J. EXPECTATIONS & DISCIPLINE
(1)BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS
Respect, Responsibility, Cooperation and Safety
Our behavioral expectations are based upon providing a learning community where everyone is safe and able to learn.
Our learning community is built upon four building blocks:
Respect - for self, peers, property and adults
- Responsibility - for one’s actions and learning
- Cooperation - in promoting an environment conducive to learning
- Safe environment – for self, peers, property and adults
Students are expected to demonstrate behaviors consistent with these expectations in all settings and at all times.
(2)EXTRA HELP
Teachers are always willing to give extra help to students when needed. This may be before school, at lunch, during recess, or at the end of the day. Students, teachers, and parents should work together to arrange mutually convenient times. Students who stay at the end of the day for help may take the late bus home.
(3)HARRASSMENT AND BULLYING
We do not allow and will not tolerate bullying or harassment at CAES.
BULLYING
Bullying is an act or series of acts against a student by one or more students
- that is meant to be mean, to hurt, to embarrass, to make fun of, to scare or to make the person feel bad
- that happens anywhere on school grounds or the bus or at a school activity, including before the school day and during after-school activities
- and often happens again and again.
HARASSMENT
Harassment is one or more incidents
- verbal, physical, written, or visual affront
- related to a student’s or family member’s actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, gender, sexual orientation or disability
- that interferes with a student’s education or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
Harassment includes:
Sexual Harassment which includes unwelcome advances, requests for favors and/or unwelcome physical conduct;
Racial Harassment and Harassment of other protected categories (creed, national origin, marital status, gender, sexual orientation or disability) which includes the use of epithets, stereotypes, racial slurs, comments, insults, derogatory remarks, gestures, threats, graffiti, written or visual material and insults related to a manner of speech or customs. Harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination.
EDUCATION and REPORTING BULLYING OR HARASSMENT
Verbal, physical, or sexual harassment and bullying have no place in our learning environment.
These behaviors violate an individual’s rights, undermine the integrity of the school environment, and adversely affect students, teachers, parents and other school personnel whether they are direct subjects of the harassment and/or bullying or not.
Discussions about the nature of bullying and harassment and the process for reporting are held with all classes at the beginning of each school year and these topics are reviewed as necessary.
All staff members have a responsibility to report incidents of bullying or harassment and all students are encouraged to do so as well. Bullying or harassment complaints may be reported to a child’s teacher or directly to a school administrator. All incidents or suspicions of bullying or harassment must be communicated to a school administrator who has the responsibility to investigate the complaint. Bullying and Harassment may be reported anonymously.
The school will contact the parents or guardians of any student who engages in bullying or harassment. Consequences may include: conference with parent; restrictions from class, recess or other school activities; removal from class or other activities for a period of time; apology and promise made to the student who was offended. The student who bullies or harasses others will be expected to develop a plan to change behavior and to demonstrate understanding of the potential consequences if this behavior continues.
Bullying and Harassment are dangerous, hurtful, disrespectful, and against the law.
(Vermont State Law 16 VSA 11–14; 565; 1161)
Parents and guardians are urged to contact the school with any questions or concerns regarding bullying or harassment.
(4)HOMEWORK
Homework is studying at home and is ordinarily an extension of classroom instruction. The purpose of homework is the improvement of the learning process by reinforcing newly acquired skills by engaging in preparatory activities, and by extending and applying classroom learning for developing a new and deeper understanding.
Homework is assigned regularly and will progressively increase in amount as the child moves up in grades. Homework assignments ordinarily indicate what pupils have been doing in school and provide encouragement to strengthen the link between home and school.
If a child and parent working together have difficulty understanding an assignment, please send a note to the teacher.
(5)PLAYGROUND GUIDELINES
These guidelines and consequences have been developed to help ensure the safety of students at Chester-Andover Elementary School. We have made every attempt to make the consequence logical for the particular offense. We are trying to instill self-discipline and responsibility in our students by making them accountable for their actions. These guidelines and consequences may not include everything that could come up relative to student safety, so they should not be interpreted in that way.
General Guidelines – Grades K-6
- Students are expected to treat each other and all adults on the playground in a courteous, safe, and helpful way.
- Follow directions the first time they are given.
- Use playground equipment properly and safely. Share so everybody has a turn.
- No food or drink is permitted on the playground unless under adult supervision.
- Get permission from the adults on duty to enter the building.
- Play fairly and include others.
- Personal items i.e. clothing, backpacks, and lunch boxes, will be placed in a designated area during recess.
- Games are to be played by the proper rules.
- Baseballs, golf balls, and small, high-impact rubber balls are not permitted at school.
- All students must line-up at the end of recess in their classroom line at the designated area when called to do so.
- Appropriate footwear and dress must be worn for each activity on the playground.
Structure Guidelines – Grades K-2
- The structure will be closed when the surface is wet.
- All running games are only allowed in the grassy areas.
- Only walking is allowed on the structure or the wood chips.
School-Wide Playground Equipment Guidelines
Swings
- Always sit in the swing; don’t stand or kneel. Hold on tightly with both hands. Stop the swing completely before getting off.
- Stay a safe distance from other children on swings, being careful not to run or walk in front or in back of moving swings.
- Never spin or swing sideways
- Swing set poles are not for climbing.
- Never double up with two kids to a swing.
- Don’t push other children swinging. The child pushing the swing may not be able to gauge properly how much force is necessary, and the child being pushed won’t have any control if he wants to stop.
Slides
- One child on the ladder at a time.
- Take one step at a time and hold onto the handrail when climbing the ladder to the top of the slide. Never climb up the slide itself to get to the top.
- Slide down feet first and sitting up, never head first, on your back, or stomach.
- Don’t slide down in groups. Only one child should be on the slide platform at a time.
- Objects should not be placed on the slide.
- Other students should not stand near the slide and reach in at the person sliding.
- Always check that the bottom of the slide is clear before sliding down.
Climbing Equipment
Climbing equipment comes in many shapes and sizes, including arches, domes, horizontal ladders, and all jungle gym equipment.
- Use both hands and stay well behind the person in front of you, and beware of swinging feet.
- For the pull-up/parallel bars: dangerous movements such as turning upside down using no hands, sitting, or standing on them are not permitted.
- Hanging upside down on the high bar attached to the swingset is not permitted.
- Keep your hands to yourself when on any jungle gym equipment.
Possible Playground Consequences for Following Guidelines
- Verbal and non-verbal praise
- Principal’s Excellence Awards
- Recognition at Student Success Assemblies
- Recess Wall of Fame Awards
Possible Playground Consequences for Failing to Follow Guidelines
- Verbal correction
- Removal from game
- Time-out
- Loss of Recess
- Referral to Assistant Principal
(6)SCHOOL BOOKS & MATERIALS
Each child is responsible for the careful use of materials provided by the school such as textbooks, classroom books, library books, or calculators. If loss or damage occurs, the cost of replacement will be expected.
(7)SCHOOL DRESS
School clothing should be functional, safe and conducive to a learning environment. Students and parents are expected to exercise good judgment in their selection of clothing that is appropriate for school.
For safety reasons, clogs, flip-flops, sandals without backs, high-heels and platform shoes should not be worn in school. Hats are not to be worn inside the school building. During Physical Education class, children should wear sneakers. Since they spend part of the day playing outdoors children should have clothing appropriate for the weather, including snow pants, boots, jackets, hats, and gloves.
Clothing with messages that promote alcohol, drugs, tobacco or sex may not be worn in school. Revealing clothing is not allowed.
(8)SEARCH & SEIZURE
Desks, textbooks and other materials or supplies loaned by the school to students remain the property of the school, and may be opened by school employees for cleaning, maintenance or emergencies. When prohibited items are found in the course of routine cleaning and maintenance, or in the case of emergency, they will be confiscated and a report will be made to the principal who will determine whether further investigation is warranted.
School property may also be searched by school employees upon reasonable suspicion on the part of the building administration or superintendent that a law or school policy is being violated. Searches of school property in the possession of students will not extend to areas or items not reasonably calculated to aid in the enforcement of specific policies or laws.
School employees are not the agents of law enforcement officials. Search and/or seizure by law enforcement officials on school property may occur when a warrant or other legal basis exists authorizing such search and/or seizure, and when the requirements of the board’s policy on interrogations by law enforcement officers have been complied with.
(9)SMOKING, ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS
CAES is a drug-free campus. The use of alcohol and tobacco is strictly prohibited.
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