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Kent School

About Kent School

Kent School is an independent coeducational college preparatory boarding school serving 520 students in grades 9-12, with a post-graduate option, located in Kent, CT.

Motto

Simplicity of Life
Directness of Purpose
Self-Reliance



 


 

Mission

We are guided by our motto — Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose, Self-Reliance — to educate our students intellectually, socially, ethically, and spiritually so that they will be prepared to contribute to the common good in the world beyond Kent School.



 


 

Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

Founded in 1906 by an Episcopalian monk for students from modest means, Kent School is rooted in an ideology of community and love.

Echoing the Episcopal Church's ethos of radical welcome, Kent values and celebrates the dignity of every human being and the generous array of backgrounds, beliefs, life experiences, and perspectives that enrich our community.

Kent School purposefully embraces equity, inclusion, and diversity in all realms of our shared life. We identify injustice in order to make our community more just and loving so that students will do the same in the world beyond Kent School.

Learn more about equity, inclusion, and diversity at Kent on our EID page.

Kent EID



 


 

Kent School Competencies

The countless opportunities at Kent School are purposefully organized around the skills and habits of mind that will empower you to contribute to the common good. We call these skills and habits the Kent School Competencies, and they are taught in every context of our shared life—in our classrooms, in St. Joseph’s Chapel, on the stage, in our dormitories, on our playing fields, and beyond.

Graphic of the five Kent School Competencies

Learn more about the Kent Competencies and Kent's academic program on our Academics page.

Academics



 


 

Episcopalian Identity

Father Sill, Kent's founder, experienced the love of God at the center of his life. He created an educational community with the same center of divine love and belonging.

Those roots still define Kent School. Our Episcopalian identity ensures that every student, no matter their faith tradition, knows they are loved and valued co-creators of a diverse, multi-faith community of respect, honor, and compassion.

Living and learning in a multi-faith, diverse community in which we learn about one another and experience new traditions and stories prepares Kent students for the world beyond Kent School.

Learn more about Kent's Episcopalian identity on our Spiritual Life page.

Spiritual Life



 


 

Kent Traditions

Rock Day

Each spring, fifth form students hike up to Numeral Rock to paint their class number on the rock. This tradition marks the start of the passage from fifth form to sixth form. Students come back from the hike with colorful clothes as they often “accidentally” splatter one another with paint.

Ring Ceremony

Fifth form students ask a sixth former to present them with a ring or other item of significance during the Ring Banquet. This tradition creates an informal lineage and ties students to Kent’s long history. Though this tradition uses the terms like “ring mom,” students anywhere on the gender spectrum are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Tapping

After the entire school votes in the spring to elect Senior Council members from the fifth form class, the current Senior Council announces the newly elected members during the Tapping Ceremony. A “Passing of the Torch” bonfire and ice cream social follow the Tapping Ceremony as Kent celebrates another generation of student leadership.

Student Jobs

A tradition that stretches back to Kent’s founding in 1906, each student has a regularly scheduled obligation to contribute to the community through an assigned job. Examples of jobs include washing dishes in the Dining Hall, helping the facilities team tend to the campus, and much more. Jobs are assigned randomly to new students, and students can apply for special positions that require specific expertise.

Senior Traditions

To honor the hard work and responsibility of being a sixth form student at Kent, sixth formers enjoy specific traditions such as access to the Student Center during Study Hall, relaxed dress code in the spring term, preferred Chapel seating, and membership opportunities of school-wide councils and committees.

Kent Students by the Numbers

520

Students

29

U.S. States

31

Countries

93%

Boarding students who live on campus.

29%

Students of color

51%

Boys

49%

Girls

100%

Of students matriculate to a four-year college or university.