Day Student Life

Day students and their families add a tremendous amount to the richness of the Deerfield community. Since our origins as a simple country academy, Deerfield has always drawn students from the local population. Our day students are among our top scholars and athletes; they lead clubs and activities and often remain on campus until late evening to study and socialize with friends. Day students are welcome at all evening meals and are encouraged to stay with friends in the dorms on the weekends. In the event of inclement weather during the school week, we invite day students to spend the night.

The Academy is also supported by the presence of day student parents on campus. Young students many thousands of miles away from home cannot help but feel buoyed to see parents on the sidelines cheering for a team or applauding actors, dancers, and musicians. When day student families invite boarding students to their homes for a meal, a weekend, or an extended vacation stay, they are offering the familiar warmth of family life to a person far from home.

And yet, it can be challenging to be a day student in a “boarding” school. To that end, day students and their day student proctors are assigned to residential corridors and encouraged to attend weekly feeds and other dormitory functions. We also understand the effort families make on a daily basis to transport, support, and nurture their children. The Dean of Students office provides car pool lists, weather updates, and other timely and specific information for day student families.