Overview of the Student Code of Conduct
The Northeast School philosophy is based on positive reinforcement. We believe that children can behave appropriately in a climate of warmth and support; the goal of school discipline is to help children become self‐directed citizens within a variety of environments and with different people. We believe that expectations for behavior and ways of dealing with misbehavior should be in accord with developmental goals. Clearly defined school rules and classroom procedures with incremental actions and consequences consistently carried out will foster appropriate behavior.
Northeast School has three school wide rules for consistency within classrooms and throughout the school. These school rules are:
- We will be safe.
- We will be kind.
- We will be respectful.
Positive Behavior
Northeast school fosters positive decision making. Through regular classroom lessons delivered by our teachers, school counselor, and principal, our goal is to instill an internal value system that reminds our students that we all have an impact on one another. Throughout the year we host several assemblies and events like poster contests that will encourage students to demonstrate they understand our core values.
Consequences and Actions:
While our goal is to have a school community of students and staff who consistently demonstrate our core values of responsibility to one another, we do recognize that anyone can have a bad day or make a mistake.
It is well understood that it is best for children and their class community when the students and teacher solve problems within the classroom community. At Northeast School, students utilize meditations with our counselor or other staff to show responsibility for their actions and to demonstrate that they care for one another.
Parents are an integral part in helping the school to promote positive behaviors. The home and the school must work together to bring about a positive school experience for the student. Parents will be notified when behaviors that violate our Code of Conduct occur that result in consequences so that the family can work with the school to alleviate such behaviors.
The following Code of Conduct chart will help students, staff, and families to understand the expectations for acceptable conduct at Northeast School. All students are expected to follow the Code of Conduct in a developmentally appropriate manner.
The following table describes some general unacceptable behaviors and associated responses, which are divided into four tiers according to severity/ developmental level/ history of behaviors.
| Behaviors |
Responses |
| |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
| Harassment, Intimidation, & Bullying |
* See specific information re: bullying legislation |
| Defiance/Disruption |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Fighting |
|
|
X |
X |
| Inappropriate Physical Contact |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Unsafe Behavior |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Teasing/Exclusion |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Theft |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Threats |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Vandalism |
X |
X |
X |
X |
*This rubric is a guideline - The principal and assistant principal have discretion regarding actions as they relate to individual circumstances. Further, in an instance where the behavior ay not clearly be listed above, the principal and assistant principal will use their discretion to determine an appropriate action for a particular behavior.
| Level One: Infractions on an infrequent basis |
- Conference with teacher/staff member
- Teacher selected consequence
- Teacher contacts parent/guardian via telephone
- Record of contact submitted to administration and parent/guardian for signature
|
| Level Two: Repeated Infractions |
- In school Parent/guardian conference with teacher to develop a behavior plan
- Possible referral to counselor/nurse
- Teacher selected response
|
| Level Three: Continuing Infractions or serious infractions |
- Teacher/staff member refers incident to principal or assistant principal
- Parent/Guardian contacted by principal or assistant principal
- Parent/guardian conference with principal and assistant principal
- Possible community service or character education project
- Time out from classroom (working in alternate location)
- Possible short term suspension
- Possible referral to counselor/nurse
|
| Level Four: Infractions that are highly serious or cause imminent danger to self or others |
- Immediate referral to principal or assistant principal
- Parent/guardian contact
- Parent/guardian conference
- Possible suspension
- Possible referral to counselor/nurse
|
*Parents/Guardians will accompany the students back to school for re-admittance once suspension is over.
New Jersey Anti-‐Bullying Bill of Rights Act
The State of N.J. recently enacted the Anti-‐Bullying Bill of Rights Act, which is intended to:
- clarify and strengthen the standards and procedures for preventing, reporting, investigating and responding to incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) of students that occur on school grounds and off school grounds under specified circumstances
- respond to research on the incidence, prevalence and effects of HIB that has emerged since the adoption of the original HIB laws adopted in 2002 and amended in 2007 and 2008
- establish clearer standards for the definition of HIB
- use and better manage existing resources to increase school safety.
- reduce the risk of suicide due to HIB.
HIB means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or series of incidents that:
- is reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical, or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic
- takes place on school property, at any school sponsored function, or off school grounds as provided for in section 16 of P.L. 2010, Chapter 122
- substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students
- a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a student or damaging the student's property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his person or damage to his property
- has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students
- creates a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with a student's education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student
School staff must follow the statutory procedures for all reported HIB incidents and protect students. A reporting procedure is in place to promptly investigate reports of violations and complaints related to HIB. The investigation will be initiated by the principal or the principal's designee within one day of the report of the incident and shall be conducted by the school anti-‐bullying specialist. The principal may appoint additional personnel to assist in the investigation.
**Please refer to this website for information re: Anti-Bullying: legislation, definitions, consequences, procedures, etc.