Family Weekend

8 to 9 a.m. - Breakfast, Ford Hall

8 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Welcome Center open, Simon Student Center
Class fundraisers will be available between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Registration and Rapid Testing, Sycamore Lane
6 to 8 p.m. - Late arrival testing, Rutherford Health and Wellness Center

9 to 11:30 a.m. - Visit classes

This will provide an opportunity for parents to meet their child’s teachers and to enjoy a small sampling of class activities. In order to avoid crowding in our classrooms, activities and lessons will be brief, allowing families to cycle in and out of a classroom during the allotted time. 

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Lunch, Ford Hall

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. - Visit classes

This will provide an opportunity for parents to meet their child’s teachers and to enjoy a small sampling of class activities. In order to avoid crowding in our classrooms, activities and lessons will be brief, allowing families to cycle in and out of a classroom during the allotted time. 

1:30 to 2:45 p.m. - Departmental Open Houses, Various Locations

• English - Edwards Room

• Arts - Cofrin Gallery, Burgin Center

• History - 2nd Floor, Lenfest Hall

• Language - Tent, Prentiss-Zimmerman Quad

• Math - 4rd Floor, Irvine Hall

• Religion - 4th Floor, Lenfest Hall

• Science - 1st and 2nd Floor, Irvine Hall

Department members will be available in the academic buildings for “Open House” time. Parents or guardians are welcome to use this time to talk with teachers and to see a glimpse of the learning spaces utilized by their children.

2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Class Fundraisers, ​​Hale Field House Lobby

2:55 to 3:30 p.m. - School meeting with students, faculty, and families, Hale Field House
Watch Live!

To kick off the school year’s theme of Health and Wellness, Mercersburg is planning a school meeting featuring alumni and parents who work in these fields. Mental Illness Awareness Week 2021 runs from October 3 to October 9, so this is a perfect time to talk about mental health.

The panel will be moderated by Jen Cort P ’18, ’23 and panelists are Stephanie Comer-Concordia P ’22, ’22, ’24, Sarah Firestone ’13, Amy Shaffer Post ’02, and Steph Turner McGraw ’06.

3:45 to 4:30 p.m. - Acting Head of School Update with Quentin McDowell P ’25, Hale Field House
Watch Live!

4 p.m. - Athletic events begin, Goldthorpe Athletic Complex

4 p.m. - Girls’ Cross Country vs. Madeira School and Grier School 

5 p.m. - Volleyball vs. Bishop Walsh, Plantz Courts, Goldthorpe Athletic Complex

5 to 5:45 p.m. - Global Programs Open House, Edwards Room

​​​​​​​5:30 to 7:30 p.m. - All-School Buffet Dinner, Ford Hall ​​​​​​​

7 to 7:45 p.m. - Meet the Grade Dean, Various Locations

• 9th grade - Edwards Room

• 10th grade - Traylor Hall Lobby

• 11th grade - Prentiss Alumni and Parent Center, North Cottage

• 12th grade - Irvine Memorial Chapel

8 p.m. - Step Songs, Main Hall

8:30 p.m. - Bonfire, Tippetts Beach

7:30 to 9 a.m. - Breakfast, Ford Hall

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Registration and Rapid Testing, Sycamore Lane
​​​​​​​1 to 8 p.m. - Late arrival testing, Rutherford Health and Wellness Center

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Welcome Center open, Simon Student Center

8:45 to 9:30 a.m. - College counseling sessions for parents

Getting Started: 9th and 10th Grade, Lenfest 201
Presenters: Rachel Mallory and Cindy Fowler

As our 9th- and 10th-grade students begin to explore life at Mercersburg Academy, many are already thinking about college. This session will help parents of 9th and 10th graders to better understand our developmental approach to college counseling as they support their students to be successful at Mercersburg and beyond.

The Healthy College List (11th- and 12th-Grade Parents), Lenfest 502
Presenters: Michael Conklin and Justin Ledesma

Deciding where to apply—and eventually where to enroll—can be a daunting task for any student. In this session, learn more about how we counsel each student to construct a targeted college list that reflects their interests, priorities, and academic profile. We will discuss our timeline and the many resources available to students and their families as they explore a wide range of college options across a spectrum of selectivity.

8:45 to 10:25 a.m. - Drop-in with college counseling, Hager Reading Room (main level), Lenfest Hall

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Adviser meetings for parents

9:40 to 10:25 a.m. - College counseling sessions for parents

When to Apply: The Truth about Early Admission (11th- and 12th-grade parents), Lenfest 502
Presenters: Justin Ledesma and Michael Conklin

A record number of students now apply to selective colleges through early admission programs. In this session, we will consider the potential advantages, as well as the potential drawbacks, of early admission programs, including Early Decision and Early Action. We will offer guidance about how and when to determine if seeking early admission is appropriate for your child.

Athletic Recruitment and College Admission (Parents of prospective college student-athletes), Lenfest 201
Presenters: Glenn Neufeld and Paul Sipes

Is your son or daughter an aspiring college athlete? In this session, our presenters will offer advice to parents who wish to support their student-athlete to achieve their academic and athletic goals. We will consider the implications of being a recruited athlete when applying to college, and will discuss best practices for aspiring NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III athletes.

10 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Climbing wall open, Masinter Outdoor Education Center

10:25 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. - College counseling meetings for 12th-grade parents

10:30 to 11:15 a.m. - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Open House, Room 119, Simon Student Center

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Blue Storm picnic lunch, outside Tippetts Hall (south side)

Featuring the Mercersburger! Enjoy three sliders and help us select our top burger for this year’s inaugural Mercersburger competition! 

12 p.m. - Athletic events begin, Goldthorpe Athletic Complex (unless otherwise noted)

Golf vs. McConnellsburg High School, Chambersburg Country Club
Boys' Varsity Soccer vs. Lawrenceville School
Girls' Varsity Tennis vs. Lawrenceville School
Varsity Volleyball vs. Lawrenceville School

1 p.m. - Athletic events continue, Goldthorpe Athletic Complex

Blue/White Swim Meet
Field Hockey vs. Lawrenceville School
Football vs. Valley Forge Military Academy

2 p.m. - Girls' Varsity Soccer vs. Lawrenceville School

3 p.m. - Boys JV Soccer vs. Woodberry Forest School

5 to 7 p.m. - Postgame supper, Ford Hall

7:30 p.m. - Stony Batter Players Production of Lost in Yonkers, Simon Theatre, Burgin Center for the Arts

Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon (1991 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner) is set in 1942. Come to the Burgin Center for the Arts’ Simon Theatre to see the Stony Batter Players perform this comedy with heart.