trevordayschool

e physical design of a space gives the visitor a clear understanding about the mission, vision, and values of an institution. At Trevor, it is instantly clear that our unique Common Rooms and Center serve as the nuclei of our academic community. As an administrator, and as an alum, I am incredibly proud of how our mission is communicated so vibrantly through these unique spaces. Many independent schools boast strong teacher-student relationships but few dedicate the time and space to cultivate those relationships. Trevor has many tenets that promote these relationships inside and outside of the classroom, including our advisory program and small class size. But most central to our philosophy and mission is the design and practice of our common spaces. With students populating the center of the room and faculty desks as satellites along its perimeter, the close proximity promotes a collegiality and professional development within and between disciplines. Departments are not in siloes, and each faculty member is encouraged to engage interdepartmentally and understand the school's entire curriculum. When we interview prospective faculty, we often take them on a tour of our common spaces before we sit down for a formal interview. We gauge the candidate's reaction to the physical design and the school's total access to faculty. e faculty members who are attracted to our design are deeply committed to both the academic and social/emotional development of young people. Our faculty wants to be connected and available to the students and to their colleagues. Our students quickly learn that with such faculty accessibility comes a responsibility to be proactive about their education. To meet, debate, ask questions, share theories, develop clarity of ideas, and explore passions outside of the classroom—this intellectual activity is deeply ingrained in our culture, and one that is advanced by a deliberate architectural design. e ability to design from the ground up in our new facilities has been a unique gift. We instructed our architects to start with Trevor's common rooms and other shared spaces, and design outward from those central areas. ey could not have responded more adeptly and enthusiastically to this concept. It is instantly clear that our unique Common Rooms and Center serve as the nuclei of our academic community. Circa 2015 2 5 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6

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