Opening of School 2026

We can’t wait to welcome you home to St. Andrew’s this fall! Here, you'll find important information and links that will help you prepare to return to campus in August. A reminder that all forms in your Blackbaud portal are due prior to your child’s arrival on campus. (Health Forms are due on June 30.)

All families should read and review the 2026–2027 Handbook for Students and Families. Please bookmark this page and check for updates throughout the summer.

For all families of the Class of 2027 and Class of 2028, please read these announcements from the College Counseling Team.

Arrival Schedule

Wednesday, August 19—Football Preseason Arrival for Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors

Football preseason is by invitation only; students were invited via email.
This arrival is for any invited sophomore, junior, or senior—new or returning—football player.
Registration is in Sipprelle Field House from 11:00 to 1:00 PM ET.
Please arrive no later than 1:00 PM ET.

Friday, August 21—Football Preseason Arrival for Freshmen

This is for invited freshmen football players.
Registration is in Sipprelle Field House from 1:00 to 2:00 PM ET.
Please arrive no later than 2:00 PM ET.

Sunday, August 23—Senior Class Arrives for Leadership Orientation

Registration is in Sipprelle Field House from 9:00 to 11:00 AM ET.
Please arrive no later than 11:00 AM ET.

Wednesday, August 26—Fall Preseason Athletes Arrive

Fall preseason is by invitation only. If you have any questions about your child attending preseason camp, email Director of Athletics Neil Cunningham.
Registration is in Sipprelle Field House from 10:00 to 1:00 PM ET.
Please arrive no later than 1:00 PM ET.
Practices will begin at 2:00 PM ET.

Friday, August 28—International Family Orientation

Registration is in Sipprelle Field House from 9:00 to 10:00 AM ET.
Please arrive by 10:00 AM ET.
If you have any changes to your travel plans or other questions about international student arrivals, contact Matt Wolinski.

Friday, August 28—SASConnect Students Arrive

Registration is in O’Brien Arts Center from 11:00 to 12:00 PM ET.
Please arrive by 12:00 PM ET.

Saturday, August 29—Opening Day

All other new and returning students who have not yet arrived should arrive by 12:00 PM ET.
Registration is in Sipprelle Field House from 9:00 to 12:00 PM ET.
You can download a detailed schedule for the day.

August 29 Opening Day

Transportation to Campus

If your student is traveling to campus independently via plane or train for the Opening of School, please email your student’s return-to-school travel itinerary no later than Monday, August 10, to Transportation Coordinator Karin Wright.

Pick-up service at the Philadelphia Airport or Wilmington Train Station must be scheduled with the Transportation Coordinator at least a week in advance of your student’s arrival.

On busier arrival days, shuttles will pick up students at the Philadelphia Airport at 9:00 AM, noon, 3:00 PM, and 6:00 PM (all ET), and shuttles will pick up students at the Wilmington Train Station at 9:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 3:30 PM, and 6:30 PM (all ET).

Click here to view our student transportation policies and procedures for the 2067-27 school year, and be sure to fill out your child’s transportation consent form in your Blackbaud portal prior to the Opening of School.

Packing List

Our suggested packing list is below. Parents and students, a few things to remember:

Students may bring personal furniture (such as chairs, small couches, tables, or rugs) to campus to use in their dorm rooms this year. However, St. Andrew’s is unable to store any personal furniture for students over the summer, so all items brought to campus or acquired during the year must leave with the student at the end of the year.
All personal belongings should be labeled with the student’s name.
Please consider the amount of items you bring to campus. It’s easiest to start with the essentials, as space is limited and rooms shared—and less is more. Students will have weekly access to shopping trips, and the School Store is available to purchase items.

Standard Dorm Room Furniture

Every student is provided with the following furniture in their dorm rooms:

Twin XL bed frame and mattress
Five-drawer dresser
Desk and desk chair

All dorm rooms have either a shared or individual closet.

Appliances

Alarm clock (phones are collected each night and cannot be used as alarm clocks)
Fan
Desk lamp (CFL or LED bulbs only)

Bedding & Bath Supplies

Two towels
Soap, shampoo, razors, deodorant, and other personal hygiene items
Shower caddy or toiletry kit
Shower shoes
Hair dryer
Pillow and pillow case
Two sets of sheets (Twin XL size)
Comforter, quilt, blanket, or bedspread

Clothing

For information on our dress code, please refer to the Handbook for Student and Families. Dress code begins on page 60.

Dress Code Wear

3-5 full packet dress shirts
3-5 polo shirts
4-6 blouses
5-7 pairs of pants or khakis
3-5 pairs of shorts
3-5 dresses (no shorter than fingertips)
3-5 skirts (no shorter than fingertips)
1-2 blazers
3-4 cardigans
1 pair of clean shoes not worn to play sports

Casual & Athletic Wear

7-10 T-shirts (short and long sleeve) or tank tops for sports and sleeping
2-3 sweatshirts
2-3 pairs of jeans
3-5 pairs of athletic shorts (no shorter than fingertips)
3-5 pairs of leggings, sweatpants, track pants, yoga pants, etc.

You will also need:

Underwear
Bras (sports and regular)
At least one pair of waterproof shoes or boots
Sneakers for playing sports and daily wear
Socks (casual and athletic)
Belts
Rain jacket
A warm or winter jacket
Hat and gloves

You may also want:

Sandals that aren’t rubber flip-flops or slides for Haycock wear
Sneakers or shoes that can get muddy/dirty
Shower shoes if you like to wear these
Bathing suit

Laundry & Cleaning Supplies

Note: All students have access to free laundry facilities, and must do their laundry in the dorm facilities.

Laundry bag or basket and high-efficiency laundry detergent
Wrinkle releaser spray
Disinfectant wipes for surfaces
Hangers

School Supplies

Some items are also available at the School Store should you need additional class materials:

Water bottle (labeled with student’s name)
Laptop (see our Student Technology Requirements for more information)
Backpack
Three to five notebooks and/or three-ring binders
Paper, pens, pencils, highlighters
Post-it notes
Scissors, tape, stapler, 3-hole punch
All new students will receive an academic planner from the school at the beginning of the school year.

Miscellaneous/Optional

Under-the-bed storage
Plastic containers for all food kept on dorm (required if you plan to keep food in your room)
Padlock for your top bureau drawer
Posters and family pictures (posters must be appropriate, as described in the Student Handbook)
Bulletin board and/or dry erase board
3M hanging hooks and/or velcro strips (Decor added to walls must be removable and not cause wall damage.)
Mug, bowl, plate, spoon, fork
Umbrella
Extension cord/surge protector
Flashlight and batteries
Bicycle, rollerblades, or skateboard, plus lock; helmet required for each

Do NOT bring:

Bedroom furniture to replace the standard SAS furniture
TVs, DVD players, or video game consoles (Seniors in good academic standing may ask the dean of residential life for permission to have a video game console in-room; TVs/monitors must not exceed 32 inches)
Halogen or incandescent lamps (for both safety and environmental reasons); CFLs or LEDs are permitted
Candles, combustibles, matches, lighters, knives, or any weapon
Coffee makers, hot pots, or any cooking item with a heating element
Posters or decoration with inappropriate and/or salacious messages, or alcohol or drug-related content
Air conditioners
“Removable” wallpaper (“Removable” wallpaper damages walls)
Wearable AI devices (Meta Glasses, etc.)
Wireless hubs or mobile hotspots
Refrigerators. Only seniors may have refrigerators. Any non-senior who requires medication that must be refrigerated should contact Health Services prior to arrival to determine if the medication will be kept in the Health Center or if they will be issued a small medication refrigerator. This change in policy is related to our sustainability efforts.

Laptop/Technology Requirements

All students are required to bring a laptop computer to school to use for their academic needs. It is important that each student have a computer that is less than four years old. This will ensure that your computer is capable of running necessary operating system updates and the applications and web services our teachers employ for classroom work. We understand that student computers will also hold many personal pictures, movies, and other applications. Recommended Minimum Laptop Specifications can be found on our Student Technology Requirements page.

See the full Student Technology Requirements here.

Summer Assignments

REQUIRED SUMMER READING: All Students

The 2026 summer reading list breaks down required texts by grade, and also offers 60-plus recommendations from adults from every corner of campus—a title from this list fills out each underform student’s secondary summer reading requirement. All freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are required to read at least one book from this list, which offers a selection of fiction and nonfiction titles.

Required Reading by Form:

III Form/Freshmen: Gather by Kenneth Cadow.
IV Form/ Sophomores: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
V Form/Juniors: The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson. (Please ensure you choose the Emily Wilson translation.)
VI Form/Seniors: Two selections from the Senior Exhibition texts. (Humanities seniors, your selections are on page two.)

Saints, please read broadly and widely this summer! Don’t limit yourselves to what is on the summer reading list.

REQUIRED MATH WORK: All Students

All students are assigned math packets based on which course they are entering this fall. You will find all packets by course here.

"I am From" Poem: Class of 2030 Only

The “I Am From” poetry exercise is a beloved tradition among incoming St. Andrew’s freshmen. Dean of Residential Life Stacey Duprey ’85 details the exercise and offers inspiration from previous years. Full instructions for the project, which is due August 10, are here. Happy writing, Saints!