Boarding at CA

 

Our boarding students live in historic, family-style houses lining Main Street. Between 22 and 29 students live in each house, along with two or three sets of adult house faculty members. We call our dormitories “houses” because we feel strongly that the buildings themselves and the tone set within their walls create a cozy, comfortable, and homelike environment. All of our common rooms were completely renovated during the past few years, providing important community space in each house for casual get-togethers, house meetings, house dinners, and more!

Students of all ages live within each house, which allows friendships to be formed and learning to happen among all grades. CA boarding students get to know classmates from different backgrounds and cultures in the casual, comfortable atmosphere of our houses. Boarders also develop deep friendships with CA day students.

Lastly, our students will tell you that they are never bored. Throughout the year, a wide range of activities are organized within individual houses, around campus, and within the local historic community of Concord or more broadly in Boston and Cambridge. Students enjoy many activities such as house barbeques, hikes around Walden Pond, inter-house games, movie marathons, trips to Boston theaters and museums, and many other opportunities. Not only do these activities entertain our boarders and broaden their experiences, but they also reinforce house spirit and boarding camaraderie.

Explore Our Houses

“My favorite thing about the boarding community is the time spent together in the common room. Whether we are watching a movie, playing Just Dance, or having deep conversations, the common room creates a space for bonding. I also love house food. The faculty on campus so graciously will cook a treat for everyone in the house every Saturday. It is something we all look forward to.” 

– Luna Cabrera ’23
Boarding Student

“My favorite part of being a House Affiliate is being a part of the campus community and interacting with students and colleagues outside of the school day. The Town of Concord is a wonderful place to live, with a wonderful library, coffee shops, restaurants, bookstores, and other shops.

Michael Bennett
Performing Arts Department Head
and House Affiliate

House Faculty

 

CA’s house faculty are an integral part of the familial house environment, and they ensure that each boarding student is safe and well cared for. House faculty take supervision and safety very seriously, completing extensive training and working closely with the Health Center to best meet the needs of every single student under their care. The relationship between the house faculty, their own families (many have young children and pets), and the students is akin to the relationships within a big extended family. It is one of the many things that sets this amazing boarding program apart from others. Explore our list of House Faculty below (names listed clockwise from top left).

Admadjaja

Six faculty and staff members pose for picture on green lawn in front of a chapel.
  • Shawn Bartok Math Teacher
  • Kim Blodgett Visual Arts Teacher
  • Michael McSorley Director of Operations
  • Alyse Ruiz-Selsky 05 English Teacher, Director of Studies
  • Ben Stumpf 88 Computer Science Department Head, Visual Arts Teacher,
  • Julie Wadland Director of Admissions

Bradford

Six faculty and staff members pose for picture on green lawn.
  • Cory Chapman P’19 ’22 Math Teacher
  • Topi Dasgupta P’22 ’25 History Department Head, Co-Lead of the C&E Cohort Program
  • Justin Bull P’25 Visual Arts Teacher, English Teacher
  • Grace Delgado Resident
  • Kiley Remiszewski Science Teacher
  • Laurence Vanleynseele ’88, P’22 English Teacher

Haines

Five faculty and staff members pose for picture on green lawn.
  • Michael Bennett Performing Arts Department Head
  • Stephanie Manzella P’14 ’17 ’18 History Teacher
  • Mbakwe Okafor P’27 Director of Enrollment Management
  • Shep Shepard Senior Leadership and Planned Giving Officer
  • Sally Zimmerli P’23 History Teacher

Hobson

Five faculty and staff members pose for picture on green lawn.
  • Kim Frederick History Teacher
  • Nick Hiebert English Teacher
  • Kem Morehead Math Teacher
  • Sabrina Sadique English Teacher
  • Carmen Welton Modern and Classical Languages Department Head

Phelps

  • Annie Bailey P’25 Director of Residential Life
  • Mike Bouzan Athletic Facilities and Equipment Manager
  • Wenjun Kuai Mandarin Teacher
  • Monica Ripley Visual Arts Department Head
  • Will Tucker Science Department Head, Chemical Safety Officer, Scheduler Assistant

Wheeler

  • Nancy Boutilier English Teacher
  • Jessica Cloutier-Plasse Performing Arts Music Production Manager, Computer Studies Teacher, Visual Arts/Science Teacher
  • George Larivee Math Teacher
  • Andrew Stevens English Teacher
  • Zora Vermilya English Teacher

House Tours

Tour of Haines House

Tour of Phelps House

House Competitions

House competitions are fun ways for the boarding community to bond. They occur at various times during the year for houses to compete against each other for house points. Whichever house has the most house points by the end of the year wins free room inspections, a meal of their choosing, and bragging rights in front of the boarding community. These competitions vary, and some of the previous competitions have involved donut eating, newspaper fashion design, musical chairs, and lip-syncing. They’re great ways to bond as a house and foster camaraderie within the boarding community.

House Competition

Good to Know

What is essential for boarding students to bring?

You will receive a Boarding Packing List for necessary items. Please remember that students should label everything, including but not limited to books, clothing, devices, and all electronics, cameras, charging cords, calculators, etc. We recommend installing an electronic tracking app on any device (phones, computers, etc), such as “find my iPhone” in case something goes missing.

How do boarding students do laundry?

There are laundry machines on campus where students can clean their clothes at no cost. Students can also set up laundry service through our local vendor.

What about food? Are there snacks available?

Our dining service is open for three meals a day and serves a wide variety of food, including gluten-free and dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan offerings. The servery features a large salad bar with soups and organic offerings, panini presses, a grill, a sandwich station, and multiple healthy beverage options. Hot food is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the week and for brunch and dinner on the weekends. Twice a day, the dining staff provides snacks, during a break in the morning and at the end of the academic day.
Each house has a ”house store“ where boarders can purchase snacks each weeknight between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m. In addition, each student house has a full kitchen in which students may cook or bake with house faculty approval. Due to our proximity to town, students may walk to local eateries or a local grocery store during their free time. Each house has a communal refrigerator where a student may store food. On Saturday nights, the house faculty on duty makes a home-cooked snack for the students, which many students look forward to all week!

What happens during orientation weekend?

Our Orientation program is designed to help students transition and acclimate to a new school and, for some, a new country. After parents say good­bye on registration day, students are very busy and involved in orientation activities until the first day of school. We have found that in order to encourage students to make friends and adjust to living away from their parents, it works best not to have any additional scheduled time with parents outside of the allotted time during registration. But rest assured, your child will be well cared for throughout this transition. House faculty and student leaders offer extra support during the move-in process to make sure students feel comfortable and at home in their new space. For students who wish to purchase school supplies or additional items for their rooms, we offer several trips off campus so that they can pick up needed supplies within the first week of school. In addition, one of the benefits of being right in Concord Center is that students can walk to a multitude of stores. As part of our Orientation program, we give all new students a tour of Concord Center to help familiarize them with all of the local offerings.

Should boarding students have a cell phone?

We strongly recommend that students have cell phones. We use an online app-based system, called Orah, to assist with off-campus sign-outs, so having a cell phone will greatly improve each child’s ability to sign in and out. Students use their cell phones, computer, or other electronic devices to request permission to leave campus and indicate their whereabouts. Having a cell phone is also an excellent way for adults to reach a student if they need to connect, and for families and friends to stay in touch. At the beginning of the year, we ask students to program specific numbers into their phones so they can easily reach an adult on campus if they need to.

Can a boarder spend the night at a day student’s house?

Yes, boarders are encouraged to spend the night at a day student’s house when possible, as it can be a nice chance to connect with other families. The boarder must request permission for the overnight stay so that the house faculty can call the host to confirm plans. Please be aware that there are some weekends when boarders will need to stay on campus.

Discover the Town of Concord

History and Literature

Concord Academy is situated in the heart of Concord, Massachusetts. A town of literary and historic significance and the birthplace of both the Revolutionary War and the Transcendentalist movement, Concord became home to writers and intellectuals during the New England Renaissance in the mid-19th century. Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, and the Alcotts were among those who lived and wrote in Concord.

Concord Has So Much to Offer

Today, Concord offers museums, restored houses, and an abundance of significant landmarks including Walden Pond, the Robbins House, and the North Bridge Visitor Center. Restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, boutiques, a bookstore, and a number of specialty shops cluster together along Concord’s friendly streets. Concord is a lively community that takes pride in its dual role as a cultural center and suburban sanctuary.

Easy Access to Boston and Cambridge

The town’s proximity to Cambridge and Boston, 18 miles to the east, and its location on the MBTA commuter rail line, provide the CA community with access to the rich intellectual and entertainment offerings of a major metropolitan area.