Important Back to School Information | | |
The start of school will be here before we know it! Please note the following important information, deadlines, and updates. Further details will be sent in August.
We are excited to welcome students to campus!
| | |
Arrival Dates and Times
Campus arrivals will be staggered on the dates listed below.
All students must sign up for individual arrival time slots using the 2026 Arrival Form below.
| |
PROCTORS
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
ORIENTATION LEADERS
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
FALL VARSITY ATHLETES (by invitation only)
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Football, boys and girls soccer, volleyball, and field hockey
Returning students arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
New students arrive at the Bissell Dining Commons in the Main Building between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (GPS address: 11 Interlaken Rd.; follow signs to registration location)
Friday, Aug. 28
Boys and girls cross country and mountain biking
Returning students arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
New students arrive at the Forrest E. Mars Jr. Athletic Center (MAC) between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (GPS address: 22 Lime Rock Rd.; follow signs to registration location)
NEW STUDENTS
Friday, Aug. 28
Arrive at the Forrest E. Mars Jr. Athletic Center (MAC) between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (GPS address: 22 Lime Rock Rd.; follow signs to registration location)
ALL OTHER RETURNING STUDENTS
Monday, Aug. 31
Arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
| | STUDENT ACTION REQUIRED: Registering for an Arrival Slot | | |
Each student must sign up for an arrival time slot via the 2026 Student Arrival Form. Please note that this form is only accessible to students, as they will need to be signed in to their Hotchkiss email 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 by the dates/times outlined above. If your arrival will occur beyond these timeframes, please contact Carissa Clapper.
Sibling Students with Different Arrival Days
If siblings are scheduled for different arrival days, this will be handled on a case-by-case basis and will require approval. Note that all new students should arrive on Aug. 28. Please contact Carissa Clapper to confirm the arrival date for your siblings.
A Note about Dorm Move-In
New students will receive their dorm assignments at new student registration. Upon completion of registration, new students will move into their rooms where they will have the opportunity to unpack, decorate, and start making it feel like home. Family members are permitted in the dorms to help their student(s) get settled. On Friday, Aug. 28, family members are invited for lunch and other afternoon programming before Orientation kicks off. Please note that new students will not be allowed to leave campus after 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, due to continual Orientation programming.
Returning students will receive their dorm assignments via email before arriving on campus. This will allow returning students to go directly to their respective dorms for registration/check-in.
Roommate Information
Roommate assignments will be available via email to students in early August. For those who are new students, we hope that having roommate information will give you an opportunity to get acquainted. For returning students, it should be a chance to do some planning before the start of school. Stay tuned for further information!
Additional information about move-in day and Orientation will be provided in August.
| |
Academic Course Requests, Placement, and Scheduling for 2026-27
Class schedules for 2026-27 are generated over the course of the summer. You can access your Preliminary Course Requests in Veracross now; this report can be found via a link on the right-hand side of the screen when you log in to the Veracross Portal.
Please note that these are requests and not confirmed enrollments. For new students, they show your placement results and other class requests. For returning students, they show what you and your advisor have discussed for next year. We will use these course requests to build the class schedule in a way that maximizes requests for all students. This process takes up most of July in the Academic Life Office. If you have questions or wish to make changes, please contact Registrar Heather Mechare.
Between now and August, there are several processes that may change your course requests, if they are applicable to you, including:
- Departmental approvals
- Recommendations from the College Office to adjust your requests
- Lotteries in courses where there is more interest than available seats
In August, we will share with you your course enrollments; these are the courses that we have successfully scheduled for you. We will communicate with students at this time about scheduling conflicts or waitlists that may prevent them from enrolling in all of the courses they are requesting.
Finalized class schedules will be shared a day or two before classes begin. Note that these are also subject to change as we work to accommodate the needs and requests of all students.
2026-27 Textbooks
Textbooks will be available at the School Store (lower level of the Main building) when students arrive on campus in the fall.
| |
|
A complete list of required summer reading assignments was sent via email to students and families on June 26 (books by class level and the All-School reading assignment).
Click here for a copy of the mailing.
Please note: students are responsible for purchasing their own copies of required book assignments.
| |
Reminders and Announcements
2026-27 Travel Calendar
Click here to access the 2026-27 travel calendar.
| |
2026-27 Required Health Forms are Due
Attention all families! The Health Center staff requests your assistance in completing the required health forms as soon as possible. Click here for more information.
| |
2026-27 Required Proxy Form for All Students
As part of enrollment, all families are required to identify an adult who is able to come to Hotchkiss on short notice to pick up their student in the event the School needs to close its campus, the student becomes ill, or the student otherwise needs to be off campus for unexpected medical, safety, disciplinary, or other reasons. Whether the designated adult is a parent/guardian or an alternative emergency contact, this identified person should be someone available to come to campus within 24 hours and assume care of and responsibility for the student.
We recognize that identifying an emergency contact may be challenging for some families. Therefore, as a courtesy to our families, information about community-based resources that may be available to assist families in these types of situations is provided.
Click here for more information and to access the 2026-27 Proxy Form.
Questions may be directed to Carissa Clapper in the Deans' Office (860-435-3189).
| |
2026-27 Transportation Schedule
Reservation information will be included in each month’s Family Update, beginning in August. Click here to access the 2026-27 Transportation Schedule.
| |
Student Activities - Required Waiver
Throughout the school year, Hotchkiss contracts with Neon Entertainment and Party Vision, LLC to provide amusements. These amusements include, but are not limited to, the following: bounce house, mechanical bull, dunk tank, inflatable water slide, laser tag, and obstacle course.
Students in all grades are invited to participate and must have a "Participant Waiver and Release of Liability: Neon Entertainment Rental Company" on file with the company.
PARENT ACTION REQUIRED: Please log into Veracross and click on the "2026-27 Student Activities Waiver Form" button to complete your student's digital waiver.
Questions may be directed to Marcie Wistar P'26,'29, director of student activities.
| |
How to Ship Items to Campus
If you are shipping items or supplies to campus, please do not send packages until Aug. 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) 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 during Orientation. Please note that the School does not deliver packages directly to dorm rooms.
Questions for the Hotchkiss Post Office? Call (860) 435-3299.
| |
Reminder: Parent/Guardian Action Required to Establish Veracross Account
On July 8, an email was sent to all parents/guardians directly from Veracross, Hotchkiss’s student information management system. If you have not already created your account, the email will guide you through the steps to do so.
Access to Veracross will allow you to view:
- Your student's schedule
- Your student's grades and comments (posted at mid-term and the end of semester)
- Your student's attendance
You will also use Veracross to:
- Update family contact information (address, phone numbers, email address, etc.)
Having trouble logging in? Please contact Registrar Heather Mechare at (860) 435-3186 for assistance.
| |
New Student Hotchkiss Accounts Now Active
Kevin Warenda, director of information technology services, sent an email to parents/guardians on July 8 containing their students' Hotchkiss username, password, and instructions on how to access their Hotchkiss email accounts (subject line "Action Required: Hotchkiss Student Login Account Information”). New students are encouraged to login as soon as possible as this is now the account the School will use to correspond with them moving forward. In addition, students will need to be logged into their accounts to sign up for an arrival time slot.
Please note that new parents/guardians received this email for informational purposes and to help ensure it is delivered to students, but students need to set up their accounts themselves.
| Upcoming Webinar: Parenting from Abroad | |
Join Director of International Programs David Thompson P'27 for an overview of ways that families can prepare for the Hotchkiss experience, with particular attention paid to some of the typical challenges that students from abroad encounter and how their families can partner with the School to help their students find success.
Event Date: Saturday, July 18 at 8 a.m. EDT
A Zoom event link will be sent to all registrants. A replay will be posted for those who are unable to join us. Questions may be submitted in advance.
Click here to register.
| |
New Family Webinar Replay Available
In case you were unable to join us, you can watch a replay of the "Getting Ready to Come to Hotchkiss" webinar. It contains useful information for those joining the Hotchkiss community. Click below to view the webinar.
| |
New Student Advisor Assignments
Advisor information will be available to students via email in early August. Students, families, and advisors are encouraged to reach out to each other in August to help prepare for the upcoming school year.
| |
Reminder: Final Transcripts Due July 15
Your student’s official final transcript must be sent to Hotchkiss by July 15 to ensure their registration for courses in the 2026-27 academic year. You should have received an email on May 21 containing a link to the Final Transcript Request Form. Please forward this email to your school’s registrar. They will need to attach the official final transcript and submit it to us.
Questions? Please contact us at admission@hotchkiss.org.
| | |
Upcoming Family Events
Meet Hotchkiss Families Before Summer Ends!
We are hosting a series of welcome events so families can connect with each other before the new school year begins.
- Aug. 8: Hong Kong
- Aug. 23: Southport, CT
- Aug. 24: Lexington, MA
- Aug. 24: New York City
- Aug. 25: Lakeville area
More details on each event—including exact times and venues—are coming soon. If
you do not see a location near you, please reach out to Sarah Baird, director of parent giving and engagement, and she will be happy to connect you with a family in your area. Questions about the events are welcome, too!
| | | | |
