Discipline Procedures of the Weathersfield School PDF Print E-mail
Written by Melissa Snyder   
It is our belief that all children have the right to an education in an environment that encourages learning, and that all children are responsible for their own behavior.  No one child is greater than the whole.

Notification and publication of the Weathersfield School Discipline Procedures


The Discipline Procedures of the Weathersfield School will be published and distributed, in separate handbook form, to each student and his/her parent(s) at the beginning of each school year.  Additional copies will be available in the main office at the Weathersfield School.

Weathersfield School Expectations


Students in the Weathersfield School have the opportunity to learn a variety of ways to respond to everyday personal interactions, as well as to stressful situations they may face.  Each teacher in his or her classroom provides clear and understandable guidelines in the form of classroom rules.  School staff clearly communicates their expectations to students, and model appropriate behaviors at all times.  In addition, Weathersfield School teaches and supports a Peer Mediation model where students can resolve their conflicts with others, with the help of trained peers.  The Weathersfield Student Council and the Weathersfield Peer Leadership group are models of appropriate behavior and conduct for the entire school population.

There are times, however, when student behavior becomes unacceptable.  The Weathersfield School believes that within the school setting, school staff may have a flexibility to respond to some unacceptable behaviors, while others should have prescribed and definite responses.  In that regard, unacceptable behavior can be divided into two categories, minor offenses, and major offenses.  Parents will be asked to provide telephone numbers where they may be reached during the day in the event they need to be informed about their child’s behavior, or requested to take their child home from school.  Parents will be asked to provide a contingency contact person in the event they are unable to remove their child from school if that becomes necessary.

Consequences within the Minor Offenses Category


When a student receives a verbal correction from a staff member, it is expected that that student will immediately cease his/her offensive behavior and comply with the expectations stated by that staff member.

When a student is isolated within the classroom setting, it is expected that that student will be given sufficient school work to remain occupied, and will be given information about what behaviors are necessary for him/her to return to the general classroom activity.

If a student is asked to leave a classroom or other school setting, that student will be given sufficient academic work to allow him or her to successfully return to the classroom upon completion of the assignment.  The offending student will report immediately to a centrally designated area.  If that area is the office, the staff member will notify the office by intercom.  That student may then return to the staff member involved, or to a designated staff person, to bear the consequences of the offending behavior.  The student will be expected to complete any academic assignment he or she has brought, and, with assistance, devise a strategy for successful return to the classroom prior to actually returning to the learning activity.  As a student reports to have his/her offense recorded, the following will occur:
  1. The student will be given a detention to be served the following school day.  The student is expected to return the detention slip to the office the next day signed by his or her parents.  Only doctor’s appointments and emergency situations will be considered as an excuse to extend the detention to the next school day.  The office and or principal must be contacted personally to do so.  Parents or parent designate are responsible for picking their child up after school directly after the detention.
  2.  Any student who chooses not to attend a detention will receive second detention to be served consecutively after the first.  The parent or parent designate will be notified by phone and detention slip.  If the student chooses to ignore those detentions he/she will be suspended from school for one (1) day.  Parents will always be notified.
    Parents of any student receiving a third detention during any given year may be contacted by the principal, guidance counselor or teachers to have a conference on how their child can work towards changing that behavior.
    Any student who receives a second suspension for disciplinary reasons will be required to meet with the administration with his/her parents prior to returning to school.  The student and his/her parents will be expected to present a plan of action that demonstrates appropriate action has commenced to ensure, as much as possible, no further disciplinary problems.  Further suspensions for disciplinary reasons may result in expulsion from the Weathersfield Schools.

Specifically for Elementary Level:
  • - Miss outdoor or indoor recess.
  • - If continued, a detention would be given and a parent conference.


 

Serious Offenses

There are some discipline incidents/offenses that fall in between being considered minor or major.

Serious Offenses are:
  • - Removal from class due to behavior.
  • - Cheating
  • - Skipping class
  • - Insubordination
  • - Profanity
  • - Fighting

 

 

 

 

Consequences for serious offenses may range from detentions to suspension depending on the individual incident.
Any student asked to leave a classroom or other school setting a second time during a single school day will be required to be taken home by his/her parent, or designated contingency contact person.  Within the elementary level, three times will be used as a guide.  In the event the parent or contact person is unwilling or unable to take the student home, that student will receive a one (1) day suspension from school the following school day.

Specifically for Elementary Level:

  • Out of school suspension for one day.
  • Parents are notified and will need to meet with administrator prior to reentrance to school.

 

 

Major Offenses

Major offenses are those which have prescribed and definite consequences, regardless of circumstances and/or individuals involved.  Major offenses are:

  • Assaulting any person.
  • Violent behavior involving (but not exclusive to) hitting, kicking, or fighting with other students on school property or while attending a school function.
  • Possession, use, delivery, dispensing, or sale of tobacco, alcoholic beverages or an intoxicant, drug paraphernalia, or look-alike drug while on school property or at a school function.
  • Being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, controlled substance or dangerous drug, or an intoxicant on school property or at a school function.
  • Selling, giving, or delivering to another person a controlled substance or dangerous drug, or alcoholic beverage, on school grounds.
  • Discovery by school personnel of any dangerous instrument or weapon, or use of such instrument or weapon, defined as an item which when used against another person may inflict bodily harm or injury.
  • Engaging in unwanted physical familiarity or inappropriate behavior, including any sexual touching, kissing, fondling or groping toward another person.
  • Engaging in sexual harassment, by which is meant persistent unwelcome comments to another person of a sexual and/or gender nature.
  • Damaging or destroying school equipment on school property, or the property of any other individual situated on school property.
  • Unauthorized removal of school property or another’s personal property from the school grounds.
  • Engaging in verbal abuse, name calling, ethnic or racial slurs, derogatory or profane statements or gestures toward anyone, including possession and distribution of obscene materials.
  • Bullying, defined as using physical or psychological force over another person in order to obtain certain benefits from that person.
  • Committing extortion, coercion, or blackmail.
  • Profanity directed at a staff person.
  • Arson.
  • Public lewdness.

 

 

Consequences for Major Offenses


Major offenses seriously affect the learning environment of Weathersfield Schools.  They jeopardize the safety and security of the learning community, and as such, must be dealt with in a definitive and non-negotiable manner.  Behaviors which constitute major offenses do not have mitigating circumstances.

When a student commits a major offense, he/she will immediately be isolated from the school community as a whole.  A parent or designated contact person will be notified by telephone immediately, and will be expected to arrive at the school within one hour of that telephone contact to remove the student.

Any student committing a major offense will be suspended from school for a period of three (3) days at minimum.  Prior to returning to the general school population, that student and his/her parent(s) must meet with the school administration.  It is expected that during those meetings, the student and the parent(s) will offer an acceptable and appropriate plan for successful reintegration into the general school program.  The student and the parent(s) must, in addition, demonstrate that appropriate action has commenced to address the causes of the offending behavior.

This is necessary to assure the safety of the school population as a whole.

Any student committing a subsequent major offense may face expulsion from the Weathersfield School.

Specifically for Elementary Level:

  • Out of school suspensions.

 

Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Activities

It is expected that any student involved in co-curricular and/or extra-curricular activities, such as Peer Leadership, Peer Mediation, Student Council, school sponsored team sports, and academic teams, etc. will provide a positive role model in both academic work and behavior.  Therefore, any student involved in these activities who commits a minor offense shall receive a warning that his/her status in said activity is in jeopardy.  Any student who commits a second or third minor offense may be suspended from said co-curricular and extra-curricular activity for a designated period.  If a fourth offense (detention) occurs, students will not be able to participate in the co-curricular and or extra-curricular activity for the remainder of the school year.

Any student who commits two suspensions will become ineligible for any co-curricular and/or extra-curricular activity for that school year.

Attached, please see a copy of the detention/discipline report form used by the Weathersfield School.  There may be times when a formal letter will be used to record an incident.

Recognition for Positive Behavior

Weathersfield School recognizes the positive behaviors that students display on a daily basis.
We center the overall tone for the school by our School Code:

  • Respect each other and our school building.
  • Be responsible for our actions.
  • Treat each other with kindness and fairness.
  • Be honest.
  • Follow the rules for resolving conflicts.
  • Work toward achieving our goals.
  • Help each other.

 

 

 

 

 

Students may be awarded a special School Code Certificate and recognized at monthly meetings.


< Prev   Next >
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 September 2008 05:58