During Long Winter Weekend, some students on a school trip to Quebec consumed alcohol. Though the legal drinking age in Canada is 18 and some students were 18, all were expected to follow the stated drug and alcohol policies of abstinence. This group of otherwise exemplary students received disciplinary consequences upon their return.

Students are held to high standards, but sometimes, we will fall short. Clarifying and reiterating rules before and during the trip will benefit both the students and the faculty advisors of the trip. This clear communication about expectations and consequences has to be ongoing, not tucked away in an online handbook.

We hope the community remembers that students try hard to live up to Deerfield’s high expectations, but mistakes will be inevitable.

ES, AG, SW, GM, YN, EK, LW