House System

Where A House Is A Home

When it comes to raising children, no model is better than the family. We try to replicate home life through our House System. All boarders live in a house in which houseparents and a “family” of 12-15 students create a second home. Most houseparents are faculty members. The houses include homey touches like porches, fireplaces, dogs, and faculty children longing to adopt big brothers and sisters.

Each house also includes the amenities for comfortable living. Students usually live in doubles. In addition to a beds, desk and plenty of space for clothes and personal items, each room contains two telephone lines and two Internet ports. The houses also have laundry facilities and a commons room with a television and microwave.

At some day/boarding schools the boarders feel left behind at the end of the day. Not at SAS. Day students seem to be on campus almost as much as the boarding students and frequently participate in weekend actvities or school-sponsored trips. Each boarder is placed in a group with 8-10 students and matched with a Mountain Family (the family of a day student) for home-cooked dinners and outings. The students really appreciate the opportunity for a change of scenery. Boarding students are regularly invited to spend an evening or weekend off-campus with day friends and their families, and the invitation is often reversed for long weekends or breaks.