The
Student
Experience

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SBS

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

At Stony Brook we believe God created humans, male and female, in his image, and that he desires that each person know him deeply and personally. This conviction forms the basis of our vision for spiritual life--that through the activities and opportunities listed below, we might be true to our school’s mission to challenge young men and women to know Jesus Christ as Lord. Because we are confident that God works in various ways to draw all people to himself, we offer these opportunities with a spirit of invitation, not coercion, with excitement and joy, not out of duty or compulsion. Our hope is that students will develop their own vision of who God is and who he is calling them to become.

Chapel: All students attend chapel once a week, an important part of our weekly community rhythm. On Sundays all boarding students attend an additional service. Our speakers range from faculty to students to outside guests.

Bible Studies: Each year there are a number of Bible studies offered on campus. Some are student-led/initiated and faculty lead others. Each dorm also provides opportunities for spiritual growth through discussion and prayer.

Driven: Our student-led, on-campus youth group Driven, meets one night a week after dinner for a time of worship, prayer, and teaching. Every January, the Christian Life Team also plans an off-campus weekend “Driven Retreat” open to the whole student body.

Dorm Prayer: At the end of study hours (9:45pm) boarding students meet in their dorm lounges with the dorm parent on duty for a short time of announcements and prayer. Once a week, in place of dorm prayer, students gather for a discussion-based forum. These student-led discussions encourage dialogue and reflection about important topics.

Mission Trips: Students are encouraged to put their faith into action by participating in domestic and international mission trips. Typically these are offered during spring break or shortly after school ends in June. Details are announced early in the fall semester.

Service Program: The Stony Brook School's Service Program exists to provide our students with opportunities for growth, development, and to reinforce our mission. With an emphasis on service learning, each student will serve the community at large through natural outlets at SBS. Their sports team, advisory groups, and dormitories will participate in a variety of service activities to offer a unified experience for all. They reflect and ultimately grow in "character and skill" from these experiences.

Activities: Our campus bustles with activities seven days a week. Thanks to a dedicated staff that is responsive to student input, culture, and interests. SBS ensures there is never a dull moment on campus- especially with many events students can choose from during"Weekends at The Brook"

Boarding Life: SBS is home to approximately 200 boarders from grades 7-12. Our desire is for students to learn and grow as they live together in a safe and comfortable community. There are seven single-gender residential halls that house our boarding students. The majority of the rooms are designed for two students, although there are singles and triples.

Although every residence hall is uniquely designed, each one has:

  • a main lounge with couches and a television
  • laundry facilities
  • a kitchen area
  • personal desks
  • high-speed WiFi
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“Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.”


ECCL. 7:19

Honor Code

Shared values and basic moral principles are essential in a community of people living and working together. The Stony Brook School has adopted an Honor Code which emphasizes honesty and integrity, as well as the virtues of respect, responsibility, and servanthood. Students promise not to lie, intentionally deceive, cheat, or steal. By daily upholding this code, they contribute to an atmosphere of trust among the members of the School community.

Our Honor Code reinforces the utmost importance of:

  • Respect for one's own person
  • Respect for other people in the community, and
  • Respect for the property of the school and the property of others.

Through an established student-led Honor Council, led by the Head Prefect, clear accountability occurs between Honor Code violators and the student leadership at SBS. Disciplinary action is recommended to the Head of School by the Honor Council and the Directors of the Upper and Middle Schools. We believe that the purpose of discipline is accountability with the intent of changing behavior.

Student Leadership

Servant Leadership is the focus of our Student Leadership Program. The program exists not only for the benefit of the individual student leaders, but for the community at large. Our leaders develop practical tools, language, awareness, experience and skills through serving one another and our surrounding community and world.

We see these years of leadership training as having the following four purposes:

  1. For the student to discover the joy found in serving others
  2. For the student to gain experience in leading and to unfold personal leadership gifts
  3. For the faculty to see those leadership gifts in action
  4. For the student to show the school and themselves where their passions lie

We encourage our students to get involved in various levels of leadership from 8th grade onward. Most positions are appointed after an extensive application, interview, and selection process. Some of the positions are only available to junior and senior students.

Workjobs

Because we’re a community that lives and works together , we all have a part in making The Stony Brook School work. For this reason, every student is assigned a workjob (a chore) every year. From working in the kitchen to sorting the mail to vacuuming the library carpet, every student has a job.

New and returning students receive their workjob assignment as well as instructions on how to complete that workjob during orientation. Each student holds the same workjob throughout the school year, and at the conclusion of that year, each student can apply to be a leader in their workjob area, or to be assigned another workjob for the following year.

Meals and Nutrition

We proudly partner with CulinArt Dining Services to provide nutritious, variety-rich, cooked-from-scratch meals for our community (lunch for all, and breakfast and family-style dinner for our boarders and faculty). CulinArt's seasonal menus are custom designed for The Stony Brook School, and reflect our students' preferences as well as the fresh products available in the marketplace.

We are able to accommodate any special dietary needs, including food allergies. Vegetarian entrees, an abundantly stocked salad bar, fresh fruit and homemade bread are available at all meals.

You might also like to know:

  • CulinArt works closely with local and organic merchants, farms, and community resources to feature food grown or raised on Long Island. Their goal is to purchase as much local product as possible, safely and within budget.
  • CulinArt supports the humane treatment of animals, as well as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines for sustainable fishing practices.
  • CulinArt's milk is 100% antibiotic-free and hormone-free.
  • CulinArt uses 100% wind energy to power their corporate offices.

The Wellness Center

The school employs a full-time, professional school counselor for the purpose of working with students and families in processing various emotional, spiritual, academic or social concerns that may be brought up during their time at school.

Students and faculty alike have an easily accessible, secure online referral, whereby a student can meet with the school counselor in The Wellness Center office located on the main floor of Johnston Hall. We offer a wide range of services for all students—both boarding and day students—including individual counseling, group support, and referrals to services in our community with our affiliates. Should more extensive or longer-term counseling be needed, the school counselor coordinates the referral to an appropriate outside professional and arranges for transportation to the practitioner’s office.

The school counselor adheres to a policy of confidentiality in all dealings with persons who seek help, though safety concerns provide an exception to such a policy. When issues regarding safety arise, the confidentiality policy will acquiesce to the safety of the student.

“Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.”


ECCL. 7:19

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