Policies & Conduct

Athletics exist primarily as an essential part of each student’s overall educational experience. As an educational process, athletics serve these purposes:

1. To teach and instruct students in the rules, fundamentals and skills of various individual and team sports, as well as to provide physical training.
2. To provide healthy competition and cooperation within and between schools, thus inculcating in each student the best principles of good sportsmanship.
3. To develop the other aspects of good sportsmanship which will best serve each student’s education.
4. To maintain the spirit of true amateur competition.

1. Treat other people as you wish them to fairly treat you.
2. Regard the rules of your game as an agreement, the spirit or letter of which you should not evade or break.
3. Treat officials and opponents with respect.
4. Accept absolutely and without quarrel the final decision of any official.
5. Honor visiting teams and spectators as your own guests and treat them accordingly. Likewise, behave as an honored guest when you visit another school.
6. Be gracious in victory and defeat. Learn to take defeat well and with class.
7. Be as cooperative as you are competitive.
8. Remember that your actions on and off the field reflect on you, your family and your school.

1. Spectators—whether students, faculty, parents, alumni or friends—bear important responsibilities to the school for the atmosphere and conduct of games, whether home or away.
2. Spectators should watch games from those areas defined by each school as spectator areas. They must not run up and down the sidelines, call to players, coaches or officials in an unsportsmanlike manner, go onto the field of play or deface property. Any action which detracts from the ability of coaches, players and officials to do their best is unacceptable and may cause the offending spectator to be excused from the athletic venue.
3. The use of alcohol and illegal drugs should not be associated with any athletic event.

1. Players shall at all times represent themselves and their schools with honor, proper conduct and good sportsmanship. They shall understand that competitive rivalries are encouraged, but that disrespect for opponents is unsportsmanlike and lessens the values of the rivalries. They shall confine the competitiveness of the game to the field, and in particular behave properly on the sidelines and in the locker rooms before and after games.
2. Players shall comply fully with the rulings of the officials. In no way, either by voice, action or gesture, shall they demonstrate their

A player who is ejected from an interscholastic game for “unsportsmanlike conduct” or other flagrant behavior will forfeit their eligibility to play in the next regularly scheduled interscholastic or tournament game.

After considering the circumstances, Hebron may require a multiple game suspension.

Unexcused Absence 1
Warning conversation with advisor and Dean of Students.

Unexcused Absence 2
Conversation with advisor and Dean of Students. Friday Night Study Hall and no weekend trips.

Unexcused Absence 3
Conversation with advisor and Dean of Students. Friday Night Study Hall and no weekend trips.

Unexcused Absence 4
Student has an Attendance Meeting with the Dean of Students, advisor, and Dean of Academics. The Dean of Students will notify student and parent(s) explaining escalating consequences if further absences occur. Friday Night Study Hall and weekend restrictions.

Unexcused Absence 5
Student will meet with the Dean of Students and advisor. Friday Night Study Hall and weekend restrictions. The student will also have Wednesday Afternoon Work Detail. Dean of Students or advisor will notify student and parent(s).

Unexcused Absence 6
Student will have a meeting with the Attendance Board and will likely be placed on Attendance Probation. Students placed on Attendance Probation will have an additional meeting with the Dean of Students and parent(s) highlighting the terms of probation and action plans moving forward.

The Dean of Students will make the final determination of whether or not an absence is or shall be excused. Parents of day students should report absences due to illness to the Dean of Students before their first obligation while boarding students must report to the Health Center prior to their first school obligation.

If a student knows in advance that he or she will miss class, the student must get initial permission from the Dean of Students. Students seeking approval for an excused absence must:

• obtain planned class absence form from the Dean of Students;
• get permission from teachers by asking them to sign a planned class absence form (if not an illness, emergency, or school-sponsored event);
• turn in the planned class absence form to the Dean of Students for final permission 24 hours before departure;
• take responsibility for all work and class material missed;
• complete missed assignments and assessments within the time period allowed by each teacher (teachers will communicate these due dates to advisors for follow-up with students).

Excessive absence, excused or unexcused, may result in a Disciplinary Committee hearing and/or loss of credit for the year as determined by the Academic Affairs Committee. The committee may also determine that it is inappropriate for the student to continue at Hebron. Excessive absence is generally defined as 10% of the seat time for a class, or around 15 class meetings.

During the school day, day students are not permitted to leave campus without the permission of the Dean of Students or the Administrator on Duty (AOD). Day students may leave school when their final commitment of the day is completed.

Boarding students are not allowed to leave campus without the permission of the Administrator on Duty (AOD).

A student may be granted special permission to be away from school outside school vacations only if they have gone through the absence request process found under “Excused Absences”. This request process must be completed before arranging any required transportation. Teachers are not required to meet with the student for extra help in cases of absence due to vacation time. Tests and quizzes missed are to be made up at the convenience of the teacher. Students must be wholly responsible for their own work and not expect special consideration from their teachers to make up for topics or assignments missed for special absences.

The school encourages students to schedule medical appointments and college interviews during vacation time.

Seniors and postgraduates will be allotted a maximum of five (5) school days to be off-campus to explore post-Hebron plans. These days may be used for college visits, revisit days, athletic tryouts, etc. They are not to be used to extend vacations, nor are students required to use them. For all such visits, students must complete the aforementioned planned absence request process. Furthermore, the college counselors must confirm and approve any college-related visits, and details pertaining to each visit must be provided. Our goal is for students to minimize missed class time to maintain good academic standing even while pursuing post-Hebron plans. Students who take advantage of this policy will incur excused absences up to the five-day limit. After that, any absences will be unexcused. Students are not permitted to use the day before or after a scheduled break.

Except in extraordinary circumstances, the school expects students and parents to adhere to the vacation dates published in the yearly calendar. Arrangements which deviate from the published dates and times must be approved, well in advance, by the Dean of Students.

Hats

• Must be respectfully removed when entering any building.

Pants

• Allowed: slacks, corduroys, khakis/ chinos, capris, Bermuda shorts.
• No denim pants or shorts.
• No leggings, sweatpants, athletic wear, baggy shorts or pajama bottoms.
• Shorts must have a 5” inseam or longer.
• Belts must be worn if trousers or shorts have belt loops.

Shirts

• Allowed: blouses, collared shirts, and sweaters.
• No sweatshirts- including “hoodies” and zip-up hooded sweatshirts.
• No tee-shirts of any kind.
• No low-cut plunging necklines.
• No bare midriffs.
• Button-down shirts and unfitted golf shirts must be buttoned and tucked.
• Sleeveless shirts must be work with a blouse or sweater.

Shoes

• Clean footwear is required.

Skirts and Dresses

• Must be beyond fingertip length.
• Sleeveless dresses must be work with a blouse or sweater.
• No denim skirts.
• Belts must be worn if skirts have belt loops.

• School dress is required in the dining hall during the school day, including free periods.
• Students are expected to change after practice before dinner. Clothing worn at practice is not permitted in the dining hall.
• Sleeves and shoes are required in the dining hall at all times.

Note: students who are not in school dress due to illness should not be eating in the Dining Hall.

• Outside academic hours (after 3:15 p.m. and on the weekends) attire is more relaxed.
• Apparel with inappropriate slogans is never permitted.

There are special occasions throughout the year that require students to look their best. On such occasion, students have several options:

Option 1: Dress slacks, blouse or dress shirt, tie, blazer, and dress shoes.
Option 2: Dressy skirt, blouse or dress shirt, and dress shoes.
Option 3: Dress and dress shoes.

Skirts and dresses of tee-shirt material, flip-flops, casual shoes, shorts and hat are not permitted on dress-up days.

Boarding students may not have cars on campus or in the local area. If unique circumstances arise, a student may be granted permission from the Dean of Students or Director of the Upper School. This privilege is applicable to students in good academic and community standing only. Specific guidelines and expectations will apply.

We recognize that some of our day students will provide their own transportation to and from school.

All day students will receive specific guidelines for appropriate car use. Hebron allows day students the privilege of having cars on campus. However, any violation of the following guidelines may result in revocation of this privilege, for a period of time determined by the Dean of Students or Director of the Upper School.

1. Cars must be parked in the Williams Center parking lot.
2. Once the cars are parked, they are not to be moved until the student decides to return home. Driving between the school buildings, the dormitories, the playing fields, the gym or into town for any reason is not permitted.
3. Under no circumstances are any students, boarding or day, allowed to be transported in any car unless specific arrangements have been made by the student’s parents and the Dean of Students or the AOD.
4. Reckless and dangerous driving on campus will void the privilege of driving to school.
5. Students may not drive themselves to off-campus Hebron events, even if convenient for them to.

Once again, we remind you that driving is a privilege and this privilege may be revoked due to any violation of the rules.

Disciplinary responses include, but are not limited to: 

• work detail
• probation
• suspension
• dismissal

While there are not fixed sanctions linked to individual infractions of school rules, specific disciplinary guidelines are consistently followed. Usually, no single violation of rules necessarily results in expulsion from school.

However, some offenses may result in a recommendation for immediate dismissal. Such infractions include, but are not limited to:

• using, distributing, and/ or possessing drugs and alcohol;
• stealing;
• cheating or lying;
• taking physical or emotional advantage of another;
• abuse based on racial, religious or ethnic background;
• abuse based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or the preception of the above;
• violence.

1. Seek adult assistance.
2. Let the offending person or people know you want the behavior to stop. Say NO firmly! Look directly at the person with a straight face to give a clear message about how you feel. Do not apologize.
3. Keep a record of when, where and how you have been mistreated. Include witnesses, direct quotes, actions, evidence and any written communication.
4. If you do not feel comfortable confronting the person alone, take a friend along or write a letter.
5. Promptly contact someone at school about the situation: advisor, faculty member, administrator, supervisor or Health Center staff.

A response from the school to the situation may be made in consultation with the person making the complaint. One or both parties involved may be asked to leave campus until an investigation is completed or a conflict is resolved. Each person at Hebron Academy has the right to participate fully in the life of the school without harassment.

Hebron Academy expects individuals in its community to be responsible users of technology and the internet. Some of the material on the internet may be inaccurate, objectionable, sexually explicit, criminal, and unethical. Students must be vigilant in their choice of sites to consider opening, and efficient in their exit of inappropriate sites. Students shall not access material that is profane or obscene, that advocates or condones the commissions of unlawful acts or that advocates or condones violence or discrimination towards other people.

Viewing, printing, downloading or sending objectionable material and unethical or illegal online behavior will be cause for disciplinary action. Please be aware that this includes any behavior, on-campus or off, that has the potential to damage the school’s reputation or is contrary to its mission.

It is important to be aware of copyrights and avoid plagiarism. Downloading computer software, music, movies or any other copyrighted material is illegal. It is your responsibility to determine if the material is copyrighted. The fact that it is available for download does not make it legal to do so.

Communication on the internet reflects on the Academy. Use a tone that is appropriate in an educational setting. Do not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, threatening or inflammatory language. Do not make personal attacks or discriminatory statements or defame a person or organization.

Your personal safety and that of others are matters of concern to the school. There are organizations and individuals on the internet who might take advantage of you personally or financially. Do not reveal personal information about yourself or others.

Any attempt to access any part of the school network that you have not been given explicit permission to access is a violation of the Acceptable Use Policy. Respect other users’ work; do not destroy or alter anyone else’s data. Do not attempt to enter other computer systems and disrupt their functioning capacity or seek classified or private information from them.

School lab computers are an educational resource. Students working on a school project have precedence over those using the devices for personal interest. Supervising faculty may set time limits on computer use if there are people waiting for a turn. Participating in online games is not allowed on lab computers.

All electronic mail, records, files, documents and other objects stored on Hebron’s computer system are the exclusive property of Hebron Academy. Any such data may be discoverable in litigation. Therefore, Hebron reserves the right to inspect and/or monitor such data at any time.

All users of our computer systems, including the wireless network, internet and electronic mail systems, should understand that there is no reasonable expectation or personal right of privacy regarding the location, nature or content of any files, messages or data stored there. All users are deemed to have consented to inspection and/ or monitoring of all such data on Hebron’s computer systems.

All users should also be aware that by bringing a computer to school, they are consenting to inspection of that computer, regardless of whether that computer is used on the school network. Inspections and/or monitoring will be at the discretion of the Head of School and the Director of the Upper School.

Students shall not use the internet for dissemination or publication of any material which jeopardizes the good name of the school, which is detrimental to the common good, or which is harmful or offensive to members of the school community. This includes the posting of inappropriate material on any blog, chat room or website. Such behavior may result in disciplinary action. Users should understand that their electronic correspondence, including the propriety of language and content, will be treated as the legal equivalent of publicly spoken or written words.

The school provides education to students about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response. This and CIPA Policy is included in this discussion during our opening school orientation schedule. Technology measures are in place and are used for monitoring all internet access through Hebron’s computer systems.

Students should fly into the Portland Jetport (PWM) or Boston Logan (BOS).

At the opening of school, students traveling alone can be met in Portland if arrangements have been made through the Transportation Coordinator.

It is the Academy’s expectation that students will depart for long weekends, winter break and spring break only after their last commitment on that day. Travel arrangements should not interfere with the class day. Missed classes will be considered unexcused.

The school will provide bus transportation at the beginning and end of vacations at the most common intervals to accommodate travel times.

• Departures: to the Portland International Jetport and Concord Trailways on the day the vacation begins as well as an early departure the next morning.
• Returning: students should arrive at the Portland International Jetport and Concord Trailways.

Students will be charged for transportation to or from Lewiston/ Auburn and Portland.

If a student’s needs do not coincide with the departure and arrival times provided, they will need to arrange for their own transportation to or from school via taxi.

If Hebron must provide transportation outside of scheduled times, there will be an additional fee. To make special arrangements for transportation, please call or e-mail the Transportation Coordinator well in advance (207-966-5277 or travel@ hebronacademy.org).

Specific transportation times and fees will be noted to students well in advance of vacation dates.

There are weekends during the year when boarding students will not be allowed to sign out. Closed weekends relate to special campus events, and proximity to exam days, vacations, Commencement weekend, and Opening and Closing Convocation.

During long weekends, students have the opportunity to leave campus and to go home or to an approved host residence. If need be, students may also remain on campus in the dormitories.

If leaving campus for these weekends, students are not permitted to stay in hotels without adult supervision, nor are they permitted to stay in college dormitories.