Hawk FAQs

You can view our full academic calendar for the 2023- 2024 year here, or you can view the 'Key Dates' document below. For additional information, check out our Student Life or Community pages!

We offer early drop off for students starting at 7:00 am. Students remain in the cafetorium until 7:40, when they are dismissed by grade to their classrooms. Before care is free and available to every family!

After-care is available for a fee and runs from 2:50 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. for students in all grades. We do not offer after-care on half days. Students receive a snack, get time to work on homework, and play outside (weather permitting). For more information on cost, please visit Tuition and Financial Aid.

All parents will be asked to fill out a medical form, an allergy form, and an emergency contact form. Immunization records will also be required prior to enrollment. These are included in your enrollment packet but can also be found on our online parent portal system (FACTS). Student information can be updated at any time through this online portal.

Any questions about medical forms can be directed to Michele Wright in the front office.

Prior to the start of the school year, teachers will send out the school supplies list for the upcoming academic year. New families will receive these lists via email, but they will also be posted on the parent portal. The school will provide all textbooks and other reading materials.

All students will need a backpack and a refillable water bottle. Students in LCI (PreK and K) will need specific sized sleeping mats and blankets. Other supplies will range from pencils and markers to art supplies. 

Weekly communication about what is happening on campus occurs via the Hawk's Nest Newsletter (examples can be viewed here).  Additional announcements or information will be shared via email as the need arises. Other newsletters, including from the IDEA HUB and teacher classrooms, will also be sent out to parents on a weekly or monthly basis.

Please feel free to contact the main office anytime if you have questions about school scheduling, financial questions, or enrollment. For questions or concerns specific to your child's learning, please contact their teacher first.

During school hours, entrance to the campus can be accessed by first stopping at the main office. Visitors will need to check in with proper ID and will be issued a visitor badge. All volunteers, including parents, will need to submit their driver's license to participate in activities on campus or field trips. A background check may also be requested for volunteers who are frequently on campus .

All buildings remain locked on campus and can only be accessed through a key fob. Staff members are the only adults who have these fabs. Middle school students are allowed to check out a fab if they need to move between buildings during the day.

The entrance gate remains closed during non=school hours.

Sumner Academy first opened its doors in 1973, so we have developed many traditions and events for the last 50 years! Here are a few examples of some of the events that place on our campus:

• Annual Sumner Academy Auction - our biggest fundraising event and a chance for all parents to get dressed up and spend a night with good food and company!
• The Annual Fun Run - a fundraising event where the school comes together to enjoy the great outdoors.
• Concerts and Performances - each grade level participates in several school programs or plays throughout the year
• Fall Bonfire and Cookout - one Friday in September, the school community comes together to enjoy the coming of fall, good company, and smores!
• Field Day - a student favorite! Keep a look out for the unique themes each year!
• Parent Drop-in Day - this event occurs right before the start of school and is a chance for students and families to meet their teachers, walk around campus, and enjoy some fun surprises.
• New Parent Dinner - one night in July before the start of school, all new families are invited to a dinner on campus to get to know one another and to get to know the staff at Sumner Academy.
• Grandparents Day - this is a school-wide performance and a chance to thank the grandparents in our community!

For more information, check out our Student Life Page!

Sumner Academy releases the academic calendar in the early spring of each year for the following year.  You can check out the homepage, athletic page, and giving page to see upcoming events for the school. In general, here is what you can expect from our calendar:

• The first day of school is always the end of July. PreK and K will have phase in days, while all other grades start on their normal schedule.
• Our fall breaks, winter breaks, and spring breaks are all two weeks each. Fall break is typically the first two weeks of October; Spring break is two full weeks in March, and winter break encompasses the December holidays.
• The last day of school is always before Memorial Day in May.
• New students enrolling for the following academic year will begin touring in the fall and early winter, with testing to follow in the winter. Decisions for enrollment will begin in early spring.

One thing that sets our school apart is our field studies. Students from all grades will enjoy multiple opportunities both on and off campus to learn and explore and get a deeper connection to what they are learning in the classroom. Upper lower school and middle school students will get to participate in overnight trips, such as Space Camp, YMCA Camp, and/or the Barrier Islands.  Trips to TPAC, local artist studios, science museums, and industry trips occur multiple times throughout the year. 

For more information, check out our Student Life page, or the individual Academic pages for each learning community.

It is undeniable that technology has become an increasingly important aspect of education. At Sumner Academy, we strive to balance the use of technology with more traditional methods of education, especially hands-on activities and field studies. Students in grades 1-8 are issued either chrome books or iPads to supplement their learning. All grades also attend Technology class in their related arts rotation, where they will learn computer science topics, robotics, coding, and online etiquette. Check out our technology page for more information.

Lunch Information

Hot lunch is served everyday in the cafeteria. Each day, students can pick from the entree offering, vegetables, soups, sandwiches, apple sauce and fruits, and a cookie. Every Friday is pizza and ice cream day! Parents and family members are welcome to join their student for lunch any day, as long as the front office has been notified. Outside food is allowed for these special lunches. Your student can even pick a friend to join you!

The week before Thanksgiving is the legendary Thanksgiving Lunch. It's a big deal - teachers have it in their phones as a calendar event!

Student lunch is included in tuition. Students can also bring their own lunch to school each day. 

Snack Information

Students in grades PK-4 are asked to bring one to two healthy snacks each day. They will receive a designated snack time in the classroom. Information about allergy-free classrooms, if applicable, will be communicated by the teachers on a case-by-case basis. All students in grades PK-8th are expected to have a refillable water bottle with them each day.

At Sumner Academy, we believe that parents are an important component of a child's education. We hold two parent-teacher conferences over the academic year: one in the September and one in February. It is a long standing belief that the parents of all children, regardless of how they are performing in class, should attend the conferences. Middle school students are encouraged to attend the conferences, and to even lead certain portions of them. These meetings help to strengthen the bond and communication between students, parents, and teachers.

Conferences are held in person, but it is possible for parents to set up video or phone conferences in the event of a scheduling conflict. More information will be sent home by teachers and the office as the dates approach.

The Main Office staff are available to assist you from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm on full school days. These hours may change on half days. 

Regular School Day Schedule:

PreK and K = 7:55am - 2:50pm. PreK students can also attend a half day schedule from 7:55 to 12:30.

Grades 1-4 = 7:55am - 3:05pm

Grades 5-8 = 7:55am - 3:05pm.

PreK - 4th grade students get dropped off and picked up in front of the Lower School building on top of the hill. Middle School students will get dropped off and picked up at the Student Center.

Half Day Schedule

There are several half days throughout the school year. Pickup locations will be the same as a regular school day. On these days, drop off times will remain the same, but dismissal will be as follows:

PreK and K = pickup begins at 11:15am

Grades 1-8 = pickup begins at 11:30am. 

Summer at Sumner Academy is a great way to get to know other students and participate in a wide range of interests. We offer camps throughout the summer that are available for rising PK through 8th grade students in May and June. Offerings vary each year, but you can check out our 2024 Summer Camps for open registration!

More information about offerings and enrollment into camps will be sent home to enrolled parents in the spring.

Each summer, middle school students are given a suggested summer reading list. Summer reading is a crucial part of student growth and to help retain skills and knowledge attained from the previous academic year.

Here is the available 2023 Summer Reading list for students. 

5th Grade: Bud, Not Buddy – Christopher Paul Curtis

6th Grade: Hatchet – Gary Paulsen

7th Grade: Saving Wonder- Mary Knight

8th Grade: The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

For more information, check out the Summer Reading Packet.

Students in all grades are required to wear a uniform on campus. Uniforms can be ordered through two vendors, either Land's End or Dennis Larose School Uniform. More detailed information will be included in your enrollment packet, but in general, students should wear approved polos or dresses with our logo. Students can wear approved khaki or navy pants, shorts, or skirts. Sweaters and fleece jackets with the Sumner Academy logo are also allowed during the colder months.

Every Friday is a spirit wear day - students who wear Sumner Academy swag can also wear jeans! Students are also allowed to dress up/dress down for other events, such as Field Day, the Sumner Academy Fun Run, picture day, and Auction dress down days. These will be announced through the year and communicated both through the Hawk's Nest Newsletter and your child's teachers.

Middle school students will need a gym uniform. 

In the beginning of the year, the PTO sponsors a "uniform swap." This allows both new and re-enrolled families to donate uniforms to the school, and also to "shop" for new uniforms. Parents who have students that have outgrown uniforms will give them to the PTO so that other families may use them. All uniforms are free and a wide range of sizes and styles are typically available.

Sumner Academy is a private, independent day school located in Sumner County, Tennessee. Our tuition is grade-dependent. We also offer financial aid for families who qualify. Students need to be accepted and a completed enrollment packet submitted prior to submitting for aid. For more information, visit our Admissions Office page or our Tuition and Financial Aid Page.