Upper School Back-to-School 2026-27
Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year!
To-Do Before School Begins: All Upper School Students
STUDENT SCHEDULE AND CALENDAR:
View your fall schedule in Veracross. In the portal, you can also click on “My Calendar” at the top of the page to view important events and dates. If you have any concerns about your schedule, please see Your Academic Schedule below.
TEXTBOOKS:
In Veracross, students, you should see a link for “Booklist” under Student Links on the right hand side. Parents, under your child‘s name, you should see three tabs. “Info,” “Reports,” and “Links.” If you click on the “Links” tab, you should see “Booklist.” Click there to view the specific editions and ISBNs of the books you’ll need.
Click here for a letter about purchasing books for English courses this school year.
FULL-YEAR BLOCK CALENDAR:
Click on this link to view; print and keep this crucial scheduling document.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Click on this link to view the important dates for the 2026-2027 school year.
UPPER SCHOOL HANDBOOK:
View the Upper School Student Handbook in your Veracross portal (scroll down to the documents section). Please take a close look at the Handbook this year — there are several important updates, including regarding device usage in school, dress guidelines, and attendance clarifications.
STUDENT IDS:
All students are given a student ID. If you are new to Park, we will take a photo for your ID during orientation. Returning students: if you have lost your ID, please fill out this form so we can get you a new ID. Please note: we will replace any IDs lost over the summer, but after that, there will be a $5 replacement fee for any lost ID cards during the school year. In order to not incur a charge, this form must be filled out by August 28. Any requests made after August 28 will be charged.
SUMMER READING DISCUSSION GROUPS:
Our goals this year for the Upper School Summer Reading Program are to encourage students to read over the summer, and invite students to enjoy themselves as they read.
During the school year, Park students are asked to read A LOT, and they don’t always have time to read simply for the pleasure of reading. That’s what summer is for! We want our students to read what brings them joy, happiness, and meaning over the summer, and we think that comes from reading what students want to read rather than what teachers think they should read.
If you don’t know where to start in your search for a good book, the English Department has put together a list of titles that they love and recommend. When you browse this list (located on our Summer Reading Website), you’ll find a wide range of books for a variety of reading interests.
When we come back in the fall, the plan is to have a celebration of reading, with small groups gathering to chat about what they read over the summer. Beyond reading a book this summer, the one thing you are responsible for is bringing your A game to our book chats in the fall! It’s gonna be great!
DRIVING EXPECTATIONS (JUNIORS AND SENIORS) AND VEHICLE REGISTRATION:
All juniors and seniors (whether or not they plan to drive to school) must complete the permission forms (found in your Veracross Portal) by Friday, August 28, 2026. If you plan on driving to school, you must register the vehicle prior to parking on campus. The Vehicle Registration form is located at the bottom of the Driving Expectations forms.
Find the junior form here.
Find the senior form here.
PUBLIC LIBRARY CARD:
For research purposes, all Park students are asked to have a Baltimore County Public Library Card. You do not need to be a resident of Baltimore County to register for a card. Click here to register.
OFF-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES POLICY AND ALL-SCHOOL AND UPPPER SCHOOL POLICIES:
When logging into the Veracross portal, click on “Important Policies & Procedures, Documents & Forms” and scroll down to the “Upper School” section. Here you’ll find the Off-Campus Activities Policy and important all-school and Upper School policies for review.
ATHLETICS:
Find information about preseason athletics here and read the welcome letter from the Athletic Leadership Team here.
ARTS INFORMATION:
Find information about Park’s Upper School Music program, including trips and preseason Performing Arts Rehearsal information here.
PEABODY AT PARK PROGRAMS:
Peabody Preparatory offers dance and music programs that take place in the Wyman Arts Center (music rooms and dance studio) during weekday afternoons and evenings. Peabody Prep oversees and manages all facets of the program, including registration, scheduling, and billing. Visit the Peabody at Park website to learn more about their offerings and register.
To-Do Before School Begins: Parents
MEDICAL FORMS AND HEALTH INFORMATION:
Complete your child’s online medical forms. A fully completed Medical Statement must be on file for your child to participate in athletic activities. Look out for an email from our student health record management system August Schools. Follow the prompts and upload the documents directly to the August Schools portal. Visit our Health Services page for more information.
TRANSPORTATION:
Find information about transportation options here.
HOUSEHOLD CALENDAR:
Logging into the Veracross Parent Portal will allow you access to the Veracross Calendars. Your Household calendar will display important events and dates that specifically affect members of your household. For information on how to subscribe, click here.
THE PARK SCHOOL DIRECTORY:
The Park School Directory will be accessible through the Veracross portal. In order to ensure we have the most up-to-date information for the directory, please update your information in the Veracross portal by Monday, August 18.
COMPLETE THE CAFETERIA AND SCHOOL STORE PURCHASE LIMITS FORM:
OPTIONAL: Click here to set monthly purchase limits on your child’s cafeteria account and the School Store account — if you do not want to set a limit, you do not need to fill out this form. Note: prior limits set will remain in effect unless you resubmit this form. The School Store (located in the lobby of the Athletic Center) sells a variety of snacks, drinks, and grab and go items, as well as Park spirit apparel, P.E. shirts, hats, accessories, and gifts.
GRANDPARENTS:
The Veracross portal includes a section in the “Family Update Form” called “Grandparents.” By updating contact information for grandparents, you will enable Park to share community news periodically, and invite grandparents to future events and other community activities
Cafeteria Reminder!
Students can purchase breakfast, lunch, and snacks in the cafeteria using their student account (billed in arrears in FACTS), cash, and credit card. The cafeteria is open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. when school is in session. If desired, a monthly limit can be placed on the student’s account using the link here. Limits will roll over from year to year.
School Supplies Reminder!
As you start your back-to-school shopping, please note that there is no list of prescribed school supplies for Upper School. Your teachers will let you know during the first few days of class of any special requirements; at a minimum, though, you should be sure to bring paper, a quad ruled notebook, writing implements (both pen and pencil), scissors, a ruler, binders and/or folders, and a calculator on the first day. (The current recommendation of the math department is the TI-30XS MultiView scientific calculator.)
Information for 9th Grade Students
Dear Members of the Class of 2030 and Families:
Welcome to the Upper School! With Middle School behind you, the great adventure of high school is near at hand. We are thrilled that you will be joining us and excited about what you will bring: fresh energy, innovative ideas, and curiosity.
Before ninth grade orientation begins, we want to share some resources and people who will help you find your way. For ninth graders new to Park, there is your “buddy,” the veteran Park student you met this spring, who will get in touch with you before the start of school to answer any questions you have and then partner with you during Orientation.
Your advisor — whose name is listed on your class schedule — is an important source of support and guidance this year (and every other year). You will be part of an advisee group composed of five to ten students, some of whom will also be ninth graders. You and your advisor will have at least one scheduled meeting together each week, usually with the group, with other meetings occurring informally or as needed. Your advisor will oversee your academic and socio-emotional progress, provide support and guidance as needed, and serve as the primary point of contact for your parents with the school.
Parents and guardians, we recognize the importance of this last function for you, particularly as your child makes the leap to high school, and therefore hope you’ll be able to attend Back-to-School Night (Thursday, September 10), which will begin with a meet-and-greet for advisors and ninth-grade parents and guardians. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your child’s advisor, find out how the first few days of the transition to Park are going, and establish protocols for staying in touch. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and get a sense of what each class will be studying this year. Details for Back to School Night will be sent to you in early September.
We also hope you’ll join us at the Ninth Grade Parent/Guardian and Student Meeting (Thursday, September 24). We’ll send more information as the evenings get closer; in the meantime, please save the dates. We look forward to seeing you there.
As you will read in the letter from our Counseling and Wellness Department, our counselors, Edwin Gordon, Kara Ker, and Tucker Snow, are available to speak with you at any time. Our Learning Resource Teachers, Karyn Fisher and Rich Espey, advise students on organization, study skills, test accommodations, and learning plans, and are available to you, too. And, of course, you have your teachers and us to talk with at any time if you have questions about Upper School, your classes, or the opportunities you are finding here.
Turning to Orientation, when you join us on Monday, August 31 and Tuesday, September 1 from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., you’ll have the chance to meet new students, find (and operate!) your locker, navigate the building, master the schedule, attend an Activities Fair, get to know your class advisors, Liz Hirsch (Co-Director of College Counseling) and Walker Miller-Breetz (Upper School Math), and several older students; and spend one-on-one time with your faculty advisor.
Your Upper School schedule is located on Veracross. Talking through it with your advisor during Orientation will help you launch into the first day of school. If you study it now, you will notice occasional periods (M, G, and X blocks) with no scheduled obligations. While you will have free time during the day, these blocks also provide important opportunities to meet with teachers for extra help, complete research in the library, work on group projects, or catch up on homework. These blocks are also used for musical ensembles; for example, Parksingers (the Upper School chorus), scheduled grade-level meetings, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion and Wellness classes, and co-curricular activities meetings. You will learn much more about our exciting clubs and activities at the Activities Fair during Orientation, and be encouraged to join based on your interests.
You’ll also notice that your schedule does not show any Physical Education classes. Park requires students to earn six PE credits before graduating, either by playing on an interscholastic team (1 1⁄2 credits per season) or taking PE classes (1 credit per class). PE offerings may include activities such as Frisbee, weight training, and fitness. Sign-up for PE will take place during the first week of school.
Although preseason participation is not required, it is strongly recommended and expected for any player trying out for Varsity athletics. It is a great way to get to know peers and older students outside the classroom and to begin getting in shape and adjusting to high school. If you’re thinking about playing on a team this fall, the time is near. Please visit Park’s website to find the preseason practice schedule by clicking here.
As you start your back-to-school shopping, please note that there is no list of prescribed school supplies for Upper School (other than the technology requirements found on the Back-to-School Website and the books listed for purchase). You will also receive a planner for the academic year, created by our Learning Resource teachers, to help you organize yourself for your class assignments, co-curricular activities, and other commitments. Your teachers will let you know during the first few days of class of any special requirements. At a minimum, though, you should be sure to bring basic school supplies — paper, a quad-ruled notebook, writing implements (both pen and pencil), scissors, a ruler, binders and/or folders, and a TI-30XS MultiView scientific calculator on the first day.
If you have questions about any of the details in this letter, don’t hesitate to contact the Upper School’s Administrative Assistants, Lauren Blum ([email protected]) or Kate Davidson ([email protected]).
If you have questions or concerns about your schedule, please get in touch with Dorrie Bright-Whitson, our Registrar (410-339-4104 or [email protected]). She will also be available to answer questions and resolve issues during Orientation.
We hope you have a wonderful end to your summer, and we look forward to an adventure with all of you this year.
Best,
Traci Wright, Upper School Principal
Elliott Huntsman, Upper School Dean of Students
Dear Class of 2030 and New Upper School Students,
Congratulations on your entrance to the Park Upper School! As your Student Council, we write to welcome you to the community and share some of the experiences that helped us adapt to the new environment. We hope that your transition to our community will be smooth, and we will do all we can to support you throughout the process.
Whether you’re coming from downstairs, across the street, or across the globe, we are excited to have you be part of our community. Park is a place in which everyone has the chance to get to know themselves through new experiences (both in and out of the classroom). We hope you consider joining one of the many clubs we offer; Student Senate, Mock Trial, ISAMR, DECA, and countless other clubs continue to bring joy to the Park community. If you don’t see something that interests you, we are here to support you in pursuing your own passions!
You’ll hear this a lot during your first few days in the Upper School, but you should make an effort to try out as many of these things as you can in order ot meet new people and figure out what you enjoy most.
We hope that you find Park’s Upper School both challenging and welcoming. Make sure you get to know your teachers and advisor, as relationships with faculty are an excellent way to ensure your success, whether it be through advocacy, helping you understand a difficult concept from class, or whatever else you may need. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or ask for help.
No matter what you’re interested in or how you choose to spend your time, we know you’re going to do great at Park. As your Student Government, we are here to support you and are excited to meet you at orientation!
Get excited for a great year! 🙂
Owen, President
Aria, Vice President
Nava, Treasurer
Carter, Secretary
Class of 2030 Orientation!
Keep an eye out for an email with the specifics! Students should plan to be on campus from 8:30 to 3 p.m. on both Monday, August 31 and Tuesday, September 1.
Letter Regarding 9th Grade Math and Language Placements
Dear Incoming 9th Graders and their Parents,
As you prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to share information about how we place incoming 9th Graders in both Mathematics and Modern Language. Our goal in each department is to ensure that every student is in a course that is engaging, appropriately challenging, and supportive of their continued growth.
Mathematics Placement
Each year, the Math Department places incoming 9th Graders into one of four levels. All classes follow an integrated curriculum covering algebra, coordinate geometry, and trigonometry, though they differ in pace, depth, and level of abstraction. The most advanced class also covers Euclidean Geometry and additional topics. Across all levels, students develop habits of mind for problem solving — such as tinkering, simplifying problems, and representing problems visually and symbolically.
Course Descriptions
- Math 9-1 is a fast-paced course, covering several topics in algebra, coordinate geometry, and trigonometry, as well as Euclidean geometry and some other additional abstract topics.
- Math 9-2 follows the integrated algebra/coordinate geometry/trigonometry curriculum at a brisk pace, assuming comfort with algebra and a high level of abstraction.
- Math 9-3 also follows the integrated curriculum, with more time spent on building and reinforcing fundamentals.
- Math 9-4 follows the integrated curriculum as well, with some additional support built into the course.
At the end of 9th Grade, teachers will have a detailed, individualized understanding of each student’s mathematical abilities and progress. In the spring, students will have conversations with their teachers about the most appropriate 10th Grade course and whether any summer work is recommended.
Questions about math placement? Please contact Tom Brown, Upper School Math Chair, at [email protected] or (410) 339-7070 x4524.
Language Placement
The Modern Language Department places incoming 9th Graders into one of three levels based on proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and grammar, as well as readiness for the pace and expectations of each course.
Course Descriptions
Level 1 Regular – Novice High
Students build foundational language skills through everyday topics such as family, school, hobbies, and food. They communicate using simple words, phrases, and sentences across all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) while developing cultural awareness of the communities where the target language is spoken. Grammar focuses on present tense verbs, basic sentence structure, gender and number agreement, question words, and introductory use of past and future expressions.
Level 2 Regular – Intermediate Mid
Students expand their communication skills by speaking and writing in connected sentences about personal experiences, routines, traditions, travel, and culture. They gain confidence using present, past, and future time frames. Grammar expectations include regular and irregular present tense verbs, preterite and imperfect past tenses, reflexive verbs, comparisons, object pronouns, and more detailed sentence structure.
Level 2A – Intermediate Mid/High
This accelerated course is designed for students with strong language skills and greater independence. Students communicate with increased fluency and detail, engage with more complex cultural topics, and use the target language across multiple time frames in both speaking and writing. Grammar expectations include consistent control of present and past tenses, future tense, commands, direct and indirect object pronouns, comparisons, and more advanced paragraph-level discourse.
We are excited to begin working with this year’s group of students and look forward to a wonderful year ahead. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about either placement.
Questions about Modern Language placement? Please contact Nathalie Behrens, Upper School Modern Language Chair, at [email protected] or (410) 339-7070 x4451.
Information for New 10th, 11th & 12th Grade Students
Dear Students and Families:
Once again, congratulations on your acceptance to Park School, and welcome to the community. You are a very special group of students entering Park after 9th Grade. There’s much to learn about how the Upper School works, and we know the next few months will involve some orienting and adapting. But please know how excited we are about what you’ll bring: fresh energy, innovative ideas, and new ways of seeing.
Still, though, it might be nice to know where your locker is! Fortunately, there are many people and resources in place to help you find your way. We have matched you with a “buddy,” a veteran Park student who will get in touch with you before the start of school to answer any questions you have, and then partner with you during New Student Orientation, which will take place on Tuesday, September 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. At orientation, you will have a chance to bond as a group, navigate the building, review your schedule, learn about co-curricular activities, have lunch with members of your class, discuss the school’s philosophy, and meet your faculty advisors. The schedule for the day will be sent to you in mid-August.
Your advisor — whose name is listed on your class schedule — is an important source of support and guidance this year (and every other year). Once the school year starts, you’ll be part of an advisee group composed of five to ten students. You and your advisor will have at least one scheduled meeting together each week, usually with the group, with other meetings occurring informally or as needed. Your advisor will oversee your academic and socio-emotional progress, help you access resources and activities, provide support and guidance when needed, and act as the primary point of contact for your parents with the school.
Parents and guardians, we recognize the importance of this last function for you, particularly as your child makes the leap to Park, and therefore hope you’ll be able to attend Back-to-School Night (Thursday, September 10), which will begin with time set aside for parents/guardians of new students to meet with their child’s advisor. This is a great opportunity to find out how the first few weeks of the transition to Park are going and to establish protocols for staying in touch. We look forward to seeing you there.
As you will read in the letter from our Counseling and Wellness Department, our counselors, Edwin Gordon, Kara Ker, and Tucker Snow, are available to speak with parents and students at any time. Our Learning Resource Teachers, Karyn Fisher and Rich Espey, advise students on organization, study skills, test accommodations, and learning plans, and are available to you, too. And, of course, you have your teachers and us to talk with at any time if you have questions about Upper School, your classes, or the opportunities you are finding here.
Your Upper School schedule is located on Veracross. Talking through it with your advisor during Orientation will help you launch into the first day of school. If you study it now, you will notice occasional periods (M, G, and X blocks) with no scheduled obligations. While you will have free time during the day, these blocks also provide important opportunities to meet with teachers for extra help, research in the library, work on group projects, or catch up on homework. These blocks are also used for musical ensembles — for example, Parksingers (the Upper School chorus) — as well as scheduled grade-level meetings, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion and Wellness classes, and co-curricular activity meetings. You will learn much more about our exciting clubs and activities at the Activities Fair during Orientation and be encouraged to join based on your interests.
You’ll also notice that your schedule does not show any Physical Education classes. Park requires students to earn 6 PE credits before graduating, either by playing on an interscholastic team (1½ credits per season) or by taking PE classes (1 credit per class) after school. You can get in touch with Kate Davidson (one of our Upper School Administrative Assistants) to find out whether you have PE credits left to earn, and to learn about opportunities for doing so. Sign-up for PE will take place during the first week of school. If you’re thinking about playing on a team this fall, the time is near. Please visit Park’s website to learn about the preseason practice schedule by clicking here. Although preseason participation is not required, it is strongly recommended and expected for any player trying out for Varsity. It is a great way to ease yourself back into the school year.
As you start your back-to-school shopping, please note that there is no list of prescribed school supplies for Upper School (other than the technology requirements found on the Back-to-School Website and the books listed for purchase). You will also receive a planner for the academic year, created by our Learning Resource teachers, to help you organize yourself for your class assignments, activities, and other commitments. Your teachers will let you know during the first few days of class of any special requirements; at a minimum, you should be sure to bring basic school supplies — paper, a quad-ruled notebook, writing implements (both pen and pencil), scissors, a ruler, binders and/or folders, and a TI-30XS MultiView scientific calculator on the first day.
If you have questions about any of the details in this letter, don’t hesitate to contact the Upper School’s Administrative Assistants, Lauren Blum ([email protected]) or Kate Davidson ([email protected]).
If you have questions or concerns about your schedule that can’t wait until September 1, please get in touch with Dorrie Bright-Whitson, our Registrar (410-339-4104 or [email protected]). She will also be available to answer questions and resolve issues during Orientation.
We hope you have a wonderful end to your summer, and we look forward to an adventure with you all this year.
Best,
Traci Wright, Upper School Principal
Elliott Huntsman, Upper School Dean of Students
Dear Class of 2030 and New Upper School Students,
Congratulations on your entrance to the Park Upper School! As your Student Council, we write to welcome you to the community and share some of the experiences that helped us adapt to the new environment. We hope that your transition to our community will be smooth, and we will do all we can to support you throughout the process.
Whether you’re coming from downstairs, across the street, or across the globe, we are excited to have you be part of our community. Park is a place in which everyone has the chance to get to know themselves through new experiences (both in and out of the classroom). We hope you consider joining one of the many clubs we offer; Student Senate, Mock Trial, ISAMR, DECA, and countless other clubs continue to bring joy to the Park community. If you don’t see something that interests you, we are here to support you in pursuing your own passions!
You’ll hear this a lot during your first few days in the Upper School, but you should make an effort to try out as many of these things as you can in order ot meet new people and figure out what you enjoy most.
We hope that you find Park’s Upper School both challenging and welcoming. Make sure you get to know your teachers and advisor, as relationships with faculty are an excellent way to ensure your success, whether it be through advocacy, helping you understand a difficult concept from class, or whatever else you may need. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or ask for help.
No matter what you’re interested in or how you choose to spend your time, we know you’re going to do great at Park. As your Student Government, we are here to support you and are excited to meet you at orientation!
Get excited for a great year! 🙂
Owen, President
Aria, Vice President
Nava, Treasurer
Carter, Secretary
New Student Orientation for 10th, 11th & 12th Graders!
Keep an eye out for an email with the specifics for the day! Students should plan to be on campus from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1.
Information for Returning 10th, 11th & 12th Grade Students
Dear Returning Upper School Students,
Welcome back! We hope that everyone had a relaxed and safe summer full of growth and lots of fun! In a few weeks, we will be gearing up for the new school year. We, your new Student Council, are excited to be back on campus with all of you, and we are ready to make this upcoming year one to remember.
We hope that you continue to explore your interests and passions the same way you did in your previous years at Park. If you’ve enjoyed working with younger students over the summer, join the Partners Program. If you want to experience the thrill of stepping into the courtroom or arguing for your country, try out Mock Trial or Model United Nations. We also encourage you to run for senate or drop in during our weekly Senate meetings on Thursday at X block. And get excited for your classes! Let’s enjoy the last bit of summer we have left and get ready for the challenges we’ll face this year.
Your workload will be greater, and you will have new responsibilities, as well as more exciting opportunities to look forward to.
Enjoy the last few weeks of summer. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Owen, President
Aria, Vice President
Nava, Treasurer
Carter, Secretary
Dear Max S-L and the Park Upper School Student Body,
Thank you for the initiative and community effort put into the petition to revert our phone policy to the 24-25 version of our previous policy. We reviewed the arguments made, discussed them as a faculty, and have voted to keep the current policy as it is.
This is not a sign of disregard of student opinion — it was a measured consideration of observations and priorities of both students and faculty, with the decision ultimately being made as a school to prioritize learning and community connection. On balance, we believe that students not having access to their phones throughout the day achieves this goal better than returning to our old policy.
Responses to the arguments of the petition:
- We believe that the current phone policy has produced substantial positive effects. Students are spending much more time directly interacting with each other — working on group projects, playing games (cards, hacky sack, tag, etc.), and talking in the halls.
- The educational uses of phones have almost entirely been covered by laptops. There are a few instances where portability is an issue or where higher-quality photographs or video are required, and we have worked with teachers to facilitate that. Otherwise, phones provide little additional positive contribution to student learning, which is the purpose of school.
- We agree that the restriction of phones at school does not adequately address the overall harms of excessive technology use — loss of sleep, difficulty focusing, increased mental health challenges, and bullying and other harmful social interactions. However, the fact that more work is needed in other areas is not an argument for us not to do what we can during the hours we are together in school.
- The decision to move to this policy was not based on hypotheticals — it was based on observations of the 24-25 policy in action. Students frequently did not place their phones in the wall holders and brought phones to assembly. Free times involved many students focusing on their phones instead of their learning or the community. It was also the culmination of three years of discussion, including multiple student surveys and feedback sessions.
- There have been administrative costs of the phone policy — Lauren and Kate having to track down phones, and teachers having to bring phone cases back to the office. However, these have reduced other costs — collecting phones in each class and at assembly, and staff having to police phone use in class and on breaks.
- The Park philosophy states that “positive expectations produce positive virtues,” and that our goal is to help prepare students “to think and act in the world with responsible freedom.” We believe, based both on broader scientific research and our own experiences as teachers, that modern technology (especially phones in our pockets and social media) is intentionally designed to distract and engage well beyond what is healthy or educative. As a school, we regularly make policies, restrict behaviors, and reduce individual autonomy in the name of improving learning and community.
As technology changes ever more rapidly, we will continue to reevaluate its benefits and costs to both student learning and our community, and continue to value student insight and opinion. Whether that technology is phones, laptops, earbuds, smartwatches, AI, or whatever comes next, we want to make sure that our decisions as a school and community always center both student learning and our ability to connect to each other.
Sincerely,
Traci Wright, Upper School Principal
Elliott Huntsman, Upper School Dean of Students
Your Academic Schedule
You are now able to log into Veracross to see your tentative schedule for the full year. Your fall classes will display on the landing page, and you can click on the “Future” tab to see your spring classes. In addition, there are links to color-coded pdfs of your schedule for each term. Look for these buttons in your portal:
If you have forgotten your password or are otherwise unable to log into Veracross, please contact [email protected].
I wrote above that your schedule is tentative, because if you want to make a change to your schedule, you may!
- First, please check here to see if the class you want is full and that you have space for it in your schedule. Please note the two tabs at the bottom for the fall and spring semesters. If there is room in the class, zap me a note ([email protected]) to let me know what you’d like to do.
- If the class is full, please both add yourself to the waitlist here and send me an email about what you’d like to do. Adding yourself to the waitlist means that your name could be randomly chosen if a seat opens up in the class. Please note that I will not start to draw students from the waitlist before Monday, August 17, to allow time for all students to review their schedules. Please also note that all classes are listed on the form; not just the full ones (so that I don’t have to keep adding or removing classes as enrollments change).
If you put yourself on a waitlist, please be sure to check your email every day after August 15. Students will have 48 hours to respond to an email from me inviting them to join a waitlisted class. Once the school year begins, students will have only 24 hours to respond.
Reminder: If the class is not full, please do not use the waitlist, but email me directly to let me know that you’d like to enroll (#1 above). The waitlist form is for full classes only. You’d be “waiting” until a student drops the class and your name is chosen.
- Please note that as of the first day of school, we expect that everyone will be settled into their schedules. After classes begin, students must complete a class-change form to make any changes to their schedules. Please reach out to me to kick off that form ([email protected], Room 342). Students may not join a class in progress after Thursday, September 11.
- As always, please be sure to read the course description (including prerequisites) in the Program of Studies.
Recommendations for Viewing Your Schedule
- You can download a color-coded pdf of your schedule — there’s one for each semester. It’s often nice to have that paper reference, though it is static, and will not reflect any schedule changes, such as a weather delay or special events in the Upper School.
- Your up-to-date calendar may be viewed in Veracross. Please see “the easiest way” in the linked document.
- We strongly recommend that students have Veracross feed their class schedules to Google Calendars, which are linked to the Google Classrooms used by faculty. Please see “a convenient way” in the linked document.
Understanding Student Choice, Scheduling, and an Abundance of Electives
We build our schedule around student requests by placing classes in blocks where the most students can take them. Classes are filled randomly with students who have requested that class. Unfortunately, there are myriad other constraints on the schedule that compete with choice — classroom space, teacher availability, and conflicts with required classes.
Please understand, too, that our system does not make it any more likely that a student will get a very popular class. If 45 students request to be in a class of 18, 27 students will not get that class under any system. That’s a 60% disappointment rate! However, students stand a much better chance of having smaller classes of interest open to them, whereas under another system, only your required classes are considered.
Our system is about being fair and equitable to all students and does not guarantee that any individual will get their first or second choices. Many students do.
Spanish Electives, Statistics, and Discrete Mathematics
Students recommended for “Statistics or Discrete” or for the Spanish electives (regular or accelerated) have been placed in the classes that work best with their other requests. while keeping section sizes balanced.
Maximum Class Sizes
Please understand that different classes have different maximum sizes. Sometimes we have to cap one section so that the other section maintains a critical mass of students (like Math 10-3 for 24 students, for example; if one section goes to 18, the other will have only 6 students). Sometimes classroom safety is the dominant factor (as when working with power tools or chemicals, for example).
Rooms
Rooms will be assigned in August and will then appear on your schedule in Veracross.
Google Classrooms
Will be available to students by the first day of classes.
Spring Independent Studies and Teaching Assistantships
Students wishing to apply for a spring-semester independent study or teaching assistantship may do so in the fall. We do not approve or schedule them before that time.
I look forward to working with you this year!
Dorrie Bright-Whitson
Upper School Registrar
410-339-4104
[email protected]
Reference Materials
- Program of Studies – contains course descriptions (as well as much information about Park)
- Class Schedule – showing which classes are in which blocks and if the class is full
- Requirements and considerations by department and grade – a summary of curricular requirements by department
- Sign up to be on a waitlist – Please only use this for full classes. Note that ALL classes are listed; if the class is not full, please email me to get into it.
- Veracross calendars
A Message from the Counseling and Wellness Office
Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome to the 2026-2027 academic school year!
A new school year is always a refreshing opportunity for new beginnings; this year is no exception.
The entire Counseling and Wellness Team, with unwavering dedication, is committed to providing the high-quality social and emotional programming and support you are accustomed to. We are thrilled to introduce fresh initiatives and approaches to the school community, ensuring a smooth transition for students and families.
Here is what you can expect from the Counseling and Wellness Team:
- Meet and Greets: Individual sessions will be held with students new to Park throughout the fall.
- Human Sexuality Education: Park’s Human Sexuality Education is taught by Debbie Roffman in the Lower School and Ashley Edwards in the Middle and Upper School. Holistic in nature and comprehensive in scope, Park’s trained health educators focus on healthy social and emotional development, healthy relationships with self and others, and community health and well-being.
- Counseling: The role of Park’s school counselors is to promote wellness, facilitate student social and emotional development, and work with individual students and families to address social, emotional, and mental health challenges that affect students’ learning and development. We are always here for you, providing confidential, brief counseling support for students and families.
- Please contact us to request support services at any time. Lower School families, please contact Lower School Counselor Amy Ancona at [email protected] or 410-339-4129. Middle and Upper School families, please contact Kara Ker at [email protected] or 410-339-4158, Tucker Snow at [email protected] or 410-339-4117, and Edwin Gordon at [email protected] or 410-339-4170. Please note that we cannot support requests for students to participate in teletherapy with community clinicians at school.
- Counseling and Wellness Database: Park’s Health Team has created a database of resources (articles, books, lectures, podcasts, etc.) — and can be found here. These resources are intended to provide parenting education about developmentally appropriate topics.
- Referrals: From our robust professional network, we can refer you to community providers for assessments and more extended-term treatment.
We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming you back on campus soon! We hope you will become acquainted with us this academic year. If you or your family have concerns you want to discuss confidentially before the year officially begins, we encourage you to reach out in late August.
Warmly,
The Counseling and Wellness Office (Amy, Ashley, Edwin, Kara, Tucker & Debbie)
Tech Requirements
To support both in-school and at-home academic programming and to minimize the risk associated with sharing devices, Park is requiring that each student have access to the following technology:
9th – 12th Grade
- A personal laptop (PC or Mac) for use in school and at home
The table below applies to students in Grades 9-12
| Personal laptop with a built-in webcam | Macintosh or Windows PC | Students provide their own device. |
| Minimum laptop specifications | 13″ screen M2, i5, or Ryzen 5 processor 8 GB RAM 256 GB minimum hard drive | If purchasing a new device, 16 GB RAM is recommended. |
| Lightweight headset (headphones and built-in microphone) | Stereo plugs or USB connection to connect to student’s device Example brands: Cyber Acoustics Stereo PlugHeadset, Logitech USB Headset | |
| Extended warranty (AppleCare or equivalent for PC) | Highly recommended for laptops, but NOT required |
