51³Ô¹ÏÍø

School Life

For boarding school students, and many teachers, the campus is home. Explore dormitory living, get expert advice on learning and living away from home and learn more about what can be done to help your child transition to and succeed in boarding school. Find resources for parents, teachers and students. We’ll cover sustainability, boarding school jargon, and corporal punishment. Read first-hand accounts from parents of boarding school students, find graduation gift ideas, and learn why small classes are effective.

View the most popular articles in School Life:

What Alums Have To Say About Their Schools

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What Alums Have To Say About Their Schools
Learning about a school from its website and social media pages is useful as you decide which school to choose. So is hearing what the school's alumni say about their alma mater.

As you work your way through the school search process, you will do your due diligence carefully. A school's website and social media pages are helpful. Visiting schools in which you are interested is very important. Hearing the positive things men and women have to say about the schools which they attended is also instructive.

Here are comments which alumni left on our Facebook page. I have edited them very slightly for capitalization and punctuation. Some alums attended boarding school in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Others are more recent graduates. Some mention the school they attended. Some do not. No negative reviews? Sure. But you can read those elsewhere on .

In their own words.

Best thing is if you want to go. I pressed my parents to send me. They didn’t want me to leave home. We loved each other, and I was an only child. But I wanted to go into the Navy and learn about naval school; so they let me go...Ben

I went for 9th-12th grades. At first, I struggled, but by 12th grade, it was like home to me...Nancy

Outstanding school, wonderful experience. The only regret is I was only able to spend my senior year there...Curt

A wonderful education and, although the boarding rules were strict, I made lifelong friendships!...John

Men of Integrity are hard to find these days - but there were many at Choate - I graduated in 1959....Tim

My opinion is that it is the

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5 Tips For Teen Travel

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5 Tips For Teen Travel
Discover essential safety tips for teen travelers, including staying alert, avoiding accepting items from strangers, carrying a credit card, sitting near gates, and using TSA PreCheck®. This comprehensive guide helps parents prepare their teenagers for safe and successful solo travel experiences.

5 Tips For Teen Travel

Whether you are sending your child off to visit her grandparents or sending her back to school, you know how important it is for her to travel safely. After all, you have experienced almost every travel situation and glitch.

  • But remember that you were traveling as an adult. You had the financial resources to book a hotel room at the minute when faced with a canceled flight, and your flight out was early the following morning.
  • You knew what to do to satisfy the TSA staff as you made your way through airport security.
  • Most importantly, you were street-smart and aware of your surroundings and had an exit path ready in case of some crisis.
  • These are just a few things you need to teach your children before they travel alone.

Stay alert.

Given the frequency of terrorist and other attacks both in the U.S. and abroad, you must teach your child to monitor her surroundings constantly.

You would think that would be a given, but teenagers can and do lose themselves in their world on their smartphones.

  • They put their earbuds on and tune everything else out.
  • Teach her to know what's happening by looking around every few minutes.
  • Once she has boarded her plane, she can listen to her music uninterrupted, except for the safety announcements.
  • Staying alert also means not napping or falling asleep while sitting at the gate.
  • Gate
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What's It Like At 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School?

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What's It Like At 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School?
Get answers to common questions about boarding school life, including rules on technology use, pets, cars, and off-campus activities. This comprehensive guide provides insights into daily routines, social life, and academic expectations at boarding schools.

What's It Like At 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School?

At some point in your boarding school search process, your daughter will ask questions about life at her new school. After all, she has her routine at home and in her current school. But when she goes to her new boarding school, that familiar routine will disappear and be replaced by a new one. Naturally, she will have concerns and questions. Here are some general answers to many of the questions which she will have. Always ask the admissions office at her new school for authoritative answers to your and her specific questions.

This video tells you what one student brought to her boarding school.

Can I use my smartphone?

May I use my smartphone at school? McCallie gives a typical answer in its handbook: "Students are encouraged to use both common courtesy and common sense in the use of technology. " And, by the way, the school handbook is your guide for 95% of your daughter's questions. The rules and regulations contained in the school handbook will be explained thoroughly during orientation. Mailing or receiving calls, texting, and sending emails are generally prohibited in classrooms, dining rooms, and other public places.

Can I use my laptop and tablet?

51³Ô¹ÏÍø schools have Acceptable Use Policies that govern the use of computers at school. These policies will be explained during orientation. Discuss them with your child so that he knows

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A Guide To Using Social Media In 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Schools

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A Guide To Using Social Media In 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Schools
Social media is an essential part of a boarding school's marketing strategy

Why is social media critical to any boarding school's marketing program? The simple answer is that you must expose your fine school to as many potential new clients as possible. You know what your school offers and are very proud of it. Unfortunately, families with boarding school-age children living a few hours away downstate or in another part of the country will never even hear about your school unless you make sure it is obvious. Not just visible. Very visible.

While the following video is entitled 13 Proven Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs, Brian's information is relevant to administrators of boarding schools. After all, your boarding school is a business. Even if you have non-profit status, your school is still a business.

Thirty or forty years ago all a boarding school had to do to get the word out about its programs and desirability was to procure a listing in a boarding school directory and correspond with a group of educational consultants you knew could send potential clients your way. The boarding school directories are now all online. This site is a good example of the sort of online resources that 21st-century parents have. And those ? Well, bless them. They operate at warp speed with text and Skype communications.

So, what more does a boarding school need to get the word out? Social media. Well-organized and beautifully

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5 Challenges Facing 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Schools

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5 Challenges Facing 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Schools
American boarding schools face many challenges in the 21st century. We look at five of these and offer advice.

A day school is not an easy enterprise to run because, for one thing, it is dependent on the local economy and demographics. The closing of a major employer or the departure of young families from the area can challenge the existence of even the best-run private day school. In addition to those local conditions, a boarding or residential school is subject to national and global economic trends. Many American boarding schools have 10-20% of their students drawn from outside the United States. An economic downturn or civil strife can choke off the number of applicants coming from abroad. A weak national economy here at home can make it more difficult for parents to afford a boarding school education for their children.

With these considerations in mind, let's look at five challenges facing American boarding schools and some common-sense solutions to those challenges.

1. The natural parental resistance to sending children off to a residential school.

It is hard enough for most American parents to send their children away to college, much less to boarding school. The idea of sending a fifteen-year-old away to a residential high school meets with serious resistance from most parents. There are many reasons for this reluctance, but the primary ones are the high cost of boarding school and the feeling that the local public high school or private schools can do just as good a job of preparing their children for college. There's also a nagging concern that perhaps their son or

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Recent Articles

Schools in the NEPSAC Founders League
Schools in the NEPSAC Founders League
The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council was founded in 1942. It has grown from eleven schools to over one hundred sixty schools. More about NEPSAC and private school sports here.
A Glimpse into 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School Life at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy
A Glimpse into 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School Life at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy
One of the most common questions families ask when exploring boarding school options is: What does a typical day look like for a student? Beyond academics, they want to understand how students live, learn, and grow within the community—how daily routines shape not only their education but also their independence, friendships, and character.
How to Choose the Right Performing Arts 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School: A Checklist for Parents and Students
How to Choose the Right Performing Arts 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School: A Checklist for Parents and Students
Every year, thousands of gifted young artists apply to top performing arts boarding schools, yet most families approach the selection process without a clear roadmap. Knowing what to look for—from teacher qualifications to alumni success rates—makes all the difference in finding a program where you can truly flourish.

Featured Schools

Featured Schools

School Life

FOR PARENTS
This section covers issues and concerns for parents of boarding school students. Explore corporal punishment, get expert advice on preventing hazing, and read first-hand accounts from parents. Learn what to do if things go wrong, see what boarding school students do in the summer, and get words of wisdom from a reluctant parent.
FOR STUDENTS
Here you’ll gain knowledge about student life at boarding school. User our glossary of terms to learn boarding school jargon, discover the importance of a partnership between school, parent and child, and find great gift ideas for the boarding school graduate.
FOR TEACHERS
The articles in this section are related to teaching at a boarding school. Learn more about what is being taught, why small class sizes work, and the impact of sustainability on boarding schools. You’ll find a list of eBooks about boarding schools, be able to view pictures of boarding school life, and explore course offerings.