By Emily Lutzker, Banner Staff

Coming into my senior year at Winsor, I was excited for many traditions. From painting the senior homeroom to ILEs, the year is packed with new opportunities. The one I underestimated, though, was Senior Privilege. 

Senior Privilege is a chance for Class VIII students to come into school at the end of a first period free. As Head of Upper School Ms. Ramos noted, Senior Privilege “offers [seniors] more flexibility and agency in their schedule, similar to what they might experience as adults.” These extra 75 minutes are gold for stressed-out seniors managing coursework, college applications, and extracurricular leadership. Anaya Raikar ’25, for example, says that she uses “Senior Privilege to sleep in, and I feel that the extra sleep helps manage the stress that comes with senior fall.” 

Despite its benefits for seniors, Senior Privilege comes with some drawbacks that would be amplified if it were to expand to all of Upper School. For members of  well-bonded senior classes, missing just over an hour of social time at the start of the day isn’t the end of the world. However, particularly for students in Classes V and VI finding their footing in a high school social environment, skipping first period frees would take away a chance to bond. According to Ms. Ramos, it’s essential that “students develop strong relationships with one another and with the adults in the community.” If Senior Privilege extended to all of Upper School, we would risk hindering the development of these relationships.

When we lose free periods, we lose time to get support from teachers and other faculty. Winsor’s Teaching and Learning Specialist Ms. Crowley is against the idea of Senior Privilege expanding to all of Upper School because “free periods are a great time to meet with teachers, to get stuff done, to be productive, to plan, to meet with me, to get to know your peers.” While Senior Privilege certainly has its benefits, the cons outweigh the pros when considering an expansion to all Upper School.