We are so eager to welcome you to the grounds in September, and we hope to make your family’s transition to St. Paul’s School go as smoothly as possible. To that end, we have compiled this resource guide, which covers much of the information new families seek in their first months with us. Most of this information can also be found in the SPS Parent Portal.
As your SPS student works on their SPS 101 online course this summer to help prepare them for their arrival, we encourage you to take some time to familiarize yourself with the resources in this guide. Please reach out with any questions to Director of Parent Engagement Jennifer Fithian at parents@sps.edu or 603-229-4703.
Best of luck with your preparations for the school year! We look forward to seeing you soon.
Mission and Values
OUR MISSION
St. Paul’s School educates students to build purposeful lives in service to the greater good. We engage young people in a diverse, inclusive and ethical community, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in character and scholarship and inspired by the beauty and spirit of our Millville home.
OUR SCHOOL PRAYER
Grant, O Lord, that in all the joys of life we may never forget to be kind. Help us to be unselfish in friendship, thoughtful of those less happy than ourselves, and eager to bear the burdens of others.
OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS
To ensure that every student thrives and feels a full sense of belonging at St. Paul’s School, each member of our community is expected to play a role in creating and cultivating a School culture that is healthy, equitable, caring and joyful. Living in community requires that we be present for each other and lead with kindness and respect in our conduct toward others.
We welcome your support in reinforcing these values and expectations over the course of the school year.
More detail on our expectations for students as members of our community can be found in the SPS Student Handbook. The 2024-25 handbook will be posted at this link as soon as it is available. In the interim, the 2023-24 handbook is a helpful reference.
We also have created a short guide, “Expectations for Living in Community,” for families to reference.
Parent Portal
The SPS Parent Portal is a one-stop destination for parents and guardians to access everything they need to know about their student’s experience — from their daily schedule and the School’s academic calendar to upcoming parent events, bus schedules for breaks and photo galleries.
To access the Portal, go to sps.myschoolapp.com and log in with the email and password you set up during the enrollment process. If you have forgotten your password, simply click the link “Need Help Signing In?” to reset it. (We recommend bookmarking this link for quick and easy access.)
Once you log into the Parent Portal, we encourage you to watch a short video tour narrated by Director of Parent Engagement Jennifer Fithian that will give you some pointers on how to navigate this resource. If you have additional questions, you can reach Jen at parents@sps.edu.
Academics
We have a little homework for your incoming student(s) prior to their arrival in September, to help ensure everyone is well prepared for the exciting year ahead.
REQUIRED SUMMER READING
As part of the Humanities curriculum, our teachers ask students to read over the summer selected texts that are reflective of the human condition. The expectation is that students will engage with the material and arrive at SPS prepared to discuss summer reading as they enter their Humanities III, IV or V classrooms in the fall.
• Third Formers: “The Fall of Rome” by Martha Southgate.
• Fourth Formers: “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” by Mohsin Hamid and “When the Emperor was Divine” by Julie Otsuka.
• Fifth Formers: “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and ”The Origins of the Modern World” (fourth edition) by Robert Marks (up through chapter 3).
SPS 101
Your child has been invited to join “SPS 101,” an online orientation course built in Canvas, the platform St. Paul’s School teachers utilize to post assignments, host discussions, collect homework, etc. The course is designed to familiarize students with the platform itself, as well as to provide lots of useful information to help ensure they start the year off in the best possible way.
If your student has not yet enrolled in the course, they can do so through an email sent to their SPS email account. They simply need to click on the link and use their SPS credentials (SPS email and temporary password provided during enrollment) to access Canvas and then follow the instructions on the welcome screen.
While it is not required that students complete the entirety of the SPS 101 course, we strongly encourage them to do so as it will help them feel more at home and ready to begin the school year when they arrive in September. We recommend that students complete all modules by Aug. 21.
COURSE SCHEDULES
Your child will receive their confirmed course schedules by Aug. 23 via an email from Director of Studies Sarah Ludwig.
FALL 2024 TEXTBOOKS
Incoming students can preorder their textbooks through the SPS School Store. Orders must be submitted using this online form by Friday, Aug. 9, and will be processed as soon as students’ class schedules are confirmed.
If you have any questions, please contact School Store manager Sharon Levesque at slevesque@sps.edu or assistant manager Uyen “Mimi” Casey at ugiangcasey@sps.edu
Recommended School Supplies
TECHNOLOGY
Students should arrive with a personal laptop. Operating system preference is up to the individual; the School’s Information Technology Department is available to support both Windows PCs and Apple Mac OS X operating systems. Ohrstrom Library also offers a large number of public workstations for group work and other backup use; wireless laptops are available to be signed out for short-term use if your student is temporarily unable to access their own.
Operating System RAM (memory) Hard Disk
Windows PC Windows 10 or 11 16GB recommended; 256GB or higher 8GB minimum
Apple Mac OS X 16GB recommended; 256GB or higher 8GB minimum
Students will have access to the School’s Microsoft Office 365 portal, Adobe student product suite and a School-sponsored GoogleEDU account with secure file storage and access to the full suite of GoogleDocs.
Students do not need to bring their own printers. Each house has a printer for students to use, and there are an abunadance of printers for student use located throughout the School’s academic buildings.
HUMANITIES
• 1-inch or 1.5-inch three-ring binder.
• A spiral-bound notebook (optional) for class notes.
• For students in Creative Writing, Essay Writing and Creative Non-Fiction, one or two spiral-bound notebooks.
• An extra laptop power/charging cord for use in the classroom is highly recommended.
LANGUAGES
• Required: one composition notebook to take notes in class.
• Optional: one binder to organize notes, handouts, quizzes and tests (required for students enrolled in German).
MATHEMATICS
• Algebra 2 Classes and Above: TI-84 +CE edition graphing calculator (not CAS N-Spire or TI-89).
• All Classes: 1-inch or 1.5-inch three-ring binder to organize handouts, quizzes and tests.
• Optional: A spiral-bound notebook or composition book for class notes.
SCIENCE
• TI-84 +CE edition (not CAS N-Spire or TI-89).
• A composition or spiral-bound notebook.
• One binder.
ARTS
Applied Music 1: Students will need the following items.
• Pencil and eraser
• Pad of music manuscript paper (individual sheets can be downloaded and printed free of charge)
• Laptop with headphones jack and headphones
• The book “Rhythmic Training” by Robert Starer.
Music Lessons and Performance Classes: The School provides access to pianos, orchestral percussion, low harmony brass and winds and double basses. Other instruments are expected to be owned or rented by the student.
Fine Arts: All necessary materials are provided. Any extra materials needed for independent projects can be ordered through the program and paid for by the student or their family.
Community Life
Finding out who your roommate is and where you will be living are two of the most exciting moments for our new students, and we plan to release that information to families by Aug. 1.
In the meantime, we hope the information that follows will be helpful and serve as an introduction to residential life at SPS.
HOUSE AND ROOM ASSIGNMENTS
The Dean of Students Office, working with the vice rector for school life and the dean of admissions, works hard every summer to place students in houses and room types that reflect the preferences they communicate in the spring housing questionnaire. Room assignments accommodate student preferences to the greatest extent possible, within the constraints of the available rooms and room types and the need to maintain an equitable distribution of all four forms in each house. The Admissions team takes great care in matching roommates, considering various factors to ensure positive living situations for all our students. They will use the information you’ve provided in your housing forms to make the best possible assignments.
To learn more about our house system and expectations for students, including evening supervision and support and evening check-in hours, visit the “House Life” section of the SPS student Handbook.
HOUSE ADVISING SYSTEM
One of the benefits of a fully residential school environment where every teacher lives on campus is that your student will be next-door neighbors with their head of house, whose residence is attached to the student housing. The head of house works with an advising team of SPS adults who also live in the house or nearby to provide supervision, oversight and advisory support to their student residents.
Your student will learn of their adviser when housing assignments are completed and communicated by Aug. 1, and will hear from them directly when the faculty return to the SPS grounds at the end of August.
This School faculty member will be an important point of contact for you over the course of the year as your student navigates their academic and afternoon commitments and becomes fully integrated into SPS community life.
EXPECTATIONS FOR ATTIRE
At St. Paul’s School, we believe that fostering a positive living and learning environment that respects and embraces the broad diversity of our community includes providing guidelines for what constitutes appropriate attire in our academic and other community spaces. These expectations for attire are designed to promote individuality, cultural expression and personal style while upholding an inclusive and comfortable learning environment.
For a complete description of expectations, please refer to the SPS Student Handbook.
RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST
Last summer, St. Paul’s School installed new furniture in every student room: beds, mattresses, stackable chests, desks, bookcases, task chairs and rocking lounge chairs. Students may not bring additional or alternative furniture, but all students are welcome to personalize their space with photos, posters and decorations that fall within our community standards for appropriateness.
The following list outlines our suggestions for what your student should plan to bring for bedding, clothing and personal items. While the temptation is great to prepare comprehensively for your student’s new home at SPS, we strongly encourage families to bring the bare minimum and acquire additional items that are specific to your child’s room and needs once they’ve had the opportunity to settle in.
Bedding:
• Twin XL sized sheets (two sets)
• Pillows
• Bedspread or comforter
• Blanket
• Mattress pad
Toiletries:
• Bath towels (two sets)
• Beach/pool towel
• Shower caddy
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Soap or body wash
• Deodorant
• Hairbrush
• Razors and shave cream
• Nail clippers
• Tampons/pads
Recommended Items:
• Small fan
• Hair dryer
• Power strip
• Desk or task light (and bulbs)
• Extra chargers
Clothes and Shoes:
• Classroom attire (enough for six class days)
• Formal attire (one outfit)
• Pajamas (two sets)
• Robe
• Casual attire for evenings/weekends (four outfits)
• Athletic attire (T-shirts, shorts, socks, sweatpants, sweatshirt, etc. — four outfits)
• Bathing suit
• Underwear and socks (7-10 each)
• Casual shoes
• Shower shoes or flip-flops
• Dress shoes (optional)
Outerwear:
• Fall jacket
• Hooded raincoat
• Winter coat
• Winter boots
• Hat, gloves, scarf
Other:
• Backpack
• School supplies
• Laundry supplies
• Umbrella
All residential houses have laundry facilities available for students to use free of charge. Students will need to bring their own detergent and dryer sheets. Additionally, we have a laundry service through E&R available to students. You’ll find more information and a link to sign up in the section “Student Support and Services.”
BUDDY FAMILY PROGRAM
Over the summer, every new-to-SPS family is matched to a current SPS “buddy” family — a friendly and informative point of contact for you during your student’s first year at SPS. While participation in this program is not a requirement, our community members find that these experienced SPS families can serve as a great additional resource and source of support, particularly in the weeks leading up to the start of their students’ SPS journey.
Buddy families were assigned at the beginning of summer with the intent of making initial outreach no later than Aug. 1. If you have not yet heard from your buddy family and are looking forward to this connection, please reach out to Director of Parent Engagement
Jennifer Fithian at parents@sps.edu.
OPENING DAY
Move-in day for all new students is Friday, Sept . 6 . Families who have completed all required forms will receive an invitation by Thursday, Aug. 1, to schedule an arrival and student move-in time. Please refer to “Student Forms & Finances” in the Parent Portal to access all necessary forms.
At your scheduled arrival time on Sept. 6, you will begin your day by checking in at the Stovell Tennis Courts, where you will be welcomed by a current student. This student leader will guide you on a campus tour that will include finding your Chapel seat and signing the book at the Rectory and will bring you to your house for move-in. Families are invited to enjoy lunch together at Coit Dining Hall between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Please note these afternoon events for new students and families:
3 p .m . Family Chapel
3:30 p .m . Mandatory house meeting for students
3:30 p .m . Tea and Cookie Family Send-off 4 p .m . Families depart campus
Student Support and Services
St. Paul’s School values our students’ strong relationships with their families and works closely with parents and guardians to create a network of support. As part of this collaboration, families are asked to uphold the School’s values and follow certain expectations, including:
• Understanding and respecting the role of the adviser as the primary contact between the family and the School.
• Empowering students to take responsibility for their own education and experience.
• Supporting student self-advocacy.
• Treating all School personnel with respect.
• Partnering with the School in support of policies and procedures that guide every student’s education and development.
The adult support structures in place for your child include their adviser, their head of house, the vice rector for school life, the dean of students, the dean of academic affairs, the director of studies, the dean of student support, the director of multicultural student support, the members of the chaplaincy and much more. Each of these individuals has a role to play in supporting students’ growth and development and nurturing their potential for excellence in academics, athletics and other pursuits while also ensuring safe and respectful behavior in every environment.
Please refer to the “Student Support” section of the SPS Student Handbook to learn more.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
The Academic Support Office helps students reach their academic potential with guidance that complements the support they receive from teachers and advisers. Located on the lower level of Ohrstrom Library in Room 104, the office provides coaching in organization, test-taking and self-advocacy; coordination of tutoring; and development of support plans for students with documented disabilities.
The School also offers daily Study Hall, faculty office hours and peer tutoring resources. To learn more, read the “Academic Support” section of the Student Handbook. To speak with Dean of Student Support Kate Daniels, email kdaniels@sps.edu
STUDENT HEALTH
The Clark House Health Center is open seven days a week when school is in session and is staffed 24 hours a day by registered nurses, with a physician and counselor on call. You can contact Clark House by calling 603-229-4850 or emailing anurse@sps.edu
John Bassi, M.D., the School’s medical director, has been working in the Concord area caring for adolescents for almost 20 years. He is a graduate of Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine and a board-certified family physician with several years of surgical training and a strong interest in sports medicine.
Tom Peters, Ph.D., the director of counseling services, oversees two full-time counselors and one part-time counselor who are available for scheduled appointments or for urgent/emergent needs 24/7.
In addition to counseling services, psychiatric consultation is available on a regular basis at Clark House. All referrals to the psychiatrist must go through Clark House counselors or the medical director.
A part-time consulting nutritionist is available for students seeking help in the areas of healthy eating, weight management, sports nutrition, and/or eating disorders.
Management of Student Medication: Appropriate management of medication is required by New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules He-P 816. The medical director and/or nursing staff at Clark House will store, administer, and/or oversee the use of all medications by students. More information can be found in the SPS Student Handbook.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Our IT Services team offers a variety of support services to SPS students, from assistance accessing our Learning Management System to computer troubleshooting and repair. They can be reached at helpdesk@sps.edu or 603-229-5698. Students also are welcome to stop by the IT Tech Shop on the lower level of Schoolhouse.
For more information on IT Services, click here
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY INFORMATION
The School will begin accepting packages for the upcoming school year on Monday, Aug. 19.
Please address all packages to: [Student Name]
56 Dunbarton Road, Concord, NH 03301
All regular mail can be sent to: [Student Name]
325 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301
E&R CLEANERS OPTIONAL LAUNDRY SERVICE
An optional resource for students, E&R Cleaners has been providing laundry services to the students at SPS for more than 20 years. Services range from basic wash, dry and fold to professional dry cleaning. For more information and to enroll, click here
Communications and Resources
There are many ways to stay up to date with St. Paul’s School — to find out what’s happening, how we live and learn together, what events and activities are coming up and more. We encourage you to access the following resources often.
HELPFUL LINKS TO BOOKMARK
Parent Portal: Be sure to check the Parent Portal regularly for news and updates, event information and the Student Handbook, as well as links to photos, e-newsletters and required forms. athletics.sps.edu: Find team rosters, schedules, scores, livestream links, and more on the SPS athletics website.
Academic Course Offerings: See course listings and graduation requirements by discipline.
Daily Menus: Check out the daily menus for Coit Dining Hall and Friedman Community Center’s Grab ‘n’ Go and Kwok Café.
Webinars for SPS Families: Over the course of the year, we offer webinars and recordings to families that include orientation webinars for new families as well as presentations on School life and adolescent health and wellness. Check out the parent webinar section of the Parent Portal to view the latest recordings.
SPS COMMUNICATIONS TO FOLLOW
Parent News @SPS: Families receive this digital newsletter biweekly during the month of August and weekly beginning in September. The newsletter, delivered to your email address on Fridays, is an essential means of communications between St. Paul’s School and SPS families, and we encourage you to read every issue thoroughly. If you miss one in your inbox, you can find links to previous issues in the Parent Portal by clicking on the “Communcations and Resources” button.
Community News @SPS: This digital newsletter is published monthly, on average, during the School year and delivered to your email address. Each issue offers a broad range of stories about students, faculty and alumni, as well as highlights upcoming events and opportunities for community engagement.
Alumni Horae: The School’s magazine is mailed to all SPS families and alumni and includes stories and images of the School today, as well as a look inside the alumni community your student will be joining. Read back issues at spshorae.com.
Social Media Channels: If you are not already doing so, we invite you to follow our official School channels for timely updates showcasing life at SPS:
Instagram Facebook YouTube
Key Dates and Calendars
Available on the Parent Portal in August:
• Full Academic Calendar 2024-25 “Academics”
• Key Dates for Grades and Comments 2024–2025 “Academics”
• Bus Schedule 2024–2025 “Communcations and Resources”
Wed 9/4
Fri 9/6
Sun 9/8
Fri-Sat 10/18-19
Tues 10/22
Thurs 11/21
Mon 12/2
Thurs 12/19
Mon 1/6
Sat 1/25
Fri 1/31
Tues 2/4
Thurs 3/6
Mon 3/24 Fri 4/25
Tues 4/29
Sat 5/10 Sat-Sun 5/31-6/1
Tues 6/3
Sixth Formers arrive
New students arrive
Returning Fourth and Fifth Formers arrive
Family Weekend (students may depart Saturday after last commitment)
School holiday ends at 7 p.m. (Varsity practices 4-5:30 p.m.)
Thanksgiving Recess begins after last commitment (academic or athletic)
Recess ends at 7 p.m.
(Varsity practices 7-8:30 p.m.)
Winter Vacation begins after last commitment (academic or athletic)
Vacation ends at 7 p.m. (Varsity practices 7-8:30 p.m.)
Day in Millville
Mid-Winter Recess begins after last commitment (academic or athletic)
Recess ends at 7 p.m. (Varsity practices 7-8:30 p.m.)
Spring Vacation begins after last commitment (academic or athletic)
Vacation ends at 7 p.m.
Mid-Spring Recess begins after last commitment (academic or athletic)
Recess ends at 7 p.m. (Varsity practices 4-5:30 p.m.)
Day in Millville
Graduation Weekend
Third through Fifth Forms depart after last commitment
Based on current information; dates/times subject to change.
Contacts and Office Numbers
The following three telephone numbers are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week while school is in session:
• Dean on Duty: 603-848-0630
• Campus Safety: 603-229-4646
• Clark House Health Center: 603-229-4850
STUDENT LIFE
• Dean of Students Office: 603-229-4811
• Vice Rector for School Life Theresa Ferns: 603-229-4815, tferns@sps.edu
• Dean of Students Suzanne Ellinwood: 603-229-4721, sellinwood@sps.edu
• Clark House (health center): 603-229-4850, anurse@sps.edu
• Director of Operations for School Life Melissa Perkins: 603-229-4817, mperkins@sps.edu
ACADEMICS
• Dean of Academic Affairs Megan Drinkwater: 603-229-4754, mdrinkwater@sps.edu
• Director of Studies Sarah Ludwig: 603-229-4657, sludwig@sps.edu
• Registrar Kristen Palizzolo: 603-229-4663, registrar@sps.edu
ATHLETICS
• Main Office: 603-229-4835
• Director of Athletics Chris Smith: 603-229-4585, csmith@sps.edu
• Associate Director of Athletics Dan Toulson: 603-229-4834, dtoulson@sps.edu
PARENT ENGAGEMENT
• Director of Parent Engagement Jennifer Fithian: 603-229-4703, parents@sps.edu
