Montrosians Weigh in on New Spaces and Places

Montrosians+Weigh+in+on+New+Spaces+and+Places

As I walked through the front door at the beginning of my junior year, I expected this year to be similar to every other.. This year though,  Montrose reflected growth mindset as it continues to make progressive changes. Things have shifted around: Spaces have been cleared up, and our school looks and feels better than ever! Enthusiasm for the adjustments of Montrose lies deep in our roots, as we cling to past traditions and develop new ideas to leave our own mark on Montrose’s culture. New spaces at Montrose have generated more opportunities for students to collaborate or work independently, as well as more opportunities for students to meet with teachers.

Beginning this year at Montrose, almost all of the faculty have their own, individual rooms. These rooms are not only the space where each specific teacher can teach and decorate the walls to their liking, but also where teachers have their offices. The new locations make it possible to leave a note or find a teacher more easily. Instead of running around, trying to check their office and the several different rooms they teach in, the teacher you are looking for is most likely in her own room! Approximately 92% of students find it easier to locate teachers. Isabelle Heron ‘19 said: “I like that all the teachers can be found in their classrooms. I also like that the collab spaces are really far apart and stretch across the school.”

Another new feature to Montrose life is the introduction of the Quiet Study, formerly known as the Media Center. Here, students may work silently to get their homework done from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Another benefit to the new Quiet Study area is not only its carpeted floors, the bar table along the opposite wall, nor its snazzy new chairs, but Quiet Study is also the new home to Enrichment ( FYI: If you are trying to get an Enrichment book approved, leave it in Mrs. Baker’s new and huge office near the back suite). Ridhi Thotakura ‘23 approves of the new Quiet Study room where “you can find silence and no disturbance and you can concentrate.”

In addition to teachers being in one room and the transformation of the Media Center into Quiet Study, new collaborative places are also an exciting addition to Montrose. Not only are students welcome to work together upstairs at the tables, students may also study downstairs where the cubicles used to be, right next the Senior Commons. Maevis Fahey ‘21 enjoys both new additions to Montrose as she said: “Working with others in a comfortable and friendly environment has been very beneficial to my school work. The round tables offer a great space for both conversation about topics of confusion and discussion, as well a conversation.” Lastly, the Arts and Entertainments building has become home to Ms Thordarson’s physics and math classes, Mrs. Rinaldi’s AP Computer Science class, Mrs. Osborne’s Bio, AP Bio, and Chem classes, as well as some of Mrs. Bowman’s art classes Students approve of the new spaces. About 96% of school wide survey respondents have expressed their satisfaction with the Quiet Study and collaborative spaces. A slight majority of student body prefer the collaborative spaces over the Quiet Study room. With all of these new spaces comes a new responsibility to keep these spaces clean and neat for the next users.

Now onto the next and biggest new component of Montrose life: the new uniform! In exchange for the kilt, a gray skirt wraps around the waist of Montrosians nowadays. These comfortable and classy skirts are very cute, yet unfortunately destructible unlike the powers of the kilt. Jocelyn Kelly ‘18 lamented: “It’s easier to stain; you could have mopped up anything with that kilt.” Many girls, including freshman Isabella Russo ‘20, noted that the gray skirts require ironing in order to avoid unpleasant wrinkles. The new shirts are very comfortable and bear the Montrose crest.

But the most controversial addition of the new uniform is the upper school blazer. The navy blue blazer with its Montrose crest of veritas, caritas, and libertas stands for all that Montrose is. Skylar Miklus ‘18 expressed her enthusiasm for the blazer: “I love the blazer. I think it’s very polished-looking, which is a nice feel for high schoolers. It makes me feel professional and ready to work.” Julia Convery ‘19 agreed, but felt the style was a little too formal for everyday Montrose life. Julia said: “I really like the blazer because it makes us look more professional as a school and as students. It gives us a sense of dignified professionality, which helps us pay more attention to the way we dress and interact with others. I don’t wear it much because sometimes it feels a little too professional for everyday classes and is not as comfy as the sweater or sweatshirt.” I agree. I wore the blazer one day, and I felt as if I was ready to take on the world. But the quarter-zip sweatshirt is more cozy.

The majority of Montrosians, about 65%, prefer the new uniform over the old uniform. However, when asked to pick a phrase to describe their affection for the new uniform 40% of girls chose the option, “I want the kilt back!” Utterly shocking news; however about 38% of students say the new uniform is “comfortable” and about 18% of respondents described the new uniform as “cute.” All in all, this year’s new changes provide an exciting and refreshing start for the upcoming months.