2018–19
Student
Handbook
THE TAFT SCHOOL DAILY ACADEMIC SCHEDULE (6-Day Week)
THE TAFT SCHOOL DAILY ACADEMIC SCHEDULE (5-Day Week)
MONDAY
A Super
8:15–9:15
Department
Meetings
9:20–10:00
B
10:05–10:50
BH
10:50–11:20
C
11:25–12:10
D
12:15–1:00
E
1:05–1:50
F
1:55–2:40
Meetings
2:45–3:30
TUESDAY
G Super
8:15–9:15
School
Meetings
9:20–10:00
F
10:05–10:50
FH
10:50–11:20
D Super
11:30–12:30
C
12:35–1:20
CH
1:20–1:50
A
1:55–2:40
I Block /
Meetings
2:45-3:30
THURSDAY
F Super
8:15–9:15
School
Meetings
9:20–10:00
A
10:05–10:50
AH
10:50–11:20
C Super
11:30–12:30
D
12:35–1:20
DH
1:20–1:50
E
1:55–2:40
Meetings
2:45–3:30
FRIDAY
E Super
8:15–9:15
Faculty
Meetings
9:20–10:00
G
10:05–10:50
GH
10:50–11:20
D
11:25–12:10
C
12:15–1:00
F
1:05–1:50
B
1:55–2:40
Meetings
2:45–3:30
NORMAL
SATURDAY
A
8:15–9:00
Assembly
9:05–9:50
G
9:55–10:40
B
10:45–11:30
*ALTERNATE
SATURDAY
A Super ALT
8:15–9:15
Assembly
9:20–9:50
G
9:55–10:40
B
10:45–11:30
Alt BH
11:30–12:00
WEDNESDAY
B Super
8:15–9:15
Assembly
9:20–9:50
Normal Wed
G
9:55–10:40
Alt Wed
Meetings
9:55–10:40
E
10:45–11:30
E
10:45–11:30
EH
11:30–12:00
EH
11:30–12:00
MONDAY
A Super
8:15–9:15
Break 9:15–9:25
B
9:30–10:15
BH
10:15–10:45
G
10:50–11:35
C
11:40–12:25
D
12:30–1:15
E
1:20–2:05
F
2:10–2:55
Meetings
3:00–3:30
TUESDAY
G Super
8:15–9:15
Break 9:15–9:25
F
9:30–10:15
FH
10:15–10:45
D Super
10:50–11:50
C
11:55–12:40
CH
12:40–1:10
B
1:15–2:00
A
2:05–2:50
Meetings
2:55–3:30
THURSDAY
F Super
8:15–9:15
Break 9:15–9:25
G
9:30–10:15
GH
10:15–10:45
C Super
10:50–11:50
D
11:55–12:40
DH
12:40–1:10
A
1:15–2:00
E
2:05–2:50
Meetings
2:55–3:30
FRIDAY
E Super
8:15–9:15
School Meetings
9:20–10:00
A
10:05–10:50
AH
10:50–11:20
D
11:25–12:10
C
12:15–1:00
F
1:05–1:50
B
1:55–2:40
Meetings
2:45–3:30
WEDNESDAY
B Super
8:15–9:15
Assembly
9:20–9:50
G
9:55–10:40
E
10:45–11:30
EH
11:30–12:00
* Alternate Wednesdays and Saturdays happen on weeks when Monday classes do not meet.
Parents may download any forms referenced
in this handbook from Taft’s website at:
www.taftschool.org/parents
THE TAFT SCHOOL
110 Woodbury Road
Watertown, CT 06795
Student Handbook
2018–19
Preamble
To All Students:
To come to Taft and to be part of this community is to enjoy enormous privilege. Being part
of any community—a neighborhood, a club, a school—entails “signing on” to a kind of social
contract. We all have to willingly sign it, to agree that we will abide by the values of the school,
and to recognize that we all have a part in making the place work. at’s how we create the kind
of welcoming, inclusive place to which we aspire every year.
is handbook has lots of rules and regulations, and in a way it serves as the contract I just
mentioned. You should read it carefully. If you boiled o lots of the text until only the essentials
were left, you would see that it’s a pretty simple document. Basically it says this: Be nice. Work
hard. Follow the rules.
Let’s think about those three imperatives:
Be nice. Of course, it takes more than being nice to make a community work; but it is a pretty
good place to start if you are trying to be a welcoming school of students, faculty and sta from
amazingly diverse backgrounds and where every member feels valued. is handbook outlines
some of the ways we think about what it means to be nice in terms of general treatment of each
other, social media and network acceptable use, bullying and harassment. But a lot of those
pages really are about simply being nice. Taft is well known for being a warm, caring, spirited
community; and it’s the people who create that feeling, one nice act at a time. So we expect you
to be nice. We won’t accept conduct that runs counter to this.
Work hard. As you know, Taft is a very demanding school. We think that the business of
learning is very serious indeed, and teachers set the bar of expectations high. ere is a very
good chance that Taft will be a lot harder than any school you have known—and, after all, that
may be why you came. To be successful, you will have to work hard. at means you need to eat
well, get plenty of sleep, and lead an organized life such that you can come to class every day
prepared and ready to learn, and to contribute to the learning of others. Taft is going to require
you to have grit: to be resilient, focused and determined. So, part of the “contract” you have
signed says that you agree to work hard.
Follow the rules. is expectation is hardly a surprise: after all, a community only works—
only exists—if its members follow the rules. To be clear, you may not like all the rules, but
we do ask that you respect them. We don’t have silly rules; we have rules that are essential to
being the kind of learning community we want to be, where every member has an opportunity
to grow and thrive. If over the course of a term you have so many small violations that your
behavior reveals you won’t or can’t follow the rules, it’s only natural that the faculty would
question whether you could remain part of the school. Of course, there are some rules which
can lead to immediate dismissal: harassing or bullying another student, using alcohol or drugs,
cheating on a test, plagiarizing an essay, and some other behaviors. ese behaviors are wrong,
and we can’t be the community we are trying to be if even one student breaks these rules.
One of the things that is special about Taft, and something that has marked the place for
many years, is the ethos of the community. Students, teachers, parents, alumni and visitors
often comment on this: there’s a special “feel” to the place, a warmth and energy and caring,
even as Taft is a very demanding school. ere are lots of reasons Taft has this “feel,” but in
the end, it is because students are nice, work hard, and follow the rules. If you do those three
things, you should do well.
—William R. MacMullen ’78, Headmaster
2
The Taft School
Established at Pelham Manor, New York, in 1890, the Taft School is the realization of the
late Horace Dutton Taft’s life purpose: to found a school in which students would receive the
physical, mental, moral, and spiritual background necessary to be responsible leaders and
disciplined, constructive citizens. Mr. Taft, the school’s rst headmaster and the brother of
President William Howard Taft, believed that spiritual growth and development of character
were equal in importance to the scholarship that he valued highly.
e school’s 8,000 living alumni are engaged in virtually every phase of the world’s work—
business, industry, the professions, and public service. Taft has always taken its school
motto— Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret, or, Not to be served but to serve—very much
to heart, and students and alumni alike devote themselves to their communities and to
causes around the globe.
e school moved to its present location in Watertown, Connecticut, in 1893, and the
campus today encompasses more than 220 acres with top-notch facilities for intellectual,
artistic, and athletic pursuits. In 1936 Mr. Taft was succeeded as headmaster by Mr. Paul
Cruikshank, who led the school for the next 27 years. Mr. John C. Esty served as headmaster
from 1963 to 1972, as the school welcomed its rst coeducational class. A young history
teacher named Lance R. Odden arrived from Princeton in 1961 and quickly climbed the
ranks, serving as headmaster for 29 years, until his retirement in 2001.
William R. MacMullen ’78 became the rst alumnus to head the school, the fth headmaster
in 118 years—a record of leadership unparalleled among peer schools. Prior to this
appointment, Mr. MacMullen was an English teacher (appointed in 1983), dean of faculty, dean
of academic aairs, and Uppermid class dean.
Student Handbook 2018–19
3
To Those Entering Taft
We extend our best wishes for your success here. It is likely that you will encounter much
that seems strange or dierent at rst. You will probably nd the rst few days particularly
confusing, and this is a typical reaction. Taft is a welcoming community, and many people will
do their best to help you feel at home. Before long, you will nd yourself part of the school.
All new students are assigned student sponsors, often referred to as “old boys” and “old
girls,” whose job it is to answer questions, explain our customs, and help you feel at home
here. Do not hesitate to go to your sponsor for advice and information. Furthermore, as a new
student you will participate in activities that will help you understand more about the school.
During the rst semester you will choose a faculty member to be your advisor. New students
will be assigned a temporary advisor for the rst three weeks of school. is temporary advisor
can become your permanent advisor if you so choose. Your advisor will be intimately concerned
with all phases of your career at Taft, and we hope you will feel free to discuss any important
issues in your life at Taft. Early in the year we will help all students understand a few obvious
boundaries of this relationship and will suggest how you should go about choosing an advisor
who is right for you. Go out of your way to get to know your faculty advisor well; you will nd
your advisor ready to help whenever you need assistance or guidance.
In addition, each student has a class dean. Class deans oversee your academic progress and
will make an eort to get to know you well. During the opening days of school, you may nd
your class dean to be someone who is willing to answer questions about any aspect of the
school. Class deans are listed on page 61. You will be informed when you receive your course
schedule in July which dean will be working with you.
On succeeding pages of this book you will nd, among other things, most of the rules
and regulations of the school. At rst they may seem overwhelming in number and detail,
but in the long run you will nd that most of them are dictated by common sense. e
basic principle of all Taft’s institutions is that of honesty. Tests are conducted on the Honor
System. You will be assigned work to do on your own, and you need only pledge that you have
neither given nor received assistance. Your word on any question of conduct will be taken as a
matter of fact.
If you use consideration and common sense, you should have little diculty with the rules.
If there are rules or procedures that you do not understand, feel free to stop by the Dean’s
Oce to speak with Mr. Mark Traina, the dean of students, or Ms. Lindsay Leal, associate
dean of students.
is handbook is intended to provide information and guidance to all members of the Taft
School community. It is not a contract. Provisions may be changed at any time at the sole
discretion of the administration of the Taft School.
A PDF of this handbook, and more detailed information about life at Taft, can also be found
on the school’s website: www.TaftSchool.org.
4
Taft Statement on Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion
Taft is an intentionally diverse institution whose members work to acknowledge, respect,
and empathize with people of all dierent identiers, such as race, socioeconomic status,
gender identity and expression, education, age, ability, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation,
language, nationality, and religion. We foster these habits and dispositions in accordance
with Taft’s mission to educate the whole student, thus preparing individuals morally and
pragmatically for global citizenship. As such, community members commit to participate in
and support ongoing equity and inclusion programming through curricular and co-curricular
oerings, professional development, residential life, and local and global partnerships.
Moreover, members of the Taft community strive to understand and combat the symptoms
and causes of systematic oppression—ranging from implicit biases to microaggressions
to discriminatory policies, practices and traditions—that benet privileged groups and
disadvantage marginalized groups. While at Taft and beyond, community members commit
to arm and honor the lived experiences of others, to willingly challenge inherited beliefs
and ideologies, and consequently learn, grow, and serve.
The Honor System
e Honor System is the basis of student life and government at Taft. It places in the hands of
each student the responsibility for honorable conduct as a way of life. A student who comes to
Taft must be willing to accept this responsibility.
e Honor Court, whether for theft or academic infractions, will hear potential violations of
the Honor Code. Responses to such violations almost always include a period of warning with
regard to all aspects of the Honor Code, and could include suspension or dismissal from Taft.
In most cases, a parent conference will be held following these proceedings.
PREAMBLE
is we believe: that Personal Honor in word and deed, Personal Integrity in thought and
action, Honesty in every facet of life, and Respect for other people and their rights are the
essence of a student of the Taft School.
PRINCIPLES
e Honor System is based on these principles, the basic characteristics of a Taft Student:
1. a student’s word is his or her bond
2. a student respects the integrity of personal property
3. a student has respect for academic honesty
4. a student’s conduct is always that of a person of character.
Student Handbook 2018–19
5
CONSTITUTION
Article 1
Violations of the Honor System shall consist of:
1. the theft of other persons’ property,
2. any attempt to give or receive assistance in any way or form in connection
with scholastic work for credit,
3. lying in regard to academic matters.
Article 2
1. e phrase “I pledge my honor” written at the end of any scholastic work done for
credit is an abbreviation of the statement “I pledge my honor that I have neither
given nor received aid on this paper.”
2. On all department examinations, this statement must be written out in full. Any student
not signing the pledge to his or her paper will be notied by the teacher correcting the paper,
and then, if unable to sign the pledge, he or she shall be reported to the Honor Committee
for investigation. A discussion of plagiarism is included on page 7 of this handbook.
Article 3
1. ere shall be an Honor Committee, which shall investigate and deal with all cases
involving the Honor System, as the System is dened in Article 1.
2. is committee shall have the power to summon any accused person or persons,
to summon any other persons who might have information about the alleged oense,
and to recommend penalties to the headmaster.
3. e committee shall submit to the headmaster a record of all cases considered in its
sessions. e instruction of the succeeding committee shall be the responsibility of
the outgoing committee.
Article 4
e Preamble and the Constitution shall be announced and explained to all new students
at the beginning of each year.
Article 5
e eectiveness of the Honor System lies in the cooperation of the student body.
It is left up to the discretion of the individual as to whether or not he or she shall report
an oender to the Honor Committee.
Article 6
1. e committee, without altering in any way the provisions of the Constitution,
may take whatever measures it deems necessary to perpetuate the Honor System.
2. is Constitution, the Preamble, or any parts or articles may be amended or repealed
by a three-quarter vote of the combined Senior and Upper Middle classes.
—Classes of ’43, ’61 and ’82
6
ACADEMICS
Academic Honesty
Article 1 of the Constitution of the Taft School Honor System includes the following statement:
“Violations of the Honor System shall consist of ... any attempt to give or receive assistance in
any way or form in connection with scholastic work for credit.”
Article 2 states:
1. e Phrase “I pledge my honor” written at the end of any scholastic work done for credit is
an abbreviation of the statement “I pledge my honor that I have neither given nor received
aid on this paper.”
2. On all departmental examinations, this statement must be written out in full. Any student
not signing the pledge to his or her paper will be notied by the faculty member correcting
the paper, and then, if unable to sign the pledge, he or she shall be reported to the Honor
Committee for investigation.
ere are three forms of academic dishonesty at Taft: cheating, plagiarism, and lying with
regard to academic matters. In academic terms, cheating takes the form of copying someone
else’s work or giving or receiving assistance on an exam, test, paper or other work for credit
which must be pledged, in an attempt to deceive the teacher into thinking that the work is the
student’s own. Examples include using illegal notes or copying from another student during a
test; having someone else write a paper, or part of a paper, or receiving or giving help in writing
a paper without acknowledging the assistance; using a mobile phone or unauthorized electronic
device during an assessment; and obtaining or giving information about a quiz or test given to
an earlier section of a course.
e second form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, another violation of the Honor Code.
e American Heritage Dictionary denes the verb “to plagiarize” as “to take and use as one’s
own the writings or ideas of another.” Plagiarism is the direct copying of someone else’s words
or ideas without giving the author credit for them, thereby presenting them as evidence of your
own work and thought. It also refers to the rewording of a sentence, a paragraph, a page, an
entire article or a story plot and calling it your own.
To avoid plagiarism, you must footnote everything that is not the result of your own
thinking. Direct quotations—the exact words of another person—must be put in quotation
marks and footnoted. Paraphrases—the translation of facts and ideas into your own
words—must also be footnoted. Single words or phrases that are particularly appropriate or
illuminating, the organization of ideas, and the ordering of examples given in a source must all
be documented. In any case in which students feel confused, they should consult their teachers
or a librarian for guidance.
Carelessness and coincidence are no excuses for plagiarism. But if every source is to be
so carefully documented, a student may ask, what is the research paper but a garland of
quotations? e answer is that a good research paper (or critical essay) is not an anthology
of quotations but an assimilation of material from sources. is material has been collected
for a purpose: to answer some question that has been the guiding purpose in the student’s
Student Handbook 2018–19
7
ACADEMICS
research. e material has been penetrated, condensed, ltered, arranged, and interpreted
by the student, and bears the mark of the student’s own intelligence. e product is an
original research paper, fully documented on every major point, sometimes supported by and
sometimes thoughtfully refuting the opinions of authorities, amplied by quotation when such
quotation is apt and appropriate, and everywhere demonstrating the student’s intellectual
mastery, honesty, and scholarly integrity.
e third form of academic dishonesty is lying to a faculty member with regard to academic
matters. is covers both verbal and written interactions between students and faculty.
For instance, if a student were to communicate to a teacher that he had completed and/or
submitted an assignment for credit when in fact that was not the case, the student would be in
violation of the Honor Code.
Seniors who violate the Honor Code after Long Weekend in the Spring Term will not,
in all likelihood, be permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Grading System, Academic
Credit, Placement, Promotion
Taft’s academic grading system includes a 40 to 100 achievement scale and a letter grade-based
assessment of students’ academic habits. Below is the achievement scale.
93–100 High Honors
90–92 Honors
87–89 Above Expectations
80–86 Meets Expectations
70–79 Approaching Expectations
60–69 In Danger of Failure
40–59 Failure
e honor roll is comprised of students who earn an academic average of 90 or above for a
semester. e high honor roll is comprised of students who earn an average of 93 or above for a
semester. Students’ academic habits are broadly categorized under “Planning and Persistence”
and “Engagement and Self-Regulation.” Below is what is represented by the letter grades
students earn in these categories.
E Exceeds Expectations
M Meets Expectations
A Approaches Expectations
N Needs Attention
U Unacceptable
Each report card will also include the average achievement grade for all students enrolled in a
particular course. is information is often helpful to those seeking to understand a student’s
progress and relative success, but any questions should be directed to the appropriate class dean.
For all courses, academic credit is granted on a semester-by-semester basis. Also, the
academic departments determine student promotion and placement.
8
ACADEMICS
Examinations, Assessments,
Extended Time
Examinations or culminating assessments are given at the end of each semester. Students
may not reschedule exams to facilitate an early departure for vacation.
Students who nd during the term that they have three major assessments—tests, papers,
projects, labs—due on the same day may request to have the last assigned exercise due at a
later date. Such requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance.
e following policies were written by the department heads to clarify examination
procedures:
PRINCIPLE
Students are responsible for meeting their academic obligations during the regular school year
and also at prescribed times during examination periods each semester. Failure to do so will
result in a response as described below.
DURING THE SEMESTER
A student who misses an announced assessment as a result of an unexcused absence will be
penalized 10 points if he/she takes the assessment that same day and 10 more points each
day thereafter.
Assessments submitted late on the due date are penalized 5 points, and submissions after
the due date are penalized 10 points per day up to ve days, after which the maximum earnable
grade is a 50. Assessments of passing quality submitted after ve days will receive a 50, while
those not of passing quality will receive a 40. Assessments submitted more than one day late
may not be revised. Students must complete all major assessments to be complete in a course.
Students with extended-time accommodations should speak with their teachers in advance
of timed assessments to determine how their teachers prefer to handle the sometimes-complex
logistics of extended time. In many cases, teacher and student may determine beforehand
that the student will take the assessment in its entirety at a time other than the regular class
meeting. But in those cases when students with extended-time accommodations begin and do
not have enough time to complete in-class assessments, the below procedures apply:
c Teacher and student will discuss and determine when and where the student will complete the
assessment; this completion must take priority over other uses of available times during the
class day such as a mid-morning slot, part of a lunch block or an afternoon Meetings block.
c e student’s completing the assessment will typically take priority over his/her
extracurricular commitments except competitions and performances.
c Ideally, the student will complete the assessment under the oversight of his/her
classroom teacher.
c To be consistent with the Honor Code, a student whose completion of an assessment is
delayed due to his/her extended-time accommodation may not consult materials related
to the assessment and must avoid situations in which he/she might unintentionally glean
assessment-related information.
Student Handbook 2018–19
9
ACADEMICS
DURING EXAMINATION PERIODS
A student who misses a semester examination as a result of an unexcused absence will receive
a 40, which will be averaged with the grade the student receives upon making up the exam.
Students who arrive late for an exam but within the rst hour will receive a penalty of 5 points.
After one hour, the student will receive a penalty of 10 points. In each case, the student will be
given the full time for the exam.
Students may not wear hats during examinations.
SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS AND ACADEMIC CREDIT
If a student fails a semester examination in the spring of his/her senior year, the teacher
will oer a re-examination only if the student fails the semester and needs to pass that
course in order to receive a Taft diploma. In most other circumstances, Taft does not oer
re-examinations for credit. If an underclassmen or fall semester senior fails an examination,
a re-examination will not be given even if the student has failed the semester and received no
credit for the course. If the student has failed a semester course that is part of a sequence of
semesters, after a reasonable period of time for preparation, the student must take a placement
exam in order to proceed to the next level. For instance, a student who fails the spring semester
of Latin I must pass a placement exam in order to proceed to Latin II in the fall.
Electronic Devices
Student use of devices such as laptop computers, smart phones, or tablets is determined by
departments and teachers. To minimize distractions and interruptions, students are expected
to leave their cell phones in a designated area in the classroom before the start of each
class unless otherwise instructed by the teacher; the penalty for not doing so could include
conscation of the phone, a score of 40 on the assessment and/or a disciplinary response
consistent with Honor Code violations.
During exams, students may not be in possession of cell phones, smart watches, or
unapproved electronic devices of any kind, or of any written materials which may assist them
on the exam. If a proctor discovers a student in possession of one of these item(s), it will be
conscated. e student’s penalty could include immediate expulsion from the exam room, a
score of 40 on the exam and/or a disciplinary response consistent with Honor Code violations.
Absence and Academics
Taft prides itself on close contact between faculty and students, and classes are the most
important place for this relationship to develop. Being in class is essential to each student’s
intellectual experience, so students should miss class only due to illness or special circumstance.
We understand that sometimes students will miss class to pursue unique opportunities away
from school. e Petition Leave guidelines below outline policy and procedures for such absence.
While ultimately the school decides whether it is appropriate for a student to attend Taft, there
may be times when a student is unable to function and needs to take a short- or long-term leave.
10
ACADEMICS
PETITION LEAVE
Occasionally, Taft students may encounter an opportunity to pursue excellence in an area of
long-term commitment and expertise. In these cases, students may petition for permission to
miss a total of up to 5 academic class days in an academic year.
Students wishing to leave school must submit a completed petition, including a complete
explanation of the program or event in which they wish to participate, one week in advance
of their proposed departure. Once they have completed their formal petition and submitted
it to their class dean, the class dean will meet with the student’s teachers, as well as any other
appropriate adults (advisor, coaches, athletic director, Arts Department head, etc.) to determine
whether to approve the application. Students should not make travel arrangements or assume
that they will be granted permission to leave until this meeting has occurred and formal
permission has been communicated. Unusual requests will be referred to the department
heads, who will determine whether the proposal merits consideration.
Any student planning to request an extended absence must be in good academic and
disciplinary standing. e class dean and teachers will determine the student’s academic
standing. Disciplinary standing will be determined by the dean of students. In addition, if a
student has missed signicant class time for other reasons, that circumstance may have an
impact on the decision about the student’s petition.
Finally, if a student’s petition is approved, he/she must remain in solid academic and
disciplinary standing until the time at which he/she leaves. Changes in the student’s
circumstances may result in withdrawal of permission to leave at any point. As usual, students
must sign out through the Dean’s Oce before leaving campus.
MEDICAL LEAVE
ere are situations in which a student’s medical condition interferes signicantly with his/her
ability to meet academic and social demands of the school. Because these leaves are involuntary,
students do not need to complete a petition as described above. However, students must
submit all major assessments in order to receive Taft grades at semester’s end.
An illness that requires a student to remain in the Health Center may precipitate the need
for the student to go home for a few days. is may be to prevent the spread of certain illnesses
such as norovirus or inuenza. e Health Center must be aware of any students leaving
campus for health reasons, even if initiated by a parent.
A student who will be leaving Taft at the parent’s request will also need to be seen in the
Health Center for the appropriate brief medical absence form and a signed permission form to
exchange medical information. Upon return to school from a brief medical absence, the student
needs to be seen in the Health Center before returning to normal activities.
An extended medical leave of absence will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in conjunction
with the policies of the Academic Oce and Health Center.
PERSONAL LEAVE
Short Term
In the event that a student needs to leave school for personal reasons, a short-term leave
of absence may be granted through the Dean of Students or Counseling Oces. A short-
term leave is limited to one week. Before leaving campus, the student must meet with the
appropriate class dean and be assessed by the director of counseling. Failure to meet with
appropriate personnel before leaving may result in the student’s required withdrawal.
If a leave of absence is granted, the class dean will make the conditions of the return explicit.
In most cases, the student will not be allowed back to school until having met with the director
of counseling for reevaluation, and a conference with the parents, the student, the class dean
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ACADEMICS
and the director of counseling has taken place. If, as a result of these meetings, the school
deems the student’s return inappropriate, an extended leave or withdrawal may be required.
In most cases, a student will be permitted only one short-term leave during his/her time at
Taft. A student may not leave the school unless both student and parent have discussed the
request with the class dean and received explicit permission to go home.
Extended
A student who requires a mental health leave of more than one week will in all likelihood be
asked to return home for the duration of the academic year. e student may be asked to seek
support and treatment at home, and to sign release forms that allow the director of counseling
to share information with o-campus practitioners.
A student wishing to return to school after an extended leave of absence will not be required
to reapply through the Admissions Oce. e student will, however, be expected to meet with
parents, the director of counseling, the class dean and the headmaster to determine whether
he/she may return to school.
MANDATED LEAVE
ere may be situations in which the school mandates a leave of absence. ese leaves would
occur in response to concerns about a student’s mental health and well-being, or his/her ability
to function eectively within the expectations of the school community.
EXTENDED PERSONAL OR MEDICAL LEAVES
UP TO 50 PERCENT OF SEMESTER
During the absence, students and families must make arrangements for the completion of
required course work with the dean of academic aairs and class dean. Families will need to
identify a responsible third party to administer tests and exams. Students are eligible for
academic credit when they have completed all of the required assignments in each class.
When a student requires a leave that exceeds 50 percent of a semester, the headmaster,
dean of academic aairs, class dean and director of counseling will convene to determine
whether it is appropriate for the student to remain enrolled in the school. Although the student
and family will share in discussions about educational options as the student moves forward,
the approval of an extended personal or medical leave is at the discretion of the headmaster.
SPECIAL SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS
Occasionally the school has unusual concerns about a student’s ability to function in this
community. In such cases the appropriate class dean will inform the student and his/her
parents of the school’s concerns. After a consultation with the appropriate faculty members and
the headmaster, a support plan will be determined and the student will be expected to meet all
expectations of that plan. e plan will most likely include assessments and recommendations
from outside professionals. Parents may be asked to attend the meeting at which this plan
is formulated. e student’s progress will be monitored closely; status at the school will be
evaluated periodically and at the end of the school year. Evaluation may result in change or
termination of the plan or temporary or permanent separation from the school.
e kind of support process described above could be deemed necessary in a variety of
situations. Conditions might include, but are not limited to: depression; self-destructive
behaviors such as self-mutilation; substance use or eating disorders; unusual diculty meeting
appointments; lack of relationships with adults in the community; and sudden or extreme
changes in behavior, attitude or physical appearance.
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ACADEMICS
RULES &
CONDUCT
Fundamental Rules
GENERAL
Students shall always act honestly and with consideration for others. Conduct that violates the
law or reects badly upon the school, whether committed in school or elsewhere, and whether
committed while school is in session or not, may be cause for discipline, including dismissal.
A student’s standing at Taft is determined on the basis of scholarship, eort, and conduct.
Failure to maintain a good standing in any one of these areas may result in dismissal and/or
the denial of a diploma. Students and parents should know that some conduct may also
violate state and/or federal laws and, in some instances, Taft will report such conduct to legal
authorities as required by law.
Certain rules, which the school considers particularly important for the well-being of the
individual and the community, are grouped together as the Fundamental Rules of the school.
Violation of any of them may be considered as grounds for dismissal.
Upon reaching the age of adulthood, any student who remains enrolled at Taft agrees and
understands that in choosing to remain at the School, he/she is agreeing to the terms of
enrollment and agrees to abide by the Fundamental Rules of the School and such other terms of
the Taft Student Handbook.
Both parents and students should understand that while students are away on weekends,
their conduct and welfare is the primary responsibility of their host, not of the school,
but students who take weekends to nearby homes must not be in violation of Taft rules if
they return to the school or to the Watertown area during the weekend. Students who take
weekends to homes in the immediate Watertown area must not be in violation of Taft rules
when leaving the homes of their host.
When students leave Taft to participate in o-campus programs, whether it be short trips,
college visits, or semester or yearlong programs, they do so with the school’s recommendation
and thus serve as representatives of Taft. ese students are expected to act in a manner
consistent with the guiding principles and expectations of the Taft community. If a student
does not act accordingly, the school will respond appropriately to the situation.
e school reserves the right to search student rooms and belongings for evidence of
violation of school rules.
ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
No student may use, possess, or attempt to purchase or sell dangerous or illegal drugs,
hallucinogens, drug paraphernalia, or alcohol at school. Vaporizers, including all vape devices
and e-cigarette systems, constitute drug paraphernalia.
Boarding students, and day students in the company of boarding students, may not
violate any aspect of the Alcohol/Drug Rule in the general neighborhood of school,
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RULES & CONDUCT
including Watertown and nearby towns. In addition, day students’ use of alcohol and drugs
(including hallucinogens) is subject to the general prohibition against violation of the law and
conduct reecting badly upon the school while away from Taft.
e dean of students or his designee may at his discretion test students for drug and alcohol
use. Any student who refuses to be tested in such situation will be subject to discipline as
determined at the discretion of the headmaster. e costs associated with drug and alcohol
tests will be billed to the student’s parents or guardians.
Arrival at school with evidence of use of such drugs or alcohol is a violation of this rule,
whether by boarding students following a permission, weekend or vacation, or by day students
at any time.
Use of alcohol on day permissions, even in the company of parents, is a violation of this rule.
Use of alcohol or illegal drugs while on a college visit is a violation of this rule.
Prescription drugs must be kept in the Health Center. Students found possessing
prescription drugs without specic permission from a nurse at the Health Center are in
violation of the Alcohol/Drug Rule.
All students aware that the Alcohol/Drug Rule is being broken in their presence and who do
not make an immediate attempt to leave the vicinity are in violation of the rule. Questions as to
whether a student was so aware will be resolved by a committee composed of the headmaster,
the dean of students, and the student’s class dean and faculty advisor.
Students are not permitted to drink nonalcoholic beer at school.
Students who violate the Alcohol/Drug Rule will be required to undergo a formal
assessment by the school counselors and agree to participate in ongoing work with those
counselors if recommended. Monitors, dormitory monitors, or class committee members
who violate the Alcohol/Drug Rule will, in almost all circumstances, be asked to resign from
their positions of leadership.
SEXUAL INTIMACY
e school does not condone students’ sexual activity while on campus. Adolescence is
a time of personal growth that includes a developing sense of individual sexuality. Taft
students are responsible for their behavior as they navigate the rights and responsibilities of
emerging sexual identity. Students need clear boundaries and an understanding of potential
consequences to aid in their decision making. Any student found being sexually intimate
with another person must speak with a Taft faculty member about the incident. e School
expects students in same sex relationships to observe the same expectations as everyone else.
Students may speak with a faculty member of their choosing including advisor, class dean,
coach, dorm parent, school doctor, school counselor, dean of students, or any other faculty
member. e faculty member and student will also contact the student’s parents to inform
them of the incident.
If student(s) violate a school rule while being sexually intimate, the student(s) may be subject
to disciplinary action. Some sexually intimate behaviors may also violate state laws despite the
consent of both parties. Sexual contact with anyone three (3) years or older when the other
person is 13, 14 or 15 years of age is against Connecticut law and the school will be required to
report such acts to the Department of Children and Families and/or law enforcement.
STATEMENT ON CONSENT
Consent is dened as an armative, unambiguous, informed, and voluntary agreement to
engage in specic sexual activity. Consent may be revoked at any time by either party.
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RULES & CONDUCT
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Sexual misconduct encompasses a range of behavior used to obtain sexual gratication against
another’s will or at the expense of another. Sexual misconduct includes sexual harassment, sexual
violence/assault, stalking (including cyberstalking), or any conduct of a sexual nature that is
without consent, or has the purpose or eect of threatening, intimidating, or coercing the person
against whom such conduct is directed. Making photographs, video, or other visual or auditory
recordings of a sexual nature of another person without consent constitutes sexual misconduct,
even if the activity documented was consensual. Similarly, sharing such recordings or other
sexually harassing electronic communications without consent is a form of sexual misconduct.
It is always inappropriate for a faculty member or employee of Taft to engage in any sexual
activity with a student, regardless of the student’s age. Taft faculty and employees who violate
this policy will be subject to discipline, including termination and being barred from campus.
e school also will report the conduct to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families
(“DCF”) or law enforcement as required by law.
Sexual misconduct is incompatible with the standards and ideals of our community and will
not be tolerated. All members of our community are protected from sexual misconduct, and
sexual misconduct is prohibited regardless of the sex of any party involved. Sexual misconduct
is a violation of a Fundamental Rule at Taft and may result in suspension or dismissal from
the school. Sexual misconduct may also be against the law and require the school to report the
conduct to legal authorities, including law enforcement and/or DCF when appropriate.
Any student who believes they have been the victim of sexual misconduct or who is
concerned about such behavior by others should seek help immediately from a trusted adult,
such as a parent/guardian, a classroom teacher, an advisor, a school counselor, a class dean,
the dean of student, the school doctor, or the headmaster. Students should call 911 if they, or
another, need immediate police and/or medical attention.
e school will treat all reports of sexual misconduct seriously, with the well-being and safety
of its students as the main priority. e school will notify parents of any sexual misconduct
allegations involving their child and also will comply with any laws requiring them to report
the alleged sexual misconduct to law enforcement and/or DCF. e school may conduct its own
investigation regarding the alleged misconduct to ensure the safety and security of the entire
community and to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted. Taft’s investigation will
be independent of any investigation being conducted by law enforcement and/or DCF, but the
school will attempt to coordinate with law enforcement and DCF in an eort not to interfere
with their investigations. Matters of sexual misconduct will be handled at the discretion of the
Headmaster, in consultation with the dean of students, the assistant headmaster, the dean of
faculty, their designees, or other people the headmaster deems relevant, including the involved
parties. e headmaster has the discretion to exclude violation of other school rules which
occurred during the alleged misconduct. e headmaster may take interim measures to ensure
the safety and health of those involved and/or the Taft community, including, but not limited
to, changing classes or rooming assignments, or placing student(s) on leave until the case is
resolved. Disciplinary responses will be determined at the discretion of the headmaster and are
independent of any law enforcement or DCF ndings.
e school will support and protect any individual who raises an allegation of sexual
misconduct. Retaliation against someone making a complaint about sexual misconduct is
unacceptable and will be subject to a disciplinary response if found by the headmaster or
his designee to be a valid claim of retaliation. Any disciplinary response will be determined
at the discretion of the headmaster and may include possible dismissal for a student or the
termination of employment for an adult.
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RULES & CONDUCT
TOBACCO AND OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS
Students are prohibited from using or possessing tobacco products.
In response to a rst oense, a student will be required to meet with the dean of students,
call their parents and meet with the school doctor. A letter will be sent home to document the
incident and response.
In response to a second oense, a student will be required to meet again with the dean of
students, and the student will be required to meet with the school counselor to discuss the need
for ongoing treatment. Students found in violation of the tobacco rule a second time will be
required to serve a one-day stayover.
If a student is found in violation of the tobacco rule more than two times, the dean of
students will hold a conference with the student, the parents, the class dean, the advisor and a
school counselor to determine the appropriate course of action.
Students found smoking within any of the school buildings will also be referred to the dean
of students as a violation of the school’s Fundamental Rule with regard to creating a re hazard.
MOTOR VEHICLES
Boarding students are forbidden to have automobiles or other motor vehicles in Watertown
or the vicinity. Students may ride in or drive motor vehicles only when operated by or under
the direction of a person or service approved by their parent or guardian on the Automobile
Permission Form, which must be on le in the Oce of the Dean of Students. is rule applies
to all travel to and from destinations on weekends and permissions, and arrival and departure
for vacations. Hitchhiking is not permitted. Students who wish to ride with anyone under 21
years of age, other than members of their family specically approved as above, must consult
the Dean’s Oce well in advance regarding requirements before the school can grant such
permission. Written permission from the parents of the student and the parents of the driver,
and proof of the driver’s liability coverage, must be submitted to the Dean’s Oce. Driving
permissions can never be accepted over the telephone.
Day students who have legitimate driver’s licenses may drive to school. ey may drive other
students if the following conditions are met: (1) written permission from both the driver’s
and the rider’s parents are on le in the Dean’s Oce; (2) written proof of the driver’s liability
insurance is on le in the Dean’s Oce; (3) the driver has had a valid license for at least one
full year and meets and complies with the driving requirements of his/her state of license.
Day students who have not met the above requirements are not permitted to ride in a motor
vehicle to and from school or to and from school functions held either at Taft or some other
school unless accompanied by a parent, a faculty member, or an adult approved by name.
Uber provides services in the Watertown area, however, please note that Uber’s
“Use of Services” explains, “e Service is not available for use by persons under the age of 18.
You may not authorize third parties to use your Account, and you may not allow persons under
the age of 18 to receive transportation or logistics services from ird Party Providers unless
they are accompanied by you.” erefore, third party permission from parents does not allow
students under the age of 18 to ride Uber.
Boarding students on a weekend permission may not drive cars to Watertown, Waterbury,
other nearby towns, or the general neighborhood of the school at any time during the weekend
or at the conclusion of the weekend unless special permission is obtained from the Dean’s
Oce well in advance.
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RULES & CONDUCT
PERMISSIONS
Students are not allowed to leave school property after the times specied on page 23–24
without permission and are not allowed outside the school buildings after check-in until
after 6:00 a.m. the next day. Although the Charles Phelps Taft (CPT) and Horace Dutton Taft
(HDT), Vogelstein and ISP dormitories are all in the main building, they are treated as separate
dormitories. us, when a student from HDT is found in CPT after check-in—or vice versa—
that student will be considered in violation of the Permissions Rule. Day students must be o
the campus by check-in and may not return until 7:00 a.m.
Whenever a student leaves campus, she/he is required to sign out with the Dean’s Oce.
Boarding students may not go out of Watertown (approximately a 3 mile radius around
campus) without permission granted in advance. Filling out a weekend permission with the
intent to deceive or going to an unapproved destination is a violation of the Permissions Rule.
See pages 22–23 for sign-out procedures.
Every time a student signs out, whether from the Dean’s Oce or from the dormitory—during
study hall, for example—she/he is expected to accurately and honestly indicate the destination.
Unauthorized use of a physical space at the school is a violation of the Permissions Rule.
VISITATION
Students are not permitted to have individuals of the opposite sex on dormitory corridors or
in student rooms except as specied by the Visitation Privileges (see pages 37–38). Parents
are permitted in dormitory rooms at any time, and other close relatives may visit dormitory
rooms with prior permission from a dormitory faculty member. Students may secure special
permission to visit faculty in any dormitory for special help, feeds and other functions of
a similar nature. For specic rules and regulations with respect to Visitation, please refer
to the Visitation section of the handbook on page 37. Students who fail to follow proper
procedures will lose Visitation privileges. Flagrant violations of the Visitation rule will result
in consequences that are more severe.
FIRE HAZARDS
Creating a re hazard is a violation of a Fundamental School Rule. Examples of such actions
include, but are not limited to, irresponsible or unauthorized use of re extinguishers, matches,
lighters, candles, cooking appliances, incense or other combustibles in or around a school
building, use or possession of reworks and tampering with alarms or re equipment. Using
a common room microwave and consequently causing something to burn will be considered a
violation of the Fire Hazard Rule. Phoning in a false alarm is also a violation of this rule. More
details regarding re and safety regulations are provided on pages 41–42.
Smoking in any of the school buildings is a violation of the Fire Hazard Rule.
FIREARMS AND WEAPONS
is rule prohibits the possession or use of rearms and other weapons. is includes, but is
not limited to, rearms, BB guns, pellet guns of any kind, paint guns, martial arts weapons,
crossbows, knives with blades longer than 3 inches, and any other object that is designed, or
intended to be used primarily as a weapon.
KEYS AND FOBS
Students found using or in possession of school keys or fobs that were not legally issued to
them, as well as students found in unauthorized areas of the school, are in violation of this rule.
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RULES & CONDUCT
RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT
Students may not engage in reckless acts that expose others or themselves to an obvious risk
of serious injury. For instance, going out on the roofs of the school buildings is a violation of
this rule.
GENERAL CONDUCT
Students are expected to meet their daily commitments at the school and are also expected
to uphold the standards of the community. Students who repeatedly reach Disciplinary
Report (see page 26) or whose general conduct is deemed unsatisfactory will not be allowed to
remain at Taft.
ACCEPTABLE, APPROPRIATE USE OF THE TAFT NETWORK
It is the general policy of the Taft School that computers and network services are to be used in
a responsible, ecient, ethical, and legal manner in accordance with the mission of the school.
Users of the Taft network acknowledge their understanding of the general policy and guidelines
as a condition of using the network. All users are responsible for adhering to these Taft policies
and procedures for network use. Any communication or action that would be considered
inappropriate in any other setting is equally inappropriate on the computer, computer network,
and/or the Internet. Users should have no expectation of privacy as the school has the right,
and occasionally, the responsibility, to monitor usage and activity.
Use of the network is a privilege, not a right. Failure to act in accordance with the
Acceptable Use Policy as described below and published administrative procedures may result
in a loss of network access, disciplinary action, and/or criminal penalties under applicable
state and federal law. Information on observed or reported violations will be turned over to
the Dean’s Oce for disposition.
Acceptable use of the network includes activities that support learning, teaching, and
communication. Students and faculty are encouraged to explore and develop new ways of using
technology to support Taft teaching and learning objectives.
UNACCEPTABLE USE OF THE NETWORK INCLUDES,
BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:
c Using network credentials that belong to someone else.
c Violating the rights to privacy of students, employees of the Taft School,
or others outside of Taft.
c Using the network to harass or bully another individual or individuals.
c Using profane or obscene language that may be oensive to another user.
c Plagiarism and/or copying materials in violation of copyright law.
c Using the network for nancial gain or for any commercial or illegal activity.
c Acting in a manner that degrades or disrupts system performance or unauthorized entry to
and/or destruction of computer systems and les.
c Excessive bandwidth usage that impacts the network or Internet performance of others.
c Reposting personal communications without the author’s prior consent.
c Accessing, downloading, storing, or printing les or messages that are illegal, obscene, or
that oend or degrade another.
c Using bittorrent or other peer-2-peer methods as a means to unlawfully download
copyrighted material such as movies, music, games, programs, etc.
c e use of any technology or device to disable, bypass, or otherwise attempt to circumvent
Taft’s access policies, rewall systems or other access points. is would include personal
routers, Internet Connection Sharing, Proxies, Anonymizers, or other devices and methods
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RULES & CONDUCT
e Taft School makes no express or implied warranty for the Internet access it provides
or the resources available through the use of our network. We cannot completely eliminate
access to information that is oensive or illegal and residing on networks outside of the
Taft School campus. Taft does not guarantee the availability of access to the Internet and
will not be responsible for any information that may be lost, damaged, or unavailable due to
technical and/or other diculties.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
All Taft social media accounts (including accounts used to promote Taft athletic teams,
clubs, etc.) must be associated with a Taft email address. All Taft social media account holders
are required to send their usernames and passwords to the Director of Communications.
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (UAS) AKA DRONE CAMPUS POLICY
Any use of a UAS from or over the campus, or inside a campus building, is prohibited.
Harassment, Hazing
and Bullying
All members of the community have the basic right not to be harassed, hazed, or bullied.
e Taft School prohibits any form of bullying, hazing or harassing behavior, whether in the
classroom, on the campus, or at Taft events. Such behavior occurring outside of a school setting
that has a negative and direct impact on a student’s academic performance or safety in school is
also prohibited and may be subject to school discipline. Demonstration of appropriate behavior,
the treatment of others with civility and respect, and the refusal to tolerate harassment,
hazing, or bullying is expected of administrators, faculty, sta, volunteers and students.
Bullying is any signicant or repeated gesture, or written, verbal, graphic, physical or
other overt act (including electronically transmitted or communicated acts) directed against
another person or groups of persons with the intent to: (1) cause harm to the person or his/her
property; (2) place such person in reasonable fear of harm to himself/herself or damages to
his/her property; (3) creates a hostile environment at the school for such a student; (4) infringe
on the rights of such student at the school: or (5) substantially disrupts the education process
or the orderly operation of the school.
Harassment and hazing entail behavior that is inappropriate and that should not take
place through ignorance or thoughtlessness. Hazing is any action taken or situation
intentionally created that causes embarrassment or risks emotional and/or physical harm
to members of a group regardless of a person’s willingness to participate. e school
recognizes and respects individual dierences in background in regard to culture, race, ethnic
origin, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. Inappropriate behavior, verbal, written
electronically, or physical, that demeans or oends others is unacceptable. is includes, but
is not limited to, unwelcome physical advances, unwarranted verbal remarks, derogatory
statements or discriminatory comments, and can occur between two individuals or groups of
individuals. Forms of harassment include, but are not limited to, written and oral remarks,
remarks posted online or to the campus computer network and messages left on voicemail
systems. Telephones, email and other forms of electronic communication or media may
not be used to harass, haze, or bully others such as anonymous calls or postings, repeated
unwanted calls or messages, or obscene calls or postings.
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RULES & CONDUCT
PROCEDURES FOR ADDRESSING HARASSMENT, HAZING AND BULLYING
Individuals might unintentionally act in a manner that others experience as harassing or
humiliating. Attempts to justify such behavior as a “prank” or “joke” do not change its harassing
or bullying nature if the object of the joke is not a willing participant. Whenever possible,
explaining the unwelcome and inappropriate nature of the behavior to the oender should
precede more formal action.
Any student who feels victimized by harassment, hazing, or bullying, or who is concerned
about such behavior is encouraged to consult with any trusted adult, such as a classroom
teacher, an advisor, a school counselor, a class dean, the dean of students, or the headmaster.
Given the wide range of behavior that constitutes harassment, hazing, and bullying, cases
will be considered on an individual basis by the headmaster, dean of students, dean of faculty
or other appropriate authority in consultation with all involved parties. Disciplinary responses,
when called for, will be determined at the discretion of the headmaster. Suspension or dismissal
may be warranted particularly when behaviors demonstrate a serious disregard for the welfare
of other individuals or the community as a whole.
It is critically important that the school supports and protects any individual who raises
a complaint. Retaliation against someone making a complaint about harassment, hazing, or
bullying is unacceptable and will be subject to a disciplinary response if found to be a valid claim
of retaliation by the headmaster or his designees. Any disciplinary response will be determined
at the discretion of the headmaster and may include possible dismissal for a student or the
termination of employment for an adult.
Voluntary Use of the
Health Center
A student may voluntarily use the Health Center when he or she has been drinking or using
controlled substances. A student or student assisting can, and should, contact the Health
Center or a faculty member to begin this process and ask for assistance. A student confronted
about alcohol or substance use cannot claim that he or she had intended to go to the Health
Center or was en route there. However, once the phone call, text, or conversation establishes
the intent, the student will not sit before the Discipline Committee, be suspended or placed
on probation; however, in all likelihood he or she would be placed on Warning with regard to
the Alcohol/Drug Rule, and the student’s parents will always be asked to come to school for a
conference with the headmaster and other appropriate faculty to discuss measures that will
be taken to help the student move forward. e student will be required to be evaluated by a
member of the counseling sta.
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RULES & CONDUCT
Disciplinary Response
When a student violates a Fundamental Rule of the school, his/her case is referred to the
oce of the dean of students, who will either refer the case to the Discipline Committee or
will set a penalty in accordance with guidelines established by the Discipline Committee.
e Discipline Committee is usually composed of six students and six faculty with a
nonvoting faculty chair. In unusual circumstances when students are not available to serve,
the Discipline Committee will be comprised of six faculty with a nonvoting faculty chair.
Students who appear before the Discipline Committee will have an opportunity to make a
statement regarding the circumstances of the infraction. e student’s faculty advisor, the
dean of his/her class and a member of his/her student class committee will also be invited to
the meeting to speak in support of the student, but no other representatives may participate
in the disciplinary process.
e Discipline Committee may recommend warning periods, probation periods, suspensions
or combinations of these; dismissal; or other responses they deem appropriate.
A student may, in some cases, be placed on Warning in regard to the rule that was violated
for a period of time recommended by the Discipline Committee. Warning indicates that a
student will most probably be dismissed if he or she violates that rule again during the period
of Warning.
A student who violates more than one Fundamental School Rule or whose conduct warrants
such a response would, at the recommendation of the Discipline Committee or the dean of
students, and with the approval of the headmaster, be dismissed if they were to violate a
Fundamental School Rule during the ten-week period following their violation.
Of course, the Discipline Committee may recommend the dismissal of a student for a rst
violation of a Fundamental Rule if it feels the circumstances warrant such action. Students
found selling drugs or alcohol or procuring drugs or alcohol for other students in all likelihood
will be dismissed for a rst oense. In addition, students who consume alcohol and who then
drive or ride in an automobile will most likely be dismissed for a rst oense.
In considering violations of the Alcohol/Drug Rule, the headmaster, the deans of students,
the faculty advisor and the class dean shall meet to discuss whether further penalties in
addition to those imposed by the Discipline Committee are appropriate in the case of a
particular student in light of his/her overall record at the school.
Whenever students are found in violation of the Alcohol/Drug Rule, their parents are
required to come to school to discuss the students’ overall record.
In considering violations of the Reckless Endangerment Rule, the headmaster and deans of
students will decide if the student is required to appear before the Discipline Committee. e
response to a violation of this rule may vary from a stayover to dismissal.
When students are suspended from Taft, these suspensions will be reported to the colleges
if asked. In the case of seniors who are in the midst of the college process, these suspensions
will be reported promptly following their return from the suspension. In addition, if a student’s
record changes in some fundamental fashion, the school will report these changes to colleges.
While this discretion is rarely exercised, the headmaster and the deans of students
acting together reserve the right to dismiss a student or withhold a diploma for failure to
maintain good standing in scholarship, eort or conduct, without resorting to the foregoing
disciplinary procedures.
In unusual situations when the well-being of the community is aected, disciplinary matters
may be discussed with the general school body for educational purposes.
e headmaster reserves the right in his sole discretion to forego all, or parts, of the
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RULES & CONDUCT
disciplinary procedures above and change a student’s status at school (including probation or
mandatory leave), dismiss a student or withhold a diploma for any reason, including, but not
limited to, if a student’s conduct involves harm to others or an ocial investigation by law
enforcement or other government agency. e outcome of any such law enforcement or other
governmental investigation may be considered as a factor in the school’s disciplinary process,
but such outcome will not be determinative on the school’s disciplinary process.
Procedures, Regulations
and Information
When Leaving Campus
Weekend and day permissions sign-outs are based on the principle of the Honor System that
“a student’s word is his or her bond.”
Students must always sign out when leaving campus, unless they are on a school-sponsored
trip such as a class trip or an interscholastic athletic competition. Discussing your plans with
the Dean’s Oce or having your parents call in does not relieve you of the responsibility of
signing out properly.
DOWNTOWN PRIVILEGE
Students are allowed downtown during their free time within the following time periods.
Students who will be downtown must always be accompanied by another student and should
sign-out before leaving campus and sign-in upon their return.
Nights when there is sit-down dinner 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Nights when there is no sit-down dinner 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Saturday 7:00 a.m.–10:15 p.m.
Sunday 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
SIGN-OUT PROCEDURES
c Any time a student leaves campus (with the exception of class eld trips or teams departing
for athletic contests), a permission request must be submitted by coming into the
Deans Oce or signing out online via Veracross.
c Weekend requests must be submitted by 11:00 p.m. on ursday. For Long Weekends,
permission requests may be due earlier. Students should check the weekly calendar and listen
to announcements in Assembly for deadlines.
c A three-grade penalty will be assigned to students ling late requests.
c It is assumed that when students take a weekend or day permission they are going to a
place approved on the form sent to the Dean’s Oce by their parents. ey may not take a
weekend or day permission to any other place without parental permission.
c When students sign out to their own homes, no invitation is necessary, provided the parents
of the student have given permission to sign out home. When students go to their homes,
the school expects that a parent or an adult approved by a parent will be present.
c Students may not sign out to a hotel, home, or any other location unless their parent,
the parent of another student, or an adult approved by their parent is present for the
entire weekend.
22
RULES & CONDUCT
c Students must have an invitation from their host for the weekend whenever they leave
school to visit any place other than their own homes. Invitations may be called in to the
Dean’s Oce or may be submitted in writing. All invitations are expected in the Dean’s Oce
at least 48 hours before departure.
c When attending a concert or other function before going to their home or to the home of their
host family, students must be picked up from school by their own parent or their host parent.
c Upon returning to school, students must be sure to come into the Duty Oce to sign in;
in most cases students are required to return to campus and sign in by 7:30 p.m.
c Finally, if you are detained in returning from your weekend for some reason, please call the
Duty Oce at 860-945-7800 before 7:30 p.m. to let the duty ocer know where you are.
If the duty ocer is not present, you should leave a message in the voice mailbox.
DAY PERMISSIONS
All students in good standing are allowed unlimited day permissions during free time.
Permissions are granted for travel near the school. Students wishing to leave Watertown must
consult one of the deans of students regarding permissions and invitations required.
Saturday permissions start after a student’s last Saturday class or athletic contest and end
at 10:15 p.m. No students may be excused from class to get an early start. Sunday permissions
run from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Students leaving early Sunday morning are advised to have
their travel approved on Saturday, as the duty ocers are usually not available until 10:00 a.m.
Day students may invite boarding students to their homes only if an adult is present. A day
student’s parent must call in an invitation for a boarding student to come to their house on a
day permission. Day students must sign out and back in if they intend to return to campus on
any given day. Boarders must sign out in the Duty Oce, even if the home is near campus.
Boarding students who have permission to drive with a day student may ride downtown
during the hours specied on page 22, but each student must sign out in the Duty Oce.
Students may not sign out for dinner on nights when sit-down meals are served.
All permissions to be away from the school for medical appointments must be cleared rst
through the Health Center.
WEEKEND PERMISSIONS
Weekends during the school year are designated as being either open or closed. On a closed
weekend, boarding students are not permitted to be away from Taft overnight without
receiving special permission from the Dean’s Oce. e dates of the closed weekends are
given below. Students are allowed to leave Taft on an open weekend, with certain exceptions
explained below, as long as they do not miss any classes, athletic contests, or other
extracurricular obligations.
Saturday Weekends start after a student’s last class or athletic commitment on Saturday and
end at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. No students may be excused from class to get an early start. On open
weekends when Saturday classes do not meet, students are permitted to leave after their last
commitment on Saturday. Students may not leave for a weekend on Friday unless they have
received special permission from the Dean’s Oce.
All students are granted three Long Weekends, one during each term. All dorms will be open
for students during these long weekends, with the exception of USGD and ISP. ese two dorms
will close for Fall and Winter Long Weekends. If a student living in one of these dorms does not
plan on leaving campus during these weekends, he or she will need to stay in another room on
campus. For 2018–19, the Long Weekends are October 6–9, February 1–5, and May 3–6.
Students assigned to serve weekend detention may not leave campus unless the detention
has been rescheduled by the dean of students.
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RULES & CONDUCT
On Parents’ Weekends in the fall and winter students may leave campus with their parents
on Saturday night.
Weekends or day permissions may not be taken after the Winter Formal or other events
specied by the Dean’s Oce.
A number of weekends during the year are closed. is year, closed weekends fall on
the following dates: September 8, September 15, October 13, November 10, December 1,
December 8, January 5, January 19, February 9, March 30, May 18, and May 25.
No weekends are closed for seniors in the spring.
COLLEGE DAYS
Students are allowed to miss a limited number of days during their Taft career for the purpose
of visiting colleges. While these days are almost always taken during the senior year, there
are rare cases in which students request to use one of their college days during the Uppermid
year. To be granted a college visit day, green college cards (available in the Dean’s Oce) must
be signed by the teachers whose classes will be missed, by one of the college counselors and
by the class dean. Cards should then be brought to the Dean’s Oce for nal approval at least
48 hours before departure.
Students are encouraged to use school vacations and Free Day Weekends for college visits
in order to allow them to use their college days for visits in late April after college acceptances
have been received.
Seniors should understand that college days are to be used only for the purpose of
meaningful college visits and should not be viewed as “free days” that they are entitled to take
for any purpose. e college counseling sta will determine if the proposed visit is a meaningful
part of the student’s college search process. If a student feels that it is unavoidable to miss more
than three class days, he/she must seek approval from the college counselor and the class dean
well in advance of the proposed departure. If permission is granted, the sign-out procedures
described above should be followed. Seniors who take more than three college days will not be
granted the privilege of taking Friday weekends in the Spring Term.
VACATIONS
In addition to the Summer Vacation, the school provides anksgiving, Winter and
Spring Vacations. Before a student leaves for vacation, all major work in every course must
be satisfactorily completed.
e school cannot provide living accommodations or board for any student during the
vacation periods (anksgiving, Winter and Spring Vacations). e dormitories will be open for
two nights prior to the rst class day following a vacation and for the night of the nal class day
before vacation. When leaving for these vacations or for the summer, students must check out
with the dormitory faculty to assure that they have left their rooms in satisfactory condition.
Students leaving their rooms in unsatisfactory condition may be assigned a weekend detention,
asked to return to campus, and/or billed for cleaning.
If students do not go immediately home for vacation, permissions and invitations must be
submitted to the Dean’s Oce just as if students were taking a weekend to a place other than
their own homes.
Transportation arrangements should be made so as to permit students to attend all of
their classes.
Only under extraordinary circumstances may a student petition to leave for vacation early.
Special circumstances should be brought to the attention of the dean of students well in
advance of departure.
24
RULES & CONDUCT
The Conduct System
Taft’s Conduct System is not designed to penalize students for every minor infraction of the
school’s regulations. We are concerned about students who, over the course of the term, cannot
regularly meet their obligations. If a student accumulates too many conduct grades in a given
term, it is a signal that some part of the student’s behavior at school is not acceptable. In this
case the student’s advisor and class dean are likely to become involved in discussions about how
the student can meet the school’s expectations more frequently.
Conduct grades are cumulative for each term. A daily total of each student’s grades is
available online and accessible via the Dean of Students’ Oce.
All conduct reports are issued by the Dean’s Oce. An email indicating the oense and the
number of assigned conduct grades will be sent to the student. If a student has any question
about the report, he or she should consult with one of the deans of students within 72 hours.
Excuses for conduct reports will generally not be accepted after the date indicated in the
email notication.
Most conduct grades are handed in on the day of the oense, but sometimes dormitory
faculty enter grades for dormitory oenses every few days.
Students who miss class for illness must report to the Health Center before the class meets.
Students taking medications may not miss classes, Assemblies, or Morning Meetings to pick up
their prescriptions.
It is the responsibility of each student to meet required appointments. Alarm clock problems
will never be accepted as an excuse for missing class or any other obligation. We recommend
that students have an alarm clock with a battery backup so that power surges or outages do not
cause alarms to fail.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING STANDARDIZED PENALTIES.
1 grade oense: Lateness (extreme lateness carries larger penalties), improper dress,
cell phone violation
2 grade oenses: Breakfast cuts
3 grade oenses: Riding elevator, late weekend sign-in or sign-out, job cuts, dinner cuts
4 grade oenses: Assembly cuts, exercise cuts, leaving corridor in HDT or CPT to move
between oors after 10:30 p.m. for underclassmen or after 11:30 p.m.
for seniors
5 grade oenses: Class cuts, Morning Meeting cuts
1-day stayover: rowing water balloons or anything else out of windows, swimming in the
pond or throwing others in the pond, failing to leave building in a prompt
fashion in response to an alarm
2-day stayover: Reaching Disciplinary Report in consecutive terms or more than two times
Continued violation or abuse of a school rule or regulation may result in a more serious penalty
than the one normally applied.
Although Taft grades run on a semester schedule, conduct records are maintained on
a three-term basis. e fall term conduct records will close on Saturday, December 1,
the winter term records will close on Saturday, March 2, and the spring term records will
close at the end of the school year.
Student Handbook 2018–19
25
RULES & CONDUCT
DISCIPLINARY RESTRICTION
Students who have accumulated a total of 18 grades (20 in the fall term) will be placed on
Disciplinary Restriction. A student who reaches this threshold is restricted to campus to serve
one Weekend Detention.
DISCIPLINARY REPORT
Students who have accumulated a total of 25 grades (30 in the fall term) will be placed on
Disciplinary Report, and their cases will be referred to one of the deans of students for violation
of a Fundamental Rule. A student who reaches this threshold for the rst time will receive a
Weekend Detention and additional sanctions as determined by the Dean’s Oce.
Students who are placed on Report more than once are, at the discretion of the dean of
students and/or headmaster, likely to be held over at the end of the term, suspended or
dismissed from school.
WEEKEND DETENTION
Taft uses Weekend Detention as the primary consequence for disciplinary infractions that do
not constitute violations of Fundamental School Rules.
Students will be expected to serve Weekend Detention on the Saturday immediately
following their infraction. If a student has a scheduled commitment that makes serving an
assigned Weekend Detention impossible, the student must submit a request to reschedule the
detention to one of the deans of students by Friday at 3:00 p.m.
A student who earns a Weekend Detention is restricted to campus after classes and
extracurricular commitments on Saturday through Sunday evening check-in. is student is
required to attend study hall on Saturday night from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. Day students who
earn Weekend Detention will be required to come to campus to serve study hall. Students
assigned Weekend Detention must arrive to study hall on time and with appropriate work for
the entirety of the study hall period. Students will not be permitted to sleep or watch movies;
cell phones are not allowed.
A student who misses Weekend Detention will be assigned an additional Weekend Detention.
Weekend Detention may be converted to work detail at the discretion of the Dean’s Oce.
STAYOVER
Students may be assigned to a stayover as a result of reaching Disciplinary Report in consecutive
terms, missing too many classes, going into the pond, throwing objects out of windows,
accumulating too many Weekend Detentions, or for committing a variety of other infractions.
When students are assigned to a stayover, they must remain at school at the end of the term after
they have completed their nal commitment. e stayover program runs only at the beginning
of winter, spring, and summer vacations. Students serving a stayover are required to work for
several hours each day performing tasks for the school. In addition, students must check in
several times a day with the faculty member who is supervising the program.
ADDITIONAL DISCIPLINARY RESPONSES
In addition to any disciplinary action, the deans of students will automatically review the
record of each student on Disciplinary Report at the end of the term, or earlier if the situation
warrants, and will confer with the class dean and headmaster for further action if necessary.
Students placed on Report more than once will receive stier penalties, and the faculty will
review their records at the end of the term.
26
RULES & CONDUCT
Response to Cutting Class
e school takes very seriously a student’s obligation to attend classes. Failure to attend class
will result in the following responses:
First cut c Five conduct grades
c Notication sent to class dean and advisor; required conversation with advisor
Second cut c Five conduct grades
c Notication sent to dean of students, class dean, and advisor
c Required conversation with class dean and advisor
c One Weekend Detention
c Email sent home explaining which classes were missed
ird cut c Five conduct grades
c Notication sent to dean of students, class dean, and advisor
c Required conversation with the dean of students and class dean
c One Weekend Detention
c Notication sent to parents to share details of missed classes and course of action
determined by the student in consult with dean of students and class dean
Fourth cut c Five conduct grades
c Notication sent to dean of students, class dean, and advisor
c Required meeting with dean of students, class dean, and advisor to discuss the
student’s disciplinary status and determine the appropriate course of action
c One-day stayover
c Letter to parents
Fifth cut c Five conduct grades
c Notication sent to dean of students, class dean, and advisor
c ree-day stayover
c Parent conference to establish a conduct contract for the student.
In all likelihood the student will be required to uphold all major school rules
for a period of ten weeks in order to maintain status at the school.
Student Handbook 2018–19
27
RULES & CONDUCT
General Privileges and Regulations
DRESS AND GENERAL APPEARANCE
Class Dress
Class dress code at Taft is not particularly formal, but students are expected to dress in a way
that respects the standards and academic purpose of the School. All clothing must be neat,
clean, and in good repair.
Class dress is not required during nal examination weeks. Students taking College Boards
and AP exams should be in class dress.
Class dress must be worn in all public areas of the school from breakfast until the end of the
class day. Students inappropriately dressed for school will be required to change their dress and
may receive conduct grades.
During the hours when classes are in session, including breakfast and school meetings, the
following dress code applies:
c Collared shirts are required; button-down collared shirts must be tucked in.
c Dress shorts may be worn before Fall Long Weekend and after Spring Long Weekend.
c Students may not wear any kind of clothing made of blue denim.
c Halter tops, backless or o-the-shoulder shirts, tops with cut-out patterns, sheer tops, T-shirts,
athletic gear including exercise pants, mesh shorts, sweatshirts and team jerseys, shower shoes
or slippers, immodest apparel, patched clothing, and camouage are not permitted.
c Midris must be fully covered, and sleeveless tops or dresses must have straps that fully
cover undergarments.
c Leggings may be worn with long tops or dresses; leggings may not be worn alone as pants.
c Skirts, dresses and shorts must be ngertip length or longer.
c Shoes may be of any style, including sneakers or sandals, between the start of school
year and anksgiving Vacation, and after Spring Vacation. During the winter months
(between anksgiving and Spring Vacation), sandals, ip-ops and other forms of
open-toed footwear are not permitted.
c Hats may not be worn in academic buildings or in the Dining Hall at any time.
Formal Dress
Formal dress is required for sit-down dinners and other special events. Formal dress follows the
same guidelines as above, with the following additional stipulations:
c Students must wear either a suit coat with a collared shirt and tie, dress trousers, socks and
dress shoes, or slacks, skirts or dresses with dress shoes or dress sandals.
c Appropriate, modest apparel betting a formal school event, rather than a dance or party, is
required. As a guide, consider what one might wear out dinner with one’s grandparents.
BACKPACKS AND BOOK BAGS
When left loose in the halls, identical books, notebooks, and calculators can often be picked up
by mistake after Assemblies, classes, or meals. Students are therefore required to carry their
books and notebooks in some sort of backpack or bag during the class day. Keeping all of your
belongings in one place helps to prevent loss. We recommend that you mark your bag clearly
and also suggest that if you nd a pack or bag that is some hideous color not found in nature,
you invest in it for ease of identication.
28
RULES & CONDUCT
COMMUNICATIONS
Students are responsible for keeping up with communications sent to them. All students are
expected to check their mailboxes and their email—both personal and news folders—at least
once a day.
Students are permitted to have cell phones, but at Taft we value face-to-face interaction.
As such, it is not appropriate to make calls or text in public on campus. is includes but is
not limited to classrooms, school hallways, the walkways and outdoor areas around campus,
dormitory common rooms and the gym. Calls should be made in private spaces, subject to
other applicable rules and regulations. Because cell phones have many uses, students may
use their phones in public for such activities as checking the time or their calendar. But
any activity that interferes with face-to-face communication is prohibited. If a cell phone
interferes with class, Morning Meeting or any other academic setting, the phone may be
conscated and turned in to the Dean’s Oce.
Taft believes in the importance of developing an eective partnership with families to
support students during their time at the School. To help foster such collaboration, Taft
routinely communicates with parents and/or guardians regarding student progress and may,
at times, require specic permissions of a parent/guardian in connection with certain school
events such as o campus trips and activities. For this reason, even though a student may
turn 18 while enrolled at Taft, the school will continue to maintain regular communication
with parents/guardians and will expect the same degree of parent involvement for all
students, regardless of age, in all aspects of Taft’s program. Any student who remains
enrolled in Taft following his/her 18th birthday must therefore understand that in choosing
to remain at the school, he/she is providing consent for the school to discuss and/or release
information and records to his/her parents/guardians to the same extent as if he/she
were a minor, including, but not limited to, information related to academics, enrollment,
attendance, discipline, college counseling and health matters and may still require parent/
guardian consent for specied activities.
FREE ABSENCES FOR SENIORS
Seniors are permitted ve free absences per term. ese absences may only be used for exercise,
sit-down dinners, and Assemblies. Seniors are not permitted to use cuts to miss the Volunteer
Program. Although this principle brings to mind the oxymoron “mandatory volunteer work,”
the principle makes sense as people are counting on you to fulll your commitments. Reports of
absences will be submitted to the deans of students. e deans will maintain a record of these
absences in their oce. Seniors will receive emails for cuts that have been reported. Unless the
cut was given in error, seniors can ignore these emails and the computer in the Dean’s Oce
will not add the rst ve cuts to grade totals. Seniors are responsible for informing the dean on
those occasions when their absences were reported incorrectly.
EXCEPTIONS AND PROVISIONS
e rst ve cuts a senior receives for any of the school functions noted above will count as his/
her excused absences for the term. Certain special meetings and Assemblies may be required
from time to time. Seniors may not use cuts for these events. Programs that are required will be
listed as such on the school calendar. Cuts may not be carried over from term to term.
Student Handbook 2018–19
29
RULES & CONDUCT
FUND RAISING
Class committees, clubs, teams or organizations that wish to raise money for charitable causes,
to help nance their activities or for any other purpose, must consult with class dean, coach or
faculty advisor for approval of their methods and products. e Dean’s Oce will not approve
fund-raising projects whose primary goal is to provide resources to feed the members of
organizations. In other words, buy your own pizza and raise money for something worthwhile.
Anything made for sale or distribution must be approved by the faculty advisor and then the
dean of students.
IN CASE OF FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY
Detailed instructions regarding procedures to follow in case of re are posted in each dormitory
at the beginning of the year, but students should remember the following points: If students
are in their rooms when the re alarm sounds, they should go immediately to their mustering
points outside the buildings. If students are not in the dormitory when the re alarm sounds,
they should immediately exit the building without returning to their dormitories or cutting
through buildings. Students must remain outside until an audible announcement is made over
the public address system that it is safe to enter the building. Students should never assume
that an alarm is false. Specic re and safety regulations for student rooms are on page 41.
Procedures for other types of emergencies, such as weather-related events, intruders or
accidents, are contained in the emergency response guides provided in campus buildings and
dorms and the school’s Crisis Manager app. In the event of such an emergency, students should
listen to the public address announcement and monitor push notices and emails for instructions
on how to proceed. Students may be instructed to shelter in place, evacuate, or lockdown in place.
Students should continue to follow the instructions until they are told by the public address
system, push notices, and/or emails that it is safe to return to their normal routine.
INDEPENDENT STUDIES PROGRAM (ISP)
e Independent Studies Program provides students an opportunity to explore an area of
artistic or academic interest in depth outside of the regular school curriculum. Students on ISP
may take an exemption from one term of exercise. In addition, they may obtain permission
to miss dinner if they are working on their project. Students who are found to miss dinner
without reason will be held accountable for their absence. Also, with the permission of his/her
ISP advisor for extraordinary circumstances, such as a eld trip or special presentation, ISP
students may miss class. Permission to miss a class must follow permission procedures outlined
under “Absence and Academics” on page 10.
JOB PROGRAM
In the belief that every student should have the experience of making a positive contribution to
the community, Taft has long maintained a student work program. roughout the year, students
participate in dinner jobs. Other jobs evolve in response to the needs of the community. A
frequent job rotation ensures that all have an opportunity to serve without being overburdened.
OUTDOOR REGULATIONS
Because of potential damage to the lawns, windows, and a variety of other objects, games should
be played on the athletic elds behind the school. Given their proximity to classrooms and oces,
students may not create distracting noise in the area surrounding the Pond, in Centennial
courtyard, or in the Vogelstein/CPT quadrangle during the class day or during study hall.
Students are not allowed to swim in Potter’s Pond or in the various ponds on the golf course
or in the Watertown area.
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RULES & CONDUCT
Students should never trespass on town or private property. When walking downtown,
students should remain on the sidewalks. Taking shortcuts through lawns and wooded areas
creates problems for the owners of those properties.
MORNING MEETINGS AND ASSEMBLIES
Morning Meeting is generally held on Tuesday and ursday mornings. Books should be left
in lockers or in the hallways before entering the auditorium. Food and drink are not permitted
in Bingham. As programs for Morning Meetings are normally of a serious nature, students are
expected to enter Bingham quietly and take their assigned seats. Students should not stand in
the aisles or in the front or rear of the auditorium before Morning Meetings begin. When the
speaker for the day takes the stage, students should stop talking immediately. At the conclusion
of Morning Meetings, students should quietly exit in an orderly fashion after allowing the
Senior Class to leave rst.
Assemblies are held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. ese gatherings are used for
announcements, videos, or skits. All videos should be submitted to the deans of students for
approval at least 24 hours before the Assembly. Although Assemblies are not as formal as
Morning Meetings, it is essential that students enter and leave in an orderly fashion and show
proper respect for those making announcements. Seniors will leave the auditorium rst.
Students have assigned seats at Morning Meetings and Assemblies. Students not in their
assigned seats will be given cuts.
Cell phones should not be used or even visible when the community gathers in
Bingham Auditorium.
SENIOR SPRING TERM
During the spring term, certain special regulations for seniors go into eect. e school
reserves the right to withhold these privileges for a student whose conduct has been
irresponsible during the senior year. e school also reserves the right to ask a senior to spend
the spring term away from Taft.
1. Seniors are excused from certain obligations. Class deans will notify students about
such changes.
2. Seniors may be downtown between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. daily, but must be back
in their dormitory by check-in. As is the case during the school year, students going
downtown after 6:00 p.m. must be accompanied by another student. Seniors returning
to school from a weekend permission must be back by 7:30 p.m. If they wish to go
downtown after a weekend permission they may do so, but they must sign in rst
by 7:30 p.m. in the School Duty Oce and then ll out a day permission card.
3. During spring term, seniors in good standing are allowed two Friday weekend permissions
and unlimited Saturday overnight permissions. Weekend cards must be lled out by the
ursday at noon before departure. ese cards should be taken to one of the senior class
deans for approval. Deans reserve the right to deny weekend permission to seniors who
are not in good standing or who will be missing a crucial academic obligation. A Friday
weekend begins after a senior’s nal commitment (academic or non-academic) on Friday.
Seniors taking Friday weekends are responsible for their work. It is never appropriate for
seniors to take a Friday weekend before a Monday or Tuesday Advanced Placement Exam.
Furthermore, seniors who play on interscholastic teams may not leave on Friday and return
for a Saturday game.
Student Handbook 2018–19
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RULES & CONDUCT
Day Student Information
Day students are an integral part of the Taft community. As a school we seek to give day
students every opportunity to immerse themselves in all aspects of student life, including the
residential life experience. erefore, all day students will select a dormitory where they are
invited, and sometimes required, to attend events and meetings.
DROP-OFF
Day students should not arrive at school earlier than 7:00 a.m., but are expected to arrive to
campus at least ten minutes before their rst commitment each day. e area of the Main Circle
in the front of the school closest to the building is reserved for day student parents who are
picking up or dropping o their children.
PARKING
Day students must park their cars only in the parking lot across the street from the main
entrance to the school. Day students should never drive their cars on the campus side of
Route 6. Day students parking at the Cruikshank Athletic Center should use the main lot and
not the small lot by the rink. Students found in violation of these rules may be subject to
disciplinary action.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
Most of the faculty and students live on campus, and we hold classes regardless of the weather.
In the case of weather that could interfere with transportation to or from school, day students
are welcome to stay overnight in the dorms. If your child elects to stay over, he or she should
submit a permission card, signed by the dorm head, to the duty oce by 8 pm. If a student
does not stay over during a period of inclement weather, please use your discretion in deciding
whether it is possible to get to school. If your child will not be present, please call the Dean’s
Oce. Also, if a potentially dangerous storm starts during the day, feel free to pick up your
child whenever you think it is wise to do so. Day students who leave early should stop by the
Dean’s Oce to let us know that they will be missing class.
REPORTING ABSENCES
A parent should call the Health Center, 860-945-7762, by 8:30 a.m. on days when illness
prevents a student from attending school. Permission for absence from school for any reason
other than illness must be requested in advance through the Dean’s Oce.
ILLNESS DURING THE CLASS DAY
Day students who become ill during the class day should report to the Health Center. e
Health Center sta will decide if the student should remain at school or be sent home.
MEALS
Day students are expected to eat lunch at school, and they are invited to eat dinner here.
Day students who remain at school for dinner on nights when the school has sit-down dinners
must be properly dressed (see page 28 for formal dress). A few times a year, day students
are required to stay for an all-school or class dinner. ese dates will be posted on the school
calendar well in advance.
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RULES & CONDUCT
OFF-CAMPUS SIGN-OUT
Day students are not required to sign in when they arrive to campus in the morning or sign
out when they leave for the day. However, if a day student leaves campus for a portion of the
day (to walk downtown, for example), they are expected to follow the sign-out procedures
described on pages 22–23.
EVENING HOURS
Lower school day students are generally not allowed to remain on campus after 8:00 p.m.
on school nights unless they have obtained permission from a faculty member to stay later.
Upper school day students are generally not allowed to remain at school after 10:15 p.m.
on school nights. During evening study hall, Uppermid and Senior day students may be
in the library, classrooms or faculty apartments, but they should not be in non-academic
places. Senior day students may be in the Student Union. Senior day students who visit the
dormitories during study hall must sign in with the faculty member on duty. On weekend
nights, day students are permitted and encouraged to stay on campus until check-in.
OVERNIGHTS
With the approval of the Dean’s Oce and the appropriate dormitory head or faculty member
on duty, day students may spend the night at Taft on an occasional basis in order to participate
in a special activity at the school during the evening hours. is privilege is generally only
allowed on a Saturday night. In all such cases, day students must obtain the permission of
all occupants of the room in which they have been invited to stay, and they should also ask
the permission of the faculty member on duty in the dormitory. All appropriate permissions
must be secured in advance, and a completed overnight visitor card must be submitted to
the Duty Oce by dinner on Saturday. Stays longer than one night are not allowed except
under extremely unusual circumstances. Requests for stays of longer than one night should be
directed to one of the deans of students.
LOCKERS
Day students will be assigned a locker by the Dean’s Oce. We strongly encourage students
to secure their locker with a combination lock. Any student who abuses the locker area or
who in any way tampers with other students’ or the school’s property will be subject to
disciplinary action.
Day students are required to remove all belongings from their lockers at the end of the school
year. e school is not responsible for belongings left in lockers after the last day of exams.
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RULES & CONDUCT
RESIDENTIAL
LIFE
Residential Life Regulations
and Information
Responsibility for life in the dormitory rests primarily with the individual. It is assumed that
students have the ability to cope with such freedom and will not abuse it, that students have
the maturity to pursue their own day-to-day lives in a self-regulated coexistence with others
around them.
e overriding concept of such a uid system must be one of consideration and respect for
the individual.
Of course, freedom from binding structure is not freedom from responsibility, which
increases in an almost direct relationship. e role of the individual is paramount in such a
system: it is expected that students will have the necessary sense of community to be able to
reach a satisfactory compromise with those around them regarding the various irritants of
communal living.
It is necessary to establish a student-faculty relationship that is informal and frank—a
relationship based on mutual trust. Communication is essential for such a system to work
eectively, and informal dorm meetings are to be encouraged to develop such a dialogue.
—e Monitors, 1970
RESIDENTIAL LIFE MISSION STATEMENT
e goal of the Residential Life Program is to create a safe, happy, healthy living environment
where Taft students can grow emotionally, physically, and intellectually.
PRINCIPLES OF THE RESIDENTIAL LIFE PROGRAM
c To act with honor and integrity
c To serve others unselshly
c To be morally thoughtful
c To be a good citizen
c To live a healthy and balanced life
c To work cooperatively and collaboratively for the good of Taft
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Dormitory Monitors
Dormitory monitors are students who are selected by the faculty to assist them in making the
dorms run smoothly. ey help with details of dorm life, but more importantly assist students
in their personal and academic lives in any way they can. Dormitory monitors are selected in
the spring after being interviewed by the faculty.
TAFT SCHOOL DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership is choosing to act with empathy, integrity, and courage to help one’s group
achieve its goals.
TAFT SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT LEADERS
c I will be principled in my actions, ambitious in my goals, energetic in my duties, open-
minded in my interactions with others, and respectful in my communications with everyone.
c I understand that the role of class committee member/school monitor/dormitory monitor
is constantly changing and that circumstances may require dicult decisions and dierent
tasks than have been required in the past.
c I will invest myself in the process of learning good leadership.
c I will work with faculty and my fellow committee members/monitors to construct an
identity for my group that encompasses a diversity of viewpoints and serves the larger
Taft community.
c In order to act with moral authority, I will conduct myself in accordance with the
Honor Code, the rules of the community, and with the highest personal integrity.
DORMITORY MONITORS ARE EXPECTED TO:
c Carry themselves in a way that embodies the balance of community membership and
self-discipline expected in our dormitories.
c Be excellent role models, following all the rules of the school.
c Have a fundamental role in building a strong sense of community in each dormitory.
c Be present and visible in the dormitories and around campus.
c Plan and facilitate events in their dormitories.
c Encourage and remonstrate students appropriately.
c Work closely with dormitory heads to establish expectations specic to the running of
their particular dorm.
c Reach out to other students to help ease their transition to a new school or a new dormitory.
c Work together to make certain that every member of a dormitory community is known well
c Immediately communicate with dormitory faculty about major problems that arise
in the dorm.
c Support the other members of the dormitory team and serve as a spokesperson for
student concerns.
c Communicate as soon as possible to a faculty member or the health center via the sanctuary
policy if they have reason to believe that a fellow student’s health, safety, or place at Taft may
be at risk. In an emergency, always call 911.
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
General Rules for
Residential Life
1. Students must be inside the buildings at 8:00 p.m. (Please consult the Fundamental Rules
for regulations regarding being o campus.) Naturally, students may leave buildings to
move about the main campus area, but under no circumstances should they be out on the
athletic elds, the golf course, the cemetery, etc., after 8:00 p.m. On nights when students
are allowed downtown after 8:00 p.m., they are expected to use the main roadways to go
downtown. Downtown privileges do not extend to the adjacent elds and the golf course.
Students are not to be out of dormitory after 10:15 p.m. (10:45 for seniors once approved
by faculty), except that seniors may visit other senior rooms after 10:15 p.m. until
11:30 p.m.—boys between senior rooms on the second, third and fourth oors of CPT and
girls on the various oors of their own dormitories. In addition, seniors may visit faculty
apartments in their own dormitories.
2. Sucient quiet must be maintained in the dormitories at all times to allow those who wish
to study or sleep to do so.
3. Students may use radios, speakers, and other music-making devices. However, at no time
may this equipment be played loudly enough to disturb anyone. A further restriction is
placed on the volume level of speakers from the beginning of evening study hall until the
end of classes the next day. During these time periods, Lowermids and Mids may play music
only through earphones, and Uppermids and Seniors may play music at a level that cannot
be heard outside the room.
4. During study hall and after lights, lower school students may not use computers,
cell phones or any other Internet-capable devices for non-academic work except with
permission from the faculty member on duty.
5. Upper School students (Uppermids and Seniors) may have external video game systems in
dorm rooms if they choose: lower school students may not. Of course, students are expected
to abide by study hall and “lights out” guidelines such that they can meet academic goals
and be rested and well. Note that students who inappropriately use or play video games, or
students who struggle to meet expectations will earn consequences and lose the privilege.
6. Computer monitors may not exceed 32”.
7. Students are not allowed to gamble (for fun or money).
8. Students are not allowed to use the school elevators without permission from Health Center
personnel or the Dean’s oce.
9. Dart boards are not permitted.
10. Students may not keep pets at school under any circumstances. Fish are permitted;
small, toothless sh.
11. Liquor bottles, beer cans or bottles, or any drug paraphernalia may not be used as room
decorations or kept in student rooms. Posters or other decorations that show alcohol
or drug products are prohibited. Posters that depict nudity or that are otherwise, at the
discretion of faculty, inappropriate, are not permitted.
12. e porches of HDT and CPT are o limits for students.
13. e use of rollerblades, skateboards, scooters, hoverboards, or bicycles is not permitted
inside school buildings.
14. Students are not permitted to have refrigerators. Exceptions will only be made
for medical reasons and must be determined and approved by Dr. Diane Fountas,
Director of Health Services.
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
15. Consistent with the school’s role in loco parentis, the dormitory faculty and school sta
reserve the right to enter student rooms at any time for school business. is includes,
but is not limited to, daily room inspections, maintenance tasks, cleaning purposes,
and other school business.
16. Students may only room with students in their own grade.
Evening Hours and
Interdorm Visitation
Evening hours at Taft begin at 7:00 p.m. except in the fall and spring on Tuesday and
ursday nights of formal sit-down dinner, and will end at “lights out” for each of the
respective classes. During this time, dormitory faculty will be present in the dormitory,
ensuring an environment that is conducive to productive study hall conditions. Supervised
evening room study is held from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. (8:00 to 9:45 p.m. for Uppermids and
Seniors) every evening that is followed by a class day. On the evenings that students return
after a long weekend or extended vacation, there will be quiet hours in lieu of a study hall.
Attendance will be taken at 8:00 p.m., and students are expected to maintain an environment
that is conducive to studying until 10:00 p.m. During study hours, all students must be in
their rooms or at one of the allowed locations. Study hours are a sacred time; therefore, it is
important that quiet be maintained throughout campus. Students are not to gather in the
halls or public areas of the school, but rather are expected to go to their destinations quickly
and quietly. Leaving the dormitory without permission, going to an unapproved location,
or intent to deceive on a dormitory sign-out violates our Permission Rules and may result in
loss of sign-out privileges. Because Taft places high value on individual responsibility,
we believe in instilling more responsibility in our students as they progress through their
Taft educational experience.
Visitation
At Taft, students begin to think of their rooms as home and we understand that they might
want to share their space with friends from time to time. e purpose of Dorm Visitation is
twofold. One, we want to allow students to visit friends of the opposite gender in a comfortable
setting, analogous to visiting in the living room of a family home. Two, we want to encourage
members of a tremendously diverse school to broaden their relationships and friendships, and
we recognize the need for them to gather in healthy, fun, and safe ways in places other than the
Jig, library, or dining hall. Our policies on intimacy (page 14) still hold true for any and all dorm
interactions (co-ed or same sex) just as they would anywhere on campus.
e Dorm Visitation privilege is extended only to Taft students. Alumni and students not
enrolled at the school are not permitted in the dormitories without permission of one of the
deans of students.
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WILL BE CONSIDERED A VIOLATION OF
PROCEDURES WITH REGARD TO VISITATION.
1. Allowing someone without proper permission to be in a room during Visitation.
2. Visiting a room other than your host’s room.
3. Closing a door while visiting.
4. Failure to sign in or sign out properly and in a timely fashion, in person, with the faculty
member on duty.
The Following expectations for Visitation are for all students anytime
Visitation is used:
c A faculty member must be present in the dormitory if visitation is to take place.
c Hosts and their guest(s) must sign in, in person, with a faculty member on duty in the
dormitory being visited and must sign out with the faculty member when departing.
c Guests may sign in only to the room of their host, though a student can host more than one
guest in their room.
c e door to the student’s room must be kept ajar by a standard Taft-issue trash bin.
c Students should expect faculty or other students to drop by at any time.
c Hosts and their guests must sign out, in person, with the faculty member on duty in the
dormitory being visited.
c ere are no visitation privileges on any nights of long weekends.
Dorm Visitation for Seniors:
c Begins in the third week of September for students who complete the proper paperwork.
c Seniors may visit senior rooms of students of the opposite gender from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00
p.m. Sunday through Friday nights and on Saturday nights from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
c Seniors may visit in Uppermid rooms from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Friday
nights and on Saturday nights from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
c Seniors are never permitted to visit in rooms of Middlers or Lowermids.
Dorm Visitation for Upper Middlers:
c Begins after Long Weekend in the fall for students who complete the proper paperwork.
c Uppermids may visit in Uppermid or Senior rooms of students of the opposite gender from
7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Friday nights and on Saturday nights from
7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
c Uppermids may visit in Middler rooms on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday evenings from
7:00 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. only.
c Uppermids are never permitted to visit in rooms of Lowermids.
Dorm Visitation for Middlers:
c Begins after Long Weekend in the fall for students who complete the proper paperwork.
c Middlers may visit in Uppermid, Mid, or Lowermid rooms of students of the opposite gender
from 7:00 p.m. until 7:50 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday nights.
c Middlers can only visit with Lowermids during the second semester.
Dorm Visitation for Lower Middlers:
c Begins after the rst semester for students who compete the proper paperwork
c Lowermids may visit in Mid or Lowermid rooms of rooms of the opposite gender from
7:00 p.m. until 7:50 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday nights.
c Lower Middlers and Middlers may also visit on Saturday nights between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
LOWER SCHOOL EVENING ROUTINE
8:00–10:00 PM: Lower School Study Hall & Room Inspections
c Doors must remain open during study hall.
c Rooms inspection can be held Sunday through Friday:
r Beds made
r Floors cleared and cleaned
r Trash emptied
r Open food removed from room
r Closets straightened
c Students may not use computers, cell phones, iPads, or other electronics for email, instant
messaging, or Internet surng except with permission from the faculty member on duty.
c Students may ask the permission of the faculty on duty to sign out to faculty apartments,
computer labs, language lab, academic tables, or counseling oces. Permission will be
granted to lower schoolers only if the faculty member on duty has been given advance notice
by a faculty member. Students wishing to go to the Writing Center or any academic table may
do so at their discretion, and they do not need prior faculty permission, although they must
follow the proper sign-out procedure. Students wishing special permission to go anywhere
except the above destinations must receive permission from their class dean. e Lowermid
deans may require some Lowermids to study in a supervised room during study hall.
c Students who sign out during study hall must sign back in by 9:45 p.m.
10:00 PM: Study Hall Ends
10:00–10:15 PM: Check In with Faculty Member on Duty
and Request Late Lights
10:30 PM: Lights Out / Internet Access Turned O
10:30–11:30 PM: Late Lights (Monday Through Friday Only)
c Lowermids may request late lights for studying purposes one night a week, but they must be
in bed by 11:30 p.m. unless they have special permission from the faculty member on duty.
c Mids are allowed to stay up after 10:30 p.m. for studying purposes two nights a week, but
they must be in bed by 11:30 p.m. unless they have special permission from the faculty
member on duty.
c Mids that might need a third late light per week must get permission from his/her class dean
and dormitory head.
c Overhead lights must be o during this time and students using late lights must be sitting at
their desk using a desk lamp. e roommate of the student taking late lights must be in his/
her bed unless he/she has also signed up for late nights.
11:30 PM: The Library and Other Taft Academic Online Resources
are Turned O
Special Study Requirements
Mids and Lowermids who must attend evening practices or play rehearsals—a situation that
sometimes occurs during the winter term—are required to attend an afternoon study hall.
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
UPPER MIDDLER EVENING ROUTINE
7:00–9:15 PM: Uppermid Sign-Out
c Students must sign out in person, with the faculty member on duty, to sign out to any
academic venues or faculty apartments.
c Students may also sign out for cultural events when appropriate.
8:00–9:45 PM: Study Hall
c During study hours students must be in their rooms or at one of the locations specied above.
c Room inspections can be held Sunday through Friday:
r Beds made
r Floors cleared and cleaned
r Trash emptied
r Open food removed from room
r Closet straightened
c For purposes of maintaining quiet during this important time of the day, students are not
to gather in the halls or public areas of the school, but rather are expected to go to their
destinations quickly and quietly.
9:45 PM: Study Hall Ends
10:15 PM: Check In with Faculty Member on Duty
10:45 PM: Room Check
c Students must remain in their own room at this time.
11:30 PM: Lights Out / Internet Access Turned O
Special Study Requirements
Uppermids who must attend evening practices or play rehearsals—a situation that sometimes
occurs during the fall or winter term—are required to attend an afternoon study hall.
SENIOR EVENING ROUTINE
7:00–10:00 PM: Senior Sign-Out
c Senior sign-out is a privilege.
c Seniors do not need permission to sign out.
c Seniors must sign out with the faculty member on duty to go to any academic venue,
the Jigger Shop, or cultural event when appropriate.
c Seniors must sign back in on the same sheet when they return to the dormitory.
8:00–9:45 PM: Study Hours
c Seniors are expected to be in their room during this time unless they have signed out to a
destination listed above.
c Room inspections will be held Sunday through Friday:
r Beds made
r Floors cleared and cleaned
r Trash emptied
r Open food removed from room
r Closet straightened
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
10:15 PM: Check In with Faculty Member on Duty
10:15–11:30 PM: Seniors May Visit Rooms of Other Residents After Signing
Out on the Appropriate Sheet.
c Seniors may visit Senior rooms until 11:30 p.m.
c Seniors may visit Uppermid rooms until 10:45 p.m.
11:30 PM: Lights Out / Internet Access Turned O
Directions for Care of Rooms
c Rooms should be kept clean for reasons of re insurance and health standards (and because
it is the right thing to do). All rooms can be inspected at any point throughout the week by
dormitory faculty to ensure that standards (beds made, trash emptied, open food removed from
the room, closet straightened, and oor cleared) are being met. Each dormitory establishes its
own schedule for room inspections, and students should expect daily room inspections.
c School furniture may not be moved from room to room and should not be modied in any way.
c e use of tacks and nails is limited to the molding. Paste, glue, and tape should not be
used because these substances can pull the paint o of the walls. “Fun-tak” and other
similar adhesive materials may be used in USGD and CPT dormitories; in other dormitories,
students must use tacks for all wall hangings.
c Room decorations should be selected while keeping in mind that although a student’s room
is his/her own, it is also part of the dormitory and the community. Good taste and respect for
others are expected. Students may not hang posters or other decorations that display symbols
of hate, images of alcohol, drugs, scantily clad models, or other inappropriate images. Room
decorations must consider the community and uphold respect and dignity for all.
c Faculty reserve the right to ask a student to remove inappropriate room decorations.
c Perishable food is not to be stored in rooms.
Beds are not to be lofted unless with the approval of the director of residential life.
FIRE AND SAFETY REGULATIONS
In the interest of safety and in order to comply with the re marshal’s regulations and safety
codes, students must strictly adhere to the following rules:
1. Nothing may hang from or near the ceiling light xtures or across the ceiling itself.
Only one wall may be covered by a wall hanging, which must be re-resistant and must be
free and clear of any electrical outlet or xture.
2. Rooms may not be subdivided by furniture, sheets, blankets, ags, or hangings so as to
prevent clear access or view to and from the door. Beds may not be placed in the middle of
the room—they must be arranged with one long side against a wall. Bed legs must be on the
oor, except when elevated by bed risers. Beds may not be suspended on bricks or cement
blocks. Bureaus must have their backs against a wall, and desks are to have one side against
the wall. Waterbeds are not permitted.
3. Cloth coverings may not be used on any tables, chairs, or pieces of furniture. e re
marshal also prohibits beanbag chairs in the dormitories unless documentation can be
provided that it is made of ame retardant material.
Student Handbook 2018–19
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
4. Halls must be kept clear at all times. Bicycles may not be stored in dormitory rooms.
Athletic equipment should be stored in locker rooms provided in the athletic center.
5. Trunks and large luggage must be stored in the storage rooms.
6. Students may have additional furniture in their rooms, unless this furniture prevents an
easy exit from the room, in which case it will have to be removed. A maximum of one love
seat and one extra easy chair are permitted in any student room.
7. Each student may have one desk lamp and one other lamp, which must use compact
uorescent light bulbs or LED light bulbs. No light may be attached to a wall near a blanket.
Due to state re regulations, halogen lamps are not permitted.
8. e use of electrical appliances such as toasters, popcorn machines, grills, hot plates,
hot pots, percolators, refrigerators, heating coils, space heaters, irons, and heat lamps is
prohibited. Such items found in student rooms will be conscated until June and conduct
grades will be assigned. Students found using heat-producing appliances will be considered
to be in violation of the Fire Hazard Rule as described on page 17.
9. Extension cords must be UL approved. ey must not be laid under rugs or walking areas.
Splicing of cords is not allowed. Use only insulated staples to attach cords to moldings.
Dorm rooms have duplex outlets, each of which is limited to three appliances unless a
junction box with a circuit breaker is used.
10. No lighting xtures or electrical appliances may be wired into the closets of dormitory rooms.
11. Tampering with lighting xtures, outlets, switches, and panels is forbidden.
12. Open ames of any kind are prohibited.
13. Students may not tamper with re hoses and extinguishers.
14. Fire doors should be kept closed at all times. No door should be propped open at any time.
15. Students may not hang anything out of windows at any time.
ROOM DAMAGES
e school’s maintenance sta inspects all rooms three times each year (winter vacation, spring
break, end-of-year). Any damages over and above normal wear and tear will be charged equally
to the room occupants.
Furniture, furnishings, and closet doors may not be removed from rooms; if they have been
removed there will be charges for their restoration.
Room doors should be kept free of stickers and markings.
ROOM CHANGES
Room assignments are made at the beginning of the school year. Because Taft expects its
boarding students to adapt to dormitory life and sharing space with a roommate, it does not
allow room change requests until after Fall Long Weekend. At that point, changes will only
be considered if the roommates have worked with each other, their dormitory head, faculty
advisors, and director of residential life to try to resolve their dierences. Further, students
must recognize that it is not always possible to eect room changes, so their only option may
be “to get along.”
COMMON ROOMS
e school provides common rooms in the dormitories. Common rooms, equipped with
refrigerators and televisions, are for recreational and social use during free time.
Movies shown in common rooms or anywhere else in the school should always be in good
taste. Students found watching movies that are not in keeping with the standards of the
community will be reported to the dean of students for disciplinary action.
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
As the name suggests, common rooms are meant to be shared public spaces. It is essential
that students assume responsibility for both behaving appropriately and maintaining a level of
cleanliness in these spaces. Unseemly conduct or unreported damage to the furnishings will be
considered grounds for closing the rooms.
Common rooms throughout the school will be open to all students from 7:00 p.m. to
7:50 p.m. Sunday through Friday and on Saturday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
On certain evenings when special events are in progress, these privileges may be cancelled by
the Dean’s Oce. Students going to common rooms to visit may not stop o in student rooms
or linger in other spaces on their way to common areas.
e common rooms in USGD, the basement of Voge, the rst oor of Centennial and ISP may
be used for visitation from the end of the class day until 10:00 p.m. During the study hours,
these areas must be quiet enough to be conducive to studying.
SUMMER STORAGE
Taft does not provide storage for students over the summer. Two services are provided for
students at the end of the school year. UPS comes to campus and will ship boxes for students.
In addition, Dorm Room Movers will store or ship students’ belongings. For more information
go to www.dormroommovers.com, or contact UPS at 860-676-0660.
END-OF-YEAR EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to leave their rooms in the same state they found them on move-in day.
c e only furniture in the room should be a bed, desk, desk chair, bureau, and trash can for
each student.
c All extra furniture must be removed from the room and either brought home or stored with
Dorm Room Movers or another storage company; any furniture a student wishes to store is
subject to inspection to ensure the unit is safe and t for storage and reuse.
c School-provided pillows and curtains should be in each room, whether or not they were used.
c Desk and bureau drawers are empty.
c Closets are empty.
c Lights are o.
c Windows are closed.
c e oor must be swept or vacuumed, but any objects too large for a vacuum are to be
thrown away.
c Trash must be emptied.
c Fobs returned to dormitory head. Students will be billed for each lost fob.
We encourage students to donate anything and everything that they no longer want or need.
We have an amazing group of faculty and students that collect, organize, and distribute items
ranging from non-perishable foods, toiletries, and used books to sheets, towels, and clothes.
Specic instructions will be given to all students at the end of the year.
All students must sign out, in person, with a faculty member before leaving campus.
Students that do not sign out with a dormitory faculty member, or leave their room in a way
that does not meet our expectations, may be asked to return to campus to clean their room
and/or may be charged a cleaning fee of $100 an hour.
Student Handbook 2018–19
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RESIDENTIAL LIFE
STUDENT
SERVICES
Martin Health Center
e Health Center is open 24 hours a day whenever school is in session. It is staed by the
school physician and a professional nursing sta. e school physician, Dr. Diane Fountas,
is in the Health Center daily for students to be seen.
Students should make every eort to visit the Health Center during a free period, not during
study hall, class time, Morning Meeting or Assembly. In an emergency a student may, of course,
go to the Health Center at any time.
With a few exceptions, all prescribed medications must be kept in the Health Center.
Even most over-the-counter medications must be approved by the Health Center.
For controlled medicine, the Health Center will accept written prescriptions only, to be lled
at the Health Complex pharmacy. Students may not bring controlled medications to and from
school, and cannot under any circumstances be kept in a student’s room.
Students going to the Health Center after lights and before 6:00 a.m. must be escorted by a
dormitory monitor, and the faculty member on duty in their dormitory must be notied.
Students must obtain permission from the nurse on duty before visiting a patient.
If a student will leave campus for medical reasons, he/she must follow the process for
Medical Leave (see page 11).
All downloadable medical forms, as well as information about health services at Taft are
available on the school website.
Important Information Regarding Concussions: Connecticut law requires us
to provide you with important information regarding concussions, particularly sport
participation and the risk of concussions. e law was enacted as a means to reduce the
number of concussions in children. It requires us to provide parents with written information
regarding concussions and the treatment of concussions at Taft. e law also requires all
parents to sign an informed consent authorizing their child to participate in school athletics
at Taft. Taft requires this form to be signed for all students whether they participate in
athletics or not. Without this document, a student cannot participate in any extracurricular
activity. is law also requires signed permission from a parent/ guardian allowing a student
to resume activity following a concussion.
Important information regarding insurance: A copy of both sides of the medical
insurance card is imperative. Standardized health insurance is required for all non-U.S. students.
If a student does not have insurance recognized by doctors in the Connecticut area and the
Connecticut Insurance System; they must obtain coverage only from Cliord Allen Associates.
is includes all students not from the United States. Please contact the Taft Health
Center at 860-945-7762 to inquire about this insurance or telephone Cliord Allen directly at
1-888-342-2224. Information and enrollment forms are available on the Taft website.
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STUDENT SERVICES
Counseling Services
School counselors oer support and guidance to individual students, consult with deans and
faculty members, and contribute to the emotional health and well-being of the school as a
whole. ere are three school counselors: Rachel Jacobs, PhD (Director of Counseling), Jonas
Katkavich, PsyD, and Lauren Henry, LCSW. Counselors are available for appointments during
the school day. Students who would like to meet with a counselor can send an email to an
individual counselor or to [email protected].
Many students contact a counselor on their own, while others are referred by advisors,
deans, health center sta, school monitors, friends, or parents. Conversations with
counselors are supportive and condential. Of course, there are legal and ethical exceptions
to condentiality, such as when there is a question of potential harm to self or others.
Although counselors do not share details of their conversations with students, relevant
faculty may be aware that a student is meeting with a counselor. Students generally inform
their parents when they are speaking with a counselor. However, some students may choose
to keep this information private. Parents should contact the counseling director if they would
like to be contacted prior to their child being seen.
Taft’s counseling services are provided at no charge. e school does not oer psychiatric
services; however, the counseling director or school physician can help facilitate referrals.
e same is true if a student or family prefers to work with a counselor outside of Taft.
More detailed information about the counseling program can be found at www.taftschool.org.
Athletic Trainers
e school’s certied athletic trainers, Mr. Sergio Guerrera, Ms. Rachel Cohen, and
Mrs. Magdalena Wilson, are available in the athletic training room in the Cruikshank
Athletic Center during all athletic periods. Athletic trainers are also available for morning
appointments with students.
More information on athletic training services can be found on the Taft website.
FALL AND SPRING HOURS
Monday, Tuesday, ursday, Friday: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Wednesday & Saturday: Noon–Start of games
WINTER HOURS
Monday, Tuesday, ursday, Friday: 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday & Saturday Noon–Start of games
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STUDENT SERVICES
Spiritual Life
At Taft you will nd a wide range of religions and philosophical views represented among the
student population. Our goal is help students from a variety of traditions nd spiritual strength
and community support in the religious and spiritual programs that are being oered.
We view education as both an intellectual and a spiritual endeavor. All expressions of faith
are celebrated and respected as we look for common moral, ethical, and spiritual ground in the
world’s treasure house of great religions.
In the Taft community, we believe that a sound, broad-based liberal arts education has at
its core the quest for meaning and purpose. Our understanding is that no one spiritual group
or religious tradition is in sole possession of the Truth. With this in mind, we covenant with
one another to pursue Truth through religion, science, art, music, athletics, and in every other
human inquiry.
Today’s world is replete with rich opportunities for all of us to evolve as global citizens so
that we can live mindfully in this world with consideration and concern for others. We believe
that educating the whole person encourages and challenges us to take seriously the values and
moral codes that we have inherited through our many diverse cultural and religious traditions.
—Chaplain Robert Ganung
e school chaplain brings to the community an understanding and celebration of the world’s
various religious faiths. Rabbi Eric Poloko, from B’Nai Israel in Southbury, assists the Jewish
Student Organization at Taft. e chaplain also takes Muslim students to the United Muslim
Mosque in Waterbury bi-monthly. During the fall and winter months interested students gather
for meditation in the Taft Living Room before relaxing with a cup of tea or hot chocolate. is
warm setting invites students from all religious and nonreligious backgrounds to come together
in a mindful way to exchange spiritual ideas and values in a friendly and inclusive atmosphere.
e oerings of the Global Service and Scholarship Department promote spiritual, moral,
and ethical discourse among students. On Tuesday and ursday of each week, the entire
school gathers for Morning Meeting in Bingham Auditorium—a time for reection by students,
faculty, the headmaster, chaplain, or outside speakers. e Paduano Lecture Series invites
distinguished speakers to oer lectures in the eld of philosophy and ethics. Grounded in Taft’s
mission to educate the whole person, the school provides many opportunities on campus—
both formal and informal—to nurture spiritual life.
OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE:
c Monthly Candelight Vespers
c Gospel Vespers (periodic)
c Morning Meeting
c Jewish Student Organization
c Shabbat Dinners
c Buddhist Meditation Group
c Weekly Sunday Worship Service
c Monthly Communion
c Yoga/Meditation
c Bible Study
c FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in
Universities and Schools)
c Coee Houses
Many of the above opportunities are available at or within walking distance of the school.
Transportation to churches and synagogues not within walking distance, as well as
transportation to a Muslim mosque in Hartford, is also provided. Students are urged to consult
with the chaplain concerning particular religious services.
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STUDENT SERVICES
College Counseling
e mission of Taft’s College Counseling Oce is to i) provide a student-centered process
geared towards educating and supporting students and their families as they navigate the
college search and selection process; and ii) present the student’s character and achievements
to prospective colleges in an accurate, nuanced, and compelling light. Particular emphasis is
placed on developing students’ analytical skills to discover schools which match their interests
well; self-advocacy skills so that they can present themselves eectively and authentically in
the process; and understanding of the process so they can maximize those elements which are
within their control. In order to best serve our students and the Taft community, the college
counseling team is committed to educating themselves on the issues of our profession through
attendance at conferences, visiting college campuses, constant review of media reports in the
eld, and careful cultivation of relationships with their colleagues in admissions.
More detailed information about the College Counseling program at Taft can be found at
www.taftschool.org.
Advisory
A faculty advisor plays an important role as mentor and guide for each Taft student. At the
start of every school year, students select a faculty advisor. New students will be assigned a
temporary advisor who will guide them until they make a nal decision about their advisor
in October. Students can expect that faculty advisors will mentor and provide support in all
aspects of Taft life. Students may change advisors at any time after consultation with their class
dean and the dean of students.
The Moorhead Academic Center
e mission of the Moorhead Academic Center is to improve student learning; to provide
support to teachers, students and parents; and to make available scientic research on learning
and the brain.
e Academic Center is open each class day and for study hall hours Sunday through Friday
evenings. Lower School students may use the MAC during study hall hours upon recommendation
by the dean. All students are welcome to the resources available. Appointments are made on an
individual basis given the student’s schedule. Some students schedule several appointments to
improve in a given area; some schedule ongoing appointments throughout the year. Services
provided are tailored to students’ needs and are intended to empower students with the skills to
become more procient, independent, lifelong learners. Services include:
c providing strategies for learning/understanding such as retrieval practice, spaced review,
and metacognition;
c providing instruction in strategic reading techniques;
c providing methods to study and learn math, science, and foreign languages;
c coaching in time management, organizational, and study skills and self-advocacy and
self-determination techniques;
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STUDENT SERVICES
c assisting in the writing process involved in long-term research papers;
c screening and evaluation for students without previously identied learning dierences
to understand strengths and weaknesses of the individual’s learning prole, as well as
facilitating recommendations and accommodations for documented learning dierences.
Another ongoing service of the Moorhead Academic Center is the Peer Tutoring Program.
Each year, department heads, in collaboration with their respective faculty, recommend
outstanding students to work as peer tutors in their eld of expertise. ese peer tutors are paired
with other students who have been referred by their teachers for additional support work.
EDUCATIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS AND TESTING
Taft provides educational accommodations it deems reasonable in accordance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act. e School will request current documentation indicating that
the disability substantially limits some major life activity, including learning.
Parents with specic concerns regarding their child’s academic learning style should contact
the student’s class dean.
TAFT WRITING CENTER
e Taft Writing Center promotes excellence in writing across the curriculum by providing
resources to students and teachers. Designed to complement the instruction oered in the
classroom, the center is a place where all writers in the Taft community have the opportunity
to receive close personal attention as they develop their writing skills. By working in conference
with faculty and peer tutors, writers can both seek counsel on papers in progress and address
specic problems that their teachers or other critical observers have identied in their work.
Moreover, academically procient, talented writers, as well as those who are working on
extracurricular or personal writing projects, benet from the feedback of Writing Center
tutors. e center provides an online site with a variety of resources. More information is at
www.taftschool.org.
The Library
e Hulbert Taft Jr. Library plays a central role in the educational and cultural life of the
school. e Library provides access to more than 70 online databases, which include online
monographs and reference books, streaming video, music, and audiobooks, journal and
newspaper articles, as well as map and image collections. In addition we have more than
50,000 circulating items including books, DVDs, and CDs.
CIRCULATION POLICIES
Books may be borrowed for four weeks and may be renewed if not requested by someone
else. Borrowers may renew their materials online or by contacting the circulation desk at
extension 7780. Audiovisual materials have a shorter loan period, reference books and
periodicals do not circulate.
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STUDENT SERVICES
RESERVE MATERIALS
Materials on reserve may be designated as “closed” or “overnight.” Closed reserve materials
may be used only in the library, and for a specied length of time, depending on the material.
Overnight reserves may be used in the library during the day and borrowed overnight,
beginning one hour before closing. Overnight reserve materials must be returned to the library
within one hour of opening on the next day.
INTERLIBRARY LOAN
Research needs occasionally require students to go beyond the resources of our library.
Requests may be placed through the Interlibrary Loan link on the library homepage or by
communicating directly with Ms. Taylor. e length of the loan period, as well as renewal
privileges, are dependent on the policies of the lending library. Students requesting ILL
material should be aware that it may take up to two weeks for their requested items to arrive.
LOST LIBRARY MATERIALS
Lost materials are charged at the current replacement cost for the item. Replacement charges
will also include a processing fee of $5 per lost item.
OTHER LIBRARY SERVICES
e library provides access to a wide range of electronic databases and e-books for research.
ese resources are available from the library’s home page via the Taft network. e library
houses numerous computer workstations (both PC and Mac).
A photocopying machine, with scanning and color capabilities, and a networked printer are
available for student use.
LIBRARY HOURS*
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Sunday Noon–10:00 p.m.
*Hours will be increased during exam periods and reduced during holiday and vacation periods.
ese changes will be posted in advance. Please check student email and the school online
calendar for any changes.
Dining Hall Schedule,
Procedures and Regulations
DINING HALL PROCEDURES
We hope that eating in the dining room will be pleasant for everyone, and have designed the
following procedures to minimize trac and confusion. More important, we anticipate that
everyone will follow, at both sit-down and buet meals, the commonly established principles of
decorum that make dining a civilized aair.
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STUDENT SERVICES
Sit-Down Meals
Taft has had a commitment to formal “sit-down” dinners for over a century, and this tradition
is critical in creating the sense of community that marks the school. Attendance at sit-down
dinners is required for all boarding students. Day students are not required to attend sit-down
dinners, but they are welcome and encouraged to attend. Typically, during the Fall Term and
during the Spring Term until Long Weekend, sit-down dinners are on Tuesday and ursday
evenings. Students are required to sit at the tables to which they have been assigned. Students
who do not sit at their assigned tables will receive dinner cuts. If a table is not set, students
whose tables are “closed” are not excused from dinner.
Students will be excused from dinner together at the end of the meal. Students should not
leave before this announcement.
Buet Meals
At buet meals, students are asked to clean up after themselves and are requested to deposit
their trash in the proper receptacles. Dishes, glasses, cups, and silver should be returned to the
bussing area. No glasses, utensils, plates, or other items are to be taken from the dining rooms.
Sponges and mops are available to clean up spills.
Breakfast
Lowermid and Mid boarders are required to attend breakfast on all class days, although they
have the privilege of using cuts, as described below. Students must sign in for breakfast
between 7:15–8:10 a.m. at the table in Laube Dining Room nearest the entrance to the servery.
Breakfast Cuts
Fall Winter Spring
Lowermids 0 0 1
Mids 1 2 2
DINING HALL SCHEDULE FOR MEALS
Changes in times will be posted on the school calendar at www.taftschool.org.
Breakfast
Monday through Saturday 7:00 a.m.–8:15 a.m.
Sunday Brunch
Continental Breakfast 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Full Brunch 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lunch
Monday through Saturday 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Dinner
Sit-Down Dinners (assigned tables) 6:30 p.m.
All Buet Dinners (free seating) 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
During Winter Sports
Dinner Buet 4:45 p.m.–7:15 p.m.
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STUDENT SERVICES
Transportation
Students from New York should leave Grand Central on trains for Waterbury, or they should
leave Port Authority by bus for Waterbury.
Students from Boston should come either through Hartford or through New Haven, using
bus lines from there to Waterbury.
ere is a bus service between Waterbury and Watertown, Mondays through Saturdays.
e ride takes about 20 minutes.
Cabs are available in Waterbury, but cab fares may not be charged home.
Uber also provides services in the Watertown area. However, please note that Uber’s “Use of
Services” explains, “e Service is not available for use by persons under the age of 18. You may
not authorize third parties to use your Account, and you may not allow persons under the age
of 18 to receive transportation or logistics services from ird Party Providers unless they are
accompanied by you.” erefore, third party permission from parents does not allow students
under the age of 18 to ride Uber, or other ride sharing services.
If there is sucient need, the school runs chartered buses at the student’s expense directly
from Taft to Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports, Bradley Airport, Pennsylvania Station and
Grand Central Station at the beginning of anksgiving, Winter and Spring Vacations and at
the close of school in June. Return transportation is also provided from these points to Taft
(except from Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports) at the end of anksgiving, Winter, and Spring
Vacations, but not at the opening of school in September. e buses will depart from Taft
approximately 30 minutes after the end of the last class. Students scheduling ights should
allow sucient time for airport check-in and travel. Depending on trac, Bradley is one hour
from Taft; JFK/LaGuardia are two hours away. Taft will not provide transportation to students
who schedule ights that require them to leave school before the end of the class day or return
after the 7:30 p.m. sign-in time at the end of vacations.
In addition, Taft cannot provide transportation for students traveling as unaccompanied
minors. Students who fall into that category must arrange their own transportation to and
from the airport. Questions about transportation can be directed to the czar of transport,
Mr. Mike Blomberg, at [email protected], 860-945-7721.
MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION
If students need transportation to medical appointments, the Health Center will do its best to
assist with the details and provide drivers. e family is responsible for covering the cost of this
transportation and medical appointments.
BUSES AND TRAINS
Watertown To Waterbury
Buses leave Watertown every hour on the hour daily. Monday through Saturday, service begins
at 6:00 a.m. and the last bus leaves at 6:00 p.m. On Sunday, buses leave Watertown on the hour
from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
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STUDENT SERVICES
Waterbury to Watertown
Monday through Saturday, buses leave Waterbury at 5:30 a.m. and then at half past every hour.
e last bus of the day does not leave on the half hour, but leaves at 5:45 p.m. On Sunday, buses
leave Waterbury on the half hour from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Fare: Exact change in coins is required.
$1.40 Student fare when school is in session (up to age 18)
$1.75 Adult fare
Waterbury to New York
Regularly scheduled buses and trains travel several times a day between Waterbury and
New York City. Buses depart from the Travel Center at 188 Bank Street in downtown
Waterbury. For the most up-to-date information on bus schedules and fares, call 203-754-4343.
e Metro-North line connects Waterbury and New York with four to six trips each day.
e train station in Waterbury is located on Meadow Street. Information on Metro-North Fares
and schedules can be found online at www.mta.info.
ADDITIONAL SCHOOL SERVICES
BIRTHDAY CAKES
Aramark Food Service will make birthday cakes for Taft students, faculty, and sta for $25.
Orders must be placed at least 48 hours in advance. To place an order, contact Francesca Vitale,
dining hall supervisor, at 860-945-7913 or [email protected].
KEYS AND FOBS
Fobs, post oce box, and room keys are distributed in the Duty Oce. Replacement keys and
Fobs may be picked up during the class day Monday through Friday. Students will be billed $25
for each lost key or fob. If you lose an elevator key, you will be charged accordingly.
LAUNDRY AND LINEN
Students have access to internal card-operated laundry equipment or may send their personal
clothing and linen to an outside commercial laundry service. Card-operated washers and dryers
are located in most dormitories. e cost is $1.25 per wash and $1.25 per drying cycle.
Students who wish to arrange for laundry service may do so in the Business Oce at the
opening of school in September. Nametags must be sewn securely in all articles sent to the
laundry. Within reason, the commercial laundry will not limit the number of items washed each
week. However, the student will be expected to contract for this service for the duration of the
school year. Cancellation of the contract for valid reasons may be arranged, but credit for a week
in which laundry is not sent will not be possible. Also, it is assumed that items to be laundered
are the personal property of the student who has signed the contract.
Personal laundry, with checklist lled out, is to be delivered to the distribution room on
Monday morning. It will be returned on Friday morning of the same week. e laundry
distribution room is located in the basement corridor near the dining hall.
e rental of linens and towels is not available. Students supply their own blankets, sheets,
bedspreads, pillowcases and towels.
Dry cleaning may be sent to the laundry and will be charged separately by the unit.
Charges for laundry and dry cleaning will be posted to the parents’ charge account.
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STUDENT SERVICES
LOST AND FOUND
Books and other items left in the halls will be taken to the lost and found, which is located in
bins at the base of the HDT stairs in the basement. Lost valuables such as watches, glasses and
wallets should be turned in to the Campus Safety Oce or the Dean’s Oce.
THE POST OFFICE
e post oce, located in the basement of the Main Building, is open from 8:00 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Mail arrives and is picked up daily except Sundays and legal holidays. Outgoing mail pickup is
at 3:00 p.m. daily. Stamps are available in the School Store.
STUDENT DEBIT CARD, SCHOOL BANK, AND SCHOOL STORE
Most student purchases on campus require a student debit card, and students are responsible
for maintaining a sucient balance on the card at all times. Students may deposit or withdraw
money on their debit card accounts during Student Bank hours. e school imposes a $20
charge for the replacement of a lost debit card and a $20 ne for student checks returned for
insucient funds.
School supplies, toilet articles, and athletic equipment are available in the School Store in the
basement of CPT.
Returning students are not issued a new debit card each year. ey should return to school
with their most recently issued student debit card.
Store and Banking Hours
Monday 8:00 a.m.–3:15 p.m.
Tuesday 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Wednesday 8:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
ursday 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Sunday closed
TELEPHONES
e school’s main switchboard phone number is 860-945-7777. e school switchboard
is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Students or parents can reach the school duty ocer until 11:00 p.m. at
860-945-7800.
If the school duty ocer is not available, campus safety can be called in the event of an
emergency at 860-945-7789.
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STUDENT SERVICES
STUDENT
ACTIVITIES
Student Government
e school monitors and the class committees of the younger classes serve as the leaders
of student government. However, it is part of the mission of the school to develop in every
student a sense of responsibility to and for the community. It should be one of your aims to be
a cooperative and constructive citizen in your new environment.
e central agency of self-government at Taft is the monitorial sta, a group of 12 to 16
seniors elected by their class. e school monitors implement the Honor System, assist in the
supervision of the dormitories, and accept a large share of the responsibility for the day-to-day
conduct of the school’s aairs.
Class committees for the lower three classes are elected twice each year, rst in January and
again at the end of the school year. Committees are elected by the members of each class, and the
committee chairs, one boy and one girl, are elected from among those elected to the committee.
Monitors are elected in May before their senior year by the rising senior class. e entire
student body elects the head monitors, one boy and one girl. Monitors serve for their entire
senior year. In January a few additional monitors will be elected.
Leadership, of course, carries responsibilities, and students who are on probation will not be
eligible for election. If sitting committee members or monitors are placed on probation during
their term of oce, they will forfeit their position of leadership. Students whose probation
period has ended will again be eligible to stand for election. e headmaster, dean of students,
and class deans will decide questions about eligibility.
All classes are given valuable experience in self-government through participation in an
elected class committee. As students progress through the school, they are awarded a greater
share of the privileges and responsibilities of democratic living. us, through a natural
and gradual process, students develop a sense of personal and group responsibility that is
recognized in the senior year by a substantial measure of self-government.
TAFT SCHOOL DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership is choosing to act with empathy, integrity, and courage to help one’s group achieve
its goals.
TAFT SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT LEADERS
1. I will be principled in my actions, ambitious in my goals, energetic in my duties, open-minded
in my interactions with others, and respectful in my communications with everyone.
2. I understand that the role of class committee member/school monitor/dormitory monitor
is constantly changing and that circumstances may require dicult decisions and dierent
tasks than have been required in the past.
3. I will invest myself in the process of learning good leadership.
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STUDENT ACTIVITIES
4. I will work with faculty and my fellow committee members/monitors to construct an
identity for my group that encompasses a diversity of viewpoints and serves the larger
Taft community.
5. In order to act with moral authority, I will conduct myself in accordance with the Honor
Code, the rules of the community, and with the highest personal integrity.
SCHOOL MONITORS
Class of 2019
Eva Baurmeister, Head Monitor
Julia Dawson
Billy Dobensky
Mohamed Doucoure
Abby Ford
Dennis Franklin
Marshall Henshaw
Isaiah Hernandez
Natalie Locarno
Cami Long
Rex Rieer, Head Monitor
Caeley Smith
Class of 2020
Jack Bryant
Lily Cook
Ishmael Cummings
Peter Denious
Blake Gray
Diky Izmirlian
Christian Jimenez
Minori Kawakami
Cierra Ouellette
Maggie Robertshaw
Eliza Travelstead
Michael Yamin
Class of 2021
Celine Anyaegbunam
Tim Broadbent
Jack Church
William De Luca
Posey Durling
Amanda Graziano
Benjamin Le
Savannah Love
Justin McLeod
Darren McNerney
Madeline Meister
Paton Roberts
Leigh Root
Charles Weld
DAY STUDENT COUNCIL
Sinead Connolly ’21
Sean Dunbar ’20
Amanda Graziano ’21
Jalen Little ’19
Darren McNerney ’21
Kyra McNerney ’20
Maggie O’Leary ’19
Cierra Ouellette ’20
Connor Printz ’19
Kayla Robinson ’19
Ian Staines ’20
Frank Trosky ’21
Olivia Wivestad ’19
Extracurricular Activities
and Organizations
Some of these clubs have been around for more than 50 years, and new ones come and go all
the time. A representative list of clubs is below:
c Admissions Council
c Amnesty International
c The Annual, yearbook
c Art Club
c Coee House
c Dance Club
c Debate Club
c Economics & Investment Club
c FBLA (Future Business
Leaders of America)
c FOCUS, Christian Fellowship
c French Club
c Global Journal
c Hydrox, A Cappella Group
c Improv
c International Club
c Jewish Student Organization
c Math Team
c Model Congress
c Model U.N.
c One Word
c Operation Smile
c Oriocos, A Cappella Group
c Peer Tutors
c Recognize the Rhino
c Red, Inc., Literary Magazine
c Religious & Spiritual
Life Council
c Robotics and Engineering Club
c Shout (Students, Homosexual
& Otherwise United @ Taft)
c Spanish Club
c Step Team
c Taft Papyrus, newspaper
c Taft Environmental
Action Movement (TEAM)
c Tour Guides
c United Cultures at Taft (UCT)
Volunteer Council
c Various Anity Groups
c W(I)RED, Taft Radio
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STUDENT ACTIVITIES
AFTERNOON
PROGRAM
Afternoon Program Philosophy
e afternoon program at Taft encompasses a wide variety of activities that seek to enrich the
student experience outside of the classroom. Central to the core values of the School, afternoon
activities play an essential role in the health, well-being, and engagement of students. Taft’s
afternoon program places a special emphasis on the following: activities whose focus is giving
back to Taft and the greater Waterbury Community; physical activity and/or team play; student
growth through experiential learning; and the important role collaboration plays in fostering
and promoting a strong sense of community.
Afternoon Program Student
Participation Requirement
ACTIVITY SELECTION AND CHANGES
All students are required to participate in an afternoon activity each of the three seasons: fall,
winter, and spring. At the end of each school year students will select their activities for all
three seasons for the following school year. is procedure allows students to plan ahead, as
well as aord the School the opportunity to provide guidance. At the start of each season, fall,
winter, and spring, there will be a specied ten-day time period during which changes to activity
selections may occur. After that period, any changes need to be approved by the athletic directors.
ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to attend all scheduled meetings and/or matches for their afternoon
activities. If a scheduled absence is anticipated, prior communication with the coach or
activity director, as well as the Dean of Students Oce, is required in order to secure the
necessary permissions.
STUDENT REQUIREMENTS
Lower Middler and New Middler
ree seasons of participation with at least two Community Activities required.
Option of participating in one Individual Activity OR applying for one Exemption during
winter OR spring seasons.
Lower middlers and new middlers are required to participate in a Community Activity during
the fall season of their rst year at Taft. Community service and farming are excluded from the
options for this rst season.
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AFTERNOON PROGRAM
New students may not apply for an Exemption to manage a team during their rst year at Taft.
Example Program: fall season—interscholastic soccer (Community Activity); winter season—
martial arts (Individual Activity); spring season—community service (Community Activity).
Middler
ree seasons of participation with at least two Community Activities required. Option of
participating in one Individual Activity OR applying for one Exemption.
New Upper Middler
ree seasons of participation with one Community Activity required. Option of applying for
one Exemption.
New students may not apply for an Exemption to manage a team during their rst year at Taft.
Upper Middler
ree seasons of participation with one Community Activity required. Option of applying for
one Exemption.
Senior/PG
ree seasons of participation with one Community Activity required. Option of applying for
two “Senior Exemptions.”
Outside Club Teams
Students who are on Taft interscholastic teams should not participate on non-Taft teams while
their Taft team is in season. Outside athletic commitments may not interfere with a student’s
activities or responsibilities at Taft. Students who seek an exemption to this school policy must
seek approval from their Class Dean and Athletic Director(s). An exception is only made if
playing on the outside team will not have an impact on their obligations as a Taft student.
Activity Categories
Community Activities are school-oered programs that emphasize teamwork and
collaboration to achieve a common group goal, while representing Taft both on and o campus.
c Community service
c Dance
c Farming
c Interscholastic sports
c Robotics/Science
c Olympiad
c Theater/theater tech
Individual Activities are school-oered programs, often recreational in nature, that
emphasize individual development and have an expectation of regular participation under the
direction of a Taft faculty member. Students may participate in a specic Individual Activity
only once per year. If they would like to participate in that particular Individual Activity for a
second season they will need to apply for an Exemption. Students may only do one season of
Fitness/Strength and Conditioning.
c Aerobics
c Fitness/Strength and
Conditioning
c Horseback riding
c Intramural sports
c Martial arts
c Rock climbing
c Ultimate frisbee
c Yoga
c Recreational Sports
Student Handbook 2018–19
57
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
Exemptions are opportunities for students to pursue independent initiatives, not oered
in the afternoon program. Exemptions are granted by written proposal, with the exception
of on-campus injury rehabilitation, and are subject to approval by the Afternoon Program
Exemption Group.
c Independent Studies
Program (ISP)
c Injury rehabilitation
c Second season of specic
Individual Activity
c Senior Exemption
c Team manager
c Activities by special proposal,
not academic in nature
c Afternoon Tourguide
Afternoon Program Oerings
by Season
FALL
c Community Service
c Cross Country (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
c Field Hockey (girls)
Varsity
JV
Thirds
c Football (boys)
Varsity
JV
c Horseback Riding (co-ed)
Intramural
c Intramural Tennis (co-ed)
c Martial Arts (co-ed)
c Musical Theater/
Theater Tech with Dance
c Organic Farming
c Robotics/Science Olympiad
c Sailing (co-ed)
Intramural
c Soccer (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
Thirds
Fourths (boys)
c Volleyball (girls)
Varsity
JV
Thirds
c Fitness/Strength and
Conditioning (co-ed)
Upper School
c Yoga (co-ed)
WINTER
c Aerobics (co-ed)
c Basketball (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
Thirds
Fourths
c Climbing (co-ed)
Upper School
c Community Service (co-ed)
c Dance (co-ed)
c Ice Hockey (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV Thirds
c Martial Arts (co-ed)
c Robotics/Science Olympiad
c Ski Racing (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
c Squash (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
Thirds
Intramural
c Theater/Theater Tech
c Fitness/Strength and
Conditioning (co-ed)
c Wrestling (co-ed)
Varsity
JV
c Yoga (co-ed)
SPRING
c Aerobics (co-ed)
c Baseball (boys)
Varsity
JV
c Community Service
c Crew (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
c Golf (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
c Horseback Riding (co-ed)
Intramural
c Lacrosse (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
Thirds
c Recreational Sports (co-ed)
Intramural
c Sailing (co-ed)
Intramural
c Softball (girls)
Varsity
c Tennis (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
Thirds
Intramural
c Theater/Theater Tech
c Track (boys & girls)
Varsity
JV
58
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
Exemptions
Exemptions are opportunities for students to pursue independent initiatives. Exemption
activities include participation in the Independent Studies Program (ISP); on-campus injury
rehabilitation as determined by the Taft Athletic Trainers; a second season of specic Individual
Activity; Senior Exemptions; serving as a team manager; and, activities by special proposal. A
senior may apply for an exemption to engage in an activity of their choice as long as they remain
engaged in the afternoon and their activity gives back to the Taft community in some way.
In order to apply for an Exemption, with the exception of injury rehabilitation, students are
required to complete an Exemption application. Upon its timely submission, this application is
reviewed by the student, class dean, and the Afternoon Program Exemption Group. Procedures
and deadlines for Exemption applications will be communicated in the weeks immediately
preceding the start of a new activity season; fall, winter, and spring.
Interscholastic Athletics
FOUNDERS LEAGUE GUIDELINES FOR SPECTATORS
Taft competes in the Founders League in most sports. Spectators—whether students, parents,
faculty, alumni, or friends—bear important responsibilities to the School for the atmosphere
and conduct of games, whether home or away. Honoring visiting teams and spectators as guests
is of the utmost importance.
e School Heads of Founders League schools have agreed on the following expectations
regarding the behavior of spectators at athletic contests:
Spectators should watch games from those areas dened by each school as spectator areas.
Spectators should not run up and down the sidelines; call to opposing players, coaches, or
referees in an unsportsmanlike or distracting manner; enter the eld of play or stand behind
the opposing team’s bench; deface property; heckle or give cheers that are profane or mock
competitors. Spectators should accept absolutely and without quarrel the decision of any
ocial. Spectators who abuse these guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action.
NEPSAC CODE OF ETHICS, CONDUCT & GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP
Taft is a member of NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council). e Council
provides the following guidelines for ethics, conduct, and good sportsmanship:
As a basic principle, the NEPSAC believes that the lessons learned from fairly played
athletics, whether interscholastic or not, and including games and practices, are of benet to
our students and our school. e purpose of this Code of Ethics and Conduct is to dene what
“fairly played” means and to provide guidelines for NEPSAC athletes, coaches, ocials, and
spectators alike to follow.
At the heart of this matter lies several terms that are often hard to dene, yet no
more important a task confronts teacher and coaches than to set standards that are fair
and honorable. roughout this code, when such terms as “proper conduct” and “good
sportsmanship” are mentioned, they refer to such standards as these:
Student Handbook 2018–19
59
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
c treat other persons as you know they should be treated;
c regard the rules of your games as agreements, the spirit of the letter which you should not
evade or break;
c treat ocials and opponents with respect;
c accept absolutely and without quarrel the nal decision of any ocial;
c honor visiting teams and spectators as your own guests and treat them as such; likewise,
behave yourself as an honored guest when you visit another school;
c be gracious in victory and defeat; learn especially to take defeat well;
c be as cooperative as you are competitive;
c remember that your actions on or o the eld reect on you and your school.
ATHLETIC TRAINING RULES
Any interscholastic team member found in violation of the school’s Fundamental Rule with
regard to the use of alcohol and/or drugs is considered to have violated the athletic training
rules. Coaches, in consultation with the Athletic Director(s), have the discretion to respond to a
player on their own team as they see t. For example, a coach can decide that a student coming
o of a suspension has to earn back a starting position; or, a captain who violates the athletic
training rules could be asked to step down from their position of leadership. Athletic training
rules are in eect starting on the day that practice for a team begins and remain in eect until
the end of the season.
AWARDING OF LETTERS
A Taft athlete earns a varsity letter if he/she has been committed to the team throughout the
season, has been an important part of practice on a daily basis, and has represented the school
in an appropriate manner.
With sports such as crew, track, cross country, and golf (where there is either movement
between varsity and junior varsity or where multiple levels of teams practice together) the
head coach of the program identies, in consultation with the Co-Directors of Athletics, the
individual criteria for earning a letter specic to their program. For example, a golfer needs to
compete in one third of its team’s matches; a rower needs to have been part of one of the top
two boats for half of the season; and a track athlete must receive a certain number of varsity
points in competition.
Additionally, a senior who has been committed to a program for multiple years and has shown
a certain level of ability may earn a varsity letter at the coach’s discretion; this is also applicable for
an injured athlete who has shown commitment to the team throughout the season.
Team managers may earn numerals for their service to varsity programs. Numerals do not
equate to a varsity letter, however a coach may petition the Athletic Committee to award a
letter when a team manager has made a signicant commitment to the team and participates in
all practices and games.
60
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
Who to Contact
A complete school-wide directory of all faculty and sta is located at www.taftschool.org.
Campus Safety ..............................................................................................................860-945-7789
College Counseling ....................................................................................................... 860-945-7703
Counseling ....................................................................................................................860-945-5937
Dean of Academics .......................................................................................................860-945-7845
Dean of Students ..........................................................................................................860-945-7800
Dean’s Oce/Duty Oce ............................................................................................860-945-7800
Headmaster ..................................................................................................................860-945-7877
Hulbert Taft Jr. Library ............................................................................................... 860-945-7780
Information Technology ..............................................................................................860-945-7990
Martin Health Center ..................................................................................................860-945-7762
Moorhead Academic Center ........................................................................................860-945-7851
Phone System Administrator ......................................................................................860-945-7906
Switchboard ..................................................................................................................860-945-7777
Transportation ............................................................................................................. 860-945-7721
CLASS DEANS
Lowermids
Bob Campbell ....................................................................................................... 860-945-7745
Caitlin Hincker ..................................................................................................... 860-945-7914
Mids
Jillian Danaher ....................................................................................................860-945-7931
Phillip Koshi ......................................................................................................... 860-945-7819
Uppermids
Lisa Parente ..........................................................................................................860-945-7920
Ozzie Parente ...................................................................................................... 860-945-7838
Seniors
Jack Kenerson .....................................................................................................860-945-7734
Susan McCabe ...................................................................................................... 860-945-7869
Student Handbook 2018–19
61
Map Key
ACADEMIC FACILITIES
3 Woolworth Faculty Room
4 Pinto Family Language Lab
9 Arts and Humanities Center
9 Digital Design Computer Lab
10 STEM Lab
12
Mortara Family Academic Wing
16 Moorhead Academic Center
20 Lady Ivy Kwok Wu Science
and Mathematics Center
20 Wu Computer Lab
21 Laube Auditorium
22 Hulbert Taft Jr. Library
23 Nancy and Ben Belcher
Learning Center
ARTS FACILITIES
4 Choral Room
5 Bingham Auditorium
7 Pailey Dance Studio
9 Electronic Music Studio
9 Photography Dark Rooms
9 Music Practice Rooms
9 Woodward Black Box Theater
9 Gail Wynne Studio
10 Mark W. Potter ’48 Art Gallery
14 Tremaine Art Studio
> Walker Hall
ATHLETIC FACILITIES
29 McCullough Athletic Center
30 Mays Rink
31 Logan Field House
32 Paul and Edith Cruikshank
Athletic Center
33 Odden Hockey Arena
34 Donaldson Family Pavilion
35 Snyder Field
36 Rockefeller Field
37 William Weaver Track
38 Parents’ Association
Field House
39 Georey C. Camp ’91 Field
40 Katie Jackson Morrison ’92
Soccer Field
41 Lawrence H. Stone Baseball
Pavilion at Rockwell Field
42 Softball Field
A Athletics Fields
GC Golf Course
RESIDENTIAL HALLS
2 Horace D. Taft Hall
4 Charles Phelps Taft Hall
6 John L. Vogelstein ’52
Dormitory
15 Cruikshank House
18 Congdon House
25 McIntosh House
26 Upper School Girls Dormitory
27 Centennial Dormitory
DINING FACILITIES
8 Oscarson Jigger Shop
13 Moorhead Wing
East Dining Hall
Laube Dining Hall
Prentice Dining Hall
SPIRITUAL
5 Bingham Auditorium
> Walker Hall
> Woodward Chapel
STUDENT UNION
8 Oscarson Jigger Shop & Patio
OTHER
1 Main Entrance
4 School Store
11 Potter’s Pond
19 Martin Health Center
24 Centennial Quadrangle
28 Wade House
P Parking
AD Admissions
FACILITIES ON “THE
GREEN”
> Alumni Development Oce
25 The Green
> Woodward Chapel
25 The Green
> Business Oce
39 The Green
> Walker Hall
50 DeForest Street
Student Handbook 2018–19
63
Index
Absences ........................................... 10, 29, 32
Academic Credit ..............................................8
Academic Honesty ...................................5, 7–8
Academic Schedule ............... inside front cover
Advisors .....................................................4, 47
Afternoon Program ................................ 56–60
Alcohol and Drugs .................................. 13–14
Assembly ........................................................31
Athletic Trainers ...........................................45
Athletic Training Rules .................................60
Bank ...............................................................53
Birthday Cakes ..............................................52
Breakfast ........................................................ 50
Bus Schedules ......................................... 51–52
Calendar .........................................................65
Class Committees ..........................................54
Class Cut Response .......................................27
Clubs ..............................................................55
College Counseling ........................................ 47
College Days ..................................................24
Common Rooms ..................................... 42–43
Communications ...........................................29
Computer Use ......................................... 18–19
Conduct System ..................................... 25–26
Counseling Services ......................................45
Day Student Council .....................................55
Day Student Information ...................... 32–33
Debit Cards ....................................................53
Dining Hall Procedures .......................... 49–50
Disciplinary Response............................ 21–22
Dormitory Monitors .....................................35
Dormitory Regulations ................................. 34
Downtown Privilege ............................... 22–23
Dress and Appearance ...................................28
Educational Testing
and Accommodations ...............................48
Electronic Devices .........................................10
Examinations, Assesments,
Extended Time ......................................9–10
Excused Absences ....................................10, 29
Extracurriculars.............................................55
Fire: Hazards, Procedures,
Regulations.............................17, 30, 41–42
Fundamental Rules ................................ 13–19
Fund Raising..................................................30
Grading System ...............................................8
Harassment, Hazing and Bullying ......... 19–20
Health Services ........................................20, 44
Honor System ..............................................5–6
Independent Studies
Program (ISP) ............................... 30, 58, 59
Interdorm Visitation ........................ 17, 37–38
Interscholastic Athletics ........................ 59–60
Keys and Fobs ..........................................17, 52
Laundry and Linen ........................................52
Leaves of Absence .................................. 10–12
Library .................................................... 48–49
Lost and Found .............................................53
Map of Campus ...................................... 62–63
Meal Requirements and Schedule ......... 49–50
Medical Leaves ........................................11, 12
Moorhead Academic Center .................. 47–48
Motor Vehicles ..............................................16
Permissions ...................................... 17, 23–24
Plagiarism ....................................................6, 7
Post Oce .....................................................53
Rooms and Rooming .............................. 41–43
School Meetings ............................................31
School Monitors ............................................55
Senior Cuts ....................................................29
Senior Spring Term .......................................31
Sexual Intimacy ...................................... 14–15
Spiritual Life .................................................. 46
Stayover .........................................................26
Storage ...........................................................43
Store ............................................................... 53
Student Government ............................. 54–55
Study Hall ............................................... 38–40
Taft Writing Center ....................................... 48
Telephones ...............................................29, 53
Tobacco/Tobacco Products............................16
Train Schedules .............................................52
Transportation ....................................... 51–52
Vacations .......................................................24
Voluntary Use of Health Center ...................20
Weekends ................................................. 22, 23
Weekend Detention ......................................26
Who to Contact .............................................61
64
Taft School Calendar 2018–19
Check the Taft website for updates.
2018
Friday August 31 All preseason athletes arrive after 12:00 PM (by invitation only)
Sunday September 2 All monitors arrive for training
Tuesday September 4 International Students, Sponsors, & New Seniors arrive
Wednesday September 5 New and returning students arrive
Thursday September 6 Classes begin
Saturday September 8 ACT Tests
Monday September 24 Free Day
Saturday October 6 SAT Tests
Saturday October 6 Fall long weekend begins after last commitment
Tuesday October 9 Students return from long weekend at 7:30 PM
Wednesday October 17 PSAT Tests for middlers & upper middlers
Saturday October 20 Fall Parents’ Day
Sunday October 21 College program for parents of upper middlers
Thursday October 25 Community Service Day
Saturday October 27 ACT Tests
Saturday November 3 SAT Tests
Saturday November 10 Hotchkiss Day (all games played at Taft)
Saturday November 17 Thanksgiving vacation begins after last class
Monday November 26 Thanksgiving vacation ends at 7:30 PM
Thursday December 6 First semester examinations begin
Tuesday December 11 Exams end, Christmas service this evening
Wednesday December 12 Winter recess begins at noon
2019
Thursday January 3 Vacation ends at 7:30 PM
Friday January 4 Second semester begins
Monday January 21 Martin Luther King celebration
Friday February 1 Winter long weekend begins after last commitment
Tuesday February 5 Winter long weekend ends at 7:30 PM
Saturday February 9 ACT Tests
Saturday February 16 Winter Parents’ Day
Monday February 18 Free day—the formal will be Sunday night
Wednesday March 6 Spring vacation begins after last class
Monday March 25 Spring vacation ends at 7:30 PM
Tuesday March 26 Second semester continues
Wednesday April 10 Grandparents’ Day
Saturday April 13 ACT Tests
Monday April 22 Free Monday
Friday May 3 Spring long weekend begins after last commitment
Saturday May 4 SAT Tests
Monday May 6 Spring long weekend ends at 7:30 PM
Saturday May 11 Alumni Day
Sunday May 26 Graduation
Monday May 27 Second semester examinations begin
Wednesday May 29 Second semester examinations end at noon
Also, make note of the closed weekends which will be on the following dates:
September 8, September 15, October 13, November 10, December 1, December 8,
January 5, January 19, February 9, March 30, May 18, and May 25.
No weekends are closed for seniors in the spring.
Student Handbook 2018–19
65
THE TAFT SCHOOL
110 Woodbury Road
Watertown, CT 06795-2100
860-945-7700
deanofstudents@
taftschool.org
www.taftschool.org
