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Parents Guide to Tabor


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How are students assigned advisors?

Advisors are limited to small groups, no more than eight students to insure individual attention for each student. Incoming students are assigned an advisor by the Dean's Office with the help of Admissions and a Parent Statement that is submitted to match up interests and personalities. Usually, the advisor will have your child in class, in the dormitory, or as a coach. In the spring of each year, all students are invited to express an advisor preference for the following year. While most students choose to continue with the same advisor, some decide to make a change, and we honor their preferences as far as space in the requested advisor’s group allows.

How is student housing assigned?

In the spring, the Dean's Office holds a housing lottery in which students draw into dorms of their choice, according to seniority and space available. We reserve spaces in the lottery for incoming students and assign them in consultation with the Admissions Office, working to place entering students in a place that will be good for them. Our entering students, with some exceptions, are housed in doubles, as having a roommate helps speed the adjustment and integration into a new community.

What can one do if unhappy about a dorm assignment?

As a general rule, changing roommates is a last resort after other avenues are exhausted (i.e., sitting down and mediating with students). Very few roommate switches are made in a given year because the school feels that learning to live with someone else, even someone quite different, is key to the educational experience.

What are riding permissions?

All Tabor students, whether boarding or day, are required to have parent-approved riding permissions on file in the Dean’s Office that outline with whom the student may ride while under Tabor jurisdiction. Houseparents will grant permission for students to ride in cars in accordance with these outlined instructions. If a parent does not grant certain riding permissions,the student will not be allowed to ride in a car unless the parent contacts the school to give consent.

What is the process for boarders who wish to ride in a car?

Boarders wishing to ride in a vehicle with an approved day student or other approved driver must contact a houseparent or a dean and secure permission for departure each time. There are NO situations whereby riding permission can be “understood” or “assumed.” When a boarding student’s own parent wishes to transport his/her child in a vehicle, a houseparent or dean must still be contacted for riding “permission" so that someone officially knows about the student’s departure from campus.

What is driving permission?

Driving permission is normally granted only to day students who have the appropriate documentation on file from their parents. Failure to abide by Tabor’s driving regulations will result in loss of automobile privileges to and from campus. Tabor expects that newly licensed drivers will abide by the law of the Commonwealth that prohibits an individual from driving passengers under the age of eighteen in the first six months after receiving a “junior operating license.” The list of approved drivers is generated in September and updated once in January. Students may not be added to the approved driving list at any other time.

What are the steps of the weekend sign-out process?

All boarders, in all circumstances, MUST submit through a computer program a completed weekend sign-out form by the end of the day on the Wednesday prior to the intended weekend. (It is important that parents are aware of this deadline so as not to make last minute requests to their child.)

A parent must call the Dean’s Office by noon on the Friday prior to the intended weekend and verify that his/her child intends to come home.

For visits to places other than home:

• An adult host, who will assume responsibility for a student’s safety and well-being, must call before noon on the Friday of the intended weekend. Hosts should understand that the school expects adult presence throughout the stay of a boarding student in their home.

• An additional phone call from a parent is required unless the host is pre-approved through the overnight permission form.

Permission to leave campus overnight begins after the student’s LAST school commitment of the week. Obligations on campus, such as an athletic commitment or Saturday Night Study Hall, must be fulfilled or excused before a student leaves for a weekend.

What are the steps for weekday overnight permissions?

The sign-out procedure for weeknights is identical. This includes any type of overnight permission, e.g. seniors making college trips through the College Counseling Office must also complete this process. NOTE: A parent’s call only verifies, but does not substitute for, the student’s completed computer sign-out.

All that is required is my phone call by the appropriate time, right?

For all “open weekends”, taking a weekend is an earned privilege, not a right. A teacher, advisor, coach or the dean may deny a weekend if a student is not fulfilling an obligation in some area of school life. Being assigned to work detail or abuse of weekend privileges are examples of two reasons why a weekend sign-out would be denied.

What should I do if my child’s sign-out plans change after 4:00 p.m. on Friday?

If your child has any change in overnight plans, e.g. destination, travel arrangements, or return time, a parent must call the Duty Dean (after 4:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday night check-in time) with this information. The Duty Dean is reached by calling the cell phone number 508-353-1307. This number is only operable from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. Leaving permission on any other voicemail extension will result in the message not being received until after the weekend.

Where do I find the official policy, or get more information?

“Life at Tabor” details the policy. It is helpful to read the policy before the start of school. The Dean of Students Office is also available to answer questions.