children each day.