Important Dates

A monthly calendar for September with handwritten dates, a yellow highlighter highlighting the days of the week, a Winsor & Newton water color marker, a black gel pen, and a handwritten note with hours and an illustration of leaves.

Parents, guardians, and students should avoid making any arrangements that conflict with these dates. It is very important that all students attend classes on all school days and be present at Academic Convocation and Commencement. Arrangements that extend vacation periods by starting them earlier or ending them later must be avoided. Each and every class day at MacDuffie is extremely valuable in the academic lives.

To accommodate our boarding students during the Thanksgiving, December, and March Breaks, we offer a limited number of homestays at an additional fee.

Students must follow all requirements for entry into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

New & Returning Boarding and Homestay Students Arrive

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Ice Cream Social

Thursday, September 3, 2026

First Day of School

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Thanksgiving Break

  • Last day of classes is Tuesday, November 24, 2026

  • Boarding students: depart Wednesday, November 25, 2026, by 12:00 noon

  • Boarding students must return by 8:00 p.m. Sunday, November 29, 2026

  • All Students: Classes resume at 8:00 a.m. Monday, November 30, 2026

The campus will remain open with meal service for residential students who elect to remain at school.

December Break

  • Last day of classes is Friday, December 111, 2026

  • Boarding students: depart Saturday, December 12, 2026, by 6:00 p.m.

Semester 2 Arrival

  • Boarding students must return by 8:00 p.m. on Monday, January 18, 2027

  • All Students: Classes resume at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2027

March Break

  • The last day of classes is Friday, March 12, 2027

  • Boarding students: depart Saturday, March 13, 2027, by 6:00 p.m.

  • Boarding students must return by 8:00 p.m. Sunday, March 28, 2027

  • All Students: Classes resume at 8:00 a.m. Monday, March 29, 2027

Summer Break

  • Middle School Academic Convocation and 8th Grade Rite of Passage is Thursday, May 27, 2027, at 5:30 p.m.

  • Academic Convocation is Friday, May 28, 2027, at 7:00 p.m.

  • Commencement is Saturday, May 29, 2027, at 11:00 a.m.

  • Senior Boarding students: depart Saturday, May 29, 2027, by 8:00 p.m.

All Upper School students are required to attend Academic Convocation and Commencement. Middle School students and families are welcome to attend.

  • Boarding students in grades 6-11 depart Sunday, May 30, 2027, by 6:00 p.m.

At all breaks, the school will provide transportation for boarding students to and from the following: Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Hartford, Connecticut, and Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts, for bus and train travel. Additionally, the school will transport students to and from Boston Logan International Airport only at the beginning and end of the school year. Those travel dates are September 2, 2026, and May 30, 2027. If your child is a minor, please ensure that they are using an airline that allows for unaccompanied minors who may board without supervision. Otherwise, you may be charged a fee for a third-party vendor to provide supervisory service.

Download Important Dates PDF