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Residential Life

Life On Dorm

Episcopal High School’s Residential Life Program seeks to create an environment where students acquire the skills needed to live independently while contributing to the aims of the broader community.

Living on a dorm is at the heart of Episcopal's 100 percent boarding culture.

The School's eight dorms (four for boys and four for girls) quickly become home, where faculty and students celebrate birthdays, indulge in spontaneous late-night snacks, and hold meaningful conversations in common spaces. In the dorms, students develop habits of responsibility as they learn to be considerate of others, care for personal and shared spaces, and conserve natural resources. Under the guidance of faculty, the dorms are happy, safe, and home-like environments where individual students feel included, respected, and valued. As students create meaningful and enduring relationships with peers and faculty, they also develop an understanding of and appreciation for students with diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Led by a dorm head with a resident faculty member on every floor, each dormitory is a community where students support and champion one another - from helping to carry a new student's luggage on the first day to attending dorm-mates' debuts in plays or athletic games. To ease into the boarding school transition, freshmen boys and girls each live on their own dorms and have earlier check-ins and lights-out times, plus extra faculty members on the dorm team. Each floor has an 11th grade prefect to provide guidance to freshmen and support to the dorm faculty. Additionally, Monitors - seniors selected by the faculty and student body - help coordinate dorm life. Students have one or two roommates, new students have roommates in the same grade, and all are responsible for their room upkeep and laundry.

WHAT IS "ON DORM"?

"On dorm" is EHS speak for being physically within your dormitory. "I spent the weekend on dorm." See below for a few other words and phrases that are unique to EHS boarding life. 

EHS Quick Terminology

List of 6 items.

  • Afternoon Activities Program

    Afternoon Activities Program is designed to provide each student with a quality, structured experience that, through athletic and/or artistic pursuit, imbues values such as teamwork, sportsmanship, creativity and competition, while encouraging students to develop and pursue special interests and talents. All students are expected to participate in a sport or School-sponsored activity during each afternoon throughout the School year.

  • Honor Code

    The most respected tradition at Episcopal, and the key to our whole community, is that of honor. The Honor Code fosters a sense of community and trust that pervades and enhances our experience. Students shall do their own work, represent themselves truthfully, and claim only what is their own.

  • Maroon Mentors

    Maroon Mentors provide student-to-student support and guidance to new students during their transition into life at EHS through meaningful relationships with upperclass students.

  • Mass Meetings

    Campus-wide “pep” rallies in support of EHS athletic teams and events. Mass Meetings are called spontaneously by the Cheerleaders and other senior leaders.

  • Monitor System

    On the basis of student and faculty nominations and an application process, the Headmaster appoints a number of seniors to be Monitors of the School, the group then nominates one to be the Head Monitor and two or more to be Senior Monitors. These students are expected to lead the rest of the student body “by precept and example,” and are also expected to help the faculty uphold school rules. To be appointed a Monitor is a mark of respect by the community, and the manner in which the Monitors carry out their dormitory and school-wide responsibilities impact the tone of the School.

  • Seated Lunch/Dinner

    Seated meals occurs during the academic week. At “advisory” meals, students sit with their faculty advisor and the rest of their advisory group. At “rotation” meals, students are randomly assigned to tables with a faculty member and several other students. Seated Dinner is on Monday nights and commonly referred to just as “Seated.”

Advisory

Episcopal advisors are guides, philosophers, and friends.

Officially, advisors help students select classes and explore the opportunities Episcopal has to offer. Informally, they become like family to both students and parents. Advisors care about connecting, and students know they can turn to them for advice and support.

Advisee groups are the same gender in ninth grade and mixed gender in grades 10 through 12. Advisors communicate regularly with parents about students' academic progress, other activities, and overall experiences at EHS. Advisors make formal reports at the close of each grading period and will also call or email as needed.

Episcopal's advisory system is integral to the EHS experience and helps bridge the gap between hometowns and a student's home at Episcopal.

Just a few examples of things advisors will do include:

List of 4 items.

  • Attending students' extracurricular events, such as games, exhibits, and performances;

  • Creating another home for students, having their advisees over for suppers or to roast marshmallows on the eve of important exams;

  • Meeting with their advisory at least five times a week at seated meals and in chapel and weekly in Community Meeting;

  • Opening their homes to students, allowing them a place of respite, reflection, and discussions with a trusted adult and mentor.

1200 North Quaker Lane
Alexandria, Virginia 22302
703-933-3000