Student Code of Conduct

OUR BELIEFS:

We believe the parents, students and teachers of Bouchie Lake School act in a positive, self-disciplined manner respecting the rights of themselves and others.

We believe that as adults it is important to help and teach students ways to positively interact with others just as we help and teach our students academic skills.

Code of Conduct:

Quesnel School District Policy #305 gives Principals the authority and responsibility for establishing the school Code of Conduct and Behaviour.

At the heart of our program to develop self-disciple among our students, is our Code of Conduct.  Staff, parents and students developed this code which centres around five attitudes that we feel are critical to promoting a positive school environment.  These attitudes are C.A.R.E.S.:

As in the past we, as a community are working on the problems the arise from the various types of bullying that take place.  A major component to the problem is helping our students understand what BULLYING is.  In the 2003 / 2004 school year a Bouchie Lake Student defined bullying as:

"Bullying is unfair and one-sided.  It happens when someone keeps calling names, saying our writing nasty things, leaving them out of activities, not talking to them, threatening them, making them feel uncomfortable or scared, taking or damaging thier things, hitting or kicking them, making them do things they don't want to do."

Bouchie Lake Elementary is an EBS school.  EBS stands for Effective Behaviour Support and is the application of behaviour analysis to achieve socially important behaviour change in a school-wide setting.  The goals of the school-wide system are to define, teach and support appropriate behaviours in a way that establishes a positive culture within our school.  When their peers establish a positive culture the students are more likely to support appropriate behaviour and discourage inappropriate behaviour.

School-wide behaviour support is a process for establishing a positive culture or climate in a school.  Behavioural expectations are taught to all students in the building, and are taught in real contexts.  The goals of the teaching are to take broad expectations (like Respect), and provide specific behavioural examples:

• In class, being respectful means raising your hand when you want to speak or to get help.
• During lunch or in the hall, being respectful means using a person's name when you want to talk to him or her.
• "Teaching" appropriate behaviour involves much more than simply telling student what behaviours they should avoid.

Behavioural expectations are taught using the same teaching formats applied to other subjects.  The general rule is presented, the rationale for the rule is discussed, positive examples ("the right way") are described and rehearsed and negative examples ("the wrong way") are identified.

Once appropriate behaviours have been defined and taught, they need to be acknowledged on a regular basis.  At Bouchie lake School, we do this by giving students a "Gotcha Ticket" if they are displaying appropriate behaviour.  This ticket is placed in a draw for a prize at the end of each day and goes into a draw for the weekly assembly.  As well, each week the staff of the school will "blitz" the core attitudes with tickets awarded to students displaying appropriate behaviour.

While our emphasis is on teaching, encouraging and recognizing appropriate student behaviour, we also have to plan for situations where students do not behave appropriately.  It is expected that all students will comply with the rules and regulations of Bouchie Lake School and that school staff, in a kind, firm and judicious manner, will administer intervention and correction. 

This applies to all situations related to school, including: travel to and from school; in classrooms; in the school building and on school grounds; at school functions and on school buses.

In the case of serious offenses the Principal, or designate, will make every effort to have the parents involved with the school before interventions are finalized.  The severity and frequency of unacceptable conduct as well as the age and maturity of student involved is considered when determining appropriate interventions.

At Bouchie Lake School, students who have violated major behaviour expectations or have shown chronic misbehaviour are referred to the office where a record is mad of the visit, the event and the action taken.  Teachers have the discretion of dealing with a situation in the classroom before referring the student to the office.

Possible Actions Could Include:

• Time-out:

  If the situation is appropriate, a student may be assigned a time-out, in or outside of class.  A student may be excluded from the school routine with the knowledge of the parent.

• Lunch Hour / Recess Restriction:

  A student's free time may be restricted if he or she is assigned an in-school suspension, where a student attends classes as usual, but is assigned a time-out during free time periods.  A student may also be restricted as a consequence of being unable to behave appropriately without direct supervision.  Time-outs of this type are usually served in the office or the time-out room.

• Suspension:

  A student may be suspended from school for serious incidents as listed below.  The Principal may suspend students out of school for definite periods up to ten school days.  In extreme cases, the principal may suspend for an indefinite period, with a resulting referral to the District Code of Conduct Committee.  Parents will be notified by telephone and in writing if their child is suspended.

• Restitution:

  If a student victimizes another student or property damage occurs, the offending student must provide adequate compensation.  This requires effort on the part of the offender and discourages further offences.

• Removal:

  Under section 177 of the School Act of British Columbia, the Principal or designate in charge of the school is authorized to require the removal of any person creating a disturbance or interrupting the proceedings of the school or school function.

• Parent Contact:

  Student's parents will be contacted by telephone if a type of behaviour or situation is becoming common or chronic for this student, such as:

  • attendance, tardiness, minor misbehaviours, or others.

  • Or if the incident is serious, such as:

    • Fighting, smoking, assault, violence, threats of violence, bullying, weapons, alcohol, drugs, vandalism, harassment, disrespect of an adult in the position of authority, etc.

  • Notification: Depending on the situation, the Principal or designate may have a responsibility to advise other parties of serious breaches of the code of Conduct.  For example;
    • Parents of student offender(s)
    • Parents of student victim(s)
    • School District Officials - as required by 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 the school staff are aware of a serious situation or incident and are taking appropriate action to address it.

SCHOOL-WIDE DISCIPLINE

MINOR

The following incidents are generally dealt with by your child's or children's teacher or supervisor.  Your child's teacher will contact you should the situation become chronic.

MAJOR

The following incidents are dealt with by the principal or designate.