Orientation Essentials
Packing List
What to Bring to School
Boarding student rooms are furnished with a bed, desk, chair, set of drawers and hanging closet space. Bed linens, a pillow and laundry bags are also supplied for each boarding student, though you may want to bring an extra set. Please remember that space is limited.
Day student rooms are furnished with a locker including a lockable cupboard and space to hang clothing.
The following is a list of suggested items that may help your teenager prepare and pack for school.
Necessary Items (All students)
- Sleeping bag (-10ºC for all students, -20ºC for students taking grade 12 Outdoor Education)
- Sleeping mat for camping
- Alarm clock (separate from your phone)
- Standard Dress
- Formal Dress uniforms
- Dress shoes
- Casual clothes (jeans, casual pants, t-shirts, sweaters, shorts, casual shoes, sandals, etc.)
- Windbreaker/jacket
- Raincoat and rainpants
- Winter jacket and snow pants
- Winter outerwear – mitts, toque, winter boots
- Clothing suitable for Outdoor Education classes – includes hiking boots, a hat for the sun, and loose comfortable clothing that can be layered in cold weather and can get dirty (see more below)
- Bathing suit
- Pajamas/bathrobe
- Underwear, socks
- Athletic wear (depending on individual sports interests)
- Indoor non-marking sneakers/athletic shoes (for gym use)
- There are occasional events, such as the Semi Formal for which students may wish to bring ‘dressier’ clothes (dress, jacket, dress pants)
- Towels
- Toiletries
- Airtight food container for snacks in residence (e.g. Rubbermaid bins)
- Personal safe or lock box
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Hangers
Optional Items
- Personal bedding, including pillow and duvet with removable, washable covers (all beds are "Twin Extra Long" - 38" x 80")
- Decorations for the room (posters, plants, photos). Students may decorate the walls with posters/pictures that are appropriate and consistent with the school's values
- Sticky Tack (please note that thumbtacks are not permitted)
- Hairdryer
- Laundry soap (for students who wish to do their own laundry, residences have coin-operated washers and dryers available to them)
- An extension cord (which must be inspected and CSA-approved for safety purposes – one power bar per student)
- Travel power adapter that converts to Type A or B plugs (120v)
- Small fridges (must be CSA-approved and ENERGY STAR rated)
Items Not Permitted
- Televisions, monitors, gaming systems
- Halogen lamps, or desk lamps that may prove to be a fire hazard
- Cooking equipment and appliances (kettles, toasters, immersion heaters and microwaves). The common room in every residence has a microwave and kettle for student use
- Candles/incense (open flames are not permitted in any room due to fire code/safety regulations)
Furniture
Outdoor Gear
| Layered Clothing | ||||||||||||||||||
With a focus on being ‘Outdoors Every Day,’ students will need to be prepared to attend classes and programs throughout all seasons. The best approach to dressing for the outdoors is a system that allows the student to add and remove layers of clothing as the temperature changes. Please ensure that students come prepared with layered clothing for the spring, fall and winter seasons. The three main layers are the following: Wicking Layer: This layer stays directly against the skin and wicks away moisture from the skin. For example polypro underwear, quick-dry nylon pants. Note: avoid cotton as it keeps moisture next to the skin. Insulation Layer: Suggested clothing includes a wool or fleece jacket/sweater. Wind Layer: Wind-proof layer that protects the student from wind and rain, for example, rain coat, Gore-Tex jacket, or ski jacket in the winter. Please note that all students must have a sleeping bag rated to -10ºC (14ºF), an insulated sleeping pad and a 30-litre (8 US Gallon) dry bag. Please see below for specific outdoor education class requirements. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Seasonal Differences | ||||||||||||||||||
Each season has different demands and challenges. Below is a list of clothing required for each:
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| Outdoor Education Students | ||||||||||||||||||
Students who are taking an outdoor education (OE) course are expected to arrive with a small “OE Backpack” that will contain the following items: sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher), sunglasses, whistle, sun hat, an extra layer of clothing and a pen. OE students will also require a sleeping bag (rated to -10ºC, 14ºF), a sleeping pad and a 30-litre (8 US Gallon) dry bag. The following outlines the required gear by grade. We recommend that students first try to borrow from family, friends, or students who have completed this program in the past before purchasing new items: Grade 10 Environmental Leadership Grade 11/12 Leadership in Outdoor Recreation | ||||||||||||||||||
| Finding the Gear | ||||||||||||||||||
School Stores has many of the items needed for orientation programs and outdoor education classes, as well as Wildrock Outfitters located in Peterborough, Mountain Equipment Company (MEC) in Toronto, Ottawa and other major cities, and other similar retail outlets:
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