September 2011

 This code of conduct was established with input from staff, students, and the School Advisory  Council.  It also reflects the Near North District School Board’s Administrative Guidelines and the requirements of the Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum No. 128 (October 4, 2008).

 INTRODUCTION

 At Magnetawan Central School (M.C.S.), we strive to develop a positive learning environment by:

 · developing meaningful, engaging, and relevant   programs;

· encouraging respect for peers, staff, belongings, the environment and individual differences;

· involving parents and community members;

· developing independence and responsibility.

 Guiding Principals

 The M.C.S. Code of Conduct is based on these guiding principals.

 · appropriate behaviour will be recognized and reinforced regularly.

· open and direct communication will be practiced.

· consequences for inappropriate behaviour will be fairly and consistently applied.

· all students and staff will work and learn in a safe and secure environment.

· teachers will develop a Classroom Code of   Conduct with students in September and  review it at appropriate times.

 Ontario Code of Conduct

 The Ministry of Education has established the Ontario Code of Conduct that apply to all individuals involved.

 All members of the school community must:

· respect and comply with all applicable federal, provincial, and municipal laws;

· demonstrate honesty and integrity;

· respect differences in people, their ideas, and their opinions;

· treat one another with dignity and respect at all times, and especially when there is disagreement;

· respect and treat others fairly, regardless of, for example race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability;

· respect the rights of others;

· show proper care and regard for school property and the property of others;

· take appropriate measures to help those in need;

· seek assistance from a member of the school staff, if necessary, to resolve conflict peacefully;

· respect all members of the school community, especially persons in positions of authority;

 · respect the need of others to work in an environment that is conducive to  learning and teaching;

· refrain from swearing

 All members of the school community must not:

· Engage in bullying behaviours;

· Commit assault, including sexual assault;

· Traffic weapons or illegal drugs;

· Give alcohol to a minor;

· Commit robbery;

· Be in possession of any weapon, including firearms;

· Use any object to threaten or intimidate another person;

· Cause injury to any person with an object;

· Be in possession of, or be under the influence of, or provide others with alcohol or illegal drugs;

· Inflict or encourage others to inflict bodily harm on another person;

· Engage in hate propaganda and other forms of behaviour motivated by hate or bias;

· Commit an act of vandalism that causes damage to school property, to property located on the premises of the school, or to property providing service to the school (such as buses, taxis, etc.)

 Individual responsibilities

 Everyone at M.C.S. will:

· accept responsibility for, and consequences of, their own actions/behaviour

· respect their own learning, and the learning of others;

· be tolerant of, and sensitive to differences;

· be punctual, attend regularly, and be ready to learn.

 In situations where discipline is required a system of progressive discipline will  be used.  Progressive discipline is a non-punitive, whole school approach that uses a continuum of supportive and corrective interventions, supports, and consequences to address inappropriate behaviour and to build upon strategies that promote positive behaviours. 

Progressive discipline may include:

· Contact with pupil’s parent(s)/guardian(s);

· Oral reminders;

· Review of expectations;

· Written work assignment addressing the behaviour, that has a learning component;

· Volunteer services to the school community;

· Conflict mediation and resolution;

· Peer mentoring;

· Referral to counseling;

· Detentions, loss of privileges, suspension, and expulsion.

 In the event that a student continues to make poor decisions after several stages of progressive discipline, or commits one of the following, the Principal may impose a suspension:

 1. Uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person;

2. Possessing alcohol, illegal and/or restricted drugs;

3. Being under the influence of alcohol;

4. Swearing at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority;

5. Committing an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property at the pupil’s school or to property located on the premises of the pupil’s school;

 6. Bullying;

7. Any act considered by the principal to be injurious to the moral tone of the school;

8. Any act considered by the principal to be injurious to the physical or mental well-being of any member of the school community; or

9. Any act considered by the principal to be contrary to the Board or school Code of Conduct.

 · The Principal must conduct a thorough investigation and consider all mitigating factors before imposing a suspension.  A suspension can be from 1 (one) to 20 (twenty) school days, and be appealed by parents/guardians.

· The Near North District School Board can expel a student in an extreme case.

· Violent incidents must be reported to the Police by the Principal if the student is twelve years of age or more.  They are also documented and   reported to the Board and filed in the violating students’ Ontario Student Record (O.S.R.) folder.

· Violent incidents for students under twelve years of age may be reported to the Police and

     Children’s Aid Society at the Principal’s Discretion.

Dress code

For everyone’s comfort the following dress code is in effect at M.C.S.:

· No hats or caps are to be worn in the school building;

· Clothing which advertises beer, alcohol, drugs, lewd or suggestive language or unacceptable pictures are unacceptable;

· Length of shorts and skirts—these must be longer than the middle finger when the arm is held against the body (i.e. no short-shorts or micro-minis;

· Spaghetti strap camisoles are not acceptable unless they have a T-shirt underneath.  Straps on tank tops must be three fingers wide;

· See-through net shirts or muscle shirts with gaping armholes are also not appropriate;

· Likewise the shirts must cover the entire stomach area—no bare midriffs;

· Underwear should not be seen

**Indoor footwear is required

School bus expectations

1. Follow the directions of your driver.

2. Be at your Bus Stop 5 minutes before your pick-up time.

3. Stay seated while the bus is in motion.

4. No smoking, eating, chewing gum, or foul language.

5. Keep books, lunch boxes and other bulky items on your lap.

6. Students are responsible for any deliberate damage caused by them to the bus.

7. Whenever possible, leave the last row of seats vacant.

 CONSEQUENCES

1st Incident	Driver warns student.
2nd Incident	Student is assigned a designated seat.
1st Report	Principal notifies parent(s).
Further Report(s)	Principal notifies parent(s).  Bus privileges are suspended
Serious Incident	Suspension of bus privileges.

The bus operator(s) and driver(s) must be notified of bus suspensions.

  Electronic devices

Personal electronic devices (i.e. iPods, Mp3 players, digital cameras, hand held gaming systems) are not to be used freely at school.  Such devices may be allowed in grade 3-6 classrooms, during

instructional time, provided permission has been granted by the teacher.  Students must assume full responsibility for the care and protection of personal electronic devices.