As winter break approaches and we look to the next semester, it is time to start thinking about which minimesters to sign up for. Within the past few years, minimesters have gotten a full revamp. Let’s dive into the changes in Middle School and Upper School (US) minimesters and how the community is feeling about them
In middle school, minimesters are a new concept altogether. These minimesters also take place in February, which is different from the US schedule. Replacing the clubs we used to know and love, minimesters are a chance for focused learning in a short period of time, rather than the stretched-out club schedule the middle school had before. Another large change is that Middle School Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) trips take place during minimesters. Groups traveled to Greece, Chile and many other places during the week in February 2025, and more groups will head out in February 2026. For the students who aren’t traveling, groups focus on a theme for the week. Some students explore local foods while others have the opportunity to meet the mayor. Whatever group you get, there is always something interesting for everyone! Eighth grader Graham Richardson said, “I loved getting to do the hands-on activities in my Seed to Table Minimester! Learning about something for a week really helped me deepen my understanding, too.”
This year, for US minimesters, they will be shortened to only a week instead of the usual full schedule rotation. Another large change is that each student will have four minimesters per day, and this will be their entire schedule. This will allow students to go deeper into their topics instead of dropping some minimesters one day or having just 50 minutes for each. The last large change for the Upper School minimesters is that every teacher will be required to have one, including math teachers. Math was the last subject to remain being taught, but with the shortened minimester schedule, now all teachers will have them. US Math Teacher, Ms. Hagner, said, “I don’t really know if I am excited to have a minimester this year, but having a week of un-class related learning should be fun!” Although with this lone week of minimesters, students attending the Germany ICGL trip will end up missing a whole week of school. In years past, students have mostly missed minimesters and a few class periods, allowing them to stay on top of their work, but this year might be a challenge for them. “I am a little stressed about missing so much class, but we have allocated work times and I know I will be having a great time anyway,” said Senior Greg Simmons.
