Day Student Guidelines

Certain regulations governing a day student are intended to facilitate sharing school life while recognizing his/her situation as a student who resides at home. Parents of a day student are strongly urged to be aware of the Academy’s rules and to encourage their child to follow a program at home that is consistent with that of a boarding student.

Use of Motor Vehicles

Day students who drive to school must submit the registration(s) of all vehicle(s) being driven to campus. Cars are to be parked upon arrival behind the gymnasium complex/natatorium in the designated parking area, behind Doubleday dormitory, or in areas otherwise designated specifically for day student parking. Once parked, cars and not to be used until departure from campus. Parking a car on campus is a privilege. Not parking in the designated area will result in AP’s being issued. Further or repeated disregard will result in revocation of driving privileges or other disciplinary response. A boarding student is not permitted in a car driven by a day student driver unless in conjunction with an approved overnight request.

Neither day students nor day student families may keep a car for a boarding student.

Attendance

• If a day student must be absent from a required activity, the Dean of Students Office must be notified in advance (no later than 8:30 a.m. in the case of illness). Academic obligations should not be compromised to accommodate medical, dental appointments or family vacations.
• The Academy is in session on some national holidays (e.g. Columbus Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, etc.). In the instances of an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact his/her teachers for homework assignments, etc.
• A day student is required to attend Academy Events.
• Without specific approval from a Dean of Students, a day student is obliged to be off campus by the curfew of the boarding students in his or her class and may not visit a boarding student who is checked in for the night. Day students may return to campus after 5:30 a.m.
• A day student may not visit a dormitory during study hours without permission of the on-duty faculty member.
• A day student is expected to comply with all Academy regulations when he/she is on campus, when he/she is in the presence of a boarding student when school is in session, or whenever the boarding student is under the aegis of the Academy.

Inclement Weather Policy

During inclement weather you may seek permission to remain on campus for the night. Here are the steps you must take to receive permission:

• Ask a resident student to be your host. If you cannot find a student who will serve as host, seek help from your dean or advisor.
• Seek the approval of your host’s faculty resident and inform the dean of your class.
• The faculty resident or your Class Dean should receive a call from your parents giving you permission to stay.
• The faculty resident should inform Security (413) 772-9880.

Day to Boarding Admission Policy

A student originally admitted to the Academy as a day student must start each school year as such, with exceptions being articulated in the following paragraphs. If boarding spaces become available during any given year, they will be offered to day students who have already requested (in writing to the Dean of Students Office) that they wish to board. (If a student’s status is changed from day to boarding, the expenses would be prorated accordingly.) Ordinarily, preference will be given in the order of the requests received, but the school reserves the right to control this process using grade level, citizenship, and the well being of the student and school as criteria for making a change in status.

Although the Academy strongly discourages a day student from changing to boarding status, the Dean of Students Office, in consultation with the Dean of Admission, has the option to review, on a case by case basis, a petition from a day student to change his or her status from day to boarding for his or her senior year only. However, under no circumstances will the decision to change a student’s status from day to boarding be made prior to July 15 preceding the student’s senior year.

In a special situation (e.g. family relocation), a day student may seek reconsideration of his/her status and the Dean of Students Office will try to accommodate such requests. Notification, in writing, should be sent as soon as the need is known.