Academy at Swift River
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A Day in the Life at the Academy Swift River

Daily life at the Academy at Swift River is all you'd expect from a New England boarding school and more. The day begins at 7 a.m. when students emerge from their dorm rooms for a full day of classes, therapy and recreational activities.

Teens walk across our charming, tree-lined campus to go from school to therapy sessions to the dining hall, where they enjoy meals that are healthy, balanced and kid-friendly. Students spend most of the morning and afternoon attending classes led by teachers whose passion for education is contagious.

Throughout the day, students partake in the rich traditions of rigorous boarding school academics, the development of personal passions and service to others. Although school and therapy make up the majority of the weekdays, teens also enjoy a blend of structured activities, personal time and opportunities to socialize. Whether students are studying in our state-of-the-art library, exercising in our modern fitness center or playing sports on our athletic fields, we offer every resource teens need to succeed.

Weekends are a time for kids to enjoy being kids. It is on Saturday and Sunday that teens fully utilize the forests, meadows, ponds and trails sprinkled across our 630-acre campus in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. Students participate in an endless variety of structured recreational activities, such as hiking, campfires, skateboarding, tennis, soccer, ropes course, beach volleyball, yoga, dance, music and cross country skiing.

In addition to on-campus activities, we offer community service projects and weekly off-campus trips to restaurants, movies, Six Flags New England, mini golf, laser tag, horseback riding, go-carts and others. Students looking for bigger challenges – and bigger thrills – can participate in our adventure program, which introduces teens to downhill skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking.

Sample Weekly Schedule at the Academy at Swift River

  Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday
7:00-7:35am Head count / Announcements & Breakfast & Medline
7:35-8:00am Crews
8:00-8:15am Morning Meeting
8:15-9:10am Block 1 Block 1 Block 1 Block 1
9:15-10:10am Block 2 Block 2 Block 2 Block 2
10:15-11:10am Block 3 Block3 Block 3 Block 3
11:15-12:10pm Block 4 Block 4 Block 4 Block 4
12:10-1:00pm Lunch & Medline Lunch & Medline
12:30-12:55pm Community
Meeting
1:00-1:55pm Block 5 Block 5 Block 5 Block 5
2:00-2:55pm Block 6 Block 6 Block 6 Block 6
2:55-3:15pm Dorm Time
3:15-3:45pm Community
Meeting		 Theme Group Athletics
3:45-4:45pm Athletics
4:45-6:00pm Dorm Time
6:00-7:00pm Dinner
7:00-8:00pm Study Hall Activities/ NA Study Hall / AA Activities
8:00-8:45pm Medline & Free Time
8:45-9:45pm Closing Meeting & Dorm Time / Bed Time


  Wednesday     Saturday & Sunday
7:00-7:35am Mtg & Breakfast & Medline 9:00-11:00am Wake-up & Dorm Cleaning.
Great Room is open
7:35-8:00am Crews 11:00-12:00pm Morning Meeting &
Brunch
8:00-8:15am Morning Meeting  
8:15-10:00am Subject & Skill Tutorials 12:00-12:30pm Go to Dorms to change for
Activities
10:00-10:15am Pre-Group Meeting 12:30-2:30pm Sports & Activity Time
10:15-12:00pm Caseload Group 2:30-4:30pm Snack/Free Time
12:00-1:00pm Lunch & Medline 4:30-5:30pm Dorm Time
1:00-1:30pm Community Meeting 5:30pm Great Room Opens
1:30-2:30pm Students / All Staff: Dorm Deep Clean 6:00-7:00pm Meeting & Dinner
2:30-4:30pm Athletics and Team Meetings 7:00-8:00pm Night Activities | Study Hall
4:30-6:00pm Extended Dorm Time 8:00-8:45pm Medline & Free Time
6:00-7:00pm Dinner 8:45-9:45pm Closing Meeting & Dorm Time/ Bed Time
7:00-8:00pm Clubs  
8:00-8:45pm Medline & Free Time
8:45-9:45pm Closing Meeting & Dorm Time / Bed Time
 

Schedule Summary

  • The morning begins with an educational meeting, announcements and descriptions of any events occurring on campus.

  • Classes are dismissed by 3pm, followed by a meeting with announcements regarding the remainder of the day.

  • Each therapist meets with their group of 8 to 12 students to discuss individual issues and provide feedback.

  • Students at the Academy at Swift River are divided into four teams, and each team has two therapists. Team group brings these two therapists and their assigned students together for a group therapy session.

  • Therapists coordinate specialized theme groups that address issues affecting small groups of students, such as adoption, girl's issues, boy's issues, transitions and many others.

  • Teens struggling with substance abuse may attend 12-Step meetings and educational sessions. Meetings take place on- and off-campus and may feature guest speakers.

  • Closing meeting is an opportunity to wrap up the day and make announcements for the following morning. Students and staff can also choose to speak to the community about something meaningful to them.

  • During dorm time, students may read, play board games or musical instruments, shower, or prepare for study halls and other activities. When the Great Room is open, students are free to play games such as pool, foosball, air hockey and ping pong.

  • Our schedule is rich in social and recreational opportunities. Students participate in a variety of activities such as sports, games and off-campus trips that take place every weekend.

    A sampling of our on-campus activities includes: tennis, soccer, weight room, flag football, waffle ball, basketball, skateboarding, beach volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, cross country skiing, mountain biking, camping, yoga, music, drama, arts and crafts, drive-in movie on our big screen, mystery dinner theatre, dance, game room, magic tournaments, team Olympics, hiking, fishing, ropes course, campfires, gardening, snow shoeing and softball.

    Off-campus activities include: snowboarding, downhill skiing, swimming, mini golf, golf, Six Flags amusement park, Jiminy Peak Mountain Park, water park, go-carts, batting cages, driving range, community service, competitive soccer and basketball against other schools, fishing, restaurants, horseback riding, religious services, skateboarding at off-campus skate park, coffee house poetry reading, AA meetings, haunted house, carnivals, fairs, laser tag, magic tournaments, ice skating and roller skating.

  • Students may participate in a variety of clubs that meet each week on campus, including yoga, dance, wilderness skills, photography, fashion design, cooking, arts and crafts, and many others.