Parent FAQs
General
Health
Academics
Boarding
Annual Fund
How do I reach my child in an emergency? In an emergency, call the Deans’ Office at 215.579.6589.
If you are playing phone tag with your child and are getting frustrated by the lack of contact, call the Deans' Office. They will track your child down and ask him or her contact you.
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What happens if my child has something missing? We encourage students to notify the Deans' Office immediately and then go to the Security Office to fill out a Lost or Stolen Item Report. In some cases, the local police will be notified.
Your child should also notify the dorm head who may call a special dorm meeting. Your child can also make signs and post them around campus or place a notice on FirstClass—our school’s email network.
If a bike is missing, Security often finds the bike sitting somewhere on campus. If a book bag is missing, the book bag is often found hours after its absence was posted on FirstClass.
Usually, there are more "found" notices posted on the school networks than "lost" notices. All students are encouraged to use locks on their locker, lock their dorm room door, carry a small amount of cash, and utilize the Student Bank or Deans’ Office safe for larger amounts of cash and/or important documents for safekeeping.
RETURN TO TOP How can I find out more about Quakerism? Visit the About George School section on our website to learn more about
Quakerism. If you want a few small pamphlets or a book on various aspects of Quakerism, you can get them by contacting the Friends General Conference Bookstore at
bookstore@fgc.quaker.org or 1.800.966.4556 for orders or consultation. They can send you a catalog or help you select books by phone.
RETURN TO TOP What does my child do if he or she feels sick at school? If your child is not feeling well, he or she should come to the Student Health Center (SHC) for evaluation by a registered nurse and if necessary a nurse practitioner or physician. Students who are ill will rest in the SHC.
RETURN TO TOPHow does my child get a flu shot? The Student Health Center (SHC) will provide the flu vaccine in the fall. With written permission from a student's parent or guardian, a student may receive the flu shot. The SHC will arrange for the Business Office to charge you for the immunization.
If you would like your child to receive the flu shot, send a letter to the Student Health Center, George School, PMB 4465, Newtown, PA, 18940, or fax it to 215.579.6712. For more information, call the Student Health Center at 215.579.6715.
RETURN TO TOP What does my child need for the first day of class? Please be sure to bring:
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Notebook (spiral-bound or 3-ring; you may want pockets included to hold any handouts) |
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Pens/pencils |
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Day planner (A George School planner which includes the arrangement schedule, academic calendar, and various resources is available at the George School Bookstore.) |
On the first day of class, each teacher will give students a list of any additional books and supplies. That afternoon, students are scheduled to visit the George School Bookstore to pick up their books and any additional supplies.
RETURN TO TOP How do I arrange for a tutor for my child? If your child is having trouble in an academic course, you should talk to his or her teacher. If the teacher believes that tutoring is the right course of action, you should contact the learning specialist.
The learning specialist will help you decide whether your child needs a peer tutor, a campus tutor or an off-campus tutor.
Peer tutors are responsible George School students who work one-on-one with students who need help in subject areas. Arrangements with peer tutors may be made through the learning specialist.
Campus tutors are professional tutors who are affiliated with George School. These tutors may work with your child either in specific subject areas and/or in helping your child with general study skills. In 2010-2011, the fee for these tutors is $40 per hour. The fees will be billed to you through the school's business office. Arrangements may be made through the learning specialist.
Off-campus tutors are professional tutors who are not part of the school's official tutoring network. Parents may make arrangements for direct payment to these tutors. These tutors may work with your child both on study skills and/or in specific subject areas.
RETURN TO TOP How do I find out how my child is doing academically? The most effective way to find out how your child is doing is to contact your child's advisor. The advisor is responsible for overseeing the overall academic success of your child. He or she will listen to your concerns, share his or her perspective, and then get back to you later if you need more detailed information from some teachers. This contact with other teachers may take a couple of days.
You also should feel free to email or call an individual teacher if you need direct contact. Teachers expect to receive emails and phone calls from parents between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays. Their email addresses and office phone numbers are available on our website in the
Faculty Staff Directory. Their home phone numbers are listed in the
Community Directory.
RETURN TO TOP What happens if my child misses a class? If your child misses a class or a commitment, he or she will be marked absent by the teacher, coach, advisor, etc. Lateness of fifteen minutes or more can be considered as an absence. Within several days, your child will be notified by email about the absence. If the absence is in error, your child should take the note to the teacher, coach, advisor, etc, and then to the Attendance Office to get the record cleared.
If your child is unable to get the absence excused from the person who originally submitted the absence, the absence is logged as an official class cut.
Students are placed on Cut Warning after the third cut and parents are notified by the Deans’ Office.
If your child violates a Cut Warning by accruing additional absences in the same term or three absences in a subsequent term, he or she will meet with a dean and if available, the student advisor and will be assigned to demerit restrictions for one week. Continued class cuts may be considered by Advisory Council and will place your child’s tenure at the school in jeopardy. A student and his or her parent(s) can check the student’s attendance status through the George School Student or Parent Portal.
To put the cut situation into perspective, you need to realize that your child has a minimum of thirty-five obligations per week. If you multiply that by a ten-week term, your child has 350 opportunities to be on time, late, or absent during that term. He or she is probably not perfect, and will make some mistakes. A few cuts are not the end of the world.
RETURN TO TOP How do I help my child learn to live away from home? Students love to hear from their parents, siblings, or friends from home either by email, mail, or phone. Students are often hard to reach so families find it helpful to establish a regular time when kids will call home.
You might be surprised at how much students love care packages with favorite snacks, cookies, photos, music...anything that would remind them of home. When it is birthday time, you can place an
order for a birthday cake to be delivered to a dorm.
RETURN TO TOP What can I do to help me deal with the absence of my child? George School parents share helpful tips in the
Boarding Parents Handbook. In addition, you should feel free to call your child's advisor as often as you wish, especially during the first few months of school. The advisor sees your child most school days and can let you know how he or she is doing.
RETURN TO TOP Can I spend weekends on campus? Currently there are no guest rooms available on campus, but there are many bed-and-breakfasts, inns and motels nearby. You will find a list of
local hotels and motels on our website.
The website also includes a list of
local restaurants. Your child and his or her friends will love to go off campus for a meal with you. Conversely, you are welcome to eat meals in the dining hall when you are on campus.
RETURN TO TOP What do I need to know about the dorms? Each dorm room includes a bed, mattress, dresser, desk, chair, and small mirror. All beds are standard twin-size. Linens and pillows are not provided.
Laundry facilities including a washer ($1.25 per load) and dryer ($1.00 per load) are available. Laundry services also are provided by the school at no charge. If your child plans to use this service, nametags must be on all items to be laundered. Laundry hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Local stores within walking distance of campus: Giant (supermarket), Rite Aid (drug store), Newtown Book & Record, Newtown Hardware, Starbucks, Summit Cleaners & Tailors, Dollar Store, and various restaurants.
There is an ATM on campus provided by TD Bank of Newtown. No services fee is charged to TD Bank accounts.
Students are not allowed to hang up any posters or display any items that represent drugs, alcohol, smoking, or sexual renderings on their walls. Nails and pushpins may not be used on the walls; ticky tack is on sale in the bookstore and works quite well.
RETURN TO TOP What should I pack?
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Back pack |
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Basket for shower items |
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Blankets |
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Calculator (scientific)
(TI-83 suggested) |
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Clothes (see below) |
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Comb/brush |
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Comforter |
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Deodorant |
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Reusable eating utensils, cups, plate/bowl | |
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Gym clothes (sneakers and any other sports equipment you expect to need) |
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Hangers |
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Laundry bag |
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Mattress cover |
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Pillows and pillowcases |
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Power strip with built-in circuit breaker |
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Any medications that your doctor has prescribed to you | |
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Shampoo and conditioner |
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Sheets (standard twin-size) |
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Snacks |
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Soap and soap dish |
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Tissues |
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Toothbrush and toothpaste |
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Towels |
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Trash can |
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Umbrella | |
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Alarm clock |
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Bike with helmet and lock |
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Camera |
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Computer |
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Desk lamp (must not be halogen) | |
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Fan |
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Food storage containers |
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Glue, scotch tape, masking tape |
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Hair dryer/straightening iron (only to be used in designated areas) | |
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Small refrigerator (there is a one-time $50 utility fee) |
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Throw rugs |
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Stereos, CDs, headphones |
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USB flash drive | |
What clothes to bring: Dress is casual at George School. Be modest, neat, and clean and you’ll be fine. For Sunday meeting for worship, performances in Walton, or other special events on campus, you are permitted to wear Bermuda-style shorts, but not T-shirts or athletic or other types of shorts. Boys should bring a sport coat and tie; girls should bring a dress, skirt, or nice pants. Remember to bring a heavy coat, swimsuits, and rain gear. Review the
Community Handbook for more information about dress.
Please do not bring: TVs, VCRs, DVD players, two-pronged extension cords, microwaves, halogen lamps, hot plates, heating elements, pets, cars, or motorcycles.
Don’t even think about bringing: candles, lighters, matches, incense, beer bottles or cans, alcohol containers (full or empty), tobacco products, drugs or drug paraphernalia, weapons of any sort (including pocket knives). It is forbidden for you to have these items in your possession; violation of this rule will result in a meeting of the disciplinary committee.
If you bring and ride a bike, skateboard, longboard, or scooter, you must bring and wear a helmet that is properly fitted and buckled when riding.
Click here to print packing information.
RETURN TO TOP What is the Annual Fund and why should parents also contribute to it? Tuition provides less than 75 percent of the cost of a George School education. Your donation to the Annual Fund, together with those of other parents, alumni, and friends is vital to the continued strength of George School. Gifts to the
Annual Fund are used both to finance part of the cost of educating each child and to pay for the extra dimension that makes George School even more able to meet the needs and talents of each individual. These gifts are essential to the high quality of your child's education.
RETURN TO TOP How much do I give to the Annual Fund? Every gift, regardless of the size, is extremely important. We do ask that you be as generous as possible. Large leadership gifts are crucial to the school's economic stability, but the many $25 and $50 contributions add up to impressive sums.
RETURN TO TOP Should I make a gift if my child is receiving financial aid from George School? Yes! Participation by all parents with a gift to the
Parent Annual Fund is important. The financial well-being of the school is something we can all help with, no matter what our circumstances. And in fact, many parents of children who receive financial aid do give, and this means a lot to us. Gifts from parents come in all sizes, ranging from $5 to $75,000, reflecting the diversity of our community. It's the participation that counts, reflecting the unity of our community.
RETURN TO TOP How do I make a gift to the Annual Fund? Your tax-deductible gift can be made online or by cash, check, credit card, or securities. Make sure to check if your or your spouse's company has a
matching gift program.
Gifts can be made to the Annual Fund any time within our fiscal year which runs August 1 through July 31. If you have any questions, please contact the annual fund director at 215.579.6581.
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