New (Academic) Year’s Resolution: Read the Handbook

There are two kinds of people in this world—those who read handbooks and manuals, and those who don’t.

As believers in progress, however, Milton hopes to establish that a third kind of person does, in fact, exist: the convert, also known as the parent who didn’t use to read handbooks, had an epiphany that Milton’s is special (and that sometimes it’s fun to know more than your peers) and have become devotees of The Milton Academy Upper School Handbook.

Here’s a sample of what you might have missed had we not convinced you that reading the Handbook is more important than watching the season premiere of “Friends” and more surprising than ordering takeout from a new Chinese restaurant.

Integrity (p. 21). Honesty is the fundamental expectation of the School. What do we mean? Read the Handbook.

Personal days (p.42). Boarding students are permitted to take “personal days,” in recognition that an occasional day of rest is warranted; house parents must give permission, and a student may not take a personal day on a test day.

Vacation (p.8). Plan your vacations carefully, advises the Handbook. Know that students missing all or part of a class day at the beginning or end of vacation will be assigned a penalty.

Watching the tube (p.47). Viewing DVDs and videos on school nights is prohibited.

The advisor (p.9). The advisor of each student watches over academic progress and personal development. We urge parents to make contact with their child’s advisor early, and as often as they like.

Aspiring Webmasters (p.25). Before publishing information referring to Milton Academy on off-campus Web sites, or elsewhere, a student must obtain permission from the appropriate Milton Academy administrator. Failure to do so could prompt disciplinary action.

Sportsmanship. (p. 51) The Handbook includes information on the Independent School League (ISL) and its philosophy of sportsmanship. (The Handbook’s companion piece, the Parent Guidebook, lists directions to all ISL schools.)

Minimum attendance policy (p. 15). If your son or daughter misses 12 meetings of a course, the Academic Advisory Group will take action, which could include a student not receiving credit for a course.

Weekend Fun (p. 39). The School hosts weekend activities such as theater productions, dances and movies to which boarding and day students are invited. Information on weekend events is available on our Web site calendar, or through the athletics (617-898-2250) or activities offices (617-898-2211).

What’s on the other 51 pages of the Milton Academy Upper School Handbook? More information that’s crucial to your understanding of the school you have chosen for your child: Read the Handbook.