Safety + Security
Attending an academic enrichment program helps students prepare for the greater independence of middle school and high school. That being said, Explo does not believe that our rising 4th and 7th graders should be supervised as if they are already completely independent. In order to create the atmosphere that allows learning to be both fun and meaningful, we know that our students (and their loved ones back home) need to feel that our campus is safe, that our staff is observant and trained to respond.
Safety + Security Features
On Bullying
Bullying has become big news at all schools recently, but EXPLO has been responding vigorously to bullying for decades. We have dismissed students who did not live up to our ideals of respect and care. More importantly, we have always worked hard to create the kind of communities where bullying would make no sense — whether on floors, in classrooms, on playing fields, or on the campus at large. Bullying has no place on an EXPLO campus.
Physical Health
Our students' physical and emotional health is a priority. On the St. Mark's campus, we have a health center staffed 24/7 with experienced registered nurses who are there exclusively for EXPLO students. All prescription and over-the-counter medications are distributed through the health center, because state law — and common sense — dictate that students should not self-medicate or keep medications in their rooms.
Should the need arise, EXPLO has a consulting psychologist on-call 24/7, and we have access to local teaching hospitals as well as a close relationship with a well-regarded pediatrics practice located less than five minutes from campus. Any time that a student has to go to an outside health professional, he or she is always accompanied by a member of our staff.
EXPLO also has a strong relationship with the Southborough Police and Fire Departments, which are located adjacent to the St. Mark’s campus, and which help us run regular fire and safety drills.
Low Student-to-Staff Ratio
We deliberately keep our student to staff ratios quite low — EXPLO at St. Mark's has an exceptional 1 to 4.5 student-to-staff ratio. This allows us to properly supervise residence halls, trips, and activities. EXPLO at St. Mark's students are not allowed to hang out on campus without an adult nearby. We do this to make sure our students are known and more importantly, feel known. Research tells us nothing is more essential to thriving in an educational setting.
Staff Supervision
We believe you cannot supervise students well if you do not supervise the staff well. That is why we have an intensive staff training program. In addition, we support staff members via an extensive supervisory structure to give them professional development feedback and to hold them accountable. We are regularly told by former staff members that the professional development and supervision they received at EXPLO was the best of their professional lives.
While it may be time consuming and expensive to hire and train this level of staffing — and while none of this completely guarantees the safety of all students — it puts all of us in the best position to keep our students safe and confident that they can let their minds and hearts soar and explore.
