A list of the required and optional summer reading and course work is on our summer course work page. Please keep in mind that certain summer work is for all students in a grade, but other work on the list depends on whether students are in an honors class or taking an elective. Confirmation of your child’s courses for next fall will be communicated over the summer by the Academic Dean’s office. If you have questions on this process, please contact Kim Polin.

What To Bring

• blankets
• pillow
• sheets (twin XL size) and pillowcases
• mattress pad or cover
• towels
• laundry bag, detergent, and quarters (laundry service is also available through E&R, The Campus Laundry, at www.eandrcleaners.com.)
• study lamp
• alarm clock (with battery back-up)
• computer monitor (27” or less in size)
• hair dryer
• razor
• fan
• small wastebasket
• clothes hangers
• cell phone

What To Leave At Home

Use of the following items is not allowed in
the dormitories for energy conservation and because of the danger of electrical overload and fire:

• refrigerator
• television
• space heater
• electric blanket
• halogen lamp
• non-fire retardant furniture
• battery-powered hoverboards

For more detailed information on packing and dorm rooms, see our Student & Parent Handbook, available in your Veracross portal (login required).

The associate dean of students, who oversees housing and makes dormitory assignments, collaborates with the Admission Office when assigning housing to new boarding students. Students are asked to fill out a roommate questionnaire (download PDF).

Each spring, current students state their preferences for rooming in the next school year. Their choices are granted whenever possible, based on seniority and previous rooming history. Room assignments often are not definite until late August. After the school year begins, every effort is made to keep rooming assignments for the year and students should seek the counsel of dorm heads, proctors, and the deans when there is disagreement or discontent. Following those conversations, if the situation continues to be unresolved, a room change request may be made to the Dean’s Office and conversations will follow with the student’s advisor, dormitory head, director of housing, and the dean of students before a move will be considered or approved.

All course books can be ordered online through the school’s vendor (MBS Direct) or any bookseller of your choice. (Please remember books are not sold in our Campus Store.) If your child is taking a course that requires digital books, you can order them through the same website. Please note that some digital books may not be available for download until September.

Visit our Books page for more detailed information.

You can find the handbook in the lower left on the main page of your Parent Portal. If you have forgotten your password to login, you can reset it on the landing page.

Students have two options when it comes to laundry:

• There are coin-operated machines in each dormitory.
• There is a laundry service that families can subscribe to.

Williston and E&R – The Campus Laundry have partnered to provide laundry service for students. E&R offers two programs: “Look Sharp” and “Just the Basics.” The details of these programs as well as their policies and procedures are provided in a brochure mailed to families each August. Families may phone, fax, or mail their registration information, or register online (see form below). Registration for either E&R service should be completed in August in order to receive discounted rates.

Over the years, E&R has provided reliable, professional and top quality service to Williston students. Contact E&R’s School Customer Service Office at (800) 243-7789 with any questions or visit the company’s website. During the school year Williston’s Campus Store staff are also available to help at (413) 529-3270.

• E&R Laundry service enrollment form (pdf)

Mail is posted for all Upper School students in their assigned campus boxes at the Reed Campus Center daily.

Note: The City of Easthampton’s post office has designated the location for student mail. Do not use “The Williston Northampton School” or student’s dorm name in the address. Mail or packages should be addressed as follows:

Student Name
20 Greenwood Court # ___ (Fill in student’s box #)
Easthampton, MA 01027

To see any personal information about your child, log into your password-protected Parent Portal. Once there you can see your child’s daily schedule, grades, homework assignments, plus access a variety of parent forms and resources. You should have already received login information as a current family, but if you have forgotten your password (hey, it happens), you can reset it on the login page. If you have other difficulties logging in, please contact our Technology Department.

The Afternoon Program is an integral part of the Williston experience. The program is required for Upper School students, boarding and day, each trimester. Depending on their grade level, students choose either group or independent options, which range from athletics to dance to music. You can see a complete list of choices in your Parent Portal.

The following is a review of the expectations for the various grade levels:

• Twelfth-graders must select a minimum of one group option.
• Ninth-, tenth-, and eleventh-graders must select a minimum of two group options.
• Eighth-graders must participate for two trimesters in two different group options.
• Seventh-graders have no requirement for participation.
• All new Upper School students must sign up for a group option in the fall.

Students receive an ID (Sammy Card) during the opening days of school. More than just a student identification card, it features a prepaid spending account (Button Bucks), offering a safe and secure method for students to make cashless purchases. The card can be used on campus at the Campus Store and the Stu-Bop snack bar, in vending machines on campus, at the library and Health and Wellness Services, and for events organized by the Student Activities Office. It is also accepted at a growing number of Easthampton businesses and by the school’s online textbook vendor. Parents have the option to set up a recurring allowance for their children linked to a Visa or MasterCard account. If the Sammy card is damaged or destroyed, the student is responsible for replacing it through the Business Office for a $25 fee. Parents and students have 24/7 online access to their Button Bucks account by registering at the Button Bucks Cardholder Account Center. Please visit our Business Office page for more information.

Become a Williston Northampton School Parent Ambassador

Parent ambassadors bring valuable support to the school and play an important role in advancing the school’s goals, priorities, and mission. Your commitment as an ambassador enhances the education and experience for every Williston student.

Here are some of the ways you can get involved:

• Host a Williston reception for admission for prospect students (contact admission office), or a regional reception for parents, alumni, and friends (contact advancement office)
• Attend an Open House for prospective Williston families and speak with them about your experiences at the school (contact admission office)
• Be a social media ambassador for Williston–spread the word by liking, commenting, and sharing posts on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter!

We thank you in advance for your time and energy!

Click here for our Travel Services document; there, you’ll find a list of options and costs, as well as a schedule for the coming school year as it relates to this kind of travel.

Williston also partners with Michael’s Limousine for van services to airports and train stations. See their pricing here.

Because Williston has many boarding students and faculty who live on campus, classes and the Afternoon Program are rarely cancelled due to weather. That said, the safety of students and families is our main concern, so please use your best judgment in deciding whether to drive in bad weather. If your child uses Williston’s morning transportation vendor—Michael’s Limousine— to get to school, please note that unless the state or other authorities shut down the roadways, the transportation service will run. Weather-related cancellations, delays, or schedule changes will be sent to you and your child by text. To ensure our messages reach you, please make sure we have your correct cellphone number before it snows. To do this, log in to your Parent Portal. Click on “Update My Household Profile” on the left, then scroll down to “My Personal Contact Information,” where you can edit and save your information. The school will also post weather-related delays and cancellations on Channel 22 (WWLP) and Channel 40 (ABC40/Fox6).

If you decide to delay your child’s arrival to school or keep them home due to the weather, please contact the Deans Office (Upper school) or Linda Kretchmar (Middle School).

Certain campus buildings (for example, the library, gym, or campus center) stay open late on weekends to give day students places to change and store belongings while they participate in evening events. To access buildings after the class day, students need to swipe in with their Williston IDs. To see a full list of building hours, refer to the Student Handbook in your Parent or Student Portal. Please note that building hours are subject to change; if a change occurs, the Deans’ Office will notify students via email.

The campus will be closed during the year’s three long breaks: in November, over Winter break, and in March. (See the school calendar and Travel Dates document for those dates.) During those times, students may not stay on campus. Students may stay in the dorms for one night after the break begins to catch early morning flights. Please see our Travel Services document for details regarding transportation services.

Does your student have a birthday coming up? Want to thank a teacher or coach for their effort? Or just want to let them know you’re thinking of them? SAGE Dining is offering a new program called Gifts From Home, where you can order cookies or cakes and send them directly to someone on campus. SAGE’s amazing baker Maureen will make each order from scratch and the delicious treats will be delivered right to the recipient’s dorm or office. Please allow two business days for all orders. To place an order, simply email this form to diningservices@williston.com. Someone will contact you by phone for payment processing. If you have any questions, contact Chris Couchon at (413) 529-3235.

Williston recommends that all members of our community receive the full course of the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters, and continues to follow CDC recommendations for any positive cases. As always, we monitor any developments, and will make adjustments to our protocols as needed.