Westover is a place where girls have the desire and the opportunity to connect with each other, with the adults on campus, and the broader world around them.
Our Campus Life program has been carefully designed to foster connection… allowing each girl to build a sense of self while she develops lifelong friendships and interests.
Families often ask about the weekends...what happens when school is not in session?
There are a variety of activities offered throughout the weekend, as well as plenty of time to relax with friends. On Friday nights, girls can take a shuttle to a nearby mall, walk to the nearby pizza restaurant, or watch Netflix with friends. On Saturday, after art classes and athletic games, students can attend social events held at Westover or other area schools, including boys' schools and co-ed schools. Weekend trips to nearby major cities such as New York and Boston are also available throughout the year.
Faculty and students alike all look forward to Sunday brunch; it is truly a spectacular treat, and a wonderful opportunity to take a break and enjoy each other’s company.
Girls voices matter at Westover. Have a great idea for a trip or social event? Let the Director of Residential Life, Chelsea Brown, know or speak to your student social representatives and we will work to make it happen.
Boarding school prepares students for life like no other educational experience.
It’s a different kind of school environment that attracts a special kind of student—one who is looking for more unique opportunities, is eager to challenge themselves more academically, and wants more time to discover all that they can be.
Westover School’s boarding experience cultivates a nurturing, inclusive environment that proves our students can be highly motivated, and genuinely nice. Our community is like family, a place where you know everyone’s name and hometown. Westover is a place where girls are comfortable taking risks, where they don’t worry about looking silly, and where they feel completely free to be themselves… and let others do the same.
So, if you’re ready for more, Westover is ready for you.
At 9 pm, when study hall ends, many students head for their dorm parent's apartment where they might find a variety of their favorite freshly made snacks.
Students might join in a rousing game of Bananagrams, watch their favorite TV show, or talk about news at Westover and beyond. Some girls also use this time to make phone calls, shower, or get ready for bed. The time between study hall's end and in-room is a bustling time in the dorm.
At "In-Room" time, dorm parents and proctors begin making rounds, taking a moment to connect with each boarder and say "Goodnights" to each student.
Some nights there are corridor meetings where dorm parents and proctors meet with the boarders on their corridor to plan dorm activities, talk about improving living conditions, or celebrate a birthday. Working together to live happily in this community is always a priority.
Six dorm parents, who are either single, married, or married with children, live in the dorm with the students. The work the dorm parents do in the dorm is the largest part of their work at Westover. Chelsea Brown, the Director of Residential Life, also lives on Corridor.
Student Heads of School
The student body is led by eight elected Heads of School. Each Head has specific responsibilities coordinating different areas of school life. Together they work with faculty administrators to maintain good community morale and quality of life. The eight heads are as follows:
- First Head of School
- Second Head of School
- Diversity and Inclusion Head
- First Head of the Athletic Association
- Second Head of the Athletic Association
- Arts Head
- Day Student Head
- Head Proctor
Proctors
Proctors are Junior and Senior Dormitory Positions. These elected students are liaisons between the dorm parents and the students.
Proctors enforce rules, help with Check-In and help say goodnights in the evenings as well as make themselves available to students who need someone to talk to or who need help with a problem, as proctors are trained in peer mediation.
Spirit Heads
West and Over Heads are the Spirit Leaders of the School. During junior year, six students (three Wests and three Overs) are selected to represent the Wests or the Overs and lead in activities and traditions throughout the school year.
Wests, Overs and Seniors
The West and Over teams date back to the founding of Westover School in 1909. Originally these teams were the intermural sports teams in the days before interscholastic competition. Today, Wests and Overs are spirit teams. Every student attending Westover has counted themselves among the West or Over spirit teams. They are our way of welcoming new students into the school and helping them forge bonds with students beyond their own class.
In the fall of their senior year, students cast off their prior team affiliation to become members of a third spirit team, the Seniors. This forges a bond among each graduating class that continues well past commencement, as our graduates venture out into the world.