What Happens After Arrival? A New Family's Guide to the Opening of School

Whether your student is joining Tabor as a boarding or day student, the Opening of School marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. It’s a day filled with pride, anticipation, excitement, and perhaps a few nerves (for students and families, alike).

If this is your family's first boarding school experience, or simply your student's first day at a new school, it's perfectly normal to have questions about what comes next.

One of the questions we hear most often is, "What will my student be doing during those first few days?"

The answer is simple: a lot more than just finding classrooms.

The Opening of School is much more than a schedule of events. It's an opportunity for students to meet new people, learn their way around campus, settle into new routines, and begin feeling at home before classes officially begin on Monday.

When You Arrive on Campus

Registration 2026 begins at the Fish Center for Health and Athletics, where families will check in before students begin their Opening of School activities. Boarding students should arrive between 9:00 and 10:00 AM, while day students should arrive between 10:30 and 11:00 AM.

Following Registration, all new students and their families are invited to the New Student & Family Welcome in Wickenden Chapel. Afterward, students and families will head to the waterfront for photos and an opportunity to say goodbye before new students join their Orientation Leaders for lunch in the dining hall and start the afternoon's activities.

While students begin orientation, families are invited to enjoy lunch at the waterfront, mingle, and connect with other Seawolf families.

Family programming concludes at 2:45 PM, but your student’s Tabor journey is just beginning.

For many families, this is the hardest part of the day. But it’s also the moment when students begin creating their own Tabor experience. Take a look at what the rest of the Opening of School is designed to accomplish.

Building Connections

The first priority is simple: help students get to know one another.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, students spend time together in small-group orientation sessions, their first All School Meeting, a community barbecue, and waterfront games. Those shared experiences give students plenty of opportunities to start conversations, learn names, and begin building friendships before the first day of classes.

Getting Comfortable with Campus

A new campus can feel overwhelming at first, but students don't have to figure it out on their own.
During their first days at Tabor, they'll find their classrooms, explore the athletic fields and waterfront, discover the quickest route to the dining hall, learn daily routines, and become familiar with the places they'll visit every day.

Along the way, they'll meet faculty, advisors, dorm proctors, coaches, and other community members who are always happy to answer questions and point students in the right direction.

Finding Their Place

One concern many new students quietly share before arriving is wondering where they'll sit at meals or whether they'll know anyone.

The good news? It's one of the worries that usually disappears the fastest.

Meals quickly become one of the easiest places to connect with classmates. Students naturally continue conversations from orientation, reconnect with people they met earlier in the day, and get to know new faces over breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's often around the dining hall table, rather than during a scheduled activity, that students begin feeling like they're part of the community.

If your student mentions being nervous about meals before arriving, reassure them that they're not alone. We hear that concern every year, and many students later tell us that the dining hall turns out to be their favorite part of life at Tabor.

Learning the Rhythm of Tabor

By Sunday evening, students have already experienced many of the routines that will shape the school year.

They've attended dorm meetings, met their advisors, learned about campus resources and expectations, shared meals with classmates, and started finding their way around campus.

Before they know it, they'll be walking into their first class on Monday morning with familiar faces, a better sense of where they're going, and the confidence that comes from already feeling connected to the community.

Trust the Process

Every student experiences the transition a little differently.

Some jump right into conversations and activities. Others need a little more time to find their footing. Some may call home excited after their first afternoon. Others may admit they're feeling homesick. All of those reactions are normal.

One of the greatest strengths of the Tabor community is that students don't go through those first days alone. Advisors, dorm parents, teachers, coaches, proctors, staff, Orientation Leaders, and classmates all play a role in helping new students settle into campus life.

As a family, one of the greatest gifts you can give your student is confidence in the process. Encourage them to participate, ask questions, keep an open mind, and give themselves time to adjust. Before long, they'll begin recognizing familiar faces, developing new routines, and creating friendships that make Tabor feel like home.