Life at Forman

Experience transformative education on a vast, green campus, where the only limit is your imagination.

For boarding and day students, life at Forman is rich, surprising, community-oriented, and centered on nurturing individual growth. Here, students have the space to flourish and find themselves, to be curious, creative, and fiercely ambitious, and to discover new strengths of body and mind.

From basketball to boatbuilding, whitewater kayaking to tennis, Forman’s inclusive athletics program engages athletes of all persuasions and abilities. Green and Gold competitions are held throughout the year—think lip syncs, relays, and scavenger hunts—uniting the school to compete for the Forman Cup. Our best-in-class campus is a playground for every child to hone their passions and forge lifelong friendships in the process. There’s an in-house bistro hosting culinary programs; a specialist Robotics Lab; student-founded clubs for chess, knitting, and Model UN; and a 22,000-square-foot arts building, complete with a 300-seat theater and exhibition spaces. At the end of each day, our boarders recharge in warm, safe, and inviting dorms, with two dorm parents close by.

125 sublime acres

Located in historic Litchfield, Connecticut—just two hours from New York City—our sprawling, 125-acre campus is an oasis of greenery and light. All classrooms are equipped with state-of-theart learning technology. There’s a cutting-edge Science Center and Robotics Lab (our team competes in VEX Robotics competitions); an Outdoor Education Center; a fitness facility and a gym; baseball fields, tennis courts, and manicured playing fields. We’ve worked with leading architecture and design studios to create stimulating spaces for work, rest, and play—like Forman’s breathtaking Visual and Performing Arts Center, a cosmic hub of creativity built into a verdant sloping hillside.

“To me, the wilderness was really peaceful and refreshing, especially coming from a city. It helped me tone toward academics and my studies.”

— Forman graduate

125 ACRE CAMPUS

“Getting to work with my dorm parents on homework, and getting have 20 other sisters is so comforting.”

— Current Forman student

A live-in community

Not only are classes tight-knit, our boarding dorms are too. Around 200 boarders reside in 15 single-sex dorms, mostly in double rooms (though there are some singles and triples).

Each room has a shared mini fridge, twin XL beds, and individual dressers, closets, and desks. With TVs, microwaves, and communal seating, common areas are perfect for movie nights. Simple activities—like cooking with friends for the first time, solo laundry, or communal dinners with dorm parents—build confidence and help make dorms an extended family home.

For students with learning differences, dorm living can make life smoother. It removes the clutter of daily obstacles—sleeping in, late breakfasts, managing transportation—and helps them focus on the essentials at this crucial developmental stage.

Our children both board at Forman as international students. It’s a very long way from where we live. We spoke to another Forman family who lives in the same country as us— they reassured us that the level of pastoral care was just outstanding— and that’s certainly been our experience.

FORMAN PARENTS

Culture of care

Starting a new school can feel intimidating—for students and their families. From their first day, our deeply committed, expert faculty and staff help students stay organized, make connections, and immerse themselves in extracurricular activities—while keeping parents and caregivers in the loop. Mental and emotional well-being is a priority, so there’s always an adult to talk to judgment-free: an advisor, coach, dorm parent, or school counselor.

Forman’s faculty members often hold multiple roles, allowing them to build meaningful relationships with students. For instance, Science and Psychology Teacher Kramer Peterson is also Head Coach of boys’ lacrosse, cross country, and alpine skiing. “I feel very privileged to switch between teacher and coach,” he says. “It gives me the privilege of learning more about what drives each student. An analogy specific to their favorite sport can help them understand a social psychology theory.”

Snapshot: Mondays at Forman

A sample student timetable, including daily athletics and study hall.

Every athlete welcome

Everyone at Forman is part of a team—even if they don’t know it yet. With a foundation in positive coaching, Forman’s 30 teams span varsity and junior varsity sports (think football, soccer, cross country, wrestling, golf, and equestrian) and unexpected, non-athletic options like theater and culinary arts. Whether your child is just beginning or a competitive athlete, daily fitness benefits those with learning differences: easing stress, increasing focus and clarity, and promoting dopamine release.

Forman boasts multiple All-Star, All-League, and All-American players and competes at an elite level with teams across the Northeast. Many athletic events are livestreamed, enabling colleges to scout our athletes “with the click of a button,” according to Director of Athletics John Strawson. Hudl, a sports film software, enables teams to analyze past games together and helps athletes interested in playing at the college level to easily produce highlight clips.

FORMAN UNDERSTANDS THAT EACH STUDENT LEARNS DIFFERENTLY, A FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF ALSO HELD BY ITS ATHLETIC AND ACTIVITY PROGRAMS.

OUR COACHES AND ADVISORS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO BUILD ON STUDENT STRENGTHS, WHILE TEACHING THEM HOW TO CONFRONT CHALLENGES, WORK TOGETHER FOR COMMON GOALS, OR SPEAK UP AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR OWN AND OTHERS’ NEEDS.

JOHN STRAWSON, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS, DIRECTOR OF SUMMER PROGRAM

Cutting-edge creativity

Since our founding, Forman focused on phonics and reading, but soon became a pioneer in the arts. Within two glassy, sunshinefilled and connected buildings, creative minds learn new techniques, experiment and hone their crafts, and build competitive college portfolios. They access facilities including a theater, scene and costume shops, dressing rooms, catwalks, a loading dock, and more, plus studios for dance, photography, video, painting, drawing, jewelry making, and ceramics.

Our visual and performing arts program caters to artists, musicians, and performers of all stripes. There are weekly dance classes; drama lessons spanning public speaking, improv, and technical theater; and three full-scale productions every year, including a musical. For musicians, we host classes in instrumental and vocal music, and theory and composition, alongside ensembles for rock, blues, jazz, and vocals on and off campus.

Next-gen chefs

Nothing is ordinary at Forman—including the food. Enterprising young foodies can gain hands-on experience at the Lion’s Den Bistro, a bespoke on-campus eatery. Partnering with 14 local farms, butchers, and bakeries, the bistro connects students to Connecticut’s farming community, which provides fresh, healthy ingredients. An early, immersive masterclass in food preparation and cooking, it’s offered as an alternative to a sport.

Forman teachers are working musicians and actors. Their classes, studio sessions, and rehearsal spaces are safe, open sites of experimentation and inquiry.

Enroll

THE OFFICE OF ADMISSION

860.567.1802

admission@formanschool.org

formanschool.org

Forman School

12 Norfolk Road, P.O. Box 80

Litchfield, CT 06759