At Bay, you're never alone—we provide comprehensive support for your academics, well-being, and personal growth.
Starting high school can feel overwhelming, but Bay has your back. We have multiple layers of support to help you thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. From your advisory group that becomes your second family, to professional counselors who prioritize your mental health, to academic partners who help you succeed—we're here for you every step of the way.
Every student belongs to an advisory—a close-knit group of 8-9 students and their advisor who form lasting bonds throughout their Bay journey. Meeting weekly, these grade-level cohorts become your support system and second family. Your advisor serves as more than just a teacher—they're your advocate, listener, and bridge between you, your family, and the school.
Tutorial is time set aside for you to meet with teachers for extra help or just to check in. It's on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and it's a great way to build relationships with teachers and get support when you need it.
Additionally, Bay's Academic Support Coordinator works with Learning Services and Student Life to identify when you might need extra help and gathers the means to support you—including student tutor leaders, small group workshops, and one-on-one tutoring. We also offer student-run tutoring groups for math, science, and writing.
We created this year-long class to help you get to know our culture, be a successful student, and get the most out of your time in high school. What is mindfulness and why do we practice it? Where do I go when I need help with math? What are ways for me to become a leader in my community? Questions like these, and many more, will be answered.
Bay's counseling program is an important resource for you and your family. We encourage all students to access our counseling services as needs arise, and our counselors make their expertise available in many ways, working with advisors, deans, and faculty to ensure your mental and emotional health is supported.
Our goal is to destigmatize, normalize and prioritize mental health discussions. We aim to give everyone in our community access to strategies and resources for mindful self-care.
- Choices Course: All 10th graders take this semester-long course that helps you navigate issues related to sexuality, drugs and alcohol, social relationships, and decision-making. These classes are taught by our Health & Wellness Instructor in partnership with our counseling staff and provide your parents with resources to continue discussions at home.
- Parent/Guardian Education: We offer education sessions throughout the year for families to discuss common themes like managing work and stress, anxiety, self-care, and peer relationships.
- Counselor's Corner: Bi-weekly wellness tips and messages in our school newsletter, The Current, to support your mind-body-spirit wellness.
Bay counselors provide on-site support for a wide variety of social and emotional needs and can assist with referrals to local resources when needed.
We know that starting high school can be a big transition—and for some students, particularly those who come from public schools, identify as first-generation, or are part of historically underrepresented communities—this transition can come with unique challenges. Jump Start is an access program that supports incoming 9th graders from underrepresented and historically marginalized backgrounds (including race and socio-economic) transition smoothly to Bay. By fostering community-building, providing early exposure to academic expectations, and introducing students to campus resources, Jump Start helps students start high school with a strong foundation and a sense of belonging before the first day of classes.
Additionally, there are optional summer workouts and open gyms for different sports teams, open to anyone. There's also a pre-audition theater workshop in August for students interested in the fall musical, where you get to meet friends and learn about the show. These are great opportunities to get involved at Bay before school even starts!
Grade-level deans are our big-picture thinkers for each class and take on several key roles. They take the time to understand students from a developmental perspective, create parent education opportunities, and help to coordinate communication between the school and families. They also focus on building community within and across the grades through activities, orientation, and events.
Clubs meet weekly, and there's a club fair early in the year where you can sign up for whatever interests you. You can even start your own club if you want! Read more about what we offer.
Student-directed, with guidance and support from staffulty, these groups are an important way for our students to build connection and solidarity with others of a shared identity. We are committed to building a culture of belonging at Bay and creating spaces where students can explore and build lasting relationships. Here's a look at our current groups.