Avon Parents

Page Title

Congratulations Parents and Families!

Welcome to the storied lineage of Avon.

Mission Statement: We strive to be the best college preparatory school for boys by cultivating young men of integrity, who honor wisdom, justice, inclusion, service, and the pursuit of truth.Your son—your entire family— has worked hard to achieve this milestone. Your son has the opportunity to be grafted into our renowned brotherhood: you are welcomed to be involved, be informed, and be heard. As vital members of the distinctive heritage conceptualized by our founder, Theodate Pope Riddle, and advanced by our innovate and thoughtful faculty, you play a key role in the advancement of our mission.

Your son will be inspired in his home at Avon Old Farms... read for yourself:

Parent and Family FAQs

How do I know what is going on at Avon?

Type of Communication	How	When
2 Week Rundown: A quick-grab overview of important information that is happening at the School. You may access previous versions on the Parents Page.	Email	Every two weeks
News, Calendar, and Athletic Feeds: Sign up for email or text alerts and calendar feeds via our website.	Website	Ongoing
Parents Page Announcements: Sign up to receive email or text alerts for important news. You can also bookmark the Parents Page on your mobile device!	Website	Ongoing
Academic Information: You may access the student portal at any time. Academic deans and/or advisors will communicate to you via email as needed.	Portal; Email	Ongoing
Student Outreach Events: Subscribe to the calendar feed on the Avon Outreach website page.	Website	Ongoing
Social Media: We post engaging stories and photos on our social media channels almost daily!	Facebook Instagram Twitter	Ongoing

Can I have the insiders guide to Avon lingo?

Dress Code

Vespers Dress

gray slacks
navy blue blazer with the Avon Old Farms patch
pressed white shirt
school tie
dress socks
shined black shoes

Vespers Dress is worn by students on Sunday evenings during Vespers Service in the chapel. On occasion, students will be required to wear Vespers Dress during the day to class. Students who participate in admissions service, chorale, honors chorale, or Riddlers are required to wear Vespers Dress during concerts or events.

Classroom Dress

dress pants or shorts (shorts may be worn certain times of the year based on the the decision of school leadership)
blazer
button down long sleeved collared shirt
tie
socks
dress shoes

Classroom Dress is the normal dress code at Avon Old Farms. Classroom Dress is worn during the school day, at sit-down dinners, and during morning meeting or chapel.

Smart Casual Dress

dress pants or shorts (shorts may be worn certain times of the year based on the the decision of school leadership)
button down long sleeved collared shirt
socks
dress shoes

Smart Casual Dress is the dress-down of Avon Old Farms. Smart Casual Dress is only worn during buffet meals and certain school functions.

Meetings

Morning Meeting

Students and faculty gather together before the school day to give and receive information and for a brief inspirational message from school leadership.

Chapel

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Morning Meeting is held in the chapel for the majority of students. During this meeting, either a student or faculty member will give an inspirational story relevant to his or her life.

Vespers Service: On Sunday evenings, Vespers service is held in the chapel for boarding students. Students listen to an inspirational message from a non-religious standpoint.

Enrichment

Enrichment is one of the unique academic advantages Avon Old Farms provides students. After dinner from 6:45 - 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, teachers are available in their offices to answer questions and give students extra help. In order to balance student and teacher availability, Monday and Wednesday nights are reserved for the teachers in the Science and English departments and Tuesday and Thursday are reserved for History and Mathematics.

Events

Boars Head

Boars Head is our annual holiday celebration that includes a scripted, interactive play and a sit-down feast.

Intersession

Intersession begins after students come back from winter break and involves students taking classes that are atypical to regular school-year classes. Intersession lasts a week and a half and has courses ranging from fly fishing to building the perfect March Madness bracket. Students often take field trips pertaining to their course.

Learn More About Intersession

Headmaster and Founder's Day

Headmaster Day is a spontaneous day off from class twice a year given by the Headmaster. The date of the holiday is unknown to the students and faculty until morning meeting on the day when the headmaster reveals it at the end of the meeting. Similarly, the date of Founders Day is also unknown to the student body and is spontaneously initiated by the Headmaster. However, on Founders Day, students are required to stay on campus and enjoy the beauty that Avon Old Farms has to offer. The Founders Day tradition was written in the deed of trust by our founder, Theodate Pope Riddle.

Campus

Visit the different categories of this interactive map for the names of the buildings and points of interest on campus.

I have a question, who do I contact?

Faculty and Staff

Keyword First Name Last Name Department

Quick Contacts

Academic Questions	Contact Information
Grade 9 Course Selection	Trevor Stern Academic Dean sternt@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4512
Grades 10 and 11 Course Selection	Jill Harrington Academic Dean harringtonj@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4176
Grades 12 and PG Course Selection	Robert Dowling Jr. '91 Provost dowlingr@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4264
College Counseling	Jonathan Crocker Director of College Counseling crockerj@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4221

Student Life Questions	Contact Information
Airport Shuttle Packing List Dress Code Student Permissions	Barbara Kaylor Administrative Assistant to Associate Headmaster kaylorb @avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4242
Facilities	Cindy Tartaglia Facilities Coordinator tartagliac@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4193
Health Center	Heather Callaghan Director of Nursing healthcenter@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4234
Dorm Room Assignments/Policies	Brian Doyle Dean of Students doyleb@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4218
Student Bank & ATM	Dawn Driggs Accounts Receivable Coordinator driggsd@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4219

Technology and Portal Questions	Contact Name
Technology	Peter Deckers Associate Director of Information Technology deckersp@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4251

Athletics Questions	Contact Name
Teams Requirements Impact Testing	John Bourgault Director of Athletics bourgaultj@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4228 Geoff Barlow Director of Athletics barlowg@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4245

Athletics Questions

Contact Name

Teams
Requirements
Impact Testing

John Bourgault
Director of Athletics
bourgaultj@avonoldfarms.com
860-404-4228

Geoff Barlow

Director of Athletics

barlowg@avonoldfarms.com

860-404-4245

Where do I find the calendar for next year?

Boarding School FAQs

Is it true there is little to no free time each day for my student to relax and just hang out with their friends?

As a parent, will I have the opportunity to be involved with my child’s education and community, even if they are far away?

Absolutely. Each school has different programs for parental involvement and interaction, but all schools recognize the critical role that parents play in their child’s development during their school years. There are typically many opportunities to visit campus and catch up with your student. While some schools do have policies against cell phone and social media usage, we find that those students quickly adapt to a new schedule full of interesting activities and rarely miss their devices.

What channels of communication exist at boarding schools if my child needs to speak with someone confidentially about an issue with a teacher or fellow student?

Will boarding school prepare my child for real life – to face challenges and have a successful career?

Do all students who go to Avon go on to attend college?

My son is a great kid, but hasn’t applied himself in school. I know he could be successful if he just had the right environment that would challenge and support him. What’s the advantage of an all-boys boarding school?

Risk takers by nature, boys find a new comfort level with nontraditional subjects and activities when they are encouraged to do so by trusted mentors within the safety of a close-knit community. Young men, who may not step up in the presence of girls, take on leadership roles at all-boys schools, often heading community service programs or serving as mentors to younger students. Learn more about the ways that all-boys boarding schools teach students based on the way they learn best.

Overview

Parents of Avon

Parents of Avon is the parent and family association that promotes camaraderie and a sense of community among Avon families and friends and enhance the academic, athletic, and extracurricular experiences of the Men of Avon.

Parent Email Archive

What I love about Avon...

"I love everything about Avon. Avon boys are the best, but what I love most about Avon is how my son’s advisor, teachers, and coaches all support and challenge him to be his best. That’s the difference. At Avon, I have always felt that there are so many special people genuinely caring for my son, helping him to do the most with his talents and interests and showing him new ones he did not realize he had. That’s the Avon experience."

~ Sarah Gardella, Parent, Class of 2019