School Student Code of Conduct
In keeping with the British Columbia School Act, the BC Ministry of Education provincial standards for school codes of conduct, and Policy 5131, our Westwood Elementary Student Code of Conduct is below. The school will take all reasonable steps to prevent retaliation by a person against a student who has made a complaint of a breach of the code of conduct.
Statement of Purpose:
Our mission is to create a caring and safe environment at Westwood where the love of learning will flourish. Specifically, the purpose of our Code of Conduct is to:
- Establish and maintain a safe, caring, and orderly environment for purposeful learning
- To establish and maintain appropriate balances amoung individual and collective rights and responsibilities
- To clarify and publish expectations for student behaviour while at school, coming to and going from school, and while attending any school-sponsored activity
Conduct Expectations:
Acceptable Conduct – every child has the right to come to school and be safe and happy. We expect all Westwood students to conduct themselves appropriately. Acceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Respecting self, others and the school
- Behaving safely, and helping make the school a caring and orderly place
- Being responsible, by being honest, fixing mistakes, and taking ownership of one’s decisions and conduct
Unacceptable Conduct – we do not expect Westwood students to display any behaviours or attitudes that discredit themselves, others, or the school. Unacceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Interfere with the learning of others
- Interfere with an orderly environment
- Create unsafe conditions
- Bullying, harassment, racism or intimidation
- Physical violence
- Retribution against a person who has reported incidents
- Disrespect, or social exclusion
- Possession, use or distribution of illegal or restricted substances
- Possession or use of weapons
- Theft of or damage to property
As per the BC Human Rights Code, our School Student Code of Conduct prohibits discrimination based on any of the following grounds:
- race
- colour
- ancestry
- place of origin
- religion
- physical disability
- mental disability
- sex
- marital status
- family status
- sexual orientation
- age
Rising Expectations:
As students move through the grades at Westwood, expectations will increase. As well, progressive consequences for inappropriate acts, or those that become chronic and repetitive, will be implemented. With increased age and awareness, we expect:
- Increasing personal responsibility and self-discipline
- Increasing understanding of the Code of Conduct guidelines
- Increasing understanding of the need for progressive consequences
Consequences:
The severity and frequency of unacceptable conduct, as well as the age and maturity of students is considered in determining appropriate disciplinary action. In that:
- Responses to unacceptable conduct are consistent and fair
- Disciplinary action, wherever possible, is preventative and restorative, rather than punitive
- Student empowerment and input will be encouraged, so students can use a restitution approach to fix their mistakes and repair relationships affected by their past behaviour
Notification:
We have the responsibility to advise other parties of increasing and serious breaches of the code of conduct. When serious breaches occur, the following may be notified:
- The classroom teacher
- The parents of the student exhibiting the unacceptable conduct
- The parents of any student victim(s) involved
- The Office of the Superintendent – as needed by School District policy
- Police or other agencies as required by the incident or law
- Parents at Westwood – when it is deemed to be important to reassure the school community that appropriate action is being taken concerning a specific incident
- First Offense: Verbal warning from the classroom teacher and phone put away by the student
- Second Offense: Verbal warning and phone confiscated until the end of the day
- Third Offenses: Verbal warning, phone confiscated and parent called by the teacher
- Fourth Offense: Phone confiscated by teacher and referral to the office
- Further Offenses: Referrals made to the office. Progressive discipline will apply