Upper School 2023-2024

• Springfield Union Station, Springfield, Massachusetts

• Bradley International Airport, Hartford, Connecticut

• Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts

*Families should contact the Dean of Residential Life to arrange pick up/drop off for students traveling as unaccompanied minors and provide the student's travel information. Arrangements for unaccompanied minors will only be made to the above transportation locations.

Transportation Signup Process

Students are required to sign up for transportation through the Deans Office. Shuttles from/to the Academy are scheduled utilizing travel forms that are submitted to the Deans Office on time. In addition, shuttles are planned to accommodate the most students in the fewest number of trips. It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians and students to notify the Deans Office of any changes in travel plans (i.e. canceled or missed flights,illness, etc.). Students who fail to notify the Deans Office of changes may face disciplinary consequences.

School provided transportation is not possible between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. and is not provided outside our vacation schedule. Parents/guardians and students are expected to set up their own arrangements at these times.

Transportation Permission & Schedule

Trips for athletics, academics or recreational activities are an integral part of the Academy’s program. All students are granted permission to ride with WMA faculty drivers or adult drivers authorized by the school. Students may not ride in vehicles driven by other students and may not take public transportation unless their parents/guardians have authorized permission with the school. If students have questions about their transportation authorization, they should contact the Deans Office.

Boarding students must always have permission from the Deans Office or a dorm parent in order to ride in any vehicle on or off campus. Boarding students are not allowed to sit in a day student’s car, even when the car is parked. Boarding students may ride with parents/ guardians of day students with permission from their parent/guardian and the Deans Office. To travel off campus, boarding students must also abide by the dorm sign out/in process.

VI. Day Student Life

A. Driving Permission

Students driving to and from school:

• Must purchase a $1 parking tag for their vehicle(s) during registration or when they wish to be granted the privilege of driving to school

• Must park in their assigned school parking lots on campus

• May drive only those vehicles that have been registered with the Deans Office

• May drive only to and from school and may not use their vehicles during the academic day unless given specific permission by the Dean of Students

• May only drive boarding students who have the necessary permission

• Must abide by all rules and laws of the road and drive respectfully and safely to, while on and from campus

Failure to abide by these rules may result in the loss of driving privileges, such as a parking space in Mattern and/or disciplinary action.

B. Lockers

Day students sign up for lockers during registration. Upper School lockers are located in Mattern. Students may purchase locks at the Campus Store. The Academy reserves the right to search a student’s locker, vehicle and person if deemed necessary. Students must empty their lockers by the last day of the academic year.

I. WMA Policy on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or Drones

Under specific circumstances, adult members of the WMA community may be permitted to use drones on campus. Current students who wish to fly a drone for a school-related project must adhere to the guidelines outlined below and have faculty supervision during flights.

To be permitted to fly a drone on the WMA campus, one must comply with the following rules and procedures:

• Drones are permitted for educational or recreational purposes

• Owners/operators must complete the WMA Use of Grounds for Drones Agreement (“Agreement”) and return to the Marketing & Communications Office

• Agreement must be approved and signed by a representative of the Marketing & Communications Department prior to operation

• Drones cannot be operated during any athletic contests or on athletic fields, over crowds or groups of people, or near dorm buildings or faculty housing

• Drones may only be operated from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Drones may not be operated in close proximity to any emergency response efforts (e.g. fire trucks, police, EMT, etc.)

• Owners/operators must keep the drone within their visual line-of-sight

• Drones must stay below 400 feet

• Owners/operators will not conduct surveillance or photograph persons in areas where there is an expectation of privacy

• Drones will not be used to secretly record conversations of others without permission

• Owners/operators must abide by all applicable state, local and federal laws

WMA reserves the right to revoke permission for the operation of any drone on its campus at the sole discretion of WMA.