Community Building

What makes a school feel like home? At Bay, it's the way we intentionally create spaces where you can be yourself, connect with others, and grow together. We believe that when students feel truly seen and supported, they can discover not just who they are, but who they can become as part of something bigger.

Morning Meeting

Three days a week, Bay students and staffulty begin the day together in the Great Room at Morning Meeting. This practice builds our community and is one of the ways we continually seek to realize our collective potential.

The depth and variety of Morning Meetings make this time something to look forward to, and our alumni always tell us that the experience remains a touchstone for them. On any given day, you may experience:

• Students or staffulty speaking about issues of personal importance
• Performances of poetry, music, or creative work
• Presentations from courses like the Creative Process or Immersive classes
• Work-in-progress from Senior Projects
• Community members sharing their spiritual or cultural traditions

Mindfulness

Every Morning Meeting includes a few minutes of intentional quiet time. We center ourselves, focus on our breathing, and just notice how we're feeling physically and emotionally. This practice of being present helps you focus better, build stronger friendships, and learn from both your successes and your mistakes.

As you grow at Bay, you might choose to lead these mindfulness moments for the whole community through guided meditation or creative visualization. If you're interested in going deeper, juniors and seniors can take our three-week Buddhism Immersive to explore the roots of mindfulness practice.

Ethics in Action

At Bay, we don't shy away from complex ethical questions—we dive right in. This happens everywhere: in your classes, during club meetings, and often during Morning Meeting. You'll find yourself thinking about tough questions that cross different subjects and require real critical thinking.

When you engage with these challenging questions, you develop intellectual integrity while learning to see connections between different areas of life. You'll learn philosophical, religious, creative, and scientific ways of looking at complex issues, developing perspectives that are both intellectually sophisticated and personally meaningful to you.

You'll also see our community values in action every day. The Bay Precepts guide how we treat each other, and you'll notice the trust between students and teachers—hallways lined with unattended backpacks are totally normal here. What makes Bay special is that you'll feel genuinely safe and supported by the adults around you.

Faith and Culture

While Bay isn't a religious school, we recognize that questions about spirituality and faith are important parts of human experience. Our students come to understand and value diverse spiritual and religious traditions, as we believe that understanding different belief systems and how they interact with science, art, and politics is essential to understanding our world.

You'll study religion and philosophy as part of your required Humanities classes, and you can choose electives that explore major faith traditions and philosophies. Beyond academics, we honor the role spirituality and faith play in your individual life. We encourage you to participate in your own religious and spiritual traditions and work to make that comfortable for you. You'll find various religious and cultural affinity groups where you can connect with others who share your background, and we celebrate events like Cultural and International Week that give everyone opportunities to learn from and share with each other.