Will my child have a roommate?

Yes, they will. At Scattergood we believe that many valuable learning experiences happen in the dorm. Having a roommate and learning to get along with that person, no matter what their mood, study habits or sleep patterns, is a valuable part of learning how to live in a community. During the first semester, students fill out a roommate preference form that asks about likes, dislikes, study habits, sleep patterns, etc. With these forms, the Director of Admissions and the Dean of Students match roommates together. We try to match a new student with a returning student so the new student has someone to go to with questions. Right before semester break, students have the option of changing rooms and roommates.

Are students allowed to bring microwaves, refrigerators or televisions?

While many college students do bring these items to place in their rooms, we ask that our students not keep these items in their rooms. We do have a dorm refrigerator and microwave in both dorms and there have not been problems in the past with students having to wait in line for the microwave or with the refrigerator being too full. The campus has televisions for the use of the community as a whole and normally television is watched on the weekends only (the Simpsons are a big hit on Sunday night!). If there is a specific program that you need to watch, you can talk to your advisor and ask them if you can watch it at their house or have your parents or advisor record it so you can watch it later. While some students are disappointed in the beginning that they can't watch television, they usually get over it sometime in the first week as they come to realize that there are so many more things to do here when you are living with 50 other teenagers.

Who will help my child get out of bed in the morning?

Boarding school can be a hard transition for some students and sometimes one of the hardest things is getting out of bed in the morning. For students who are used to a family member waking them, it can be especially difficult to get up because the student know that there will be no one giving reminders. We encourage students to get used to waking up with an alarm clock before they get here if they are not already accustomed to this. If a student is still having trouble waking up, we might ask a roommate or senior to make sure that he/she is awake at least 10 minutes before their first required activity, but ultimately, we want each student to be responsible for getting up every morning.

What do students do if they get sick?

Scattergood has a Health Coordinator on staff that evaluates the students' medical needs. If a student is sick and needs to be excused form classes, the student can either come down to the health Office before their first required event or send a roommate or friend down to get the Health Coordinator. She will then determine if the student needs to stay in bed or if they are well enough to go to class, but rest a little later on in the day. If professional medical attention is needed, we do have a care center in West Branch, which is less than 5 minutes away from campus or in case of a real emergency, there are two very good hospitals in Iowa City.

What kind of food is served at meals?

Scattergood cooks do a very good job of balancing more teenage-friendly meals, like homemade mac and cheese, tacos and pizza, with less traditional fare, like Pad Thai or Hoppin' John. There is always a vegetarian option at every meal and when we have the need for it, we also provide a dairy-free option. There is also a salad bar put out at every lunch and dinner. During the fall and spring, much of the produce we get comes from our organic farm and most of our eggs come from our chickens as well. Breakfast, while an optional meal for Scattergood students and staff, is always good and has traditional favorites like scrambled eggs, French toast, pancakes, cereal, bacon, sausage and more.

How big is the average class size?

While class sizes at Scattergood can range from an independent study class of one student to a P.E. class of 20 kids, the average class size is 12 students to a class. This is a different number than our student-staff ratio (often given as student-teacher ratio) which is about 3-1.

How do I find out how my child is doing in class?

Scattergood staff usually do a very good job of informing parents if there is any problem with their child academically. Every month, parents will receive progress reports for their child (the student also gets a copy of these reports). The reports inform the parents how the student is doing in every class and 4 times a year the reports include an evaluation of the student's community performance. If a student is ever in danger of receiving a not passing or a no pass on their grade report, an Academic Alert will be sent out to the parent/guardian as well as given to the student. The Academic Alert goes out about one week before the end of the block when final evaluations will be written for each class. It gives a detailed summary of what the student needs to do in the class in order for them to receive a passing mark. The Academic Coordinator is available for questions about the reports or your child's academic performance in general. Parents can also contact the teachers directly at their home or office if they have questions about a specific class.

Can students have cell phones?

Cell phone use is restricted to the dormitories and regular phone hours. The staff and School Committee at Scattergood feel that allowing students to have unlimited cell phone use would detract from the community. There is also a feeling that it is important to aviod interruptions during classes and meetings. There are also regular phones available in both dorms to use, and most students have calling cards.

Do students have access to the internet, email and instant messaging?

Yes, students and staff all have access to a wireless internet connection and we are all given email addresses through the school. While most students and staff have email addresses through yahoo, hotmail, etc., a great deal of on-campus communication is done through the Scattergood email accounts. The Scattergood email accounts for the staff are sometimes the easiest way to get a hold of them. Students and staff both have access to instant messaging. This is sometimes how parents prefer to get in touch with their child. However, instant messaging is shut down during the academic morning, but is turned back on after lunch.

Can students have cars on campus?

Unless a student is given special permission from the Dean of Students and the Director, they are not allowed to have a car on campus. If the Dean and Director give permission, then the car may only be used to transport the student to school and then back home. Students with cars may never transport another student off campus.

How do the students get supplies and toiletries?

We do have an on-campus store that sells things like notebooks, pens, toothpaste, shampoo and calling cards. These items may be student billed, which means that the student does not have to have the cash in hand to purchase the items, but a bill goes home to the parents. The Senior Store, run by our senior class, also sells items like candy, pop (or soda), ramen noodles, ice cream and sometimes individual pizzas. If these items are not enough for the student, it is possible to go into West Branch or Iowa City to the local grocery stores or a student can go on town trip to Iowa City to get other supplies that aren't offered here.

Where does my child keep his/her spending money?

Scattergood has a student bank on campus where students can withdraw and deposit money. The great part about our bank is that it can be regulated by the parents. If you would only like your child to be able to take out ten dollars a week, our Student Services manager will track that. You can choose to send money every week or month or put in one lump sum at the beginning of the year or semester. With ATM and debit cards getting more popular, we have found that some families keep the money in the child's account back home, but give them the debit card to make purchases. However, some student like having a little bit of money in the student bank as well so that the money is more readily accessible if they just want to get something from the Senior Store.