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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

15 Great Nonfiction Titles to Read Aloud With Your Child

Posted by Katie Knuppel, Head of Primary School on Mar 6, 2019 10:11:30 AM

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-by Katie Knuppel, Head of Primary School

As parents and teachers, many of us gravitate toward reading stories rather than nonfiction. However, the truth is that children love reading nonfiction, especially when you are reading it aloud to them and can answer the many questions that bubble up. Nonfiction books are filled with information, and children are eager to understand the world around them. 

The nonfiction genre has so much to offer, and the benefits of reading nonfiction aloud are significant: research has shown that structured read-alouds with students even as old middle school age help to promote understanding and strengthen comprehension strategies, in the following ways:

• Nonfiction read-alouds boost vocabulary, providing rich new words for children to absorb in context and with illustrations. 

• Nonfiction books help children build content knowledge about things they cannot experience firsthand.

• Nonfiction texts tend to feature dense and abstract language that enriches a child’s language development in different ways than fiction.

• Finally, nonfiction reading actually supports fiction reading: a student who encounters a beluga whale in a fictional story, for example, will understand the story better if he or she has read an informational text about sea mammals first.  

Here's a short list of some of our favorite titles - we hope you enjoy them!

Balloons over broadwayBalloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
A tribute to the first creator of the giant helium balloons that fill the sky during the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade traces the work of pioneering artist Tony Sarg, whose innovative "upside-down puppet" creations have become the parade's trademark.

 

sit inSit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney
A 50th-anniversary celebration of the momentous Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in when four college students staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the growing Civil Rights Movement.

 

 

ivanIvan: the Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate
The true story of Ivan, known as the Shopping Mall Gorilla, who lived alone in a small cage for almost 30 years before being relocated to the gorilla habitat at Zoo Atlanta.

 

 

noisy paint boxThe Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock
An exuberantly illustrated introduction to the early life of abstract painter Vasya [Wassily] Kandinsky describes how his creative life was profoundly shaped by a neurological condition called "synesthesia," which caused him to experienced colors as sounds, and sounds as colors.

 

 

radiant childRadiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat  by J. Steptoe
Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon, unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message and art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful.

 

shark ladyShark Lady: the True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
At 9 years old, Eugenie Clark developed an unexpected passion for sharks after a visit to the Battery Park Aquarium in New York City. At the time, sharks were seen as mindless killing machines, but Eugenie knew better and set out to prove it. Despite many obstacles in her path, Eugenie was able to study the creatures she loved so much. From her many discoveries to the shark-related myths she dispelled, Eugenie's wide scientific contributions led to the well-earned nickname "Shark Lady.”

 

on a beam of lightOn a Beam of Light: a Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne
Follows the life of the famous physicist, from his early ideas to his groundbreaking theories.

 

 


one plastic bagOne Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia
by Miranda Paul
Tells the story of a Gambian woman who came up with a way to recycle the plastic bags that had littered the landscape in her nation, an act that saved the environment and transformed her community.

 

winnieWinnie: the True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker
When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear at a train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training during World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company's home town, and he brought her along to the military camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment's much-loved mascot. But who could care for the bear when Harry went to battle? Harry found just the right place for Winnie--the London Zoo. There a boy named Christopher Robin played with Winnie--he could care for this bear too!

 

separate is never equalSeparate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
Years before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old girl of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark desegregation case of 1946 in California.

 

 

owenOwen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff
The inspiring true story of two great friends, a baby hippo named Owen and a 130-year-old giant tortoise named Mzee (Mm-ZAY). When Owen was stranded after the Dec 2004 tsunami, villagers in Kenya worked tirelessly to rescue him. Then, to everyone's amazement, the orphan hippo and the elderly tortoise adopted each other. Now they are inseparable, swimming, eating, and playing together.

 

tree ladyThe Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever  by Joseph H. Hopkins
Katherine Olivia Sessions never thought she’d live in a place without trees. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees. Kate decided that San Diego needed trees more than anything else. So this trailblazing young woman singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today.

 

bravest dog everThe Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford
It is one of the worst storms ever - the snow has not stopped for days and it is 30 degrees below zero. But somehow Balto must get through. He is the lead dog of his sled team. And he is carrying medicine to sick children miles away in Nome, Alaska. He is their only hope. Can Balto find his way through the terrible storm? Find out in this exciting true story!

 

 


camping trip
The Camping Trip That Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks by Barb Rosenstock  
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of our national parks.

 

 

Galapagos George by Jean Craighead Georgegalapagos george
This is the story of the famous Lonesome George, a giant tortoise who was the last of his species, lived to be one hundred years old, and became known as the rarest creature in the world. His story gives us a glimpse of the amazing creatures inhabiting the ever-fascinating Galápagos Islands.

 

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

 

 

 

Topics: Elementary Learning

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