Day Students

Reporting Absences
Whenever a day student is ill at home for any part of a class day, a parent should call the Dean of Students & Campus Life office 860-386-4492 before 10:00 am that day to report the nature of the absence. Students are held accountable for missed commitments not reported appropriately. This process should be followed every day the student is absent.

Requests for Absences
Parents who wish to make special requests for students to leave school should notify the Dean of Students & Campus Life in advance, explaining the nature and details of the situation. A student who is absent from classes on game days will not be allowed to participate in athletic games.

Excessive Absences
A student who misses a substantial number of days of school or individual classes—whether excused or unexcused—may encounter academic difficulties. If this situation becomes disruptive to the workings of a class, or if the make-up efforts become unduly burdensome to a teacher, a student may be asked to drop a class.

When absences in any one or more courses become excessive, a student and his or her parents will be asked to meet with the Dean of Academics & Faculty to discuss the problem. Missing a substantial number of classes calls into question a student’s willingness to meet fundamental academic and citizenship expectations of the Suffield community.

Day students are encouraged to fully utilize the facilities of the school, although they are not permitted to spend the night on campus. In addition, the following rules apply in the evening:

Sunday-Friday
Day students are welcome to remain on campus in the evening if they are taking part in school programs. This may include meals, the use of the library to study, appointments with faculty members for extra help, or attendance at a club or activity meeting. In these cases, students are expected to leave campus by 10:00 pm. If no participation of this type is intended, day students are expected to leave campus by 8:00 pm. The Student Union is closed after 8:00 pm.

Saturday Evenings
Day students are encouraged to spend their Saturday evenings on campus engaged in the social activities of the school. Day students must leave campus at the conclusion of events [normally 11:00 pm].

Day students may drive to and from school provided they have received permission from their parents and from the Academy. Day students must register their cars with the Dean of Students & Campus Life at the beginning of the year or at the time they start to drive to school. Driving to school is a privilege that may be revoked if a student does not adhere to the following rules:

• Cars must always be parked in Centurion parking lot when school is in session. 
• Cars may not be driven again until the students leave school for the day. This means students may not move their cars onto High Street or the perimeter road before sports.
• Driving to a dorm, to practice, or to any other place is unacceptable at any time, including weekends. 
• At no time may a day student give transportation to a boarding student or another day student without the permission of the Dean of Students & Campus Life.
• When arriving on campus or leaving campus, students must adhere to all speed limits and traffic signs. Speeding, failing to yield for pedestrians, and running stop signs will lead to the loss of driving privileges.

Because Suffield’s student population is primarily boarding, classes are rarely canceled when it snows. However, we understand day parents may choose not to send their children to school because of unsafe driving conditions. In this case, please follow standard procedures for reporting an absence.