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Fast Facts

Founded in 1866, Fay serves 475 students in Pre-K through grade nine on its 66-acre campus in Southborough, Massachusetts.

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Mission & Philosophy

The mission of Fay School is to educate each child to his or her full potential through a broad, balanced, and challenging program that establishes a solid foundation for a productive and fulfilling life.

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The Power of Tradition

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Welcome

Fay's admission team is available to help you with every step of the admission process. Find out more here.

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Applying

Click here to read about the steps for admission to our Primary, Lower, and Upper Schools.

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Admission Events

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Secondary School Counseling

Fay's graduates are coveted by secondary schools, who welcome our students' strong skills, interests, and commitment to their communities. Find out how our secondary school counselors help each student find a school that's the right fit.

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Effort Grades

A unique hallmark of Fay's program is our system of effort grades, which emphasizes focus, determination and follow-through.

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Distinguished Faculty

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Athletics Facilities

Take a virtual tour of Fay's athletic facilities, which include a 36-acre athletic campus, gym, batting cages, basketball courts, and more.

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Coaches

Fay’s coaching staff is composed of faculty and staff as well as outside specialists, who are committed to supporting our athletes in an atmosphere of challenge and fun.

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Everyone Plays

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The Spirit of Creativity

Fay students build creativity and confidence through courses in art, music, drama, and dance.

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Arts Facilities

See our studios, classrooms, practice spaces, and performance venues.

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Visit our Virtual Gallery

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Character Matters

Fay students learn and grow in a community that emphasizes responsibility, respect, inclusion, empathy, and effort.

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Global Community

Fay welcomes students from across the United States and 20 countries. Find out what it's like to be part of a global community.

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Circles of Connection

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Diversity and Inclusion

At Fay, diversity is an asset, an experience, and a process. We believe that a broad range of experiences and viewpoints enhances learning and enriches life.

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After-School Programs

Fay offers an extended day program until 6:00 pm and a rich array of after-school clubs for music, art, athletics, science, and more.

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Leadership

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Living on Campus

Boarders at Fay enjoy busy days that are structured and well supervised, but also full of friendship, warmth, and fun.

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Meet Our Dorm Parents

Our dorm parents are Fay faculty, staff, and coaches - all specially trained to meet the needs of middle school boarding students.

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Why Boarding at Fay?

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The 2016-17 Fay Fund

The Fay Fund makes up 8% of Fay's annual operating budget and helps fund educational programs, facilities, and books and supplies. Give now!

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Ways to Give

There are many ways to help Fay continue to provide an extraordinary educational experience for every student

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Give Online

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Fay School Blog

Making a Difference: How to Get Your Kids Involved in Meaningful Community Service

Posted by Fay School on Dec 15, 2017 10:03:00 AM

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Most parents will agree that developing empathy and kindness in their children is just important as fostering cognitive and self-care skills. But families’ busy lives often get in the way, and community service often makes it onto the list of “would be nice if we had the time.”

Service shouldn’t have to feel like a chore - or, worse yet, merely one more box to check off on your child’s private school or college application. Meaningful service opportunities are everywhere if you know where to look.

Hands-on Service Opportunities

Finding a school that makes service learning a priority is one way to get started. Here at Fay, for example, part of our mission is to inspire students to go out into the world and make a positive difference. To that end, our teachers have moved beyond the traditional bake sale fundraiser (though we do those too, occasionally) to incorporate opportunities for meaningful service into our curriculum at all grade levels. The organizations listed below welcome individual volunteers, so you can contact them directly if you’re interested in getting involved.

  • Our Primary School students take a day trip to Cradles to Crayons, a local nonprofit that collects and distributes clothing and school supplies to disadvantaged children--and that offers hands-on opportunities for young children to actively help with sorting clothes and toys.
  • In Lower School, students spend time picking and planting at the Community Harvest Project, a nonprofit farm in North Grafton, Mass where students help to tend and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables for those experiencing hunger in the local community. 
  • In Upper School, our students spend one week of the school year engaged in community service. Seventh graders volunteer their time at local farms and other nonprofits. Eighth graders travel to New York City, where they volunteer at food banks and soup kitchens through the Youth Service Opportunities Project. And ninth graders travel to the Dominican Republic, where they spend a week teaching English in a local school through the nonprofit Outreach 360.

Julie Porrazzo, the director of Fay’s educational program, stresses that the value of community service and service learning lies in the sentiment behind the experience. “It’s not about feeling bad for someone,” she notes. “It’s about creating a human connection to an issue and understanding that everyone needs a roof over their head, clothes, and food.” Bringing kids to a local food pantry or encouraging them to organize or contribute to a can drive at school can create that same important connection.

Harness Your Child's Hobbies and Interests

Another great way to explore service is by connecting it to your child’s interests. Athletes and non-athletes alike at Fay enjoy volunteering at the Special Olympics basketball tournament that the school hosts each year. Our boarding students with a creative bent or an interest in building have enjoyed participated in Habitat for Humanity’s Operation Playhouse project, where they build and decorate children’s outdoor playhouses for families in need and local charities.


Group Service Opportunities

Encouraging children to volunteer their time as a group can be another valuable way to incorporate service experiences. Music groups can share their talents at a local hospital, or a sports team can volunteer their time together at a food bank or community clean-up day. It’s a great way to expose kids to service and creates a bonding experience for the group. At Fay, our Upper Schoolers have forged a connection with the Southborough Senior Center and have hosted musical events where the seniors participate in a sing-along with our students as well as academic events where seniors have shared their experiences of living through a time of war.

Want to get going today? Start small! As a family, you can also gather outgrown clothing, books, and toys together and take them to a local charitable organization that accepts donations. “We do that in my family,” says Julie, “and we talk about how we’re not going to donate ripped or broken things because it's about having respect for everybody as human beings.” She adds, “One of the greatest benefits of service is that children can learn other people’s stories and develop a better understanding the different perspectives that we all have.”


Want to learn more about Fay School? Let us know!

 

 

Topics: Elementary Learning, Middle School Learning, Service Learning

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