There’s a new SLC in town; DaVinci and ROCK will be ended in favor of a new plan. 

A panel of 19 teachers and three consultants, known as the “SLC Development Team,” have met three times to discuss possible changes. Many have their own opinions about what the SLC’s should look like. Student reactions vary.

“I think they should make them a little more like academies,” said junior Claire Love, a Revolution of Core Knowledge – or ROCK – alumni, “because then the people would really want to be there, and the people who don’t want to be there aren’t there.” 

In a document provided by Seabury, the SLC Purpose Statement states, “We believe all students succeed when we ensure deeper, equitable, and inclusive learning experiences through interdisciplinary and integrated learning that foster relationships, mentorship, and collaboration within a community.” 

“I like that anyone who wants to participate can, and everyone comes in with a unique perspective,” history teacher Taber Watson, who is participating on the panel, said. 

According to the document, the “9/10 SLC Structure Proposal”  is the random assignment of all 9/10 graders to an SLC for “contiguous periods of social studies, English, and science.”  Electives will be chosen, rather than assigned by SLC choice. 

However, some worry about the lack of choice. “If they had that ‘build your own schedule’ option but allowed students to choose being in a community and working with people, it might work better,” Love said.

The planning document also cites the goal of SLC restructuring as to “discourage silos and create a tight school culture.” However, many students enjoy the current system. 

“I loved my SLC. It was so much fun and one of the best parts about high school,” Love said. “I feel like the people who wanted to be there really liked it.”a

Many agree that SLCs succeed because of the community they provide. 

“The only thing we all agree on is that SLCs are the best practice. Being able to integrate curriculum makes the material more relevant, as well as sharing students allows for a much higher level of oversight.” Watson said. 

Under the “why we believe in this proposal” section of the document, they say curriculum will be “aligned across the subjects, and integrated within SLC’s, focused on best practices for both rigor and integration.” 

The document also notes that they are prioritizing “ensuring a consistent student experience.” Many teachers would like to see this approach. 

“They will hopefully have similar standards for rigor, technology – even field trips. This should limit the disparity of experience disparity between SLC,” said Watson. 

The SLC Development team strives to find the best way to place incoming freshmen. 

“It couldn’t hurt to ask 8th grade teachers for recommendations. They know the students pretty well by then,” said Love. 

The staff will continue to develop the new plan for the SLCs, leaving questions about how the school will look in years to come. 

Kaden Brastow contributed 

Disclaimer: The Jolly Roger’s adviser is on the SLC advisory panel. He did not provide us with any information for this report.