Head of School

Steve Armstrong, appointed 2018

Mission

The Fessenden School cultivates each boy’s talents and develops in balance his character, mind, and body in an inclusive and joyful community.

Faculty

90 faculty members, with an average tenure of 15 years
70% hold advanced degrees

Student Profile

Students come from 13 countries, 12 states within the US, and 37 communities in MA
24.6% students of color (inclusive of our international boarding population)

School Spirit

Nickname: Fessy

School Colors: Red & Gray

Mascot: Bear

Motto: Labor Omnia Vincit (Work Conquers All)

Guiding Principles and Values

Honesty, Compassion, and Respect

Enrollment

Total: 511

Boarding: 100

Day: 411

Lower School (Pre-K-Gr. 4): 197
Middle School (Gr. 5-6): 109
Upper School (Gr. 7-9): 205
Average Class Size: 12

General Facts

Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 9
Oldest all-boys, junior boarding school in U.S.
Seven and five-day boarding options available in Grades 5-9
41-acre campus in metropolitan Boston
Academically challenging curriculum structured to educate and foster the specific learning styles of elementary and middle school boys
Character education infused program
21 Middle and Upper School athletic offerings (competitive, intramural and recreational)
18 elective offerings, such as robotics, video production, woodworking, and performing and technical theater arts
Parents Association (PA) offers a broad range of volunteer opportunities in conjunction with faculty, staff and parents
13 musical groups
7 theatrical productions per year

Day Entry Points

Pre-K
Kindergarten
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8

Occasionally openings do become available in other grades too. Please call Admissions (617‑630‑2300) to inquire.

Learning Resources

Items in library – approximately 20,000 (including print and electronic books, audiobooks, other digital media and instructional devices such as iPads, Chromebooks, and Kindles)
Comprehensive English Language Learners (E.L.L.) program serving approximately 22 international students
SmartBoards/digital projectors in all classrooms
1:3 MacBooks in Pre-K through Grade 4; 1:2 iPads in Pre-K through Grade 3; 1:1 iPads in Grade 4, 1:1 Chromebooks in Grades 5-9
“My Fessy” access to personalized web-based communications tool for students, parents, faculty and alumni

Secondary School Counseling

Fessenden students, diverse in talents, interests and families priorities, matriculate at a wide range of outstanding day and boarding secondary schools. Two full-time placement officers work with our students and families to identify the best fit for each boy.

Schools that enrolled Fessenden students over the past five years. The number in parenthesis indicates the number of students enrolled during this period:

Beaver Country Day School (14)
Belmont Hill School (9)
Berkshire School (2)
Blair Academy (1)
Brewster Academy (3)
Brimmer & May School (1)
Brooks School (12)
Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School (6)
Choate Rosemary Hall (6)
Church Farm School (2)
Commonwealth School (3)
Concord Academy (11)
Cushing Academy (1)
Deerfield Academy (13)
Dexter Southfield School (9)
Dublin School (1)
Episcopal High School, VA (3)
Gann Academy (4)
Governor’s Academy (6)
Groton School (5)
Hill School (1)
Hotchkiss School (7)
Kent School (2)
Kents Hill School (1)
Lawrence Academy (7)
Lawrenceville School (6)
Loomis Chaffee School (10)
Mercersburg Academy (2)
Middlesex School (10)
Millbrook School (4)
Milton Academy (17)
New Hampton School (1)
Noble & Greenough School (19)
Northfield Mount Hermon School (3)
Northwood School (1)
Peddie School (1)
Phillips Academy (Andover) (21)
Phillips Exeter Academy (18)
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (2)
Rivers School (10)
Roxbury Latin School (3)
Saint James School, MD (1)
Salisbury School (3)
St. Andrew’s School, DE (4)
St. George’s School (3)
St. Mark’s School (15)
St. Paul’s School (8)
St. Sebastian’s School (5)
Suffield Academy (9)
Tabor Academy (7)
Taft School (4)
Thayer Academy (2)
Westminster School (5)
Williston Northampton School (6)
Woodberry Forest School (1)

Residential Program

Boarding student-to-residential faculty ratio – 2:1
Weekend Program activities chaperoned by residential faculty each year – more than 800
Number of activities offered to boarders each weekend – 20-25
Dormitory families living on each dormitory floor – 2

Financial Assistance* – $3.4 million

Percentage of Operating Budget – 13.3%
Students receiving assistance – 101 (19.8% of the 511 total enrollment)

*Inclusive of tuition remission

General Finances

Operating Budget – $25.6 million
Endowment – $48 million

Alumni

Number of alumni with whom we are in contact – 4,800

Fessy Facts