Our code of conduct has been crafted to be reflective of our community. Various members of our school community were invited to participate in its conception and/or were informed of the changes. Our code clearly represents key principles, beliefs and values we aim to achieve.

 

Scott Creek Middle School Code of Conduct

Scott Creek Mission Statement

To establish a nurturing, caring community providing opportunities

that develop lifelong learners and responsible citizens for tomorrow.

I. Introduction

This Code of Conduct is a result of collaboration between the parents, students and

staff of the Scott Creek Middle School Community and is designed to reflect and

clearly communicate what we, as a school community, value and expect in terms of

student behaviour.

It should be noted that we believe that the primary responsibility for the development

of character, morals and strong values rests with the parent and the family. The

school acts as a support system for reinforcing positive behaviour that is taught,

reinforced and expected by parents and guardians at home. That being said, the

only way that we, as a school community, can help our students reach their full

potential, is to work together as a team. Decisions will be made by school

personnel, in consultation with parents, based on the content of this document,

which reflects what our school community values and believes in.

II. Code of Conduct: Key Elements

1) Process

The Scott Creek School Planning Council coordinated a process of gathering input

from our students, parents and staff. Students gave input through their core classes.

Staff members were given the opportunity to view the draft copy, provide feedback

and recommendations, and participate in discussions. Parents were given access to

the draft document and were given an opportunity to provide written or verbal

feedback. The result is a code of conduct that represents the values and beliefs of

our school community.

2) Communication

The school will take the following steps to communicate expectations to students

and the greater school community:

· Expectations regarding behavioural conduct will be included in the student

agenda which each student in our school receives in early September and is

expected to use each day;

· Parents will be asked to read this section of the agenda and sign their name

indicating this;

· Expectations will be clearly stated through Community discussion and

Community Assemblies with the school administration in the first weeks of

school;

· Each classroom teacher will review school-wide and classroom expectations

with their class at the beginning of September;

· The school code of conduct will be posted on the school website;

· School-wide behaviour expectations (Safety, Ownership/responsibility,

Attitude/positive, Respect (S.O.A.R.)) will be updated in September 2010 and

posted in all locations around the school;

· Reminders will be given to individuals, teams or the whole school as deemed

necessary throughout the school year;

· Copies of the codes of conduct will be made available to all part time

employees (including cooks, cashiers and noon hour supervisors);

· The codes of conduct will be provided to employees of the board who are

assigned to a school during the school year when they are so assigned;

· The codes of conduct will be provided to students who start attending the

school during the school year and to their parents when the students start

attending the school.

3) Implementation

· Each student will receive direct instruction from our staff on our school’s code

of conduct during the first week of school through our “Foundations Week”

activities. These lessons are collaboratively developed by staff prior to the

first week of school.

· Scott Creek Middle School will continue to use the Effective Behaviour

Support program by utilizing the S.O.A.R. Matrix to outline school-wide

expectations, these expectations will be updated in September 2010 and are

understood by all persons in the building and regularly modeled by adults.

· Student will be recognized and rewarded for positive behaviour through our

positive recognition system (Coyote Cash). Students can trade in tickets for

small incentives through the Coyote Den Store.

· Our extra-curricular program, based completely on voluntary contribution on

the part of staff and parent volunteers, is designed to engage student in

positive activities, enhancing their school experience and giving them

additional opportunities to learn about the concepts outlined on the S.O.A.R.

Matrix.

· Both the P.A.C. and the S.P.C. are involved in discussions around the

implementation of the code of conduct at Scott Creek through their regular

meetings.

· One teacher oversees the “Socially Responsibility” portfolio and implements

initiative based on the District Social Responsibility Design Team and our

Codes of Conduct throughout the school year.

· Through the Coyote Crew leadership program students are actively involved

in Social Responsibility initiative based on our Codes of Conduct.

4) Monitoring and Review

· Our school uses a system of office referral forms, which allow us to track the

number and type of behaviour incidents. These incidents are tracked on a

monthly and yearly basis.

· Our school has a Safety and Belonging Committee which meets regularly to

identify issues and set direction for initiatives relating to Student Safety,

Belonging and Social Justice.

5) Alignment

· Administration from our family of schools met to compare our respective

codes of conduct and school-wide discipline systems. Although it is

recognized that there is a need for some school-wide autonomy, schools are

attempting to strive for continuity in terms of language used with student

regarding safety and belonging.

· Our Codes of Conduct are aligned with District policies, administrative

procedures and the BC Human Rights Code.

6) Standards

A. Statement of Purpose

Scott Creek Middle School promotes the values expressed in the BC Human

Rights Code respecting the rights of all individuals in accordance with the lawprohibiting

discrimination based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion,

marital status, physical or mental disability, sex or sexual orientation – in respect of

discriminatory publication and discrimination in accommodation, service and facility

in the school environment.

Guiding Principles

· We recognize that Middle school provides for transition into adolescence.

· We believe that as teachers and parents of Scott Creek community we have a

responsibility to teach our children what is acceptable conduct and

unacceptable conduct.

· We believe in an effective behaviour support model that reinforces positive

behaviour and provides for progressive discipline.

· A vital key to effective behaviour support is the involvement of parents.

· The school staff teaches and models the behaviour we expect from our

students.

· The classroom teachers working with parents are the most appropriate

people to address the majority of discipline issues in Middle School.

· Consequences for unacceptable behaviour should be as timely and as natural

as possible, and they should be progressive.

B. Conduct Expectations

Principles For Acceptable Conduct

· All members of the school community are to be treated with respect.

· Members of the school community have a responsibility to maintain an

environment where conflict and differences can be addressed in a respectful

and responsible manner.

· The school is a learning community, which means responsible citizenship

involves appropriate participation in the civic life of the school community.

· All individuals at Scott Creek – students, teachers, parents or guardians,

volunteers and other staff members are included in this code of conduct

whether they are on school property, on school buses, or at school authorized

events or activities.

· Student shall not discriminate against others on the basis of the race, religion,

sex or sexual orientation, or disability, or for any other reason set out in the

Human Rights Code of British Columbia, nor shall a student publish or display

anything that would indicate an intention to discriminate against another, or

expose them to contempt or ridicule, on the basis of any such grounds.

· Students may be subject to discipline under the school and/or District Code of

Conduct for any conduct which has the effect of negatively impacting the

school environment, whether that conduct occurs on or off School District

property, at a school sponsored function or activity, or otherwise.

Respect and Responsible Citizenship

We expect all school members to:

· Respect and comply with all applicable federal, provincial, and municipal

laws;

· Show proper care and regard for school property and the property of others;

· Respect differences in people, their ideas and opinions;

· Respect and treat others fairly regardless of their race, ancestry, place of

origin, citizenship, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability;

· Respect the needs of others to work in a learning and teaching environment;

· Respect the authority of school staff and other people in positions of

responsibility at school and in the community.

· Demonstrate honesty and integrity;

· Respect and follow specific school and classroom rules and policies.

Acceptable Conduct

Students of Scott Creek have a responsibility to conduct themselves in an

appropriate manner at all times while at school, in our school community, while

going to and from school, and while attending any school function at any location.

Acceptable conduct includes but is not limited to:

· Engaging in purposeful learning activities in a timely manner;

· Respecting self, others, and school;

· Helping make Scott Creek safe, caring and orderly;

· Acting in a manner that brings credit to themselves or the school;

· Informing an adult in a timely manner of incidents of bullying, harassment, or

intimidation;

· Showing care, understanding or compassion for members of the school or

community that are less privileged;

· Helping other students to learn.

Unacceptable Conduct

Students have a responsibility to respect the rights and dignity of others and to

become actively and productively involved in their own learning and social

growth.

Unacceptable behaviour listed is counter to this belief.

Behaviours that:

· Interfere with the learning of others

· Interfere with an orderly environment

· Create unsafe conditions

Acts of:

· Bullying*, harassment or intimidation

· Physical violence

· Verbal abuse

· Retribution against a person who has reported an incident

Illegal acts such as:

· Possession, use, or distribution of illegal substances, including drugs and

alcohol, and related paraphenalia

· Possession or use of weapons

· Extortion

· Theft

*Bullying includes but is not limited to physical or verbal intimidation, verbal harassment

and cyber-bullying, occurring on or off school property (District Policy 17)

Personal Safety

Everyone at Scott Creek has the right to feel safe at all times. The following are

examples of very serious unacceptable threats to personal and community

safety.

Weapons

All school members must NOT:

· Be in possession of any weapons including but not limited to firearms;

· Use any object to threaten or intimidate another person;

· Cause injury to any person with an object.

Alcohol and Drugs

All school members must NOT:

· Be in possession of or under the influence of, or provide others with alcohol or

illegal drugs;

· Try to sell drugs or alcohol.

Physical Aggression

All school members must NOT:

· Inflict or encourage others to inflict bodily harm on another person

· Fight or promote fighting;

· Threaten, harass, intimidate or assault in any way, any person within the

school community.

Cyberspace Misconduct

All school members must:

· Be aware of and familiar with the District acceptable use policy while using

school technology;

· Students should be aware that they may be subject to discipline for on or off

campus misuse of technology if it negatively impacts on the school

environment.

Rising Expectations

Scott Creek recognizes that as a transition from elementary to high school

expectations of student behaviour must be appropriate to both the grade level

and psychological development of the student.

As students move progressively through the grades, we have rising expectations

of conduct.

· Learning and discerning about acceptable and unacceptable behaviour;

· Increasing levels of personal responsibility and self discipline;

· Increasing consequences for unacceptable behaviour;

· Increasing support for students when necessary by utilizing parental

involvement along with teacher, community teachers, students services,

counseling, and district behaviour support.

C. CONSEQUENCES

Utilizing progressive discipline, the severity and frequency, as well as the age

and maturity of students is considered in determining appropriate disciplinary

action. For example:

· Responses to unacceptable conduct are preplanned, consistent, and fair,

taking into account a student’s age, and maturity;

· Special considerations may apply to the imposition of consequences on a

student with special needs if the student is unable to comply with this Code of

Conduct due to a disability of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional or

behavioural nature.

· Students and parents, as often as possible, are encouraged to participate in the

development of meaningful consequences for violations of established code of

conduct.

· Students have an opportunity to learn from their consequences;

· Disciplinary action, whenever possible, is preventative, educational, and

restorative, rather than merely punitive.

· All reasonable steps will be taken to prevent retaliation by a person against a

student who has made a complaint of a breach of a code of conduct.

Immediate Suspension

Severe cases of unacceptable behaviour may warrant immediate suspension and

or police involvement as indicated by police/school protocol. These may include

the following:

· Severe breaches of conduct that threaten the safety of others or the possession

or use of weapons, potentially dangerous articles, alcohol, or illegal drugs;

· Welfare of students and staff;

· Robbery;

· Sexual assault;

· Acts of extreme vandalism, causing damage to school property or property

located on school premises.

D. NOTIFICATION

We believe that timely and ongoing communication between teachers, students,

parents, and administration is essential when addressing student behaviour.

· We expect that parents are notified as deemed necessary, at any level,

concerning behavioural intervention or discipline whether it be by teacher,

counselor, school based team, or administration.

· Parents are communicated to in regards to unacceptable behaviour and

violations of the code of conduct in a timely manor;

· Parents are provided an opportunity to develop appropriate consequences and

behaviour plans for their child;

· As professional educators we are sensitive to personal information and we

share communications in a professional manner with parents, students, and

other professionals as deemed necessary;

· Parents, along with district officials, are notified immediately of District or school

level suspensions.