Arriving on Campus: Key Details | |
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As we get closer to welcoming Bearcats back to campus, our plans for Opening Days are coming into clearer focus.
Below you will find important information related to student arrivals, Opening Days programming, Health Center guidance, and some general insight into how to prepare for the first few weeks on campus.
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Move-in Dates and Times
Arrivals on campus will be staggered as listed below. All students should arrive at the Mars Athletic Center for registration (unless otherwise noted) according to their designated date and time. Students must sign up for individual arrival time slots using the arrival form below.
Wednesday, August 31:
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Bridge program students arrive between 10-11 a.m. in the Main Circle (GPS address: 11 Interlaken Road)
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Proctors and orientation leaders arrive between 12-6 p.m.
Saturday, September 3:
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New students arrive between 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 4:
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Fall varsity athletes and mathletes arrive between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (by invitation only)
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Returning students arrive between 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Monday, September 5:
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Returning students arrive between 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
STUDENT ACTION REQUIRED (if not yet completed): Registering for an Arrival Slot
Each student must sign up for an arrival time slot via the 2022 Student Arrival Form. Please note that this form is only accessible to students as they will need to be signed into their Hotchkiss account to select a slot. Students should coordinate with their parent/guardian about the date and time of their arrival.
Students should make every effort to arrive on campus on the dates outlined above. If your arrival will occur beyond these timeframes, please contact Amber Jordan in the Deans' Office at (860) 435-3739.
Sibling Students with Different Arrival Days
If siblings are scheduled for different arrival days, they may all arrive on the day that works best for your family. Note that all new students should arrive on September 3. Please contact Amber Jordan at (860) 435-3739 to confirm the arrival date for your siblings.
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COVID-19 Update
Arrival Protocols
We will continue to monitor COVID-19 and public health recommendations throughout the year and may change our practices and protocols as conditions warrant. In anticipation of the start of the school year, we ask that all students:
- Take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours prior to their arrival on campus. You are welcome to use a rapid at-home test. If your test is positive, please contact the Health Center and stay at home.
- Primary COVID-19 vaccination continues to be required for all students unless an exemption has been approved by the School. For those who have not already received a COVID-19 booster, we strongly advise that you do so before coming to campus in the fall.
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Update your proxy contact information. Isolation space on campus is very limited for the coming year. We ask all families to have a proxy in place who is able to pick up their student within 24 hours to isolate off campus.
- Students should bring a supply of masks to campus. While we do not anticipate routine masking, there may be brief periods of higher risk when masking is implemented.
Masking
For the start of the school year, masking will be optional. We support and encourage those who feel more comfortable masking to do so. We will closely monitor COVID-19 cases on campus and may change our practices and protocols as conditions warrant.
Important for Families/Guardians: Please note that if you are not vaccinated, you must remain masked when you are inside dorms and School buildings.
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Registration and Dorm Move-In
Registration at the Mars Athletic Center (MAC)
All students should arrive for registration at the MAC according to their designated date and time (GPS address: 22 Lime Rock Road). Upon arrival, they will visit the following stations:
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Official campus check-in: Students will receive a welcome letter outlining their dorm assignments and other important details.
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Forms: Parents/guardians will be able to submit proxy information and complete waiver forms for student activities during the beginning of the year.
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Health Center check-in (optional): Members of the Health Center team will be available to answer questions and collect prescription medication that will be dispensed from the Health Center.
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Laptop pick-up (for new students only): New students will pick up their Hotchkiss-issued laptop and be given a brief tutorial on how to access email and other important network information.
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SEVIS registration and passport collection (for students from abroad only): Students from abroad should visit this station to get their I-20 signed and turn in their passports.
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E&R Laundry registration and bag pick-up (optional): This is a resource that families can sign up by visiting TheCampusLaundry.com or calling 1-800-243-7789. Those enrolled in this program can pick up their laundry bags from this station.
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Dorm Move-In
After students complete registration in the MAC, they will move into their rooms where they will have the opportunity to unpack, decorate, and start making it feel like home. Family members will be permitted in the dorms to help their student(s) get settled.
To make this as seamless as possible and in an effort to be prepared for all scenarios, we encourage students to keep fewer belongings in their dorm rooms and limit wall decorations. We also recommend that you pack or ship everything your student may need since you will not be able to take a quick shopping trip off-campus after you arrive.
Unfortunately, the following items will not be permitted in the dorms:
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- Furniture of any kind (e.g., bean bag chair, rug/carpet, couch, etc.) with the exception of desk chairs
- Coffee makers with hot plates
- Extension cords
- Electric heater
- Halogen lamps or lamps with more than three heads
- Plug-in holiday lights (battery operated are OK)
- Hot pot or hot plate
- Iron, ironing board, or steamers
- Microwaves
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- Refrigerators (unless approved by Health Services for a medically documented condition or for proctor refrigerators that are already on campus)
- Stoves
- Toaster or toaster ovens
- Xbox or other gaming equipment
- Media players such as AppleTV, ChromeCast, and Roku
- Wireless printers
- Live animals/pets
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Course Enrollments and Textbooks
Initial course enrollments are now complete, and students and families can find a report of current course enrollments by logging into Veracross and choosing the “Classes & Reports” tab. We will be communicating over the next few weeks with students who have conflicts in their schedule or need to make changes.
Students and families will find textbooks on the website HotchkissSchoolStore.com. All textbooks are located by course number on the bottom left-hand side of the website. When ordering textbooks, please put the student's full name in the customer field.
Questions regarding textbook orders may be emailed to info@hotchkissschoolstore.com or call (860) 435-3670 for assistance.
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For Families New to Hotchkiss | |
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What to Expect on Move-In Day
We look forward to welcoming you to campus on Saturday, September 3! Below is the schedule of activities for students and their families for the day. Additional information will be provided upon registration.
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| Time | Event | Location | | 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Lunch available for new students and families | Dining Hall and outdoor tents | | 2:30-2:45 p.m. | Dorm introductions for new students, families, and dorm teams | Outside of dorms | | 3:00-3:30 p.m | New students and families meet with advisors | Main Building | | 3:45-4:15 p.m. | Craig Bradley, head of school, welcomes new students and families | Elfers Hall | | 4:15 p.m. | Student and family farewells | Various | | 4:30 p.m. | New student orientation begins | Chapel | | 6:00 p.m. | Welcome dinner for new students | Harris House Tent | | |
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Orientation Activities
Orientation will begin for new students on the afternoon of Saturday, September 3, in the Chapel. Over the course of two days, new students will meet regularly with their orientation groups to participate in various activities and workshops to familiarize themselves with School resources, culture, and other important elements of campus life.
New Student Advisor Assignments
Advisor information was emailed to students on August 4. Students, families, and advisors are encouraged to reach out to each other in August to help prepare for the upcoming school year.
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Announcement of Class of 2025 Class Dean
The Hotchkiss School is pleased to announce that Carita Gardiner P’17,’20 was appointed Dean of the Class of 2025, effective July 1.
Ms. Gardiner joined the Hotchkiss faculty in 1999 and has worked tirelessly in many capacities since. She has taught all levels of English and served as department co-head. She was recognized this past fall with the Class of 1942 Teaching Chair. Her commitment to our co-curricular program has been substantial; she has coached numerous sports including water polo, diving, and club hockey. Ms. Gardiner supports our community in many other capacities as well. In recent years, she has worked closely with Hillel, the Independent Schools Gender Project, and the Banana Split Affinity Group (for children from non-two-parent families). Additionally, she has collaborated with others to launch the adult, anti-racist, white-identifying affinity space and looks forward to taking an active role in becoming a No Place for Hate school this year.
We are incredibly fortunate that Ms. Gardiner has joined the Deans’ Office. She is a dedicated member of the Hotchkiss community and her expertise across many areas of campus life will benefit students and colleagues alike.
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2022-23 Required Health Forms are Due
Attention all families! If you have not already completed the required health forms, click here for more information.
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MariaCard: A New Student Spending Program
Hotchkiss has completed the transition of its student spending program (on-campus debit card) from OneCard to the MariaCard with MyKidsSpending. Parents/guardians will soon receive an email from MyKidsSpending with instructions on activating their accounts. If you have any questions, please contact studentaccounts@hotchkiss.org.
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Roommate Information Update
Roommate assignments were emailed to students on Friday, August 5. That email contains the name(s) and contact information of their roommate(s) for the coming year. Please note, if there is no roommate listed within the email, your student is currently assigned to a single room for the 2022-23 school year.
For new students, having this information gives them an opportunity to get acquainted with their new roommate. For all students, it allows dorm room planning to occur prior to the start of School.
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Laundry Options for 2022-23
All students have access to free laundry machines on campus, but students need to provide their own laundry supplies (soap, dryer sheets, etc.).
An optional laundry and dry cleaning service, E&R (The Campus Laundry), is also available. Please note there is a fee for this privately arranged service.
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Shipping Items to Campus
If you are shipping items or supplies to campus, please do not send packages until August 22. (We accept packages sent via all common carriers--e.g., U.S. mail, UPS, FedEx, DHL.)
Please send mail and packages to students (using their legal name if possible) at this address:
Student's Name (first and last)
The Hotchkiss School
11 Interlaken Road
Lakeville, CT 06039
Any shipped parcel or package will be available for student pick-up at the Hotchkiss Post Office. Please note the School does not deliver packages directly to the dorm room.
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UPS Summer Storage Update
All student items stored with UPS last spring will be placed in the appropriate 2022-23 dorm rooms on August 24. If you have any questions, please contact Darryl Buchanan at (860) 989-4373.
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Transportation Schedule
Hotchkiss offers shuttle transportation before and after most School breaks. Reservations are available for purchase approximately four weeks before each break begins, through the MyKidsSpending app. Transportation schedule information and reservation instructions will be included in each month’s Family Update.
The first school break is Family Weekend, October 21-25. Reservations for return transportation from New York City on October 25 will be available beginning in mid-September.
If you have questions, please contact Laurie Grusauski via email.
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Opening Days Event Highlights
Once all students have arrived, Opening Days programming will include a variety of activities and long-standing Hotchkiss traditions including class meetings and bonding activities, advisory gatherings, Matriculation, and the first dance hosted by Blue & White.
Please be on the lookout for photos of campus coming back to life via the Hotchkiss website and our Flickr page.
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Save the Date for Family Weekend 2022: October 21-22
We look forward to welcoming families to campus for Family Weekend in October. A more detailed schedule will follow in September, but please mark your calendar to join us in Lakeville on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22. A few important details to help you prepare:
Thursday, October 20: If your schedule permits, please join us for an early evening parent reception. This event has no formal programming and is a great opportunity for parents and guardians to meet and engage with one another.
Accommodations: Please book your accommodations early as fall is a busy time in the Northwest Corner. For some local recommendations, please click here.
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Brown, director of events and special projects, at (860) 435-3188.
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