Defining Elements of the Residential Life Program

Every year, about 110 students come together and join the Fay community as boarders at Fay School. The students share in a common experience in which they live, learn and grow together, under the direction of 13 resident dorm parents and about 30 non-resident dorm parents.

The dormitories at Fay are broken into five girls and five boys dorms. Each dorm houses seven to fifteen students. Some dorms share common areas with others. The rooms are designed for single, double and (rarely) triple occupancy and the room assignments are made by the school.

Rooms are seen as the students’ personal area of responsibility. Students are expected to live in an organized and clean fashion. Fay strives to nurture a sense of community and responsibility among boarders.

In addition, every dorm (except East House) houses two ninth grade proctors who work with the dorm parent to help their peers live a healthy lifestyle.

The mission of the Residential Life Program is to provide a structured and nurturing environment in which boarding students can live, learn, and grow. Through a variety of activities and programs, students learn key life skills, develop a sense of community and come to a greater awareness of how to live a productive and fulfilled life. It is the hope of the residential life staff to create an environment that closely approximates that of a home while acknowledging the differences between a home and a dormitory and supporting our boarders in their efforts to succeed at Fay School. In this regard, a residential life curriculum has been created to guide students and adults who live in the dormitories.

Fay’s boarding program provides a structured community environment for a variety of students. There are expectations of community living to which we hope all boarders can adhere. To communicate with students, faculty and parents, a dorm effort grade reflects a boarder’s overall effort and ability to meet those expectations.

Dorm parents have specific rewards and consequences for high or low effort grades, similar to the academic program, which may include extra dorm jobs, special reward nights, dorm restrictions or weekend trips.

Students with visiting or local parents often go away for weekends to spend time with their relatives, or are invited to spend time with day students and other local families. Fay encourages families to invite boarding students home for the day or weekend to promote community and share in a family experience.

All students are expected to return to campus by 7:30 on Sunday night (5:45 on Sunday Chapel nights) and participate in the Sunday night Residential Program.

Weekends at Fay are filled with activities for students to participate in and are a time for a relaxed and fun community experience. The weekend program is posted in the dorms and online, and the Weekend Coordinator works with students and dorm parents to schedule a variety of activities on and off campus.

Weekends include a mandatory Sunday morning study hall for all students on campus. Students away from campus at this time need to make arrangements to complete their homework with relatives or chaperones, although a shortened optional study time exists Sunday night.

Weekly chapel promotes the Fay Core Value of “Wellness of Mind, Body and Spirit.” Fay is a school that draws its students from a wide range of cultures and faiths. Chapel is a chance for the school community to come together and share a moment of contemplation and introspection. Services are multi-denominational in nature and aim to build a shared experience that affirms the worth and dignity of all people.