The Daily Life of Students and Staff

Typical Week

The typical day for a student starts in their room. At 6:45am they are roused from their sleep, and many go to do morning jobs in the kitchen, to help prepare breakfast. Breakfast starts at 7:30am, and when everyone has completed after-breakfast jobs, such as clearing [ Morning Devotions among the Seniors ] the tables, all the children have devotions, each in their own dorm. About 15 minutes later students prepare for school and go to the school blocks, with school starting at 8:30am.

At 4:30pm, students leave the classrooms again, with school finished for the day. Most of them will find themselves at the football pitch, playing football with other staff and children, but they are not limited to that. An hour later games end and many take their showers at this time, just in time to do their jobs. After the evening meal, many students will socialise, play games outside, or do homework. Then they have quiet time, in which students of the same age have a devotion with a staff member some time before their bedtime.

Weekends at BCS are filled with fun, as well as flexibility. Most people sleep in on the weekends, with breakfast being half an hour later on Saturday, and up to nine on Sunday. For one hour on Saturday, children have jobs, which range from outdoor work to peeling and chopping up vegetables. Of course a weekend is incomplete without doing something explicitly active, so people often play football or volleyball. Many also go running. Every weekend there are latenight activities where seniors may stay up until 10:00pm, and they have fun playing different kinds of games. These games vary from playing Clue to Capture the Flag!

Sunday, there is a church service at BCS, and Sunday School for everybody. A church service is held at BCS because any surrounding churches would be in French or Wolof, and for the sake of children and staff, an English service is held at BCS. Nevertheless, this however does not prevent anybody from learning French songs, and thus everybody knows some French songs.

Dormitories

At the moment there are three international Anglophone dorms and a Korean dorm that have been divided into general age categories. Houseparents live in the same building as the dorm kids that they care for, and the children that live in the dorm are split into a boys and girls end that is separated by a lounge area. Dorm helpers live in the staff accommodation houses, and are also around to spend time with the children.

Eagle dorm is currently the home for dorm kids between the ages of six and ten, the juniors and primaries of the school. Kingfisher dorm houses the students between the ages of eleven and thirteen, and Falcon dorm is occupied by the top seniors of the school, ages fourteen to sixteen.

There are three bedrooms in each end of the dorm, with each room normally shared by two or three dorm kids. Each dorm has a computer that is used mainly for emails, although it can also be used for personal purposes. Children who are full-time boarders are encouraged to write to their parents on a regular basis.

The bedtimes for the dorm kids vary, depending on their age. The youngest age group (between six and eleven) all have an 8:00pm bedtime, but the next age band up (one year older) has a bedtime half an hour later, and it increases by half an hour every age band, until the top seniors, where the fifteen and sixteen year-olds have a 10:00pm bedtime.

Mealtimes

Breakfast is normally at 7.30am, lunch is served at 12.40, and the evening meal is at 6.15pm. However, on Friday evenings, dorm kids have a dorm meal, where they can eat in their dorms, instead of coming to the dining room.

There are nine tables that are used in the dining room. Seating on the tables are pre-arranged before each term begins, and is changed at half-term, so that the same children and staff members sit together for a while during all mealtimes. This provides an opportunity to get to know people better. On Saturdays, however, everybody is allowed to choose whichever table they wish to sit at.

Jobs

All the children who are eight years and above are put into jobs teams at the start of each term. There are five teams which have different jobs to do, and every week they rotate. The team captains are usually the five oldest pupils, and they are responsible for six to seven younger pupils. Jobs teams are normally changed every term.

Jobs vary between before-meal jobs and after-meal jobs (or both). The average before-meal job will consist of either setting tables, cutting bread or making milk, whereas after-meal jobs will probably be along the lines of washing up, clearing tables or clearing away food.

On Saturday mornings, for one hour, the children do Saturday jobs, which are split between two outdoor jobs, two kitchen jobs and one household job (in the dorms). The five teams do these different jobs as a team, and the type of job they have to do each week differs.

School

School life, through the eyes of any BCS student, is a love-hate relationship. The typical school day begins promptly at 8.30am. Older students (ages eleven upwards) have 6 55 minute periods a day. From 8.30am, there are two lessons, and then break at 10.20am, which is 20 minutes long, where bread is offered as a snack at 10.20am. 10.40am to 12.30pm marks another two periods of study, and at 12.40pm lunch is served in the dining room.

The whole school is gathered at lunchtimes, as day pupils also join us for the lunch meal. After the Lunch, there is a 'Siesta', where there is no school, and students must remain in the dorm, where they can enjoy their own leisure activities, or do their homework. The last two periods will effectively end the school day at 4.30pm, and then students usually play sports until 5.30pm.


Home Overview Daily Life Academics Activities Students Photo Gallery Downloads Prayer Calendar Contact Sitemap	The Daily Life of Students and Staff Typical Week The typical day for a student starts in their room. At 6:45am they are roused from their sleep, and many go to do morning jobs in the kitchen, to help prepare breakfast. Breakfast starts at 7:30am, and when everyone has completed after-breakfast jobs, such as clearing the tables, all the children have devotions, each in their own dorm. About 15 minutes later students prepare for school and go to the school blocks, with school starting at 8:30am. At 4:30pm, students leave the classrooms again, with school finished for the day. Most of them will find themselves at the football pitch, playing football with other staff and children, but they are not limited to that. An hour later games end and many take their showers at this time, just in time to do their jobs. After the evening meal, many students will socialise, play games outside, or do homework. Then they have quiet time, in which students of the same age have a devotion with a staff member some time before their bedtime. Weekends at BCS are filled with fun, as well as flexibility. Most people sleep in on the weekends, with breakfast being half an hour later on Saturday, and up to nine on Sunday. For one hour on Saturday, children have jobs, which range from outdoor work to peeling and chopping up vegetables. Of course a weekend is incomplete without doing something explicitly active, so people often play football or volleyball. Many also go running. Every weekend there are latenight activities where seniors may stay up until 10:00pm, and they have fun playing different kinds of games. These games vary from playing Clue to Capture the Flag! Sunday, there is a church service at BCS, and Sunday School for everybody. A church service is held at BCS because any surrounding churches would be in French or Wolof, and for the sake of children and staff, an English service is held at BCS. Nevertheless, this however does not prevent anybody from learning French songs, and thus everybody knows some French songs. Dormitories At the moment there are three international Anglophone dorms and a Korean dorm that have been divided into general age categories. Houseparents live in the same building as the dorm kids that they care for, and the children that live in the dorm are split into a boys and girls end that is separated by a lounge area. Dorm helpers live in the staff accommodation houses, and are also around to spend time with the children. Eagle dorm is currently the home for dorm kids between the ages of six and ten, the juniors and primaries of the school. Kingfisher dorm houses the students between the ages of eleven and thirteen, and Falcon dorm is occupied by the top seniors of the school, ages fourteen to sixteen. There are three bedrooms in each end of the dorm, with each room normally shared by two or three dorm kids. Each dorm has a computer that is used mainly for emails, although it can also be used for personal purposes. Children who are full-time boarders are encouraged to write to their parents on a regular basis. The bedtimes for the dorm kids vary, depending on their age. The youngest age group (between six and eleven) all have an 8:00pm bedtime, but the next age band up (one year older) has a bedtime half an hour later, and it increases by half an hour every age band, until the top seniors, where the fifteen and sixteen year-olds have a 10:00pm bedtime. Mealtimes Breakfast is normally at 7.30am, lunch is served at 12.40, and the evening meal is at 6.15pm. However, on Friday evenings, dorm kids have a dorm meal, where they can eat in their dorms, instead of coming to the dining room. There are nine tables that are used in the dining room. Seating on the tables are pre-arranged before each term begins, and is changed at half-term, so that the same children and staff members sit together for a while during all mealtimes. This provides an opportunity to get to know people better. On Saturdays, however, everybody is allowed to choose whichever table they wish to sit at. Jobs All the children who are eight years and above are put into jobs teams at the start of each term. There are five teams which have different jobs to do, and every week they rotate. The team captains are usually the five oldest pupils, and they are responsible for six to seven younger pupils. Jobs teams are normally changed every term. Jobs vary between before-meal jobs and after-meal jobs (or both). The average before-meal job will consist of either setting tables, cutting bread or making milk, whereas after-meal jobs will probably be along the lines of washing up, clearing tables or clearing away food. On Saturday mornings, for one hour, the children do Saturday jobs, which are split between two outdoor jobs, two kitchen jobs and one household job (in the dorms). The five teams do these different jobs as a team, and the type of job they have to do each week differs. School School life, through the eyes of any BCS student, is a love-hate relationship. The typical school day begins promptly at 8.30am. Older students (ages eleven upwards) have 6 55 minute periods a day. From 8.30am, there are two lessons, and then break at 10.20am, which is 20 minutes long, where bread is offered as a snack at 10.20am. 10.40am to 12.30pm marks another two periods of study, and at 12.40pm lunch is served in the dining room. The whole school is gathered at lunchtimes, as day pupils also join us for the lunch meal. After the Lunch, there is a 'Siesta', where there is no school, and students must remain in the dorm, where they can enjoy their own leisure activities, or do their homework. The last two periods will effectively end the school day at 4.30pm, and then students usually play sports until 5.30pm.
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