SPS! SPS! SPS! 
My son tells me that they are considering putting locks on the dorm doors. Rumor has it that the keys will be like hotel key cards (or maybe their ids) and the doors will lock automatically when closed. Sentiment in his dorm is against it. Any thoughts?
Thatās sad. End of an era I guess. Whatās the rationale or stated need behind it? So much for a small community trust.
Just about 4 years ago they added a locked drawer in the dresser for valuables. One of my kids did have problems with theft (if you get one bad egg in the dorm, that can be a problem). Other child had no such issues at all.
Also, is there somewhere to get a current list of clubs? The info on the website is from 2015-16. Thanks!
If I was you, Iād reach out to the Parentsā contact person on the website. It would be a good idea for them to update that to something more recent.
Happy Cricket Holiday! There is a chapel video up on facebook.
I have a question about academic awards at SPS. How many students receive the first testimonials award?
Get excited! https://vimeo.com/243393475
SPS Volleyball plays Exeter at the NEPSAC Semifinals tomorrow 2:30 pm at Exeter
SPS Field Hockey plays Andover at the NEPSAC Semifinals tomorrow 2:30 pm at Andover
Great video.
Go SPS!
Cool video. I liked it a lot.
@bsnewbie1050 This is hearsay, but Iāve been told that approximately 20-25% of Third Formers earn 1st Testimonals and that percentage goes down with each higher form. Approximately that many also earn 2nd Testimonials. Grades of course depend on course difficulty, and some exceptional kids in all Honors and very advanced classes may have overall lower grades than those in regular classes. Someoneās please correct me if Iām wrong. The advice Iāve heard consistently from SPS parents and students is to focus less on grades but challenge oneself to oneās full potential.
They used to publish a list of students and any honors received each year in the Annual Report and Record - 1st Testimonials w/Honors, 1st Testimonials, 2nd Testimonials. For some reason, they stopped doing so in 2014. You might be able to find old copies online but with the change on grading scale/policy, it might not be relevant any longer.
With sadness I wanted to let the ccSPS family know that my DD has officially withdrawn from SPS. She has not done anything wrong- but rather has been struggling with the administration. There were several incidences involving our DD that the school regretfully didnāt feel the need to inform us about. Then there was the teacher this fall that harassed my DD and the school refused to investigate him for over a month. ( It just so happened to coincide with the timing of their sexual assault announcements.) When we found out what was going on, and tried to have an open dialog with the administration, we were beginning to feel like we were being stonewalled. Phone calls/emails were not answered. Information was not given. There was a series of miscommunication and out right lies by one administrator. And then it went from bad to worse. A bad sign is when you have to get ALL of your information from the Concord police and NOT your childsā school because they donāt feel the need to release it. Especially when your child is the āvictimā. We have been in contact with several amazing teachers and her advisor throughout the fall who were not only looking out for her wellbeing but concerned for her safety. I can not speak highly enough about them. It was an extremely difficult time for all of us, especially being 1500 miles away. My DD wanted to stay at SPS, she loved most of her classes, she was doing very well academically. She wanted to stay with her friends- However, in the end, itās hard to unsee what lies behind the curtain. We decided we had to put our DD happiness and safety first. Find a better fit going forward.
Please understand that this is our experience. We do not feel that this represents the experience of every student at St Pauls, nor do we have a negative opinion about boarding schools in general. My DD still values her time at SPS and as a whole feels like it is an amazing institution. Stuff happens, and unfortunately in her situation it was handled very poorly. We just wish that SPS were more transparent with their families. We tried to work with them for months. SPS needs to start putting the wellfare of their students first and not their reputation. With the exit of Mike Hirschfeld, and hopefully some of his administration maybe things will change.
Just came here to post the news about Hirschfeld leaving the school (although it will be an 18 month transition). Sorry to hear about your experience, @copperboom. I find it frustrating that administration didnāt handle things better in light of other events of the past several years. My best to you and your daughter going forward. 
Wow, it seems to me like they would truly be trying to do the right thing after the big debacle from a couple years ago. Iām so sorry this happened to your DD. I hope that she and parents are not too stressed, and that she will have a happy transition. Youāre correct that happiness and safety must come first. Thinking of you and hoping the new year brings a happy and successful transition.
Maybe that Character Snapshot should actually be given to administrators and faculty?
@copperboom Thank you for posting here. Really appreciate your willingness to share and your incredibly balanced post. So sorry your daughter had to go through this.
@SevenDad might have tips re: finding a transfer spot?
@copperboom - First time poster here. I am so sorry for your DD (and your familyās) experience. It cannot be easy. I heard through an East Coast friend about a girl that was forced to withdraw this past summer, having received ongoing abusive treatment from a coach. Evidently this girlās coach has been at the school for 30+ years and was āuntouchableā. We probably are now beginning to see the fallout for years of protecting bad actors / predators at the expense of the students, as the āWeinsteinā effect wave swamps even elite schools like SPS. Rumor has it the NH AGās office has significantly expanded the scope of their investigation over the past 3 months, with many former and current students / parents coming forward
So sorry about your daughterās experience, @copperboom. I wish you all the best!
@Wyoming11 What does NH AG stand for?
Sounds like a pattern of problems at SPS to me. I doubt what we know about even tips the iceberg. Sounds like they have a methodology of coverups going on there - and pushing out the victims rather than properly investigating and protecting the students.