STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT - EAGLES
Excellence, Acceptance, Growth, Learning, Empathy, Success
The Carson Graham Secondary Code of Conduct - school policies and rules - was developed pursuant to the School Act (Section 6, 10, 85 and 91), the School Act Regulations and the North Vancouver School District Policy 302 regarding Student Conduct. Students at Carson Graham Secondary School are expected to meet the standards set out in the BC Human Rights Code, Sections 7 and 8 that include the prohibited grounds of discrimination, behaviours that discriminate against a person or class of person by publishing or displaying a statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that indicates discrimination based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age of that person or that group or class of persons.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The pursuit of appropriate conduct is a shared responsibility among students, their parents and the school system. School should be a place for safe, purposeful learning. In accordance with the responsibilities assigned by the School Act and the Policies established by the Board of Trustees, the school has established rules and expectations as positive guidelines for students to develop their potential within our community. These guidelines were developed with the following objectives in mind:
- To maintain a positive and safe learning environment.
- To encourage and promote educational opportunities for students.
- To foster a sense of personal responsibility, honesty, and self-discipline.
- To foster cooperation among students in the pursuit of their intellectual, social, and career goals.
- To respect the dignity and property of oneself and others.
- To create a balance between individual and collective rights, freedoms and responsibilities.
This Code of Conduct has been established in consultation with staff, parents and students. It is reviewed and updated on an annual basis and it is promoted on an ongoing basis, in the classroom, in the hallways, at assemblies, in the agenda book and as part of our daily business. We have high expectations for responsible student behaviour and these expectations are communicated on a regular basis. We promote a climate of understanding and mutual respect in which all people in the building are treated with dignity. We strive to have students become engaged, responsible, independent learners who recognize their roles and responsibilities in their own learning, in their community, and in the world. This Code of Conduct helps students reach these goals.
Students are held to this Code of Conduct of behaviour while participating in or attending school activities, or a school related activity or in other circumstances in which engaging in the activity will have an impact on the school environment. The Code of Conduct also extends to student behaviour both on and off school property and outside of regular school hours: Students are subject to all the expectations, as if they were in attendance at school. Non-compliance will result in disciplinary action. This includes any "cyber bullying" behaviour such as website postings, blogs, text messages, etc that are created in a student's home, in cyber cafes or other settings that potentially have a negative impact on the learning environment of a student, staff and/or the reputation of the school. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that brings credit to themselves and to the school at all times.
Students are required to know and understand the school rules, acceptable behaviors and the consequences for any misconduct.
SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS
Student conduct is based on respect for oneself and others, which is essential to the development of responsible citizens. Student behaviour, dress, and decorum shall be in accordance with generally accepted community standards, appropriate for the educational environment, and in compliance with the school's dress code. Students shall adhere to the following principles:
- Respect yourself.
- Respect the educational process and the learning environment of others. Everyone shares the responsibility to make the school a safe, caring and orderly place.
- Respect the authority of all School District employees.
- Respect the rights and property of others.
- Respect the health and safety of yourself and others.
- Report any incidents that are a violation of the Code of Conduct to a "tellable" adult in a timely manner, and if possible, in advance of any incident. This reporting would include any incident of bullying, abuse, harassment or intimidation.
- Attend school regularly; be punctual and work diligently at your studies.
- Conduct yourself in a manner that brings credit to yourself and to your school at all times.
- Conduct yourself in a way that is accepting of others at all times even if others are different from you.
- Conduct yourself according to these expectations, the Code of Conduct and school rules at all times.
Students can expect serious consequences for engaging in these actions:
1. Behaviours that interfere with the learning of others or that interfere with an orderly and safe environment.
2. Behaviours that create a "victim" in any way. This includes any form of bullying, abuse, harassment or intimidation of others. Publication of inappropriate language or information (whether by hand or electronic), symbols, or other representation that is discriminatory or attempts to discriminate against a person or group of people will be investigated and dealt with accordingly. This also includes aggressive behaviours such as cyber hate messages and cyber bullying as well as websites created in the student's home, cyber cafes or other settings. This includes, but is not limited to graffiti, student publications, blogs, websites, or other methods of communication. These behaviours also include any act of physical violence, retribution or intimidation against a person who has reported an incident.
3. Behaviours that are intended to be put downs of others including comments that are racist, sexist or belittling in any way. Language is a very powerful force in our lives and it should reflect our values at all times, even in casual conversation. We need to ensure that we do not use language that is racist, sexist, homophobic or disrespectful to others in any way.
4. Behaviours that discriminate on the basis of an individual's race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, family status, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.
5. Behaviours that are illegal in any way and are in violation of the Criminal Code of Canada. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Causing of false alarms.
- Misuse of school equipment or school property.
- Acts of violence or threats of violence.
- Theft or vandalism.
- Possession, use or distribution of illegal or restricted substances such as drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
- Carrying, possessing, or using an illegal or restricted weapon, including, but not limited to, knives, firearms, martial arts weapons, or any object fashioned to be used as a weapon or have the appearance of a weapon.
- Incidents of threatening language, intimidation or confrontational behaviour, which includes written or verbal harassment, misuse of computer communication, physical threats, and telephone intimidation. Any person who threatens the safety of the school environment or safety of an individual will be subject to severe disciplinary action and, where necessary, to RCMP intervention.
6. Behaviours that are in violation of the Carson Graham Code of Conduct in any way. School personnel are charged with maintaining an orderly learning environment. Any person who threatens the maintenance of order will be subject to severe disciplinary action. This policy includes but is not limited to:
- Disturbing or interrupting the proceedings of the school or an official school function.
- Failing to comply immediately with a direction by an employee of the Board to leave the school property.
- Entering or re-entering the school property after having been given direction not to enter by an employee of the Board.
Actions that violate the school's expectations are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Students who are involved in these violations can expect disciplinary action.
Parents and students should be aware that the Board and the School Act authorizes administrators, teachers, and other appropriate personnel at the school to discipline students when warranted. The policy and specific regulations on student behaviour, school rules, and the Code of Conduct will apply to students while participating in or attending school activities, or at a school related activity, including those outside of the school, or in other circumstances where engaging in the activity will have an impact on the school environment.
Generally, disciplinary procedures are responses to unacceptable behaviour and those responses should be thoughtful, consistent, fair, preventative and restorative in action. Consequences are intended to be as educationally purposeful as each situation warrants. Disciplinary action may take a variety of forms, which may include, but not be limited to, verbal warning, apology, detention(s), service work, ineligibility for Honour Roll and other awards, and loss of privileges to attend school events or be involved in extra-curricular activities. Some behaviour will be viewed as serious enough to warrant suspension or even dismissal.
Parents and students should also be aware that as students become older, more mature and move through successive grades, not only will the expectations for increasingly mature and responsible behaviour increase, but also the consequences for any transgressions will become increasingly significant. In general, students are expected to accept increasing personal responsibility and self-discipline for their behaviour, and they are expected to accept increasingly severe consequences for inappropriate behaviour.
Parents and students should also be aware that they will be contacted by the school in all circumstances that are deemed to be serious. In some cases, the school will be required to contact school district officials, outside agencies, or the police. When it is important to reassure members of the school community that school officials are aware of a serious situation or incident, all parents in the community may be informed.
We feel that by stating our behavioral objectives in this way, we can avoid any misunderstandings between the school, the students and the parents.
Finally, if there is a desire to appeal any disciplinary action undertaken by school authorities, the process for appeal can be found in the School District Policies that can be accessed at the School District website (Bylaw 906 – School Act Appeals).
We are very proud of the level of parental involvement in the school, and wish to encourage that partnership and communication, which is the key to success for our students. We ask that you respect the rights of staff and students to conduct the business of the day while at school.
The School Act states in Section 177(1): a person must not disturb or interrupt the proceedings of a school or an official school function. The teacher's Collective Agreement, Article E.9 states: the employer recognizes the right of all employees to work, to conduct business, and to otherwise associate free from harassment … A balance must be struck between the right of an employee to be free from harassment, and the right of a parent to pursue a concern or complaint they may have. If care is taken in choosing the setting and manner for resolution of such issues, this balance can be maintained.
If you have a concern about a mark, an educational matter or an extra-curricular activity, please follow School District 44 Policy 406: Complaints Concerning Personnel, Programs, or Procedures, which states that: complaints, questions, or expressions of concern shall be dealt with in a manner which reflects mutual respect and fair process.… It also states that: complaints are handled as near the source as possible …from complainant to employee, to the employee's immediate supervisor.
If you have concerns, please adhere to this policy by contacting the employee concerned in advance, by telephone or email, to inform him or her of your concern/complaint, and to arrange a mutually agreeable time and place to meet, recognizing that the employee may choose to have a colleague or union representative in attendance. Hopefully, a satisfactory resolution of the matter will occur. If not, the line of appeal goes through his or her immediate supervisor, through the school board office, and then to the board.
Following these protocols should ensure that problems are resolved in a constructive, positive manner.