Scott Creek Code of Conduct
CODE OF CONDUCT: KEY ELEMENTS
- Process
The Scott Creek School Planning Council coordinated a process of gathering input from our students, parents and staff. Students have given input through their core classes and community meetings called Super Blocks. Staff members are given the opportunity to view the document annually and, provide feedback and make recommendations to update the code of conduct. Through our P.A.C. parents are given access to the document are 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. This document is reviewed on an annual basis.
- 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 that they are aware of our code of conduct. Expectations will be clearly stated through Community discussion and School 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. Copies of the codes of conduct will be made available to all full and part time employees The code 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.
Our "CARE" model, based on the 5 Social Emotional Learning competencies, was developed with student involvement, in September 2014 and is posted in key locations around the school; (CARE for myself, CARE for others, CARE for the environment) The CARE poster clearly defines the expectations for our students. Reminders of expectations will be given to individuals, teams or the whole school as deemed necessary throughout the school year.
- Implementation
Each student will receive direct instruction from our staff on our model of "CARE" and our school's code of conduct during the first week of school through our "Foundations Week" activities. These lessons are developed by our SEL committee prior to the first week of school. 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 in our "CARE" model. Both the P.A.C. and the S.P.C. are involved in discussions around our model of "CARE" and the implementation of the code of conduct at Scott Creek through their regular meetings. Our SEL committee, chaired by a Staff leader, oversees the Action Plan for Learning Goal, working closely with the District's Safe and Connected Schools Team. Administration and Staff Leaders meet with students on a regular basis throughout the year to reinforce our model of Care" and the code of conduct.
- Monitoring and Review
Our school's SEL Committee will meet regularly to identify issues and set direction for initiatives relating to Social and Emotional Learning, Student Safety, and sense of belonging for our students.
Our administrators uses a Restorative Approach to discipline. Students are guided through a process of reflection focusing of respect, responsibility, relationship-building and relationship-repairing.
- Alignment
Administrators from our family of schools have 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 students regarding safety and belonging.
Our Codes of Conduct is aligned with District policies, administrative procedures and the BC Human Rights Code. Our code of conduct also aligned with our APL goal, in the area of a social emotional learning competency (i.e. self-management, self -awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision making).
- Standards
- to establish and maintain safe, caring and orderly environments for purposeful learning
- to establish and maintain appropriate balances among individual and collective rights, freedoms and responsibilities
- to clarify and publish expectations for student behaviour while at school, while going to and from school, and while attending any school function or activity at any location
Scott Creek Middle School promotes the values expressed in the BC Human Rights Code. “As per Section 8 of Human Rights Code of British Columbia, students shall not discriminate against others on the basis of the race, religion, colour, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, family status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or physical or mental disability. Furthermore, as per Section 7 of the Human Rights Code of British Columbia, no student shall publish or display anything that would indicate an intention to discriminate against another, or expose them to contempt or ridicule, on the aforementioned bases.”
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.
Conduct Expectations
Acceptable Conduct
We expect all school members to:
- Respect and comply with all applicable federal, provincial, and municipal laws
- 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
- Engage in purposeful learning activities in a timely manner
- Respect self, others, and school; (CARE)
- Help make Scott Creek safe, caring and orderly
- Act in a manner that brings credit to themselves or the school
- Inform a "tell-able" adult, in a timely manner (in advance, if possible) of incidents of bullying, harassment or intimidation
- Show care, understanding or compassion for members of the school or community that are less privileged
- Help other students to learn
Unacceptable conduct
We expect all school members to refrain from:
- behaviours that:
- interfere with the learning of others
- interfere with an orderly environment
- create unsafe conditions
- acts of:
- bullying, harassment or intimidation
- physical violence
- retribution against a person who has reported incidents
- illegal acts, such as:
- possession, use or distribution of illegal or restricted substances
- possession or use of weapons
- theft of or damage to property
- electronic cigarettes
"This We Believe" for School District 43 Middle Schools
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Middle schools in School District 43 are designed to meet the specific developmental needs of 10 - 14 year olds. These two guiding principles are integral for addressing the social, emotional, physical and intellectual needs of young adolescents.
We believe that young adolescents require challenging, stimulating curriculum taught by competent, compassionate, committed, collaborative and flexible professional staff who set high expectations, and who respond to diverse learning needs.
We believe in a school community that is inclusive, safe, welcoming and supportive so that middle school students are valued, known and connected, and are encouraged to develop their independence and sense of responsibility.
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 behavior
- Increasing levels of personal responsibility and self- discipline
- Increasing consequences for unacceptable behavior
- Increasing support for students when necessary by utilizing parental involvement along with teacher, community teachers, students services, counseling, and district behaviour support.
Consequences
Responses to unacceptable conduct are pre-planned, consistent and fair. Disciplinary action, wherever possible, is preventative and restorative, rather than merely punitive. Students, as often as possible, are encouraged to participate in the development of meaningful consequences for violations of the established code of conduct.
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.
- Notification
We believe that timely and ongoing communication between teachers, students, parents, and administration is essential when addressing student behavior. Parents are communicated to in regards to unacceptable behaviour and violations of the code of conduct in a timely manner;
- Parents of student offender(s) – in every instance
- Parents of student victim(s) – in every instance
- School district officials – as required by school district policy
- police and/or other agencies – as required by law
All parents – when deemed to be important to reassure members of the school community that school officials are aware of a serious situation or incident and are taking appropriate action to address it.
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The Restorative Questions
When working with school members in restorative conferences and/or circles, four questions will be discussed:
- What happened?
- What were you thinking at the time?
- Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?
- What do you think you need to do to make things right?*
When the incident in question inflicted harm on another person, four additional questions will be asked on behalf of the person(s) harmed:
- What did you think when you realized what had happened?
- What impact has this incident had on you and others?
- What has been the hardest thing for you?
- What do you think needs to happen to make things right?
*These restorative questions are provided by the International Institute for Restorative Practices, www.iirp.org
