Can you believe it? Your family now has a pterodactyl in its midst! Next year, we can’t wait to see your child soar at Marvelwood.
At this point in the summer, we’ve had the pleasure of zooming, and you’ve received all the new student forms you’ll need to complete, and you have links to all our September sign-up sheets. You’re already making great progress as you prepare to join us on Skiff Mountain! Bravo.
But, there are always a few ‘undiscoverables’ that you learn along the way. And, because we want to make sure that you’re as seasoned as our most familiar families, we’ve put together a run-down of some of Marvelwood’s ‘insider tips’ to make sure you’re in the know as you stride into September.
NEW PARENT CHECKLIST
Please download our New Parent Checklist below and post it in an important place. If you’re looking for any school documentation, please visit our Forms & Information page on the website. Please note that our parent password is: skiff.
SCHOOL RULES + WHO TO CONTACT
For important school rules, and people you’ll need to get up to speed with, please click on our Who To Contact sheet, and don’t forget to familiarize yourself with our Parent + Student Handbook when it is circulated in mid-August so that you and your child are well versed with our dress code, travel protocols, and major school rules.
EMERGENCY NUMBER
Most importantly, please take a moment to add Marvelwood’s 24-hour emergency cell phone number to your mobile contacts: (203)-788-4985. This way you’ll always have direct access to those taking care of your child.
TECHNOLOGY USE + REMIND APP
We are just about to launch a new Veracross parent portal that will allow you to quickly access grades, approve travel requests, input travel plans and communicate with faculty via our website. We hope to send you more information, including your log-in information, in mid-August.
You and your child should have received information about their new Marvelwood gmail account. It is important that all students use and make it a habit to check their Marvelwood email account at least every other day.
Please also make sure your child downloads the Remind app and attempts a successful first log in. This is the way we communicate with each other at school, and students will begin receiving texts from our prefects to welcome them to our community. You will also be hearing from your child’s adviser in August who will be your main contact at school.
Technology and a student’s social media presence can be important academic and social tools, but when used inappropriately, they can become distractions or may lead to more significant challenges. We strongly encourage you to have a conversation with your child about your expectations while away from home. As part of your conversation, please reference our Acceptable Use Policy in our Parent + Student Handbook (Note: 2022-2023 v. will be circulated in mid-August). Please discuss healthy and appropriate ways to manage their use of technology. If you need more advice on how to talk to your child about technology or ways you can help them monitory their own use, please reach out to me. I'm always here to help!
We would also like you to limit how many items your child brings with them to campus, or accumulates while at school. In the age of Amazon and internet shopping, please be mindful of what they are purchasing, and how much space it might take up in their dorm room. Remember that you’ll need to get all of these items home with you at the end of the school year!
For all the small stuff that adds up to be big stuff in the day-to-day life of your child, let’s start with a few key things you’ll need to get set up, or have the correct info to use at a later date:
LAUNDRY OPTIONS
Campus Laundry
If your child regularly does laundry at home, have them do it here at school, too. We will give them a laundry card to get them started. After that, you can top off the laundry card with money online. If it asks for a location ID, use this number: 480680.
Laundry Service
If your child would prefer to use the E&R laundry service, it picks up on Wednesdays and drops off on Fridays. Please sign up for this service on your own using the link below.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
If your child will be celebrating their birthday while they are on campus, we have partnered with Sophie’s, a bakery in town that makes delicious homemade cakes and cupcakes and will deliver them right to school. If you’d like it to be a surprise, let your child’s adviser know so they can arrange a little party. The phone number for Sophie's is (860)592-0242, or you can order online on their website using the link below. At the top of the page, click on “More” and you will see an order form for “Marvelwood Custom Orders.”
ALLOWANCE
We highly recommend getting your child a debit card that you can put money in as needed. This is also a great way for you to start having conversations with your child about money management. You can set up a cash allowance which is handed out weekly here at school, but you will not know how your child spends that money and cash is very hard to track if it is lost. Using a debit card also means you have a way to reward your child when they’ve done something fantastic or otherwise made you proud!
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Well, now you know all the ins-and-outs of getting to campus and setting your child up for success, we hope you’ll feel like a real insider come September. Should you still have questions as you pack and prepare to arrive on campus, please don’t hesitate to contact me at x1019.
Don't forget that on August 15th at 7PM we will have our Incoming New Parent Meeting via ZOOM. This meeting is virtual so please register. If you cannot attend live, we will record this meeting and post it on our website.
Dean for Parents + Director of Residential Life
Misty Jordan
