BEMENT SCHOOL BOARDING PARENT HANDBOOK
SPENDING MONEY and FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
There are three accounts for each child at Bement:
Tuition Account - This is the account where the tuition and fees for a school year are collected. Each
month a family receives a billing statement with information about tuition and fee payments. If
you choose to pay through TMS (Tuition Management System), you will have a monthly account
with them and they will forward the outstanding tuition balance to us reflected in this account.
Incidental Account - This is an account to pay for items such as books, school store purchases, special
trips and on-campus sales, as well as allowances. The account also is used to track ELL fees,
health insurance, tutoring, music lessons, and transportation. A monthly bill is created and sent to
you as well. We ask that a minimum balance of $500 be kept in this account for boarding
students.
Weekend Account – At the start of the year, a cash account with a balance of $300 is set up for each fulltime boarding student. This initial amount will appear as a charge to the student’s Incidental
Account. During the school year, students can request money from this account if they anticipate
additional spending needs before a weekend. If the amount requested exceeds $20, parental
permission is required. Parental permission is generally confirmed by the dorm parent via email
or telephone, but parents can also email the Dean of Boarding, Dave Belcher, at
[email protected] to authorize the additional spending. When the Weekend Account
balance drops below $100, additional money is requested by the Dean of Boarding through the
Business Office, and the amount appears as another charge to the student’s incidental account.
Students do not have to use the account and the money will stay in the account until it is used.
Any remaining balance at the end of the year will appear as a credit on the student’s incidental
account.
All students receive an allowance each weekend. ($10 for students in grade 6 and above; $5 for those who
are younger.) After the weekend, the money that is not spent is returned to the dorm parent and placed
back into the student’s account. There is rarely a need for a child to have money during the week and if a
special trip is planned, boarders will be given money for the trip. If a child would like additional money
for items such as birthday presents or necessities that cost more than the allotted allowance, they must
request it from the Weekend Account (the procedure is outlined above.) A 5-day boarder does not receive
an allowance at Bement.
Allowance is allocated by the Business Office and charged to each student's Incidental Account. It may be
spent at the boarder's discretion, but we expect that it will be used to pay for necessities such as toiletries,
personal items, school supplies, etc., with any leftover cash being held in reserve for future needs.
For security reasons, no student may keep more than $20 in a dorm room.
Each Thursday or Friday students make Weekend Account requests. This is where lessons in budgeting
come into play! We are more than happy to work with you and your spending restrictions/guidelines.
The Dean of Boarding personally retrieves the requested funds, reflects the withdrawal on the student’s
Weekend Account envelope, and gives the cash to the boarder for the weekend.
Parents may wire the funds directly to Bement's bank and we will place them in your child's accounts as
determined by the parent. If you wire funds, please put the child's name on the wire.
Please contact the business office at 413-774-7061 for wire transfer instructions.
We also encourage the use of credit or debit cards by boarding students. Families can then set their
own spending limits and students and their parents can have direct control of their finances, in
accordance with those limits.
Parents may give an ATM card to their child; however, access to ATMs in nearby towns depends on the
weekend schedule and the dorm parent's convenience. Boarders may not receive cash advances unless the
funds are available here at the school to cover such expenses.
Some Bement families have special considerations requiring additional payments (often in advance).
Examples of these are health insurance, ELL, tutoring, transportation to and from the airport, music
lessons, etc. Parents will need to have sufficient funds on deposit in the Incidental Account to take care of
these obligations. In the case of such optional services (those not part of the Bement curriculum), the
school does not take responsibility but may be able to assist with arrangements where advance payment
has been provided.
TRAVEL PROCEDURES
As you can imagine, arranging travel plans for more forty young people involves a good deal of care and
coordination. Again this year, Dave Belcher, the Dean of Boarding, will be coordinating travel plans at
Bement. Dave is happy to answer any questions you have about our travel procedures or ground
transportation. He also will assist you in coordinating travel plans with other students so your child may
travel with fellow students whenever possible.
Reservations:
Make flight/travel/bus reservations as early as possible, based on the listed boarder travel dates on the
school’s 2015-2016 calendar. Please note that boarders are allowed to miss school on the day
they depart from Bement at the beginning of a vacation. This is to accommodate their ability to
make a range of flight departure times. Email the itineraries to Dave Belcher at
[email protected].
Unaccompanied Minor Travel:
Airline travel has become more complicated as security has increased. Each airline has different
regulations for minors traveling, so when purchasing tickets, parents should confirm with the airline or a
travel agent what their rules are and buy tickets accordingly. If the airline requires Unaccompanied Minor
(UM) status, some airlines may require that you pay the additional fee in advance and some may ask that
you pay at the airport. Either way, please let Dave Belcher know so that the proper financial arrangements
can be made.
Provide the airline with the name, address, and phone number of the person picking up your child.
Then, notify us with the same information; it needs to be confirmed at departure. Bement will provide you
with the name, etc. of our driver who will accompany your child to and from the airport. You will need
this information for the return trip to Bement; it will be located inside your child's Bement-issued travel
wallet.
Reconfirmation:
Very important: Reconfirm your child's flight with the airline 24 hours before departure. Believe it or
not, some of our boarders have been denied access to their unconfirmed flights.
International Travel:
For international travel, many procedures are time sensitive. If your child has special needs, e.g. visas,
attend to them immediately to eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming emergency action here at
school. Upon arrival at Bement, we will verify the status and validity of all SEVIS-sensitive
documentation [visas, I-20's, passports, green cards, etc.] for non-U.S. citizens. Students with
noncompliant documentation will not be allowed to register at Bement.
The I-20 must be kept in the passport. To enter the U.S., international students must show a valid student
visa, passport, and I-20. The I-20 must be signed annually by a school official. Note: an F-l student visa
can be issued only in the country of citizenship, not in the U.S.
If you have questions regarding the visa procedure, please contact Kim Loughlin, Director of Admission,
at the school or via email at [email protected].
Bement Campus Pick-Ups:
Let Dave Belcher know in advance if you plan personally to pick up/drop off your child. We will update
you on the best time and location to meet your child. It will give your child peace of mind, too, to know
that his/her travel plans are set.
Travel Changes:
Finally, if you need to change travel arrangements, in any way, call the school immediately. This is
especially critical if the change occurs while your child is at home. Dave Belcher is available weekday
business hours at the school, and he welcomes your call at his office or his home. The Bement School
Phone Numbers card attached to your child's travel wallet provides helpful telephone numbers. Again,
Dave Belcher’s email address is [email protected].
CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
All articles brought to the school must be plainly marked with the owner's name. It is necessary to
emphasize that this means every item, not just clothing. Iron-on nametapes should be sewn in place. A
commercial laundry picks up clothing once a week. Our commercial laundry furnishes bedspreads,
blankets, sheets, pillowcases, towels and student laundry bags. We require each boarder to have two sets
of sheets and pillow cases. As a reminder for everyone's benefit, there should be no borrowing or
bartering of any clothing or personal goods. While our laundry service is very good, items are lost, so
please keep this in mind when packing. Special care items should probably be left at home.
Minimum/Basic Clothing: Needs
Boys:
1 navy blue blazer with Bement patch
1 sports jacket
6 pairs of slacks - 2 khaki
2 ties
6 long-sleeved, collared shirts-2 white
dress shirts
6 short-sleeved, collared shirts
2 sweaters
2 belts
12 pairs of socks
1 pair of school dress shoes
2 pairs of sneakers
Girls:
1 navy blue blazer with Bement patch
6 pairs of slacks -- 2 khaki
4 skirts or dresses- 2 khaki skirts
10 collared blouses or turtlenecks - 2
white
2 sweaters
2 belts
12 pairs of socks, tights or pantyhose
2 slips
1 pair of school dress shoes
2 pairs of sneakers
Girls and Bovs:
Sports Clothing and Other Necessities
1 bathing suit
2 pairs of jeans (for weekend wear)
4 t-shirts
10 pairs of white athletic socks
1 lightweight jacket or fleece
10 sets underwear
3 sets of night attire –
pajamas/nightgown
2 sets of ski underwear
1 warm bathrobe
1 pair of bedroom slippers
1 pair of winter boots
1 pair of rain boots
3 pairs of heavyweight (warm) socks
1 waterproof raincoat with hood
1 umbrella
1 winter jacket or ski parka
1 pair of snow pants
2 pairs of winter gloves or ski mittens
1 warm hat
2 face cloths
2 standard bed pillows
alarm clock
watch
sewing kit
comb and brush
toothbrush and toothpaste
shampoo
1 fitted mattress pad – Size XL twin
2 fitted sheets
(If you are not
2 flat sheets
using E & R linens)
2 pillow cases
Size XL Twin
If families would liker their child to purchase bed linens after their arrival at Bement, the dorm parents can help
with that purchase on the first weekend and the students can make use of the E & R Linens for the first few
nights.
DORMITORY LIFE
Personal Belongings:
Additional suggested articles are books, games, cameras, musical instruments, tennis racket and balls, ice skates,
radios and bicycles. Please use wheeled suitcases or other types of luggage that are easily handled by airline
baggage handlers, as well as middle school students and their dorm parents. In addition, every child might
benefit from a small suitcase or bag that he or she can use for shorter trips like weekend stays with friends.
Finally, we are amazed and confounded by how many personal belongings our boarders accumulate over the
course of the year, so that they have to ship, store, or donate lots of items that have not been used very much
during the year. Please help us manage the amount of “stuff” kids have in their limited dorm spaces by
refraining from sending them lots of clothes from home or buying them from catalogs or websites.
Technology:
Students may also bring laptop computers or tablets, but their use is restricted to academic purposes. Each dorm
has one or two computers that can be used to allow video chatting or emailing. Access to social media sites
such as Facebook is restricted to ninth graders, however. Additionally, the use of video and computer games is
allowed, however, the rating on the game must be E for Everyone. Games with a rating other than E will be
confiscated.
While we encourage our boarders to be in regular contact with you at home, we are also trying to promote as
much face-to-face communication as possible. Therefore, we strive to maintain reasonable limits regarding the
use of communication and entertainment technologies. For this reason, access to devices such as cell phones or
iPhones, iPod Touches, or any device that allows access to the internet will be restricted to specific times and
public spaces. All technologies will be locked up each night before lights out in the technology cabinet in each
dorm. We appreciate your understanding and support as we try to help our boarders learn to responsibly use
technology. If a student enjoys listening to music at bedtime, he or she will need to have a simple music player
such as an iPod Shuffle or other basic music device. Nothing with a screen will be allowed in the room after
lights out.
Food:
Boarders are provided with small storage bins for personal food items and each dorm makes a trip nearly every
weekend to allow students to stock up on personal food supplies. Shopping options include traditional grocery
stores, as well as local Asian markets. Because food storage is very limited, we ask for your cooperation in
NOT sending large supplies of food to your child after vacations or during the school year.
Fire Regulations:
Fire regulations require that we have rules about decorations and electrical appliances in the dorm rooms.
The following appliances are NOT allowed in the dormitory:
electric heaters
air conditioners
black lights or strips of lights
candles
halogen lamps
lava lamps
electric appliances (coffee makers, water heaters, frying pans, hot plates)
Additional dorm room safety concerns include:
• Hair dryers, hair straighteners, clip-on lamps and electric blankets must be unplugged when not in use.
• Posters and wall decorations must not cover more than 25% of wall space and may not be placed at the
head of a bed; all hanging decorations must be fireproof.
• Extension cords and electrical converters must be of a design approved by the Deerfield Fire
Department. (Underwriters’ Laboratories approved)
• Decorations and appliances that violate these guidelines or otherwise constitute a fire hazard may be
confiscated.
• No one is allowed to smoke on or off campus.
COMMUNICATION WITH SCHOOL
One important factor for our boarding faculty is communication with the families. We work very hard to
establish convenient and effective methods to communicate about your child. To assure we have the most
updated contact information and easiest way to contact each parent, we ask that you fill out the attached form
listing important biographical and communication information.
We also want you to feel comfortable calling, faxing, or emailing the school in order to have your concerns
addressed. We ask that you direct your comments and concerns to the following people. If they cannot
effectively deal with the issue, they will help you contact the appropriate individual.
Main school number: (8 am – 4:30 pm, EST) 413-774-7061 (After hours line: 413-773-5967)
Main school fax numbers: 413-774-7863 or 413-774-3524
Dave Belcher - Dean of Boarding
Frank Henry - Head of School
Kimberly Loughlin - Director of Admission
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dormitory Phone Numbers:
Barton House (Girls dorm for grades 3-7)
Jiayi House (Boys dorm for grades 3-7)
Wright House (Girls dorm for grades 8-9)
Blydenburgh House (Boys dorm for grades 8-9)
413-773-3315
413-773-3411
413-773-3166
413-774-4529