Gregg Hall News

First row: Mel Botterbusch-Goodall, Director of Student Life for the Deaf Department; Second row: Mathew Ward, Assistant Director of Student Life, Mechelle Johnson, HS Girls Boarding Supervisor; Third row: Christy Garcia, HS Boys Boarding Supervisor, Marie Sisk, Overnightr Boarding Supervisor; Fourth row: Joann Janson, MS Girls Boarding Supervisor, Kim Moore, Administrative Assistant; Fifth row: David McFee, Middle School Boys’ Boarding Supervisor, Katherine Youngren, Elementary Boarding Supervisor

Welcome Back!

We are thrilled to welcome our students back for the 2026-2027 school year! The first two weeks have been off to a wonderful start. Our staff members are excited to be back and are looking forward to another year of supporting, encouraging, and celebrating our students' growth and success. Our Independent Living Skills curriculum will begin soon, and your child’s assigned staff member has likely already reached out to discuss goals and skills that you would like us to focus on throughout the year.

We value your input and encourage you to share any additional goals as the year progresses. By working together, we can help your child develop the skills and confidence needed to thrive. As always, our mission is to support each child's growth, independence, and overall well-being in a safe, nurturing, and positive environment.

Character Education

We are starting the school year by focusing on the Character Education trait of Resiliency. Our girls are learning that resiliency means staying strong and persevering when faced with challenges. It involves learning from setbacks, adapting to difficult situations, and maintaining a positive outlook while working toward a goal.

For example, a student may study hard for a test but not receive the grade she was hoping for. Rather than becoming discouraged, she seeks help, adjusts her study strategies, and continues working toward improvement. That is resiliency in action, and a valuable life skill that will help our students succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Dorm Life

It has been a busy and exciting start to the school year! Our girls have enjoyed reconnecting with friends after summer break and settling back into their routines. We are especially proud of our new sixth-grade students as they transition into middle school, with support and encouragement from our seventh and eighth grade leaders. When we had our dorm meeting to cover the rules and expectations, staff allowed students to present the different topics.

Students have already been busy participating in art projects. Several have learned the basics of a sewing machine, some made tie dye hats, others learned about growing crystals, while some painted with watercolors. Other girls enjoyed card games and engaged in friendly Wii competitions. Many of our girls also tried out for school sports, and we look forward to supporting and cheering them on throughout the season!

Friendly Reminders

We have seen a significant increase in students accessing live chat features through various social media platforms and apps. While these tools allow users to connect with people from around the world, they often lack sufficient safeguards to ensure student safety. Some of the most commonly used platforms include TikTok Live, Snapchat, DeafGo, Omegle, Facebook Live, Mingle, and Monkey.

Although we understand our students' interest in meeting new people and building connections, the safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority. For this reason, the use of these platforms will not be permitted while students are in the dorm.

In addition, we will continue providing students with age-appropriate education on online safety, including the risks associated with communicating with strangers online and strategies for protecting personal information while using social media and digital platforms.

Please continue sending snacks and drinks for your child. Due to the heat, students are drinking more fluids than usual. We would also appreciate your help in reminding students to bring their personal toiletries back to the dormitory each week. If you are unsure about what supplies your child may need, please feel free to contact the dorm staff. We are happy to let you know if your child is running low on any personal care items.

McLane Hall News

Welcome Back, Middle School Families! Greetings from McLane Hall!

We are off to a wonderful start to the 2026-2027 school year! We are excited to welcome our returning students and families back and look forward to another year of growth, learning, and success. 

As many of you may know, McLane Hall is currently undergoing several exciting upgrades. Construction crews are working to replace all exterior windows and doors throughout the building. While we had hoped these improvements would be completed before students returned, unexpected delays have extended the project timeline. As a result, our students have been temporarily relocated to Bloxham Hall and the Vaill Hall North Annex. We appreciate everyone's flexibility and patience during this transition. Once renovations are complete and we are ready to move back into McLane Hall, parents and guardians will be notified through the SkyAlert email system.

The first two weeks of school have gone exceptionally well, and it has been wonderful to watch our boys settle into their new routines. Many were excited to return, reconnect with old friends, and build new friendships. Their positive attitudes and enthusiasm have made for a great start to the year, and we are looking forward to all that lies ahead. 

A Great Start to the Year

During our first week, we reviewed our dorm rules, expectations, and responsibilities with the students. We wanted to make sure everyone understood what it means to be a respectful, responsible, and successful member of the McLane Hall community.

To make things a little more fun, we ended our meeting with a Kahoot trivia game! The students had to answer questions based on what we discussed during the meeting. It was a fun way to review the expectations while giving the boys a chance to show what they remembered.

Celebrating Our Students

We also all got together to celebrate our students’ July and August birthdays! It was a great opportunity for everyone to come together, have some fun, and celebrate with our students. We enjoyed cupcakes, ice cream, popcorn, and drinks while celebrating our birthday boys. 

A special birthday shoutout goes to:

· Stanley – July
· Branlin – August
· Erick – August
· Gaius – August

Happy Birthday, boys!

Our Athletes Are Ready!

We are especially proud to see how our students are using their time and getting involved in activities. Almost all of our boys decided to participate in football, swimming, or cross country!

It is exciting to see so many students trying new things, staying active, building friendships, and representing FSDB. We have some future athletes in the making!

A Quick Reminder for Families

Please remember to send your student with plenty of snacks and drinks to keep in the dorm throughout the week. We also ask that students have enough personal grooming items, such as:

· Toothpaste and toothbrush
· Body wash/soap
· Shampoo
· Deodorant
· Other personal hygiene items

Our boys love being active and spending time outside, which means they can get pretty dirty! Having enough hygiene supplies will help them stay clean, comfortable, and ready for the school day.

Working Together for Student Success

As we begin this new school year, we want to continue building a strong partnership with our families. Please continue to check in with your students each weekend and remind them about the importance of following dorm expectations, working with staff, and making good choices.

Student success, safety, and well-being are things we take very seriously at McLane Hall. We believe the best results happen when students, families, teachers, dorm staff, and the rest of the FSDB community work together.

Thank you for trusting us with your students and for being an important part of our McLane Hall family. We are excited about the year ahead and all the great things our boys will accomplish!