Be a part of it all.

At the beginning of each school year, you will gather with classmates and teachers for the Sunset Ceremony, to galvanize the community for the year ahead by paying tribute to the history of Cate. As part of the tradition, you’ll meet the senior class, who’ve lined up along Parsonage Lawn — the same spot where they’ll say goodbye after Commencement nine months later.

Tradition permeates every aspect of Cate and bind the school together. From the dorm spirit to Outings Week, assembly announcements, and late-night dodgeball, certain activities are passed down year to year, decade to decade. Tradition here is something as small as everyone’s favorite formal dinner dessert – Muffet Tuffets – to something as big as assembling the entire class for their five-year Camp Cate reunion.

Cate parents are notably involved in their child’s life regardless of how far away they are. Just because your kid is at boarding school doesn’t mean you won’t see or hear from them. With two Family Weekend events each year, you get a chance to develop a first-hand understanding of what your child is up to at school, meet their friends, and talk to their teachers and advisors. Throughout the year, the faculty keep open lines of communication with parents, filling them in progress and events. Every parent receives a bi-weekly email newsletter, communiCATE, chock-full of news and updates from campus. The Cate Parents Organization (CPO) is also great way to stay connected to the School through volunteering opportunities if you’re close by. Special events, athletic events, and CPO meetings are often live streamed for parents who can’t make it to campus. But when you do have the opportunity to visit you are always welcome here.

The most notable part of boarding school is living where you learn, and learning where you live. Each dorm at Cate has its own history, culture, and spirit, which is why you’ll often hear dorm-mates cheering loudly for their home away from home when it’s mentioned in assembly. For advice, counsel, and fun activities,  students can turn to prefects, who make up the senior leaders of the dorm. Also nearby are the faculty “dorm parents” who oversee all the residents. 98% of our faculty live on campus – either in apartments attached to the dormitories or houses around the grounds. That means you can get help with your homework, find some moral support, bake cookies, or watch your hometown team play an important game with your Cate family – they’re always close by.