Understanding Gael Time: Community Building in Schools

What is Gael time? Gael time is a given break during which students and faculty members join their peers in a wide selection of activities. It is a pause in the academic school day. Gael time occurs every few weeks, in which a day is scheduled for Gael time to be incorporated into the school day.

A table listing various Gael Time assignments and their respective locations, including activities like Walking the Track, Boxing Circuit, and Basketball.

What is the purpose of Gael Time? For many, it seems like an arbitrary time for fun, games, and connections; for a high school, it looks quite unusual. Although certainly welcomed by most students, as it is a break from school, some may view it as an unwarranted free time that detracts from the high school experience. Well, according to our principal, Mr. Peace, Gael Time is a way for students to learn beyond the books and to build a community.

Amongst students, the answer is clear: Gael Time is a way for them to socialize and take a step back from school to enjoy the company of those around them. According to an online survey in which 229 students took part, just over half of the students gave Gael Time a ten out of ten rating. From responses such as “it’s fun and a nice break from school,” to “It’s very fun, and you get to spend time with friends while getting exercise in.” Most of the comments considered negative concerned the selection method being too slow, as some students are unable to get the Gael Time activity they desire. A question that must now be asked is: how is it doing amongst the teachers and the staff?

Pie chart showing survey results on enjoyment of Gael Time, with 50.4% rating it a 10, 22.4% a 9, and 17.7% an 8, among other ratings. Total responses: 232.

Gael Time Reflections

Jake Tamai ’26: “Gael Time serves as a great way to bond with my peers. I’ve enjoyed every part of it in each activity I’ve chosen.”

Mr. Johnson: “Gael time has allowed students to have a break from being students, allowed them to have fun and build community.”

Alex Lawson ’26: “I think we need more time. We have 50 minutes for our activities, which may seem like a long time, but there are transitions to the rooms, attendance and directions, and learning the game. Now we have 35 minutes.”

Our thoughts about Gael Time

Gael Time is clearly a major success amongst the students and faculty, it seems that having such an experience is beneficial for all, if not most. The main criticisms involve the timing, with some students expressing that they would prefer it later in the day, and even that the time be extended by fifteen minutes. In a way, they are correct, and we agree with these statements. For all activities, attendance must be taken to prevent people from avoiding Gael Time. This is smart, so people can actually do their activities, but it does eat up time, which was mentioned in Alex Lawson’s reflection above. Lastly, we believe the selection system could be done a bit differently. Something that would be beneficial to all could be a first-come, first-served system, compared to a system where either upperclassmen or underclassmen choose first.