Difference Between Loomis Chaffee, Phillips Exeter, and St. Paul's

SevenDad
Sun, 15 Dec 2013 17:19:15 +0000

Based on my daughter’s school (none of the ones you mention, though we are as familiar with SPS as a non-marticulated/non legacy family could be), sit-down (not sit-in, which would be interesting) dinners generally entail assigned seating (you are assigned a table), and as noted, more formal dress. Food is usually brought to the table (vs. cafeteria/buffet line style) by students who are seated at your table. Plates are cleared by either the same students or another set.

Don’t confuse formal dress for formal wear, btw. AFAIK, very few kids rock dinner jackets to evening meals…at least not at boarding schools in the states.

I am pro “sit down” dinners, as I think they foster a sense of community…you don’t have a choice who you sit with, so you can get to know people outside your grade, dorm, circle of friends. At my daughter’s school, a faculty member also sits at the table…and it might be someone you don’t have as a teacher (or at least, not yet). Also, it’s more like dinner at home with family, IMO.