2021: Tidbits for Parents
The First Link Committee of the Deerfield Parents Network (DPN) has put together this list of “tidbits”—useful information that you’ll find helpful as your child gets ready to leave for school.
Deerfield Parents Network
The Deerfield Parents Network (DPN) was created a decade ago, in 2011, to enhance the partnerships among Deerfield parents and between parents and the Academy. As you know, schools no longer serve in loco parentis, “in the place of parents,” but rather a latere parentes, “alongside of parents,” and the goal of the Parents Network is to improve the Deerfield Experience for all students and families. All Deerfield parents and guardians are “automatically” members of the DPN.
The DPN Steering Committee is composed of 25-30 members and meets three times a year: during Fall and Spring Family Weekends, and mid-school year in January. The DPN is organized around five primary committees and responsible for an array of programs including:
Communications provides input to the weekly Deerfield Families FYI electronic newsletter; and reviews and updates the DPN web pages. For more information and to get involved please contact:
VP’s:
Events is focused on campus events—such as tours of Historic Deerfield and group hikes to the Rock during Fall and Family Weekends, regional welcome gatherings for new students and their families during the summer, and the Friday night year-end Senior party for all graduating students and their parents and guardians. For more information and to get involved please contact:
VP’s:
First Link is a mentoring program that welcomes and integrates new families to the Academy. For more information and to get involved please contact:
VP’s:
The Inclusion Committee helps to host all-community book reads, suggests potential parent panelists and keynote speakers for the Academy’s annual “MLK Day” (Martin Luther King Jr.) program, and a myriad of additional ways that the DPN can best support the Office of Inclusion and Community Life. For more information and to get involved please contact
VP’s:
The Nominating Committee thoughtfully and carefully considers potential Steering Committee candidates. For more information and/or to share suggestions for candidates, please contact
VP’s:
Brooke Spater
Oscar Anderson
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The Deerfield Parents Network (DPN) is an organization aimed at building partnerships among Deerfield parents, and between parents and the Academy.
Schools such as Deerfield no longer serve “in the place of parents,” but rather “along side of parents.” The goal of our Parents Network is to improve the Deerfield Experience for all students and their families through several initiatives. As a Deerfield parent, you are already part of the DPN. If you would like to help with any of the initiatives described here, or with new projects as they develop, please email the Deerfield Parents Network.
The DPN’s signature program is the First Link, which organizes contacts between current Deerfield parents and the families of newly-enrolled students each spring. Experienced parents offer words of welcome and share their knowledge of the workings of the school. The First Link program also encourages and helps organize gatherings of current and incoming families as one step to ease the transition to campus life.
Friday, August 13, 2021
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Thursday, August 12, 2021
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Fall 2021: Healthy Beginnings
As we enjoy the final weeks of summer, anticipation and excitement are growing for the beginning of the school year. We look forward to being back on Albany Road, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones; returning to our favorite places on campus and exploring new spaces. All the while keeping the school’s COVID […]
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Sunday, August 1, 2021
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Our 2021-22 Steering Committee
I am so pleased to share with you the DPN’s 2021-2022 Steering Committee. Please feel free to contact me or any of the DPN leaders. Elizabeth Darling P’15, ’16, ’22 DPN President ElizLeeDarling@aol.com Executive Committee President: Elizabeth Darling, Greenwich, CT (George ’22) VPs Campus Events: Elizabeth Brennan, Chesnut Hill, MA (Annabelle ’22 and Jack ’25) […]
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Families FYIs
The Deerfield Families FYI is emailed to all current families once a week.
Specific content varies, but every edition of the FYI contains important (and helpful!) reminders and notices for parents and guardians, announcements and information, and links to photos and videos that give everybody a fun glimpse into “life on campus.”
Accidentally deleted last week’s FYI? Just can’t find it in your inbox anymore? Here’s an archive of every edition that has been sent out so far this year. Enjoy! (And please feel free to reach out to the Deerfield Academy Communications Office if you have any questions. Thank you.)
The DPN provides parent-to-parent content for the Deerfield Families FYI e-newsletters throughout the year.
These newsletters are a great vehicle for sharing information and inviting informed parent involvement in the life of the Deerfield community. They are also the Academy’s primary means of sharing official “news and notices” with parents. Past DPN articles have included parent perspectives on the DA experience, tips for dealing with common challenges, and information that helps parents understand the array of supportive services at the Academy. Parent suggestions on topics of interest and parent perspective pieces are welcomed; please contact DPN Vice President for Communications Ana Centola P’21 with your suggestions.
The Parents Network also coordinates with student initiatives to serve the needs of the surrounding community and has sponsored campus beautification projects, with the help of parent volunteers, during Family Weekends. The DPN Steering Committee also holds annual meetings during Family Weekends, usually early on Saturday mornings; all current parents and guardians are welcome. If you would like to get involved in any of our programs, just ask! We welcome your participation. Go Big Green!
Important Dates
Please view the full academy calendar for the official and most up-to-date list of events, vacation start/end times, future year events, and more. You can download and print out an important-dates reminder card.
2021-2022 School Year
| August 30, 2021 | All Ninth Graders, New Students, and Titled Student Leaders Return |
| August 31, 2021 | All Returning Tenth Graders, Juniors, and Seniors Return |
| September 1, 2021 | First Day of Classes |
| September 5, 2021 | Convocation |
| October 22–25, 2021 | Fall Family Weekend |
| October 25, 2021 | Fall Term Holiday |
| November 19, 2021 | Fall Term Ends at Noon |
| November 30, 2021 | Winter Term Begins |
| December 16, 2021 | Winter Break Begins at Noon |
| January 4, 2022 | Winter Term Continues |
| February 3 at noon–February 7, 2022 | Long Winter Weekend (students return by 7:45pm on February 7) |
| March 4, 2022 | Winter Term Ends Spring Break Begins at Noon |
| March 21, 2022 | Spring Term Begins |
| April 22–23, 2022 | Spring Showcase |
| May 29, 2022 | Commencement |
| May 30, 2022 | Spring Term Ends at 2pm |
Note: For vacations and long weekends, students may not leave prior to their last regularly scheduled class, assessments, or cocurricular assignment; schedule changes should not be requested to accommodate travel plans. Dormitories close the day after school vacations begin and all students should arrange to be off campus by that time.
The First Link Program
The First Link program is part of the Deerfield Parents Network geared towards building new relationships among parents within the Deerfield community. Over the years, it has become an important and valuable tradition.
2021–2022 Steering Committee
Executive Committee
President:
- Elizabeth Darling, Greenwich, CT (George ’22)
VPs Campus Events:
- Elizabeth Brennan, Chesnut Hill, MA (Annabelle ’22 and Jack ’25)
- Tricia Stenger, Lafayette, CA (Kate ’22 and Lauren ’22)
VPs Communications:
- Steve Harrick ’89, Menlo Park, CA (Thomas ’23)
- Carlos Fierro, Jackson Hole, WY (Matthew ’22, Stella ’23, and Alexandra ’25)
VPs First Link:
- Meaghan Chorske, New York (Jack ’22 and Kate ’25)
- Stefanie Grosse, San Francisco, CA (William ’22 and Alexander ’22)
- Tracy Fauver, Bedford, NY (George ’22)
- Vanessa Willett, Westport, CT (Jack ’23)
VP Inclusion:
- Thomas Kainamura, Rocky Hill, CT (Max ’22)
- Lisa Kittredge, Amherst, MA (Kylie ’22 and Casey ’25)
- Judith McKie, Brooklyn, NY (Hannah ’22)
VPs Nominating:
- Brook Spatër, Topsfield, MA (Tom ’23 and Hadley ’25)
- Oscar Anderson ’88, New York, NY (Ismay ’22)
Steering Committee:
- Liz Anderson ’94, Greenwich, CT (Greer ’22 and Stone ’23)
- Rachel Baker, New Canaan, CT (Daly ’22 and Maeve ’23)
- Tom Bracken, Grosse Point, MI (Tessa ’24)
- Kristen Brown, Dayton, OH (Joe ’23)
- Terry Darling ’87, Greenwich, CT (George ’22)
- Stephanie Gallo, Modesto, CA (Amelia ’23)
- Vanessa Lewis, Bedford, NY (Andrew ’25)
- Janice Lin ’92, Hong Kong (Ocean Feng ’24)
- Leslee MacKenzie, Burlington, VT (Kate ’24)
- Colby McClure, Blufton, SC (Sloan ’23)
- Courtney Mokarow, Dallas, TX (Evie ’24)
- Alison Pappas, New York, NY (Teddy ’24)
- Laura Patton, Houston, TX (John ’23)
- Mary Read, San Francisco, CA (Brady ’24)
- Fabiola Rolfe, Greenwich, CT (Alexander ’24)
- Boris Wolfson, Amherst, MA (Ben ’24)
- Pat Moriarty, Deerfield, MA (Morgan ’22 and Conor ’24) – Faculty Rep
Trustee Liaison:
Diana Newton, Dallas, TX (Will ’22 and Thayer ‘24)
Frequently Asked Questions
The Deerfield Parents Network (DPN) is an organization aimed at building partnerships among Deerfield parents, and between parents and the Academy. Schools like Deerfield no longer serve “in the place of parents,” but rather “along side of parents.” The goal of the Parents Network is to improve the Deerfield experience for all students and their families through several initiatives.
The Deerfield Parents Network does not have a formal office. The network of parents, staff, and volunteers spans the globe.
Sending an email to dpn@deerfield.edu is a good first point of contact for general inquiries. We’ll help you get in touch with members to answer your questions or help you to get involved.
There are many ways for a parent to volunteer. You can join the First Link program; you can attend student performances or athletic events; or make a contribution in programs that benefit students and the Academy’s efforts to create the best environment for learning.