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SELF DISCIPLINE AND STUDENT CONDUCT

Holy Family Catholic School strives to teach and foster self-discipline for the well being of both the student and the school community and for the creation of a Christian atmosphere for learning. The collaboration of all, parents, teachers, and students, is necessary to achieve success in this most important area of growth and development.

In guiding the child's growth in habits of virtue and Christian attitudes, it is helpful to emphasize the positive rather than the negative. Students need to understand that when they choose one behavior over another they must take upon themselves the consequences of that chosen behavior.

To create and foster a positive learning atmosphere, all Holy Family students are expected to demonstrate increasing maturity as they develop in three important areas:

Respect
Spirituality
Responsibility

A respectful person is one who believes in the dignity and worth of individuals and who acts accordingly. While involved in Holy Family School activities, students are expected to:

• be respectful and attentive to others' needs;
• be gentle and sensitive in their attitudes toward others;
• play safely on the playground in designated areas;
• create positive solutions when resolving differences with others through conflict resolution;
• show common courtesies and good manners toward teachers, other adults and fellow students.

A spiritual person is defined as one who lives his or her faith. Holy Family students are expected to:

• have a reverent attitude during prayer, prayer services, and liturgy;
• treat religious symbols in a reverent manner;
• recognize and affirm the goodness of others;
• participate in special service projects with the parish, school, and community.

A responsible person is one who responds to meeting personal, school, and community obligations. To make school a positive learning experience, Holy Family School students are expected to:

• complete schoolwork on time;
• follow directions;
• handle all school property with care;
• participate in class with attentiveness and effort.

To recognize student growth in the areas of respect, spirituality, and responsibility, Spirit Awards are given each week to students who have exercised these attitudes and have received no behavior or academic referrals. Awards can be accumulated to "purchase" a variety of appreciation gifts.

In their efforts to learn to be respectful, spiritual, and responsible, students may make mistakes. Just as it is important to celebrate students' achievements toward becoming more respectful, spiritual, and responsible, it is also important for students to learn when their behavior departs from this path. Toward that end, there will be fair and just consequences at Holy Family Catholic School for students' behaviors which interfere with the attainment of these goals.

The objectives of disciplinary procedures are:

• to stop improper action;
• to give students opportunity to explain and reflect on action and cause;
• to modify and/or teach appropriate behavior;
• to keep concerned parties informed.

REFERRALS

The discipline code includes two types of referrals:

• Behavioral Referral: given to a student whose behavior violates the expectations of respect and spiritual growth.
• Academic Referral: given to a student whose behavior is irresponsible in the area of academics.

All referral forms are in triplicate: one copy stays with the issuing teacher; one goes to student's homeroom teacher; one is sent home. Parents are to sign and return the referral the following day. If make up work needs to be done, students must also return the work on the next day

It is recommended that a parent(s) talk with the student, guide the student in making some resolution for improvement, and then respond in writing, giving the teacher feedback. Each of the forms has a place for a parent comment.

If a referral is not signed and returned on time, the student will make a phone call from the office. The call is only to make the parent aware that the referral will again be taken home, to be returned the following day. This call is not the time to discuss the referral. The conversation should be short and to the point. (It is suggested that the parent response should be something like: "I don't appreciate that you had to call me for something that should have been taken care of last night; we'll talk about it tonight".)

It's important that parents support this particular part of the process. If a referral is treated as a serious matter by the parent, the student will also understand the seriousness of the referral and the need to return it promptly.

Consequences of Referrals

• Academic referrals: The accumulation of five academic referrals will result in a behavioral referral.
• Behavioral referrals: The accumulation of five academic referrals will place the student in one of the following phases:
• Phase 1:  When a student receives their first behavioral referral, Phase 1 begins.
  • Three behavioral referrals = an after school  detention; student develops a written action plan to improve behavior.  
  • Three additional behavior referral = an after school detention; student evaluates and revises plan.
  • A conference is held with the student, parent(s), and the teachers involved to engage the support of all in the student’s plan for improvement.
• Phase 2: 
  • Three additional behavior referrals = an after school  detention; 
  • If an member of the Student Leadership Board enters Phase 2, he/she will be suspended, or in serious cases, removed permanently from the board. This decision is made by the principal in consultation with the Board’s faculty moderators.
• Phase 3:  
  • Three additional behavior referrals = an in-school detention; A student having an in-school suspension is separated from his/her class’s regular school schedule. He/she will do daily class work independently; may not attend any school functions, which may include, but not limited to field trips and after school activities/sports; will receive a “0” for any test that is missed.
  • A conference is held with the student, parent(s), administrator, counselor, and the teachers involved to assist the student in making a plan for improvement of behavior.
  • If a member of the Student Leadership Board reaches Phase 3, he/she will be permanently removed from the Board.
• Phase 4:
  • An additional behavior referral = 5 consecutive days of after school detention. (Should additional behavioral referrals be received during this period of after school detentions, 5 consecutive break and lunch detentions will be served as a consequence for those additional referrals.)
  • A conference is held with the student, parent(s), administrator, counselor, and teachers involved.
  • Student may not attend school functions (as detailed in Phase 3) for the remainder of the school year and is suspended from school sports and clubs for a period of two weeks.
•  Phase 5: 
  • Three additional behavioral referrals. Each additional behavior referral = a break, lunch and after school detention.
  • The student is placed on probation (the student’s continued enrollment in the school is in question).
  • A conference is held with student, parent(s), pastor, administrator, counselor, and teachers involved.
  • The student may not attend any school functions (as detailed in Phase 3) and is removed from the rosters of school sports teams and clubs
• Phase 6:
  • 1 additional behavior referral = alternative school placement must be made.

   

Detention days
• Are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.
• Students must serve the detention on the designated day.
• The detention takes precedence over any other activity.
• If a student is not picked up at 3:30 p.m., he/she will be sent to the extended school day program; there will be a monetary charge for the service.

The referral/phase system runs continuously throughout the school year. Referrals/phases are cleared at the end of each school year so that each student begins the year with a “clean slate”.

Grades 3 and 4 use a modified version of the Code of Discipline. Academic and behavior referrals may be issued, but break detentions are used in place of after school detentions. The students do not move through the Phases if referrals are accumulated. However, Grade 4 students may be introduced to the Phase consequences during the final grading period of that school year.

Students in Kindergarten through grade 2 work with their teachers and the guidance counselor to develop respect, spirituality and responsibility. Age appropriate rewards and consequences are employed.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The discipline system acknowledges students' growth, sets reasonable limits for behavior, and facilitates parent-school communication. It is hoped that the students will see the value of such a program in providing a framework for positive behavior in our Catholic school community.

Some behaviors are so serious as to warrantadditional or different disciplinary response from the administrator. These responses may include, but are not limited to: suspension, placement of the student in Phases 3-5, or removal of the student from the school. Such serious infractions may include, but are not limited to:

• possession/use of smoking materials, alcohol, drugs, or weapons on campus or at school-sponsored activities
• vandalism
• any act endangering the lives and/or safety of others (including verbal or written harassment, in person or via the Internet)
• repeated disrespect toward the administrator, teachers, or others.

A suspension shall include:

• the appropriate placement of the student in the school by the administrator for the balance of the day;
• one or more days of in-school suspension following the guidelines detailed in Phase 3;
• documentation of the infraction on a behavioral referral form, with the infraction being the equivalent of 3 behavioral referrals;
• placement of the student in the appropriate Phase of the Discipline Code as the result of receiving the equivalent of 3 behavioral referrals;
• a copy of the documentation placed in the student’s guidance folder.

Disciplinary responses other than suspension will also include documentation of the infraction and the actions taken in response. A copy of the documentation will be given to the student’s homeroom teacher and a copy will be placed in the student’s guidance folder.

After careful consideration to all facts in a serious disciplinary infraction, the administrator follows local policy as specified in the family handbook, and after prayerful reflection and attention to justice, decides on an appropriate response. If a difference of opinion occurs between the administrator and the student or his/her parent(s) or guardian(s), the administrator will offer the appeal process to the student/parent(s)/legal guardian(s) if other approaches to resolution are either inappropriate or unsuccessful.

 

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