BUILDING DISCIPLINE – Per Board Policy 7:130/7:130-AP: Students are expected to be responsible for their own actions in spite of the actions of others. Students are responsible for behaving in a safe manner and promoting a safe environment in their school. Students will respect the rights, needs and property of others. All federal and state laws regarding student conduct will be applied. Other district policies referring to and/or relating to student behavior will also be applied.
District-wide expectations are that students will:
- act in a way that is safe and healthy for themselves and others;
- treat school property and the property of others with respect;
- respect the rights and needs of others;
- take responsibility for their own learning; and
- be respectful of the learning environment and not behave in a disruptive manner.
Within the first few weeks of school, each school and classroom work as a learning community to develop specific behavioral guidelines that encompass District-wide expectations. The rights and responsibilities of students and staff are written, taught, reviewed and communicated to parents. These are consistent with Board policies and philosophy. A positive approach to discipline is utilized. The goal of discipline is to provide a productive learning experience for every student.
- Staff members should view their own behavior as a positive model for students.
- Teachers/staff should try to resolve issues at the classroom level before referring children to administrators.
- Positive and respectful attitudes must be modeled and the dignity of the student must always be maintained.
- Students have the right to expect and receive praise, recognition and honest communication.
- Students need an opportunity to express their perspective and understand why they are being disciplined.
- Academic and behavioral expectations must be clear and individual differences should be considered. Follow-up must be timely.
- Consequences should be timely, natural and logical. Due process must be part of the resolution.
When an issue arises with a student, problem solving that involves the student, or the student and the parent/guardian, should be utilized.
- Promote student’s understanding of misbehavior. This will include presenting the point of view of others involved as well as discussing the student’s perception of the situation. The goal is to maintain students’ dignity while assisting them in acknowledging their behavior/misconduct.
- Ask the student if the behavior violates a rule or right, and guide the student toward evaluation about the behavior. Assist the student in understanding why the behavior is inappropriate/unacceptable as well as determine the effect and consequence of the behavior.
- Assist the student in making a plan and a commitment to change the behavior by exploring alternatives. Determine, with students when possible, an appropriate consequence for the behavior.
The above steps are advocated before more restrictive disciplinary practices are utilized. Suspension, whether in-school or out-of-school may be appropriate when less restrictive measures have not worked or the student has put himself or others in physical danger. In-school suspensions are utilized to teach or re-teach appropriate behaviors and support academic needs. Whenever a suspension occurs, either in-school or out-of-school, we will activate a team process to work with the student and parent/guardian to develop a plan to learn appropriate self-discipline measures.
Bullying, hazing and/or intimidation of others will not be tolerated. Parents/guardians will be notified if their student is involved in trying to assert physical or psychological power over, or is cruel to another student. Peer mediation, counseling, and other interventions will be implemented to discourage bully behaviors. “Bullying” is defined to mean any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student. “Hazing” is defined to mean requiring the performance of any act by a student or other person in a school for the purpose of the induction or admission into any group, organization or society associated or connected with that school. Bullying and hazing have or can be predicted to:
- place the student or students in reasonable fear of harm;
- cause a substantially detrimental effect on the student or student’s physical or mental health;
- substantially interfere with the student or student’s academic performance; and/or
- substantially interfere with the student or student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or privileges provided by a school.
Violence Prevention and conflict education for grades early childhood through eighth (8th) will include the instruction in the following:
- the consequences of violent behavior;
- the causes of violent reactions to conflict;
- non-violent conflict resolution techniques; and
- the relationship between drugs, alcohol and violence.
Students are required to practice self-discipline and accept responsibility for their behavior. Behavior that is disruptive to the education process and infringes upon the rights of others will not be tolerated. Students displaying significantly inappropriate behavior will receive an office discipline referral. Parents will be notified by the school administrator following an office discipline referral.
OFFICE DISCIPLINE REFERRAL FORM (ODR) – Unfortunately, even with teaching our expectations and offering pre-corrections, some students will still demonstrate inappropriate behavior. Statistics show that this is a small percentage of a school’s population, less than 20%. For those instances, there is an Office Discipline Referral Form. The form will help teachers be more consistent not only with enforcing our Spartan Standards, but also in taking corrective action when students have demonstrated a misunderstanding of our expectations. We will also use this document and data to track where our students could benefit from re-teaching and reminders of the Spartan Standards. Examples of student actions that would result in an office referral would include: fighting, insubordination, serious verbal abuse or use of profanity or obscenity, acts that jeopardize the health, safety, and welfare of another, repeated and willful behavior that constitutes disregard for the rules and regulations of the school, and chronic behaviors involving tardies, absences, classroom disruptions, inappropriate language.
- Speak to your child about his/her behavior. (Please remember that your child may or may not tell you the entire story)
- If you continue to have concerns after speaking with your child we ask that you contact the staff member who issued the consequence.
Our goal is to teach students positive behaviors, so that all students can work in a school environment that is safe, fun, free from distraction, and allows all students to reach their maximum learning potential.