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Sunday, September 28, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 14%u201cWhat does it feel like not to see each other every day? Imagine that,%u201d she advises. %u201cWhat will it be like to have to manage your own time? We have support, but studying will be a choice for them.%u201dTime management skills are a must at Spring Street, says Maguire.%u201cWe are in the middle of downtown (Friday Harbor), so there are a variety of potential activities that can draw attention away from school,%u201d she says. %u201cFor some kids, it%u2019s perfect. Teens especially can have a hard time at home but thrive outside of it. I%u2019ve seen students really blossom.%u201dAmethyst Kettrell graduated from Tacoma%u2019s Annie Wright School in 2018. At first, Kettrell was unsure the school would be a good fit, but promised her mom she would give it a try. Now living in Boston, the 25-year-old says her mind was made up the first week of school when she met her best friend.Ultimately, she enjoyed her time boarding. %u201cAcademically, it was hard, and adjusting to roommates was a learning curve,%u201d Kettrell says. But along with adapting to living with others, it prepared her for adulthood and being on her own. During her freshman year of college, she chose to study in Spain.%u201cI think the Annie Wright experience At Spring Street International School on San Juan Island, students begin the year with a weeklong backpacking trip. (Courtesy of Spring Street)helped to make that successful. It made the transition to college seamless,%u201d she says.By the numbersSpring Street was founded in 1995 and currently has 75 students enrolled. Just seven are boarders, with boys making up the international cohort. The dorm has housed up to 20 pupils. This year, all boarders live on campus all week, although the school also has an option for five-day boarding. In the past, those opting for the latter have largely come from neighboring islands. Boarding appeals to those families because they don%u2019t have to rely on ferry transportation to attend school.The average annual cost of boarding school, according to the NAIS, is $56,000 for five-day boarding and $73,000 for a full week. This is on top of the average tuition for a private school of $31,000.At Spring Street, tuition is $24,300, with an additional $50,000 for five-day Continued from previous page %u201cI think what made it successful was the confidence my parents instilled in me.%u201dAmethyst Kettrell Annie Wright School alumna