2023-24 Frequently Asked Questions

A link to the proper form has been sent out with registration information, but can also be accessed here.

Typically, very few single rooms are available and may not be available at all in certain dorms. Students and families should not expect single rooms to be nearly as available this next school year, so we encourage all students to prepare for, and think about, what they would look for in a roommate next year.

Due to the fluctuating nature of our enrollment right up until the opening of the school, this information usually only becomes available a few days before the student arrives. Many returning students have already been made aware of their roommate options for the coming school year. 

No. Day students must be living in housing personally supervised at all times by the child’s own parent, who must also be living there as well. This policy was enacted by our Board of Trustees several years ago and it still strictly enforced. Any day student discovered to be living in a situation other than with their own parent will be asked to leave the school, as well as the child of any family that acts as host.

After registration and orientation, security measures for the academic and residential buildings on our campus will be enforced. We will be asking all visitors, including families of our students, to stop into either the School Store (Lower Hub Entrance) or our Admissions Office (Main Shumway Hall Entrance) to register and receive a yellow name tag or visitor badge.

We will not require visitor badges at athletic events at the Sports Complex or on our fields.

Each dorm offers a unique experience. To see different rooms and learn more about what each dorm offers, please visit our Residential Life page. 

What do you need for your home away from home? We have made several lists of items that students may bring to campus or shop for once they arrive in the local area. 

*Please send boxes so they arrive no earlier than the week before the student arrives on campus. Label boxes clearly with the student’s name and get creative, colorful tape that will help identify boxes among the sea of boxes!

If families are not traveling with their student, please know that SSM will run shuttles to our local Faribault Walmart where most of the items can be purchased. Many of the school supplies can also be purchased in the School Store. 

Families are also encourage to make note of our summer storage rules while packing for the upcoming school year. 

Suggested School Supplies:

• Binders (2-4)
• Calendar & planner
• Highlighters, loose-leaf paper, & notebooks
• Pencils
• Pens
• Ruler, whiteout, scissors, tape, etc.
• Backpack
• Graphing Calculator - TI-84 (or above) is required for Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Statistics; the TI-84 is useful to have in Algebra 2, but not essential. 

*Note: students will obtain class books at designated times as part of class activities during Registration. 

Suggested Non-Uniform Clothing Items for Boarding Students:

• Jeans and weekend clothes
• T-shirts, sweatshirts, & sweatpants
• Sweaters & turtlenecks
• Athletic gear – gym shorts, etc.
• Underwear
• Socks (dress & athletic)
• Bathrobe
• Swimsuit
• Dress shoes (at least 1 pair)
• Athletic/casual shoes (a few pairs)
• Winter boots
• Flip-flops for the shower
• Belts
• Jackets (casual & dress)
• Winter coat, raincoat
• Warm hat, gloves, & scarves

Dormitory Rooms for Boarding Students:

Each boarding student will have in their dorm room a bed, a dresser, a desk with a chair, and either a closet or wardrobe. Window coverings are either mini-blinds or roller shades. Dorm rooms may have beds on regular bed frames, bunk beds, or loft beds. The majority of bed mattress sizes are XL twin (80 inches long). Since we are not able to make final room assignments until just before the start of school, we encourage students to obtain bed sheets that will fit an extra-long (XL) twin mattress. Most dorm rooms have tiled floors. For a better idea of each of our dorms, please click here. 

Suggested Items for Dorm Rooms to bring or purchase upon arrival:

• Posters for the walls
• Clothes hangers
• Laundry basket/bag to use in the laundry machines in each dorm, or weekly laundry service can be arranged through the School Store
• Laundry detergent
• Laundry marking pen – please write your name on all of your belongings
• Alarm clock
• Desk lamp
• Fan
• Wastebasket
• Flashlight
• Eating utensils
• Sleeping bag – many students will take at least one overnight trip off campus
• Bedspread, quilt, and/or blanket(s)
• Sheets (XL twin, fitted and unfitted recommended)
• Pillow cases
• Pillows
• Mattress cover and pad
• Bath towels
• Wash cloths
• Soap and container
• Hairbrush and comb
• Toothpaste and toothbrush
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Razors
• Shower caddy
• Nail clippers
• Sunscreen

We all want our new students to be comfortable and safe in their new dorm rooms, so we suggest that you leave a few things at home!

Please leave these things at home:

• Your family pet! (Really, any pets of any kind…including hermit crabs!)
• Large furniture items such as couches, futons, recliners or lofts. Students must use the bed frames provided by SSM
• Most small furniture, such as bean bag chairs
• Microwaves, toaster ovens, coffee pots, or hot pots
• Lava lamps, halogen lamps, candles, and irons
• Space heaters or air conditioners
• Weapons of any kind
• Medicines like cough syrup, ibuprofen, Sudafed, and Benadryl. Medications can only be obtained from and administered by staff as designated by SSM’s Health Services
• Anything with a water reservoir, such as a humidifier, cooling fan, water dispenser, etc.

The dress code must be worn throughout the academic day Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. SSM school uniforms are purchased directly through Lands' End School Uniform Website (Preferred School Number: 900034711) and through our School Store.

• Shirts: Maroon, black, or white polo shirts branded with an SSM logo from the Lands' End School Uniform website (including any Center of Excellence logo). The School Store sells a uniform polo with the School crest.
   
• Pants: Uniform pants, uniform capris, or uniform shorts purchased from Lands’ End School uniform website (khaki).
   
• Skirts: Uniform skirts purchased from Lands’ End School uniform website (khaki or gray). 
   
• Additional Clothing Layer Options: Sweatshirts, fleece, or sweaters that are branded with an SSM logo (including any Center of Excellence logo) and that have been sold either at the SSM School Store or through the Lands’ End uniform website may be worn on top of an SSM uniform polo shirt.
  
  Items in school colors (maroon, black, or white) that do not have an SSM logo are not acceptable. An SSM polo shirt must always be worn underneath any SSM sweatshirt, fleece, or sweater. 
   
• Shoes: Students may wear leather shoes or athletic shoes in good repair. Birkenstock style sandals are acceptable, but no other style of backless sandal of any material is acceptable. 
   
• Hats: Hats and stocking caps may not be worn in the academic buildings.

The SSM Student-Family Handbook addresses many aspects of life at SSM. All students and parents are expected to review it each year. If there are major changes, SSM will do our utmost to update you throughout the year.

2023-24 Student & Family Handbooks

Academic Handbook

Student Life Handbook

Day Student Family Information

Students need to have arrangements to leave campus during Fall, Winter, and Spring breaks. Parents should carefully note the closing and opening dates for the dorms on the Academic Calendar. International families may contact Mr. Andrew Garlinski ’98, Director of International Recruitment and Dean of International Students if you need any other information. SSM coordinates and provides shuttles to travel between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the closest commercial airport, approximately one hour from campus. Any communications or questions about student travel throughout the year should be directed to the through email to travel@s-sm.org. For additional information on airport shuttle rides and fees, please click here. 

For information on break programs offered by other agencies, click here.

SSM CAN PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS ONLY. 

Returning students make class selections each spring for the next school year. Schedules for returning students will be available to view in PowerSchool by early August. Returning students in grades 10-12 and post graduate students should contact the Registrar at colleen.johnson@s-sm.org and returning students in grade 6-9 should contact the Director of the Middle School at heather.morehead@s-sm.org to ask any questions or request changes to schedules before classes begin.

Families of new students will be contacted via e-mail during the summer once enrollment is finalized to make class selections. Class schedules will be provided to new students in August before classes begin. Department Chairs will be available for anyone with questions about classes, and changes can be made to schedules at that time if necessary.

SSM coordinates travel between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the closest commercial airport, approximately one hour from campus. Any communications or questions about student travel throughout the year should be directed to the SSM Travel Coordinator, through email at travel@s-sm.org. Families are welcome to contact the SSM Travel Coordinator at 507-330-3001 as well. For additional information on airport shuttle rides and fees, please click here. 

SSM CAN PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS ONLY. 

When using the US Postal Service  (i.e. mail)
Student name
Shattuck-St. Mary’s School
1000 Shumway Avenue
Faribault, MN  55021

When using UPS, FedEx, DHL, SpeeDee Delivery
Student name
Shattuck-St. Mary’s School
1000 Shumway Avenue
Faribault, MN  55021

For girls living at St. Mary’s, UPS and FedEx packages can be sent to:
Student name
St. Mary’s Hall
300 NE 5th Street
Faribault, MN  55021

Boxes and mailers are available in the School Store. The store can ship most anything anywhere.

SSM provides a shuttle van and driver to transport SSM students from two meeting locations in the Twin Cities to and from SSM on school days. The morning pick-up location is 35W & 98th Street in Bloomington at 6:40 am and Hwy 70 Exit 81 in Lakeville at 7:00 am. Evening departure times are determined by students’ after-school academic and extracurricular commitments and a schedule is sent out weekly. Riders can expect to depart between 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm.

Riders are expected to commit to using the shuttle van service for the entire school year. Fees for use of the shuttle van service are billed monthly to the student incidental account. Please contact travel@s-sm.org with any further questions or if you want to discuss the shuttle van service.

Yes, but each fridge must be 2.5 cubic feet in size or smaller (typically square shaped and under 25 inches high) and roommates must share the fridge: 1 per double room, trips/quads can have 2. These limitations are due primarily to the restricted power capacity in our historic buildings, so any larger or extra fridges will need to be removed/sent home/disposed of at the family’s expense. Read more about our fridge policy here. 

Please note, there is a $25 fee for fridge storage over the summer months. 

Each student should bring a laptop or tablet computer that can easily be used to complete homework and projects while on other parts of campus. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Teachers like to use Google Docs and there are robust systems available on campus if a particular project demands it.

Most students living in the dorms tend to find bicycles to be bulky and impractical. Razor-type scooters and skateboards tend to be more popular, especially for students that need to frequently move between the Middle and Upper School campuses (even though there is a shuttle bus). Be sure any device is clearly marked with your name and you have a plan to keep it secure.

Only day students can have a vehicle and must register it with the school during orientation. Boarding students are not allowed to have access to a vehicle kept on or off campus other than their own home.

There are free laundry facilities in each dorm for students to use and a dry cleaning service is available through the School Store. Students should bring their own laundry detergent and laundry baskets/bags.

Returning students may make use of limited storage facilities on campus. Click here for more information.