Parents

List of 19 frequently asked questions.

• Q. What do I do if I'm concerned about my child?

  Parents are encouraged to be in touch with their child’s advisor on any matter of concern. Your child’s dorm head is also a valuable resource. Contact information for advisors, dorm heads, and other faculty and staff is in the online directory.

• Q. How are advisors assigned? Can my child change advisors?

  Groton considers this relationship enormously important and tries to match incoming students with adults according to shared interests or the likelihood that student and advisor will have routine contact throughout the week. Each new student is assigned a faculty advisor for the first year; thereafter, students may request a different advisor. Advisor changes for the following year are managed in the spring through the Deans’ Office; students are instructed on the process if they would like a new advisor.

• Q. How are dorms supervised?

  Dorm heads are on duty in the dorm three nights a week, and affiliates (other faculty members) cover the dorm on the other three nights. That group of four adults rotates duty on Saturday nights. When you arrive in September, you will receive a card with the names and phone numbers of your child’s advisor and dorm head, as well as other important numbers.

• Q. What should my child wear?

  Groton’s dress code, adopted in 2022, intends to create gender-neutral expectations that lead to conversation rather than discipline, provide a wide array of clothing options for students, and reflect the school’s core ethos of inclusion and belonging.
  
  For more information, parents and students may sign into myGroton and refer to the Student/Parent Handbook.

• Q. What about linens and laundry?

  All students should bring a laundry bag or basket. Students may do their own laundry or use the E&R laundry service. 
  
  Washer/dryers are in each dorm and can be used with quarters or with the CSCPay mobile phone app. To use the app, install it and create an account linked to a credit card. The phone will connect to the machine via Bluetooth; you may scan the machine's QR code or enter the number on the front of the machine.
  
  E&R can wash sheets/clothing and dry clean, depending on the program selected. E&R collects laundry on Friday mornings and returns it to school on Tuesday mornings. If you sign up for E&R’s service, you need not provide linens or pillows, but many students prefer to bring their own bedding anyhow. (Mattresses are twin size, 74 inches long.)

• Q. Does my child need a cell phone?

  Though they are not required, most students carry cell phones.

• Q. What electronics should my child bring?

  Students should bring an alarm clock; they should not rely on their cell phone alarm because in some dorms phones are not permitted in the room after lights-out. A sturdy desk lamp is advisable too.
  
  More important is what they should not bring: TVs, coffee pots, hotpots, toasters, hot plates, refrigerators, rice cookers, and microwaves are not permitted and will be confiscated.
  
  Game systems and large computer monitors (typically used as movie or game screens) also are forbidden. Please help us keep your child focused in an age of potentially overwhelming distractions.

• Q. Can my child bring extra furniture?

  Each Upper School room is limited to one piece of extra furniture, and that piece must be approved by a dean. Lower Schoolers may not bring any extra furniture into their cubes. Heavy pull-out sofas are prohibited, as they cause considerable cosmetic damage to the dorm as they are lugged in and out of the dorm.
  
  All rooms have sufficient furniture, including a bureau with four or five drawers, closets, and shelves.

• Q. Can my child keep a bike on campus?

  Yes, but during the winter, all bikes must be stored in dormitory basements. During fall and spring, bikes must be locked into the bike racks around campus. If you bring a bike, you must bring a lock and a helmet.

• Q. Should students bring snacks?

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, each dorm will have a full-sized refrigerator and the Dining Hall will stock it with snacks. Students may bring a very limited supply of snacks from home, but this is not necessary. Most dorm kitchenettes have a sink and microwave.

• Q. Is there storage space in the dorms?

  Storage space is limited: please discourage your child from bringing unnecessary items and excessive amounts of clothing. If possible, do not bring clothing for all seasons at once.
  
  Students who must travel home by airplane are permitted a limited amount of storage space over the summer. For students who have items that do not fit in the allotted space, or for those who wish to store items over the summer despite their home's relative proximity to Groton, off-site storage is available, for a fee.

• Q. How do students handle money?

  Student ID cards are also debit cards that parents can preload with funding. Students may use the cards in the school store, athletic store, or to withdraw cash at the mailroom window. Parents can deposit to their child’s debit card accounts either online (throughwww.mykidsspending.com) or by writing a check to the school. More information is available on the Business Office page. Students may withdraw up to $30 per day and $50 per week. There is also an ATM.

• Q. How will my child receive mail?

  Each student has a mailbox in the mailroom. Stamps are sold at the mailroom window, and personnel can help students who need to use UPS or Federal Express. Every student has a Groton email account.

• Q. What if students lose something?

  Label everything. Every item should have your child’s name sewn, written, or etched on it. The school is not responsible for reimbursing people for lost or damaged articles, so students must care for and keep track of their belongings. Students should notify the Deans’ Office if they believe an item has been deliberately taken.

• Q. How will my child get home for vacations and Long Weekends?

  At the beginning of vacations and Long Weekends, the school sends buses to New York City, Connecticut, Boston, Logan Airport, and the Manchester (NH) airport. Most breaks begin at 11:30 a.m., so you must never schedule a departing flight before 2 p.m.

  Occasionally, athletic games or tournaments fall on the afternoon when vacations or Long Weekends begin, so please check with your child before finalizing travel plans.

  After vacations, buses return to school from New York City, Connecticut, Logan, and Manchester. See the Student/Parent Handbook for specific schedule information.

• Q. Can my child leave school a bit early?

  No. Please do not request early departures or late returns for vacations or Long Weekends. The school will not allow students flying abroad to depart from school on early morning flights; no student flying abroad may leave before classes end. If you anticipate difficulties, please contact one of the deans.

• Q. Can my child stay on campus during breaks?

  Students may not remain on campus during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Winter Long Weekend, and March vacations because school closes. Please make plans in advance and let the Deans’ Office know if you foresee any difficulty for your child. Students must not return before dorms officially reopen.

• Q. Can the school escort my child through the airport?

  Some airlines require that children under 15 be accompanied or escorted by someone 18 or older. Groton School cannot provide such an escort. Please research the airline you are using and contact a dean immediately if you foresee difficulty.

• Q. Can I hire the school bus company myself?

  At heavy travel times (vacations and Long Weekends), Yankee Line may not have the resources to provide individualized transportation, so please plan on having your child use the buses at the times we have organized. The visitor's guide offers some suggestions for transportation in special cases, when school-provided buses may not be available.