Boarding Basics - Garrison Forest School, Inc.

Boarding Basics - Garrison Forest School, Inc.
Boarding
Basics
What is life really like as a boarding student at Garrison Forest School? Check out our Boarding Basics guide!
Though innovative, our excellent Boarding program is far from new. For over 100 years, we have offered young women the opportunity to live and learn here and prepared them for an exciting future.
Being a part of our safe, supportive boarding program is one of the best ways to prepare for the transition to college or take your next step with confidence and a developed sense of independence and responsibility. You’ll be supported by on-campus Residential Life faculty and a wide network of peers who become lifelong friends.
By The Numbers
Boarding Program offered
for Grades 8-12
Dorms
24
faculty residences
110 acre
campus
Flexible/Short-Term Boarding
Students can choose to live on campus while participating in the Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) program, athletics, student leadership activities, and artistic endeavors. Some families also choose a short-term stay for their daughter due to obligations that take them out of town for extended periods. This is a great opportunity to try on living in the dorms--either as part of your GFS experience or to prepare for college.
8th Grade Boarding
8th Grade boarding students are housed together in the same dorm to provide the very best experience. They will find extra support and resources to ease the transition into a boarding environment. Getting an early start in boarding offers students unparalleled opportunities to develop emotionally, become more independent, and focus on their academic development as they form strong friendships and connections.
Questions about flexible/short-term boarding or 8th Grade boarding? Contact Rachel Ayers Waller at
rachelwaller@gfs.org
A Day In the Life
Weekends @ GFS
Learning the GFS Lingo
FAQ
Student Bank
Get a sense of what a boarding student's day looks like on campus! With opportunities to connect with teachers and classmates, participate in sports, enjoy a meal with friends and more, the boarding day is full of lots of learning and fun on campus.
Weekend Activities
This is truly a 24/7 campus, and weekends are filled with games, school-sponsored events, trips, and fun activities. Day students are invited to join boarding students on trips, creating bonds that go beyond the classroom. Trips and activities change every year based on requests and feedback, but see below for a sampling of recent outings:
Halloween events-haunted attractions, pumpkin picking & corn mazes
Hiking and biking trips
Ski trips
Inner Harbor trips
Theme parks
Local boys school mixers, productions and athletic events
Local concerts
Medieval Times dinner and tournament
Miniature golf
Movie trips
Museum trips: Baltimore, Philadelphia & Washington, DC
GFS Minibus
The GFS Minibus takes boarders to shops and restaurants on weekends and regular weekday evenings.
7:00-10:00 PM on Fridays
1:00-4:00 PM on Sundays
Weekly grocery store run between 6:30 – 7:15 PM
Dining Nearby
In addition to our dining hall, there are many dining options nearby—some within walking distance of campus! Whether looking for a quick treat or a nice option for a celebratory dinner, there’s something for everyone within minutes.
Stores Nearby
Our location near several bustling retail areas makes it easy to find everything you need close to campus, from general merchandise to specialty stores.
Here at the Forest, we have a series of shorthand words and phrases that have made their way into our everyday conversations. Getting familiar with these words offers students a faster way to engage in different activities and will be very helpful in general as you begin your GFS journey.
Eyebrow - The loop near tennis courts, between Meadowood and Robinswood
Manor House loop - The loop near senior house, in front of Manor House, Shriver and Searle Athletic Center
Marshall-Offutt – Where the admission office and Upper school classrooms and administrators are located
SAC - Searle Athletic Center named for alumna Betsy B. Searle '74; running track, courts, fitness center, dance studio, etc. are there
Alumnae Hall – Dining hall
O-Zone – Student café and lounge located in Manor House
Late start - First period class starts at 9:00 A.M. every Friday morning
Class Meeting - Led by class advisors and class day and boarding presidents
Decision-making – A class for 9th and 10th grade students
Advisory - Upper School and Middle School students meet regularly with their Advisory, small groups of students who work with one or two dedicated faculty members for the entire year.
SDLC - Student Diversity Leadership Council which discusses diversity issues Service League - GFS community service group
Peer Ed – A group of students who have been chosen to teach lessons. Peer educators in 10th and 11th grade talk to 8th graders. Senior peer educators talk to 9th graders.
Prefect - Residential Life Student Leader
Treats-n-Tasties – Student leaders and dorm parents provide snacks every Wednesday night at 9:00 P.M. in Residential Halls
Family-style dinner – Dinner on every Monday at assigned tables with on-campus faculty families and other boarding students
Late lights - An additional time one could ask for to complete work after lights out
Study Hall - A period of time when students walk over to the lecture hall or library to do their work from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday
GFS weekends - All boarding students are expected to participate in activities of GFS weekends for the sake of bringing the community together
Minibus run – A school-owned minibus takes students to shops and restaurants nearby
Wegmans-run – A minibus takes students to a nearby, full-scale grocery store, which is called Wegmans, at least once a week
Snoball - Winter dance for Upper School students
Light Blue/Dark Blue - Spirit teams at GFS named for school colors of Light Blue and Dark Blue. New students are assigned to a team at the beginning of the school year
Spirit Week – An out-of-uniform week with different dress themes
Orah: The software Residential Life uses for attendance and keeping track of our boarding students
Questions about the residential experience at GFS? We're here to help! Answers below are provided by current boarding students:
How do you get around to stores and restaurants?
There are many stores and restaurants right across the street, including Starbucks, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, and Wegmans. You can just grab a friend and call the faculty on duty, and you are free to go after school or during weekends. The school also offers mini-bus runs, which can take you anywhere in the nearby area (and there are a lot of restaurants and stores). We also have weekend trips to restaurants or stores, including Korean BBQ, hotpot or Target. Thus, you don’t have to worry about not having access to stores!
What do you do if you get lonely/homesick?
The school is great at supporting students who feel homesick, and there are many designed activities for students to talk to each other and make friends. Faculty will also make you feel welcomed and at home. If you still feel homesick, the best ways are to chat with your friends and do something that you love.
How easy is it to make friends?
There are great ways to make new friends at Garrison! Whether you join interest clubs and after school activity groups or participate in leadership roles, you will be able to meet people that share the same passion as you have! Not to mention how easy it will be to meet new people in the boarding community. Every year during Orientation, all the new students participate in group activities to get to know each other and learn more about the Garrison boarding culture. One of the best opportunities is the Starbucks Walk with your Prefects (student leaders in the boarding community); you can talk about anything, from the things you want to know more to the untold “ghost stories” in the dorms. It is a great opportunity to know your Prefects! You will have an opportunity to talk to other returning boarding students during a social event (with ice cream!) later in the week.
How is the food?
Students have multiple choices to pick from. Garrison’s dining service is provided by SAGE dining. Every meal, the salad bar, the hot meal and the sandwich bar are always open. The meals are designed to achieve a balanced diet. In addition, they accommodate students’ needs very well! I was a pescatarian for six months and SAGE definitely has multiple options for me to get my protein. It makes the transition in and out much easier and smoother. There are also gluten-free options available at each meal!
What activities are available on the weekend?
There are various kinds of activities available during weekends. There are mini-bus runs that go to any store, shop or restaurant you want nearby or go to see a movie with friends. In addition, I can also hang out and shop by going to nearby Towson, Columbia, and Ellicott City. Moreover, I love trips that take me to nearby cities, like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC to explore. More surprising for me is that I went skiing with my family back home and I was worried that I was not able to ski when I came to Garrison. However, Garrison is able to take me to ski resorts to ski. Also, I love going on trips that take me ice skating, ziplining, snow tubing, kayaking and hiking on weekends. The highlight of activities is that day students can also join the program with the boarding students, so going to Six Flags and Hershey Park (theme parks) with all my friends give me such a great pleasure! One thing that is special at Garrison is that if there is something I want to do and I ask for it, then it will happen!
The Garrison Forest Business Office provides students with a safe place to keep their money. Families who wish to use this service must make an allowance deposit for the first three months allowance (at a minimum) before the start of school for student’s personal expenses.
The allowance account permission form allows each family to indicate an amount of money each student can withdraw over a one month period. Personal choice plays a large part in the amount a student needs to set aside for additional expenses. Some classes and athletic programs require additional fees for materials, as do field trips and so forth. The Business Office also cashes personal checks for students.
The Business Office is located on the 2nd floor of Manor House and is open Wednesday and Friday.
CONTACT:
Rachel Ayers Waller, Director of Residential Life
(410) 559-3490
rachelwaller@gfs.org
Start Your GFS Journey Today:
Click to visit our Admission page!