This is a Prototype Web Site Archived for Historical Purposes Only
Demonstration Developed in 1995 by Tay Vaughan ('62) and Hilary Knight ('97)
Visit www.The GovernorsAcademy.org for the most current version

Welcome to Governor Dummer Academy
America's oldest independent boarding school.

One Elm Street
Byfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
508-465-1763 Voice
508-462-1278 Fax
Home: www.gda.org

Community

Students Speak Out: Knowing... (60KB .aif file) and Closeness... (40KB .aif file)

Attending Governor Dummer Academy means becoming a member of a close-knit community of students and faculty members who share activities ranging from breakfast to evening study hall each day.

The Academy community operates on a seven-day day schedule and places a high priority on participation and achievement by all of its members. Boarding and day students learn to manage their time and plan weekdays and weekends to allow adequate time for academics, extracurricular interests and leisure activities.

The entire school convenes each day at 7:45 a.m. for announcements, presentations and acknowledgments at Morning Meeting. On Wednesday mornings, the community meets in the Moseley Chapel for a brief talk by a student, faculty member or guest speaker. Rather than a worship service, this is a time for the sharing of ideas, feelings and beliefs.

The academic day begins at 8 a.m. and continues until 3:05 p.m. It is followed by the various components of the Afternoon Program, including athletics, dramatics and community service.

After dinner each evening, there is a two-hour activity period in which many of the Academy's clubs and organizations hold regular meetings. The library and arts and computer facilities are all open during this time so that students may work or explore personal interests.

An evening study hall, with quiet hours starting at 7:00 p.m., follows the activity period Sunday through Friday. Students work at their desks in their dormitories under the supervision of dormitory parents and student proctors. Study and bed times are determined by grade level.

Weekend activities spring naturally from the interests and desires of the people who make up the Governor Dummer Community. Throughout the year there are various optional and compulsory academic, social, cultural and athletic events on campus. On Friday evenings, students often attend the theatre and symphony in Boston, fulfilling their GDA Humanities requirements. Other students may take in a cultural event in Newburyport or remain on campus to enjoy a concert, play, film, lecture or other presentation. Several times each year the Carl Youngman Gallery in the Academy's Kaiser Visual Arts Center hosts Friday night receptions for new art exhibits.

Regular academic classes are not held on Saturday mornings at GDA in order to provide "hands-on" time for special interests. The photography lab and ceramic and art studios are open then, as are the music rooms and the Academy's computer facilities. Drivers' education and typing classes are available at those times. Students also may chose to take GDA shuttle vans to nearby Newburyport.

Most students spend Saturday afternoons participating in or viewing the Academy's athletic contests, held both on campus and at other New England schools. Saturday night activities are planned by the students' Social Committee, and regularly include dances, films, plays and talent shows.

Among Governor Dummer's unique traditions is the Saturday night open house at the headmaster's residence. Headmaster and Mrs. Bragdon open the historic 1713 Mansion House to the entire GDA community for ping pong and pool in the basement, chess and Trivial Pursuit in front of the living room fireplace, an old movie on video in the study and pizza, ice cream and conversation around the kitchen table.

Sundays at Governor Dummer Academy have less formal structure than other days, and students spend their time alternately relaxing, pursuing personal interests and preparing schoolwork for the week. Faculty members routinely use Sundays to take students on informal trips to Boston, New England ski areas and other nearby points of interest. The master teachers also drive students to local religious services of various denominations.

Boarding students discover that life in the dormitory provides an additional avenue for personal growth. Dormitories become second homes, places where students and faculty members from diverse backgrounds share friendships that evolve naturally from living closely and cooperatively. Students derive a new appreciation for trust, responsibility and respect through the dormitory experience, which also is extended to day students who wish to spend occasional weekend nights at GDA.

Students in all grade levels who are interested in taking on leadership roles find ample opportunity within the Governor Dummer community. The Academy runs on the commitment, energy and example set by student leaders who are Community Council and Student Union officers, dormitory and library proctors, editors of the yearbook, newspaper and literary magazine and chairs of clubs and organizations. Each of these organizations has a faculty advisor who can help provide guidance and direction for group activities.

Consistent with the Academy's motto "Non sibi sed aliis" ("Not for self but for others"), GDA maintains a unique Community Service program that allows both the students and residents of the surrounding area to reap the benefits of volunteerism.

Faculty organizers oversee the program that has placed Academy student volunteers in activities ranging from tutoring homeless youths to reading to the elderly and teaching handicapped children. Each year, the Academy also hosts a Special Olymics soccer tournament, which is organized and run by students in the Community Service Program. At the conclusion of the term, students prepare individual reports on their projects, which are reviewed by the Director of Community Service.

Offered as an afternoon activity and cited as a graduation requirement for all students, the Community Service program is among the most highly regarded programs at Governor Dummer Academy.