Fay School, founded in 1866 by the Fay sisters, is an independent, coeducational day and boarding school located in Southborough, Massachusetts.

Fay School
Fay School's logo
Address
Map
48 Main Street

,
01772

Coordinates42°18′17″N 71°31′59″W / 42.30472°N 71.53306°W / 42.30472; -71.53306
Information
TypeJunior boarding school
MottoPoteris Modo Velis
(You Can If You Will)
Established1866
FoundersEliza Burnett Fay
Harriet Burnett
Head of Upper School (7-9)Jake Sumner
Faculty80
GradesK–9
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment475 total (325 day, 150 boarding)
Average class size14
Student to teacher ratio6:1
LanguageEnglish
Campus30 acre main campus, 36 acre athletic campus
Campus typeSuburban
Color(s)   Red and white
AthleticsYes
Athletics conferenceNew England Preparatory School Athletic Conference
MascotMoose
NewspaperMoosepaper
YearbookPioneer
Websitewww.fayschool.org

History

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Founding and early years

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Fay School was founded in 1866 by sisters Eliza Burnett Fay and Harriet Burnett in a former parsonage of the Unitarian church, across from St. Mark's School, where Fay students traditionally attended secondary school.[1] In its first school year, the school had only seven students: five day students and two boarders.

Expansion

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Under Eliza Fay's son, Waldo B. Fay, the school grew sizably, adding a new dormitory, school room, and library. In 1922, the school was officially incorporated,[1] and the ownership of the school was transferred from the Fay family to the newly formed board of trustees.[2] The school became fully coeducational in 1977, having previously implemented a pilot program for girls in 1972. Girls had previously attended the school as day students through the late 19th century.[3] The Root Academic Building, the main academic building of the campus, was constructed in 2001. Fay opened its Primary School (pre-K to 2nd grade) in 2010[4][5] and moved its 6th grade into the Lower School program (now 3rd to 6th grade) in the 2012–13 school year.[6][3]

Headmasters

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List of Fay School Headmasters
Name Years in Office
Eliza Burnett Fay 1866-1896 (29–30 years)
Waldo B. Fay 1896-1918 (21–22 years)
Edward W. Fay 1918-1942 (23–24 years)
Harrison L. Reinke 1942-1969 (26–27 years)
A. Brooks Harlow Jr. 1969-1988 (18–19 years)
Stephen V. A. Samborski 1988-1990 (1–2 years)
Stephen C. White 1990-2008 (17–18 years)
Robert J. Gustavson Jr. 2008-2024 (15–16 years)
Susanna Whitaker Waters 2024-Incumbent (0 years)

[2]

Campus facilities

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The school is situated on a 30-acre main campus, with a 36-acre athletic campus 1.5 miles away in Marlborough. Apart from the Root Academic Building, there are multiple other buildings at Fay: the Center for Creativity and Design, the Picardi Art Building, the Reinke Building, and the Harris Event Center, which contains the theater.[7] Below the theater is the Harlow Gymnasium, which contains the locker rooms, four basketball courts, an indoor rock climbing wall, and a fitness room. In addition, there are six soccer fields, four tennis courts, two swimming pools, a football field, and the multi-purpose MacAusland Field.[8] For meals, students go to the Camp Family Dining Hall, which is currently operated by SAGE Dining.[9] There are currently seven dormitory buildings: two boy dorms and five girl dorms, housing its 150 boarding students from 7th to 9th grade.[10]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b Benson, Albert Emerson (1925). History of Saint Mark's School. Privately published for the Alumni Association.
  2. ^ a b "Fay School's 150th Anniversary, 1866–2016 History". fay150.fayschool.org. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "The First Junior Boarding School in the US | Fay School Traditions". www.fayschool.org. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  4. ^ Evan Lips/Daily News staff. "Fay School addition ahead of schedule". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  5. ^ Evan Lips/Daily News staff. "A sense of adventure at Southborough's Fay Primary School". Wicked Local. Retrieved February 26, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Fay School ~Fay Facts". fayschool.org. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  7. ^ "Campus Map | Fay School | Private K-9 School | Southborough, MA". www.fayschool.org. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  8. ^ "Fields, Gym, Pools, Ropes Course | Athletics Facilities at Fay School". www.fayschool.org. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  9. ^ "SAGE Dining Services | Fay School". www.sagedining.com. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  10. ^ "Class Size, Enrollment, Facilities | Fay School Fast Facts". www.fayschool.org. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  11. ^ "American Volunteers in the French Foreign Legion, 1914-1917: Victor Chapman". July 17, 2012. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  12. ^ "Singer-Songwriter Eric Chou '10 Releases Second Album". Fay School. September 9, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  13. ^ "Michael Coe | Department of Anthropology". anthropology.yale.edu. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Dodge, Andrew R.; USA; USA, eds. (2005). Biographical directory of the United States Congress, 1774 - 2005: the Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the first through the one hundred eighth congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, inclusive. House document / House of Representatives, US Congress (2005 ed., closing date of compilation, January 3, 2005 ed.). Washington, DC: US Gov. Print. Off. ISBN 978-0-16-073176-1.

Further reading

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  • Steward, Scott C. The Fay School: A History, 1866–1986. Southborough, MA: The Trustees of Fay School, 1988.
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