Every year, Dana Hall students are required to sign an agreement stating that they have read the student handbook in its entirety. Let’s be honest, most students, myself included, sign the agreement without a second glance. For the first time, after six years of blindly signing the agreement, I sat down and read the handbook from cover to cover. For those who do not have the time to read the 74-page document, I have boiled down the most important information. Here is a compilation of the rules that I was unaware of: 

1. In the dorms, students are not allowed to make personal Wi-Fi hotspots. According to borders this rule goes unenforced, so most are unaware that this is even a rule. (page 8) 
2. You are not required to take more than two tests a day. If you have more than two, you are allowed to move a test to a different day. (page 14) 
3. Regular (1 credit, non-AP) courses are supposed to have only three hours of homework a week. (page 14)
4. Major assignments given before winter or spring break cannot be due until one week after you return. AP classes are exceptions to this rule and English courses can give reading assignments. (page 15)
5. Teachers cannot assign more than one night’s worth of homework over long weekends or Thanksgiving Break. (page 15)
6. On “Homework consideration” days, non-AP classes cannot have more than 15 minutes of homework. (page 15)
7. You must make a request for a homework, project, or assessment extension via email. (page 15)  
8. After returning from an excused absence, you have as many days you were out to make up the work you missed. (page 16)
9. You have three “call ins” per trimester. After you are late, you have until 8 am the next day to have a parent, guardian, or house director call Ms. White to excuse the absence. (page 21) 
10. If you are going to the Health Center, you must inform your teacher before you go or you will get a point. If you are going during passing time, you must let your next teacher know. (page 22)
11. If you miss a class without an excuse, you will get three points. If you miss a test during that unexcused absence, the test grade will fall one letter grade from what you scored. (page 23) 
12. If a student was involved in something that requires disciplinary action, she may be prohibited from running for a leadership position or removed from the one she occupies. (page 37)
13. If you attend a semester program that is not affiliated with the school, you may need to reapply to Dana. (page 41)

Overall, I would recommend reading the handbook if you have some free time. Although I did not find any huge loopholes or egregious rules, we do have many rights as students we should be aware of. The handbook can be found in Dana Connect in the resource section.