Student Life
The Heart of Our School
Deerfield’s Student Life Office is grounded in the Academy’s core values, which emphasize face-to-face interactions and shared experiences, and our Community Pledge: “I will act with respect, integrity, and care for others.”
Through advisor pairings and dorm team assignments, “the SLO” helps to ensure that Deerfield’s faculty are, as legendary Headmaster Frank L. Boyden once noted, “much in evidence all of the time.” Deerfield teachers are sources of wisdom, support, care, and guidance, and with invested adults around them, Deerfield students are encouraged to embrace and explore the unknown.
Our pro-social approach, which leaves cell phones in student rooms during the class day, and seats students and adults together for family-style meals, leverages opportunities to be curious about and learn from peers with different backgrounds, fosters a culture of respect, and surfaces and celebrates joy while creating lasting friendships that endure well beyond graduation.
Residential Life
Residential life at Deerfield provides opportunities for students to live independently from their families while also providing structure, accountability, and fun.
Residential Life
Residential life at Deerfield provides opportunities for students to live independently from their families in a structured environment that promotes accountability and fun.
Throughout the year, conversations in the dorm—both formal and informal—provide moments for students to reflect on the Deerfield’s core values, health and wellness topics, and more. Faculty residents, with support from proctors and peer counselors, guide students through discussions and activities at moments in the year when the content is most relevant.
More than anything, Deerfield’s residential community provides a healthy environment for students to explore who they are and who they hope to become. With support from adults, students build relationships and flourish in our residential program.
Dormitories are arranged as “twins” and in quad formations with the goal of having brother-sister dorms and outside spaces for students to interact.
The Ninth Grade Village
Ninth graders all live together in the Ninth Grade Village, aka “The Village”, with girls in Johnson and boys in Doubleday. The dorms are connected by a giant common room. Each ninth grader has a roommate (or on occasion two roommates), which provides a great chance for students to cohabitate and learn to communicate effectively with peers.
Tenth graders all have single rooms and their dorms are coupled in the mirror / quad style.
Both ninth and tenth grade dorms have senior proctors: members of the senior class who are selected through a rigorous process. These student-leaders serve as role models and mentors for the younger students.
From our students
"When I arrived here, I felt for the first time in my life that I could truly be myself." - Myles '25
Juniors and Seniors
Juniors and seniors live together, also in single-sex mirrors / quads so that the older students can interact with one another with ease. Peer Counselors, a group of 16 juniors and seniors, are scattered throughout the dorms, and they serve as sources of additional support for their peers. These leaders are trained through our Health Center team and are a great resource to the community.
Each hall has a faculty resident and faculty associate; faculty residents live on the hall, and the associate may live elsewhere on campus. Students get to know these adults well, and they provide support to students for issues big and small. Additionally, there are nine Residential Heads, who work across campus to ensure that students and adults are supported and that there are ample opportunities for dorm-wide snacks, fun, and educational activities.
Residential Education
Deerfield’s more formal Residential Life education program is also rooted in the Community Pledge, which means conversations are centered on care, respect, and integrity. Once a term, students in the dorm engage in discussions or activities that allow them to reflect on these characteristics, and they are asked to think about their relationships with others in the Deerfield community and beyond. We schedule these events at appropriate times in the year when students can fully digest the information.
In that spirit, in the spring of senior year, members of the graduating class participate in our Transition to College series. This three-part workshop is designed to help them think about what new experiences they will face once they leave the Academy. In one session, we bring recent graduates back to talk about their college experiences; in another, the topic is health and wellness issues in college; and overall, we seek to increase awareness for the seniors of what their next adventure might bring.
Advising
At Deerfield, faculty advisors play an integral role in students’ experiences. They are knowledgeable, caring mentors and sources of guidance and support for students and families alike.
To ensure frequent opportunities for relationship-building, new boarding students are paired with members of their faculty dorm teams, and new day students are paired with one of their classroom teachers.
Thereafter, returning students are paired with an advisor of their choosing. This approach acknowledges that important and meaningful relationships between students and faculty can develop across a range of contexts, from the theater to a sit-down table, and what matters most is a natural connection between student and advisor.
Advisors at Deerfield also serve as resources for parents and guardians. Advisors communicate with families about academic planning and extra-curricular opportunities, and they’re also engaged with students and their families through challenges, successes, and celebrations.
Leadership
Deerfield provides students with numerous opportunities to develop, practice, and apply their leadership skills through both formal and informal roles. Whether serving as a proctor in a ninth or tenth-grade dormitory, supporting peers as a counselor, captaining athletic teams or dance programs, or leading student organizations such as the Student Council or the Deerfield Scroll, students are encouraged to take on responsibilities that foster teamwork, initiative, and accountability.
Leadership is also emphasized through service, and there are many opportunities to engage through the Office of Inclusion and Community Life and the Center for Service and Global Citizenship. A variety of trainings and leadership experiences help students explore leadership beyond titles, encouraging them to take initiative, support their peers, and contribute to our school’s vibrant culture. Through these diverse opportunities, students not only develop their leadership styles but also learn to inspire others and make meaningful contributions to the Deerfield community and beyond.
International Students
When they arrive on campus, all young people are welcomed first and foremost through their shared identity as Deerfield students. At the same time, we recognize that our international students may benefit from additional supports as they adjust to a new time zone or even to a new language. International Student Coordinator Lina Samawi anticipates these moments and begins working with international students and families before they even arrive for orientation in August. Via Zoom, newsletters, and virtual introductions to advisors and administrators, Ms. Samawi helps students and their families anticipate the transition to life at Deerfield, and after those early weeks of school, she continues to gather international students for monthly “teas” and conversation.
More broadly, Deerfield celebrates its rich international culture through celebrations of special holidays, events, traditions and meals in the dining hall.
Forms and procedures
Meet the Team
Brian Barbato
Sam Bicknell
Heather Brown
Trevon Bryant
Amie Creagh
Jen Daily
Bob Howe
Kevin Kelly
Steven Lee
Becca Melvoin
Connor Merrill
Amanda Percival
Drew Philie
