All behaviour and consequences are outlined in the Delta School Districts’ Code of Conduct, the District Acceptable Use Agreement, and our school Code of Conduct. We ask that parents review this planner’s information with their children and sign and return the signature sheet at the end of this document. At Gibson our goal is a socially responsible student body.

Gibson Elementary School Code of Conduct

Gibson Elementary School has the responsibility to ensure and provide a safe and positive learning environment. Our Code of Conduct outlines a general framework for behavioural expectations for everyone who enters our community. It is expected that everyone within our community will interact in a manner that supports and maintains the values and principles outlined in our mission statement and this document.

The Code of Conduct shall apply to our school community members when any school related activity is being conducted. Any behaviour, or patterns of behaviour, that adversely affects the school climate, operation, or learning of others, will be considered a breach of the Code of Conduct. Appropriate interventions will be used to remedy negative conduct.

Gibson Elementary recognizes that expectations for community members increase with the age, experience, learning capacity, and maturity of the individual. It is an expectation that all community members will know the District Code of Conduct and our school Code of Conduct.

I.  Guiding Principles:

At Gibson Elementary School community members follow the 4 B’s:

BE KIND
BE RESPECTFUL
BE RESPONSIBLE
BE SAFE

II. Conduct Expectations:

Acceptable Conduct supports a safe and positive learning environment.

Administration with the authority provided under the School Act, will take a leadership role by:

• Acting with care and commitment to facilitate quality learning experiences and a safe environment
• Holding everyone under their authority accountable for their behaviours and actions
• Communicating regularly, meaningfully, and practicably with all members of the school community

 

Teachers and School Staff, under the leadership of administration and within the bounds of their legal, professional, and ethical responsibilities, are expected to hold those within the school community to the highest standard of socially and personally responsible behaviour. They accomplish this role by:

• Helping students learn to their full potential
• Communicating regularly and meaningfully with parents and administration
• Demonstrating respect for everyone within the school community
• Maintaining consistent standards of behaviour as outlined within the Code of Conduct
• Model and provide guidance and skills for socially responsible conduct

Parents play the most important role in the education of their children and have the responsibility to support school staff in maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for all members of the school community. Parents accomplish this role by:

• Monitoring and showing active interest in their child’s work, progress, and conduct
• Communicating regularly with the school; Respecting the confidentiality of matters of discipline
• Providing necessities for quality learning such as regular meals, appropriate levels of sleep, hygiene, medical needs, appropriate dress, and classroom materials
• Ensuring student punctuality and promptly reporting valid reasons for tardiness or absences
• Reviewing the Code of Conduct with their children
• Assisting school staff in dealing with issues of behaviour requiring intervention and discipline
• Demonstrating respect for all members in the school community
• Modeling expectations of conduct held for students

Visitors to the school community are essential players in making our schools more positive and safer environments for learning. Visitors need to support and respect the rules of the school, and in return they have an expectation that the school can identify and recognize itself as a part of a much broader community.

Students are to be treated with respect and dignity. We recognize the Human Rights Code and will not tolerate discrimination (i.e. when someone is treated differently and poorly because of their race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, etc.). Students must demonstrate an ability to know and follow the 4 B’s of behaviour with diligent socially and personally responsible conduct. Acceptable behaviour is demonstrated when a student:

• Arrives at school on time, ready to learn to the best of their ability
• Is respectful of themselves, others, and those in authority
• Dresses in a manner of the purpose of school and which reflects propriety
• Refrains from bringing anything to school that detracts from their or others’ learning, the privacy of others, or the safety of others (includes cell phones, IPods, cameras or any other electronic device)
• Actively contributes to a safe, polite, caring, and orderly school learning environment
• Follows established ethical and legal principles and rules established by society
• Reports conduct concerns such as harassment, intimidation, threats, or violence immediately to a responsible adult
• Communicates honestly, attentively, and in a forthright manner
• Solves problems peacefully using strategies encouraged by the school
• Takes responsibility for his or her own actions and the interventions developed for inappropriate behaviours

 

Gibson Elementary staff also recognize, guide, and assess socially responsible behaviour as defined by the Ministry of Education’s Social Responsibility Performance Standards

III. Unacceptable Conduct:

Unacceptable conduct is conduct that is in breach of the expectations held above. The district and school reserve the right to determine the acceptability of behaviours in relation to school as guided by the District Code of Conduct and this document.

IV. Consequences

Rising Expectations

Age, experience, learning capacity, and maturity all play roles in determining a progression of expectations for members of the school community. As people grow and mature, they are more able to make appropriate decisions and take a greater responsibility for their conduct. Children progressing through the school system are expected to:

• Acquire greater knowledge and understanding of their behaviour and its impact on others
• Learn appropriate decision making strategies
  Increase their ability to demonstrate self-discipline
• Increase their ability to take personal responsibility for their actions and learning
• Be subject to increased consequences for inappropriate behaviour

 

Notification and Communication

Gibson Elementary School believes communication is essential to the school-home and home-school relationship.

Communication may be with one or any combination of the following mechanisms as practicable and appropriate: in person, by phone, by e-mail, by newsletter, by group meeting, signage, student planner, or written note. All serious breaches of conduct will be communicated in person and by phone. Formal letters are provided for warnings of suspension, formal in-school suspensions, and suspensions as per district policy. It is expected that when reasonably requested, all parties will respond in a timely fashion to any received communication.

For all serious breaches of the Code of Conduct:

• Students will be notified in every instance
• Parents of student offenders and parents of student victims will be notified
• District officials will be notified as required by policy
• Police / Outside Agencies will be notified as required by law or for professional advice beyond the scope of school personnel
• All Parents will be notified when a need is determined by district or school administration to reassure the school community that action or actions towards serious concerns are or were implemented

For all emerging patterns of minor breaches of the Code of Conduct:

• Students will be notified in every instance
• Parents will be notified should patterns become serious

Consequence Continuum

Gibson Elementary School takes great care to arrive at thoughtful, fair, and consistent consequences. Consequences are designed to prevent reoccurrence, teach socially appropriate behaviour to the student who offends and to the school community, and to ultimately provide for a safe and positive learning environment.

Actions may be progressive, or they may require an appropriate immediate higher level of response. They may be utilized in combination or in isolation increasing or decreasing in seriousness as needed.

Conduct is everyone’s responsibility. Minor breaches are handled effectively in an informal manner on a daily basis and may not warrant documentation or communication. Interventions are handled at different levels depending on the seriousness of the breach of conduct and as guided by this document:

• At the classroom level by any staff member
• At the playground level by any staff member or noon hour supervisors
• When warranted at the school level by administration

Factors that are considered when determining an intervention or disciplinary action for a breach of conduct may include:

• Maintenance of safety and order
• Degree of impact on the victim and the community at large
• Degree of impact on learning to the individual in question or more importantly the learning of others
• Actions/activities prior to a breach that create a larger context of concern
• History of previous interventions
• Ability (or inability) to use peaceful problem solving and decision making strategies
• Frequency, severity, or seriousness of breach. District Code of Conduct may apply. Serious breaches will result in suspension options
• Accountability of the student and assistance from the home
• Degree of active participation of the student in their own consequence