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July 2022

Important Back-to-School Information

Move-in Dates and Times

Arrivals on campus will be staggered on the dates listed below. All students should arrive at the Mars Athletic Center (MAC) for registration according to their designated date and time. Students must sign up for individual arrival time slots using the arrival form below.

Wednesday, August 31: Proctors and orientation leaders arrive between 12 - 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 3: New students arrive between 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 4:
Fall varsity athletes and mathletes arrive between 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (by invitation only)
Returning students arrive between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Monday, September 5: Returning students arrive between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

STUDENT ACTION REQUIRED: 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 by 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 both 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.

A Note about 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 and will be invited for lunch and other afternoon programming before Orientation kicks off.

Please note that if you are not vaccinated, you must remain masked when you are inside dorms and School buildings. (These are our current intentions, however note that protocols are subject to change.)

Roommate Information

Roommate assignments will be available via email to students on Friday, August 5. For those of you who are new students, we hope that having roommate information will give you an opportunity to begin 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 new student orientation will be provided in August.

COVID-19 Update

We will continue to monitor COVID-19 and public health recommendations throughout the summer and will provide further updates as conditions warrant. In anticipation of the start of the school year, we ask that all students:

Plan for a rapid antigen test within 24 hours prior to their arrival on campus. You are welcome to use a rapid at-home test.
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.
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.
Please bring a supply of masks with you to campus. While we do not anticipate routine masking, there may be brief periods of higher risk when masking is implemented.

Required Summer Reading Update

All-School Reading Assignment Study Guide Now Available

Download a copy of the helpful study guide here.

A complete list of required summer reading assignments was sent via email to students and their families on June 22 (books by class level and the All-School reading assignment). Click here for a copy of the mailing.

Hotchkiss's 2022-23 All-School Reading Assignment, Homegoing

Reminders and Announcements

2022-23 Required Health Forms Due July 15

Attention all families! The Health Center staff requests your assistance in completing the required health forms on time. Click here for more information.

Try-Outs for Varsity Athletic Teams

Students interested in trying out for a fall varsity team should contact the head coach via email by August 1.

Boys Varsity Cross Country - Pierre Yoo P'21,'23

Girls Varsity Cross Country - Kira Shaikh

Varsity Field Hockey - Kait Perrelle Leonard '06

Varsity Football - Dempsey Quinn

Boys Varsity Soccer - Mario Williams '12

Girls Varsity Soccer - Christy Cooper P'08,'11

Varsity Volleyball - Bill Fenton P'26,'26

Varsity Mountain Biking - Mike Fitzgerald

New Student Spending Program in 2022-23

Hotchkiss is in the process of transitioning its student spending program (on-campus debit card) from One Card to My Kids Spending. All available student balances at the end of last school year will be automatically rolled over into the new system.

All parents/guardians will receive an email in early August from My Kids Spending with detailed information and registration instructions. Unfortunately, we cannot accept funding for student accounts at this time.

Ordering 2022-23 Textbooks

Online book ordering will take place in early August. We will email you the necessary information regarding the ordering process at that time.

Laundry Options for 2022-23

There are laundry machines in the basements of Buehler, Dana, Garland, Edelman, Flinn, Redlich, Tinker, Watson, and Wieler dorms. The use of machines by students is free of charge, but students will need to provide their own laundry supplies (soap, dryer sheets, etc.).

An optional laundry and dry cleaning service, E&R (the Campus Laundry), is located in the basement of Tinker Hall. Check out TheCampusLaundry.com for further information. Please note there is a fee for this privately arranged service.

Campus Carnival: Participant Waiver and Release of Liability

The Senior Class will host the annual Campus Carnival on Sunday, September 11. Students in all grades are invited to participate but they must have a completed “Participant Waiver and Release of Liability” on file to enjoy the vendor-provided amusements (mechanical bull, dunk tank, water slide, and obstacle course). Students who do not have a signed waiver on file will not be able to participate. Please contact Director of Student Activities & Clubs Marcie Wistar with questions.

PARENT ACTION REQUIRED: Please log into Veracross to download and complete your student's waiver by September 1.

How to Ship 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 during Orientation. Please note the School does not deliver packages directly to the dorm room.

Questions for the Hotchkiss Post Office? Call (860) 435-3299.

Transportation Schedule

Click here for the 2022-23 Transportation Schedule. Reservation instructions and information will be included in each month’s Family Update, beginning in August.

2022-23 Travel Calendar

As a reminder, a printable PDF of the current calendar is available on the "Calendars" page of the website.

For Families New to Hotchkiss

Reminder: Parent/Guardian Action Required to Establish Veracross Account

On July 11, 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.)
Submit absence requests for your student

Once your new Veracross credentials have been created, you'll be able to access Veracross from the Hotchkiss Parent Portal landing page. Simply click on the "Veracross Login" as shown.

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 new students on July 11 containing their Hotchkiss username, password, and instructions on how to access their Hotchkiss email account (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.

Reminder: Final Transcripts Due July 15

Attention new families! Please make sure you have requested your final transcript be sent to admission@hotchkiss.org, or via fax: (860) 435-0042.

Any questions? Please email us at admission@hotchkiss.org.

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.

New Family Webinar Replays Available

In case you were unable to join us, remember to watch the informational webcasts hosted for new families. They contain useful information for those joining the Hotchkiss community. Click here to watch these videos.