Join Us for Family Weekend! | |
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Family Weekend 2023 (Oct. 12-14) will offer in-person events and limited virtual events. Click here for the full schedule. We will provide registration and event details in the coming weeks. In the interim, here are some highlights:
Families are Invited to Campus
We look forward to welcoming family members to campus. In-person events will begin the evening of Thursday, Oct. 12 and will continue through Saturday, Oct. 14.
Announced Holidays
Classes are canceled Friday, Oct. 13 through Tuesday, Oct. 17!
Students must remain on campus through their last official commitment. This includes games and other co-curricular commitments scheduled through Saturday, Oct. 14. However, if your child is finished earlier, they may depart campus after their final commitment of the weekend, as early as the evening of Thursday, Oct. 12. All boarding students must return before 10 p.m. check-in on Tuesday, Oct. 17. See information below about submitting an absence request. All absence requests must be submitted by Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m.
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Advisor and Teacher Conferences
Advisor and teacher conferences will be conducted primarily in person, but there will also be windows of time available for Zoom meetings for those families unable to be here in person.
Conferences will be held between Thursday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 14. Here are some hints to help you navigate the scheduling process:
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All appointments (both in-person and Zoom) will be scheduled via a system called Calendly according to the dates below. Please mark your calendars because spots fill up quickly.
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| Date System Opens | Family Type | Appointment Type | | Wednesday, Sept. 20 | NEW families | Advisor appointments | | Friday, Sept. 22 | RETURNING families | Advisor appointments | | Tuesday, Sept. 26 | ALL families | Teacher appointments | | |
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Scheduling for all appointments—advisor and teacher—closes at 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 2.
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Advisor appointments are 20 minutes, and teacher appointments are 10 minutes. Please schedule your advisor meeting first where possible. Advisors will have access to all of your student’s teacher comments and can provide an excellent overall picture of how your student is doing. It may not be possible to meet with all of your student’s teachers. If the School has any specific concerns about your student in a particular class, the advisor will contact you prior to the start of teacher-appointment scheduling to indicate the teachers with whom you should meet.
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Senior families: The College Office will meet via Zoom with senior families in early October and will also schedule these appointments via Calendly. Please be on the lookout for emails with registration details in the coming weeks.
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COVID-19 Advisory
Family Weekend guests who plan to attend in-person events are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated. As this is a large event and we want to keep the entire community safe, we recommend that you please take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of your arrival on campus. If you are feeling sick or test positive for COVID-19, we recommend that you remain home and follow the CDC guidance for isolation. Negative results do not need to be reported.
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Absence Requests and Transportation
Students may depart campus after their last commitment on Thursday, Oct. 12 (as long as they have no commitments on Friday or Saturday), and must return before 10 p.m. check-in on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
PARENT ACTION NEEDED: Absence requests must be submitted for any boarding student who will leave campus overnight by Tuesday, Oct. 10, through the Veracross Parent Portal.
- Click “Submit Absence Request.”
- Enter the departure date and time, the return date and time, and include the destination and host contact information within the notes section.
- If the travel details do not adhere to the departure and arrival guidelines, you will be contacted by the class dean.
Return transportation from New York City (Bryant Park, 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues) will be offered on Oct 17 at 6 p.m. Reservations can be made Sept. 18-Oct. 2 by completing a registration form, which will be emailed to students. Reservations are required, and cancellations after Oct. 2 are non-refundable. After the Oct. 2 reservation deadline, late requests will be processed only if seats are available, and a late fee of $5 will be assessed.
Click here for the 2023-24 transportation schedule. Transportation questions may be directed to Laurie Grusauski.
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COVID-19 Update
Now that the 2023 COVID vaccine is available, we recommend all community members remain up to date with COVID vaccination. The mobile vaccination clinic we have hosted on campus is no longer providing the service, so we strongly recommend students and families make arrangements to receive the updated COVID vaccine over Family Weekend or at another time that is convenient.
The School continues to follow CDC guidelines for isolation following a positive COVID test, including at least five days of isolation from the positive test or onset of symptoms. It remains important for students to have a local guardian or proxy to pick them up to isolate off campus should the need arise. Students and their families will receive additional guidance from the Health Center if they test positive.
ACTION NEEDED: Identifying Proxy Information Form
If you have not already identified a parent, guardian, or other proxy who can pick your student up within 24 hours if needed, please complete the Identifying Proxy Information Form as soon as possible.
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Reminder! Tonight's Webinar—The Science of Happiness
Join us for an all-School wellness event via livestream and learn about the science of happiness from Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author and lecturer who taught two of the most popular courses at Harvard University: Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership.
Monday, Sept. 18
7-8:15 p.m.
Via Livestream*
In 2022, Dr. Ben-Shahar designed and launched the world’s first master’s degree in happiness studies in collaboration with Centenary University. He consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, the general public, and at-risk populations on topics including leadership, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness.
For more information about Dr. Ben-Shahar visit www.talbenshahar.com.
* Please note, recording of this event is not permitted, so be sure to tune in!
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Hispanic Heritage Month Gets Underway
The student heads of De Colores, the School's Latinx student affinity group, are excited to begin the year with a celebration of the Hispanic community. The group has planned a range of activities, including launching the month with "el Grito" in the main circle on Mexican Independence Day, and ending with a Latin dance class and dance for the whole school. During the month, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the group will work with the Dining Hall to feature foods from various Spanish-speaking countries, hold a fundraiser to support Central American immigrants in our local community, and share information from the range of countries and cultures here on campus.
A highlight of the month will be a visit by New York State Poet Laureate Willie Perdomo, who will address the School community and spend a day in conversation with classes.
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Observing the Jewish High Holy Days
This past weekend marked the beginning of the High Holy Days in the Jewish tradition; the beginning of the new year begins with Rosh Hashanah, and the holy days of Yom Kippur fall on Sept. 24-25.
The School has organized transportation for all members of the community who wish to attend services on Sunday, Sept. 24 at Hevreh in Great Barrington, MA. Interested students should reach out to Instructor in History Nate Seidenberg for further information.
In addition, Hotchkiss is providing a Break Fast for our Jewish community on Monday, Sept. 25 in the Multicultural Center. Food will be prepared for the Break Fast by 7:45 p.m., roughly an hour after sunset, and the menu will consist of traditional Break Fast items, including bagels, smoked salmon, kugel, babka, and challah French toast.
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Hotchkiss in the World Travel Programs
Each year Hotchkiss faculty members offer travel opportunities to our students that are rooted in the learning that they do on campus.
The following programs are planned for 2023 and 2024. Leaders will be holding information sessions for students in the weeks to come, and will be available to meet with families during Family Weekend.
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Thanksgiving Break
Hotchkiss in Poland/Slovakia
Winter Term
Hotchkiss in Germany (December 2023)
Hotchkiss in Québec (January 2024)
March Break
Hotchkiss in Colombia
Hotchkiss In Singapore
Hotchkiss Classics in Italy
Summer Break
MacLeish Scholars Program
Hersey Scholars Program
Hotchkiss in Spain Summer Arts Program
Hotchkiss Girls Hockey in Europe
Hotchkiss Boys Soccer in the UK
Hotchkiss in Israel
Click here for additional information including the application process and available financial assistance.
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Registration Now Open for Virtual Events this Fall
Student Life Parent Series—New Family Update
Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023
8-9 p.m.
For new families only
Now that orientation is over and students are settling into the new school year, we're offering an opportunity for parents and guardians to meet two class deans and ask questions about life at Hotchkiss.
Register here!
Student Life Parent Series—Navigating Family Weekend: Insight for a Successful Experience
Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023
8-9 p.m.
For all parents and guardians
Register here!
Save the Dates for the Virtual Events Below
More information and registration to come soon!
Virtual Paint + Sip with Colleen McGuire, Art Instructor
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023
8-9 p.m.
A social event for parents/guardians to connect and get to know one another.
Student Life Parent Series: Thanksgiving Timing
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023
8-9 p.m.
For all parents and guardians
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Connecting with Grandparents
In an effort to better connect grandparents to the experience of their grandchild(ren) while they are at Hotchkiss, we ask you to please provide contact information for grandparents via this form. Doing so will ensure they receive select Hotchkiss communications including invitations to events, the Hotchkiss Happenings e-newsletter, and mailings such as the Hotchkiss Magazine. Of special note, Grandparents Day, which takes place every other year, is planned for spring 2024 and a "save the date" postcard will be mailed to all grandparents for whom we have contact information this fall.
Grandparents Day: Save the Date!
Saturday, April 20, 2024
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Bearcat Sightings
The School has been bustling with activity! See what's been happening on campus by visiting the Hotchkiss Flickr albums.
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