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December 2021

Reminders about Winter Break: Dec. 15 – Jan. 5

In anticipation of your student's upcoming vacation, please be sure to note the following:

Requests to depart/return to campus for winter break cannot be made by parents/guardians via the Veracross Parent Portal.
Boarding students must complete their own “Winter Break Departure Form.” This is available under “Student Links” in the student's Veracross Student Portal.
Students may return on either Jan. 4 or 5.
Bus reservation sales have ended. Click here for schedules and information, and contact Laurie Grusauski to inquire about availability.
If travel plans change after the form has been submitted, please have your student complete the form again and note it is an update to previously submitted plans.

A Note about Unaccompanied Minors: If your student is not yet 16 years of age and is traveling by air, we suggest that you check with your travel agent before booking flights to see if any restrictions are in place with respect to underage children traveling alone. Some airlines have more restrictive policies than others and demand a higher level of services for unaccompanied minors. Please note that the School does not provide escort services to or from airports. If you need special services, please call one of our area car services to make arrangements. If you have questions about unaccompanied minors, please call Stephen McKibben P'22, dean of community life, at (860) 435-3631 or, after hours, the dean on duty at (860) 435-2591.

COVID-19 Testing and Boosters

With travel and gatherings over break and increasing rates of infection in many areas, we expect some students may be identified as close contacts of individuals who test positive for COVID-19 in the coming weeks. All students who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 must be tested prior to returning to campus. Families must notify the Health Center at healthcenter@hotchkiss.org if their student either tests positive or is identified as a close contact so that appropriate safety protocols are in place. Follow-up testing will be coordinated for any student identified as a close contact.

Travelers entering the U.S. by air are now required to have a COVID-19 test within one day of travel. Please remain alert for changes to test requirements to enter the U.S. for the return from break. All families may wish to obtain a COVID-19 test prior to returning to campus regardless of travel requirements. We will be conducting surveillance testing on campus when students return and a pre-arrival test will decrease the possibility of your student needing to return home for isolation shortly after arrival on campus.

All individuals over the age of 16 are now eligible to receive COVID-19 booster vaccinations. For 16 and 17 year olds, the CDC recommends a booster six months after the initial Pfizer series is completed. For those 18 years of age and older, a booster is recommended six months after the initial Pfizer or Moderna series is completed or two months after the J&J vaccine. All students who are eligible are strongly encouraged to schedule their booster vaccination over the break. Please upload your student’s updated COVID-19 vaccination record to the Health Center Portal.

Important Announcements

For Lower-Mid Families: Off-Campus Semester Programs

Lower-mid students have heard presentations about several experiential learning programs including High Mountain Institute (Leadville, CO), The Island School (Eleuthera, Bahamas), and Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki (Wiscasset, ME). Please discuss these opportunities with your student over winter break so that they are prepared to complete an application in January, if interested, for the 2022-23 school year.

Click here for further information.

A Message from the Mischianza (School Yearbook) for Families

Class of 2022 portraits were due on Dec. 7. If your student has not yet submitted their portrait, please have them email a high-res digital file to mischianza@hotchkiss.org with the student’s name.

Congratulatory ads for the Class of 2022 are due Jan. 7.

Please note: each member of the Class of 2022 receives a complimentary copy of the Mischianza. Upper mids, lower mids, and preps may order yearbooks directly from Herff Jones.

Please see the Mischianza webpage for more information and the ordering link.

Hotchkiss Flickr Gallery

Catch a glimpse of recent student life in these photo albums!

Holiday Events

Hotchkiss Ensembles Concert

Looking Ahead to Long Winter Weekend: Feb. 3 - 7

Bus reservations will be on sale Jan. 6 - 20 through the OneCard web portal. Click here to access transportation schedules. Keep an eye out for additional information in January.

Hotchkiss Summer Portals 2022

Discover what’s new and what will return to Hotchkiss Summer Portals in 2022!

Find the updates on the website and start your application here!

2022-23 Travel Calendar Update

2022-23 calendar planning is well underway. We hope to be able to share the travel calendar in January as we know that it is helpful for those needing to book airline travel in advance. We continue to strongly recommend that you do not make any travel arrangements that cannot be changed, and consider buying travel insurance as needed. Please contact the Deans’ Wing with any questions.

The College Corner

An Important Update for Upper-Mid Parents Regarding the Winter Forum

As noted in the Dec. 13 email from the College Advising Office, the winter program that will take place Jan. 20 - 22 has been switched to a virtual program. The Winter Forum will serve as an introduction to the college search and application process, and highlight issues, timelines, and procedures that you will encounter as your student begins researching college options. A panel of college admission professionals will talk about their perspectives, answer your questions, and facilitate a variety of small group sessions. See the email for further information.

Upper-Mid Families: Click here for PSAT and test prep information.

Families of Lower Mids Who Took the PSAT: Click here for score report information.

Standardized Test Dates: Click here to access a list of 2021 - 22 dates.