Student Life

A smiling student applies blue face paint to a classmate during a school event.

student life

Throughout their days at Prep – in discussion-based class settings, around the lunch table, and out in the community – students engage in thoughtful inquiry and collaboration. In the classroom and beyond, they are encouraged to explore diverse perspectives and bring their own ideas to the table, developing their voice and sense of self alongside their academic and artistic skills.

Advisors and teachers work closely with students throughout their time at Prep, coaching them to communicate clearly, take risks, find balance, and grow in confidence. When graduates move on to college, they do so feeling ready to navigate the complexities of the world with integrity and a keen sense of humanity.

  • Clubs
  • Assembly
  • Student Leadership
  • Student Wellness
Students dressed in formal attire sit at a conference table with microphones and papers during a mock trial or debate competition.

Clubs

Prep's Clubs program reflects the breadth of student interests, from student-founded groups like Jewelry Making, Cooking Club, and Fun on the Field, to more structured programs like DECA, Model UN & Spanish Model UN, SuperComputing Challenge, Mock Trial, and Skirmisher, Prep's literary magazine.

 

Two students stand on a theater stage taking questions from an audience member raising their hand in the foreground.

Assembly

Students gather for School Assembly once a week by division, to make announcements, celebrate athletic, academic, personal, and community achievements, share upcoming events, and engage in social-emotional learning together. Upper School Assembly is led by the Senior Class President & Vice-President, while Middle School Assembly is led by the Middle School Head.

A smiling female student ducks underneath an archway formed by her classmates' clasped hands outdoors.

Student Leadership

At Prep, we believe students grow best when they're given real opportunities to lead. Our students are naturally interested, engaged, forward-thinking, and eager to make an impact in their community. Leadership at Prep takes many forms, including Student Council, Student Ambassadors, Peer Mentors, Athletic Team Captains, TAP Leaders, and editors of our student publications. Through these experiences, students discover powerful truths: their voices matter, their ideas count, and their community is stronger because of them.


 

A group of smiling high school students poses together outside under a wooden porch structure.

Student Wellness

Guided by our School Counselor and Health Coordinator, we engage in continuous conversation about our students' intellectual, social, and emotional development, creating and adapting programming to imbue students with the capacity and skills to access and explore the world with confidence, curiosity, integrity, and compassion.

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Traditions

Erlington Bell
Elrington Bell

The 16th-century bell — donated to Prep in 1972 — is rung by a senior student three times on the first day of classes to open each school year, and four times by a rising senior at the conclusion of each spring’s Commencement ceremony.

Finals Pancake Brunch
Finals Pancake Brunch

On the first day of winter finals, Upper School students are treated to a pancake brunch between their morning and afternoon tests, prepared and served by members of the faculty and staff.

Senior Sunrise Hike
Senior Sunrise Hike

To mark their final day at Prep, seniors gather at dawn for a sunrise hike up Sun Mountain. Wrapped in college gear, blankets, and sleeping bags, the group enjoys a relaxed start to the morning before returning to campus for breakfast burritos and their final day of classes.

Baccalaureate
Baccalaureate

The evening before Commencement, seniors give thanks to their families, friends, and the Prep community by offering a short performance, a favorite childhood story, a musical piece, or a letter to those who have loved and supported them. Together, the graduating class creates a beautiful patchwork tapestry of personal expression and emotion.

Danny Maas Run
Danny Maas Run

Established in 1981 by 6th grade student Danny Maas, the run is held each spring at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. Prep middle school students raise money for New Mexico children afflicted with cancer by collecting pledges, counting their miles run, and contributing the proceeds to a student-directed endowment fund.

Senior Sign Post
Senior Sign Post

Seniors memorialize their next steps by painting personalized arrow signs with their post-Prep plans. The arrows are mounted on a directional signpost outside the Library, serving as inspiration for future Griffin graduates.

House Games

During House Games, held three times a year, middle schoolers compete with their houses for points towards the coveted House Cup. Competitions feature field games, trivia, sidewalk art, skits, beach ball volleyball, which all help unite the House teams and create lasting memories.

Student Welcome & Send-Off

On the first day of school, seniors form a tunnel and all the grades pass through it into the traditional welcome assembly in the Upper School Quad. During Spring Fling, the Senior class passes through a tunnel formed by the lower grades—an emotional farewell for all. 

Prepare your next step