Minimester is a week-long trip or educational opportunity offered to Sidwell Middle Schoolers before Spring Break. Minimester would provide Upper School students with a well-deserved break from academics and a rewarding experience in which they could apply their skills directly.

Minimester includes trips abroad and local programs, with grade-based priority granted for trip applications. Middle School Minimester destinations range from the Grand Tetons to Beijing, while local offerings include community service or enrichment experiences, such as working with animal shelters or touring museums. Both types of Minimesters leave a lasting impression on students and hold substantial educational value. Destination trips facilitate cultural exchange, allowing students to practice a foreign language or explore a new region of the country. These trips foster a more inclusive and international worldview in the Sidwell community, especially with exchange programs — like Sidwell’s program with its sister school in Beijing — which allow direct connections between Sidwell and foreign students. Trips expose students to creative fields of study, such as marine biology in the Florida Keys, which cannot be replicated in a traditional classroom setting. Local opportunities encourage students to explore Washington, emphasizing the cultural and historical richness of the city. These programs promote group community service, building connections across grades while also giving back to the community. 

Because these trips require an application, students’ Minimesters often reflect their interests and allow them to delve further into topics they are passionate about. Minimester is invaluable for community building and learning. It also provides a break from the stressful academic period before vacation, allowing for a smooth transition into Spring Break. Minimester is just as beneficial to Upper Schoolers as Middle Schoolers, if not more so, given Upper Schoolers’ high-pressure academic environment. The cross-grade Minimester groups encourage friendships between students who otherwise would have minimal interaction. Students emerge from Minimester with newfound friendships, academic and cultural interests and an appreciation for their city or for a new region. Minimester instills a sense of community and confidence that aids students in all areas of their academic and social lives.

Diversifying Sidwell’s curriculum is critical for student enrichment and engagement, and nothing is more effective to this end than Minimester. Continuing Minimester from Middle to Upper School establishes a core tradition. Upper School students would graduate with years of memorable Minimesters, having gained irreplaceable experience to serve them in their futures. The absence of Minimester, an incredibly valuable program, is a glaring loss in the Upper School experience.

Minimester, a one-week experience right before Spring Break, provides an opportunity for Middle School students to explore their passions and interests. However, while Minimester is an enjoyable and insightful experience, it takes away academic time and is largely unnecessary in the Upper School.

Compared with the Middle School, the Upper School has many more clubs and organizations that allow students to pursue their interests outside the classroom. The Middle School uses Minimester primarily as an opportunity for students to partake in their interests which are otherwise unavailable to them; however, Upper School students can pursue their interests during lunch meetings or trips with any of the roughly 100 clubs. Designating a week to pursue extracurricular activities which could be done within the regular schedule or on students’ own schedule seems like a waste of valuable time.

Losing a week of class time would be detrimental to the learning process at Sidwell. The third quarter, stretching between the end of the winter exam period and Spring Break, lasts only nine weeks, making it the shortest of the year. Cutting an additional week out would interrupt the syllabus, forcing material to be rushed or withheld until after break. An additional week of academic study should not be lost for activities which can be done through extracurriculars or even during the summer.

Possible misuse of the week allotted also seems to be an issue with Upper School Minimester. Given that there would likely be some level of freedom in how students choose to spend the week, many would choose to craft their own proposals, which may not align with the goals of Minimester. Some students, in the interest of college admissions, may simply use the time to bolster their resumes rather than pursuing genuine passions or interests they might have. Others may use the week as an additional week of break and settle into relaxation. A large problem with the implementation of a Minimester in the Upper School would be properly overseeing how students use their time during the week. Even with an oversight committee for self-directed projects or experiences, it would be difficult to regulate the way students spend their weeks and ensure that the goals of the program are actualized.

The beauty of Minimester in Middle School is that it allows students to sample their interests and passions. As students grow older, they discover their passions, and, unlike Middle Schoolers, are equipped with the tools necessary to pursue them without a week being dedicated to the cause. The resources available to high school students afford them the privilege to be without Minimester, so a week of classes should not be replaced during a short but crucial quarter of the year.