Statement of Purpose
Rockridge is a school where students and staff are friendly and cooperative. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in every aspect of the school. We believe that when students are treated with respect they, in turn, will behave in a responsible and mature manner. Please be responsible for your own behaviour. You will then contribute to making Rockridge a positive and respectful school. The purpose of the Rockridge code of conduct is to establish and maintain a safe, caring and orderly environment for purposeful learning and to establish and maintain appropriate balances among individual and collective rights, freedoms and responsibilities. The code of conduct also outlines expectations for student behaviour.
Rockridge school promotes the values expressed in the BC Human Rights Code respecting the rights of all individuals in accordance with the law––prohibiting discrimination based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex or sexual orientation––in respect of discriminatory publication and discrimination in accommodation, service and facility in the school environment.
Acceptable Behaviour
The following are examples of acceptable behaviour for Rockridge students while at school, while going to and from school, and while attending any school function or activity at any location:
1. Respecting self, others and the school.
2. Helping to make the school a safe, caring and orderly place.
3. Acting in a positive, honest, and straightforward manner. Being truthful.
4. Informing a “tellable” adult, in a timely manner (in advance, if possible) of incidents of bullying, harassment or intimidation. It is the responsibility of the bystander to report and prevent incidents of harassment and bullying.
5. Engaging in purposeful learning activities in a timely manner
6. Attending all classes on time.
7. Respecting authority and adhere to classroom, school, and district rules.
8. Acting in a manner that brings credit to the school
Unacceptable Behaviour
As we realize that sometimes students may have difficulty understanding how the Code of Conduct should be applied in everyday school life, we have provided a list of examples of unacceptable behaviour that would involve a breaking of the Code of Conduct by students and which could result in disciplinary actions. The behaviours cited are examples only and this is not an all-inclusive list:
1. Skipping classes or excessive tardiness.
2. Vandalism or other incidents of defacing or damaging personal, school or private property.
3. Abusing others physically, verbally, or psychologically (i.e. fighting, bullying, threatening, harassing, intimidating, extorting, or showing intolerance of others because of race, culture, dress, or other perceived differences).
4. Retribution against a person who has reported incidents
5. Disrupting classroom learning, official school functions or the privacy of our school’s neighbours.
6. Possession or use of prohibited drugs, including alcohol and tobacco products. No smoking is allowed on school property at any time.
7. Possession or use of firecrackers, fireworks or items used to simulate fireworks.
8. Possession or use of weapons, including any object meant to simulate the appearance of a weapon.
9. Plagiarizing or cheating on tests, assignments or projects, or assisting someone else to cheat.
10. Defiance of the authority of teachers and other employees; using profanity or confrontational behaviour in dealing with these adults.
11. Theft.
12. Using inappropriate language or dressing in a way that detracts from the learning environment.
13. Going to other schools during the school day, without permission from an administrator.
14. Operation of a vehicle or other means of transport in a dangerous manner on school property (including cars, bicycles, rollerblades and skateboards).
Should a student not adhere to the Code of Conduct in or on any school board property including, but not exclusively limited to, the classrooms, cafeteria, hallways or grounds, staff will intervene.
Consequences
The school Code of Conduct applies to behaviour at school, during school-organized or sponsored activities, and behaviour beyond these times (including on-line behaviour) that negatively impacts the safe, caring or orderly environment of the school, and/or student learning. When students do not adhere to the Code of Conduct staff will follow a pattern of progressive discipline. Consequences could include, but are not limited to, warnings, phone calls and/or letters to parents, detentions, and suspensions. In cases of serious breaches of the Code of Conduct, the student may be referred to school district officials, police, and/or other agencies. Schools will take all reasonable steps to prevent retaliation against a student who has made a complaint of a breach of a code of conduct.
Progressive discipline establishes a process of clear, timely, consistent, and documented communications with a student and their parent or guardian to reinforce an understanding of expectations, to provide an opportunity to correct unacceptable behaviour, and to assure due process. The goal of progressive discipline is to modify specific behavior and to encourage acceptable behaviour. The goal is not to punish the student, but to alert the student and/or parent to the need to correct unacceptable behaviours.
When dealing with students, the administrator may adjust the consequence or disciplinary action based partially on the maturity level and/or the grade level of the student. What is an appropriate consequence or disciplinary action for a senior student may not be appropriate for a junior student. Additionally, special considerations may be provided to students who are unable to comply with these expectations due to a disability of an intellectual, physical sensory, emotional or behavioural nature.
Rising Expectations
When dealing with students, the administrator may adjust the consequence or disciplinary action based partially on the maturity level and/or the grade level of the student. What is an appropriate consequence or disciplinary action for a senior student may not be appropriate for a junior student.
Risk Assessment
School District 45 (West Vancouver) has developed a Risk Assessment Protocol that requires all staff to report any and all threat making behaviours whether they are verbal, written or through actions. West Vancouver School District 45 has assembled risk assessment teams at both the school and the district level. Trained members consist of district administrators, district counselors, school administrators, school counselors, and West Vancouver Police liaison officers. Each secondary school has a school based team that includes the district administrator, the Principal or Vice-Principal, a counselor and the school liaison officer.
Protocol:
A threat making behaviour is defined for these purposes as any action that makes the recipient of such behaviour feel threatened.
For purposes of the District Risk Assessment Protocol these behaviours could include, but will not be limited to:
· Immediate Risk Student Behaviours which is a student in possession of a gun, or any other weapon while displaying threatening behaviour.
· High Risk Student Behaviours which include possession of a weapon, threats to destroy a school or school building, threats to kill or injure others (regardless of the method of delivery of such threats).
· Worrisome Student Behaviours including but not limited to drawing disturbing pictures, writing disturbing stories, etc. or internet harassment.
The protocol states that any West Vancouver School District 45 employee having knowledge of student threat making behaviour shall promptly report the information to the principal or designate who will respond accordingly.
All reported threats will be assessed by the school principal or designate and if deemed necessary the principal will contact the school team the district team or both.