Welcome Days

FAQ

• What should I do before Welcome Days?

  Please make sure that you complete your required Deans Office and Health forms, all of which are available in Veracross. New families received an email in July with a password to allow access to the required forms on Veracross. The following are the four forms that the Deans Office requires:

  • International Student Arrival with Complete Arrival at WNS – Sep 2023 Form (only on Student Portal)

  • Students Acknowledge receipt of Student/Parent Handbook

  • Parents Acknowledge receipt of Student/Parent Handbook

  • Emergency Contact Information

  Health forms are due July 31 and can be updated in the Magnus Health System. You should have received an email with the forms. If the student’s physical was scheduled for after July 31, you should send the school the results of the last exam.

  To ensure a safe and productive school environment, we require all members of our community to familiarize themselves with our newly-updated 2023-24 Student and Parent Handbook, which will be available after August 1. Once you have done that, please acknowledge its receipt on the Parent Portal. After you log in, select Student Handbook Permissions, click agree, then click “Save Policies” at the top of the page. This online acknowledgment form must be competed by parents and/or guardians by September 1.

  Students will also be required to fill out an acknowledgment form in their first advisory meeting.

  Textbooks can be ordered online here beginning July 15, or through a vendor of your choice. Students who purchase textbooks online and have them shipped to the Campus Store should pick up their textbooks during Welcome Days.

  Make sure you get all of the required summer coursework done. Information about Summer Reading and Course Preparation is on the website, here.

• Where can I find the summer coursework?

  Students can find their summer assignments on the summer coursework page.

• Where should I go first?

  Families should go to the Reed Campus Center and begin the Welcome Days process there. Click here for a campus map.

• Where do I park?

  There are larger parking lots on Payson Avenue, and behind Scott Hall and the Williston Theater. During move-in, families also may park on the driveway around the Quad. See our Visitor Info page for a campus map.

• What should I do if I'm going to be early or late for Welcome Days?

  Students are strongly encouraged to arrive on time, for their scheduled Welcome Day. Students with questions regarding travel assistance or arrival information should contact Coordinator of Student Services Jenna Motyka in the Deans Office at jmotyka@williston.com.

  International students are permitted to arrive the evening prior to their Welcome Day; please contact Ms. Motyka with details.

• When do I get keys to my dorm?

  Room keys and/or cards are issued during check in. A charge of $20 will be assessed for a lost key/card. A replacement key/card may be purchased at the Business Office after a lost key/card form has been obtained from the Deans Office. If the original key is returned, the Business Office will refund $10. If a room key is not returned at the end of the year, a $20 charge will be applied.

• What should I bring to school?

  Please see the Student and Parent Handbook for a complete listing of what to bring to school.

  For all students, Williston provides a Surface Pro through the Curricular Technology Program.

  For boarding students, Williston provides basic room furnishings: a bed, bureau, desk and straight chair, mirror, and curtains or shades. Only one piece of personal furniture, such as a chair, may be allowed per student in a room.

  Students should also bring: blankets, a pillow, sheets (twin XL size) and pillowcases, a mattress pad or cover, towels, study lamp, alarm clock (with battery back-up), hair dryer, razor, fan, small wastebasket, clothes hangers, and cell phone.

  Laundry service is available through E&R, The Campus Laundry, at www.eandrcleaners.com. Download this brochure for more information.

  The following items are not allowed in the dormitories: television, space heater, electric blanket, or halogen lamp.

• What clothes should I pack?

  Please refer to the dress code in the Student and Parent Handbook to guide you when packing for school. You can find this in your student or parent portal in Veracross.

• How do I get my Veracross username and password?

  New students and parents should have already received their usernames and passwords for Veracross, Williston’s learning management system. Parents, if you have forgotten your username or password, contact the Technology Office.

• When do I get my schedule for trimester 1?

  Schedules will be sent to families in late June, and can be found in Veracross. These are preliminary schedules and will continue to change over the summer.

  Final schedules will be available when students arrive in the fall.

• What do I do if I have questions about my schedule?

  If you have questions or concerns about your Upper School academic schedule, please contact the Academic Deans Office at (413) 529-3071 or by email kpolin@williston.com.

  If you have questions or concerns about your Middle School academic schedule, please contact Director of the Middle School Jen Fulcher by email.

• What do I do if I have questions about my dorm?

  David Koritkoski, the Dean of Students, oversees dormitory housing and assigns returning boarding students housing. He collaborates with the Admission Office when assigning housing to new boarding students.

  Each spring, current students state their preferences for rooming in the subsequent school year. Their choices are granted whenever possible based on seniority and previous rooming history.

  Room assignments are finalized in 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 form may be obtained from the Deans Office and must be signed by the student’s advisor, dormitory head, and the dean of students before a move will be considered or approved.

• How do I find my advisor?

  Advisors are listed on Veracross after August 15.

• Where do I find my textbooks and how can I order them?

  Physical books can be ordered here, or any bookseller of your choice. (Books are not sold in the Campus Store.)

  Books may be shipped to the school (20 Greenwood Court, Easthampton, MA 01027) in your student’s name and will be held at the Campus Store for pick-up and will be available at Welcome Days.

  If you have any questions, please contact Jane Hannigan in the Campus Store by phone at (413) 529-3240 or by email.

• Where can I find tuition statements?

  Tuition statements are available on the FACTS Management website. If you have any questions, please contact the Business Office at (413) 529-3289 or by email at boffice@williston.com. You also can refer to the email sent by the school’s controller in early July.

• When is Convocation?

  Convocation will take place on Friday, September 8.

  Students will sit by class in formal dress for the event. Class dinners will take place following Convocation.

• Where can I find information on local lodging and dining options?

  See our Visitor Information page.