The Code of Conduct identifies the four cornerstone behaviors Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Kindness along with related rules and examples of practice. All students are expected to practice these cornerstone behaviors with the support of teachers, parents and administrators. Failure to uphold the Code of Conduct will result in appropriate and consistent consequences.
Support for the Code of Conduct is expected and parents and students are asked to acknowledge their commitment in writing on the Acknowledgement of Receipt and Review of Code of Conduct form.
The Code of Conduct promotes citizenship and ethical behavior, which provide a foundation for enhanced learning and social development for all students at the Joseph Sears School.
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Rules: | Expected practices include: | |
RESPECT | 1. Show respect for school property. | a. Lockers must be maintained properly. b. School equipment must be used as directed. c. Physical environment must not be defaced. d. Destruction of school property and false fire alarms are prohibited. |
2. Show respect for all adults. | a. Student actions with fellow adults must reflect courtesy and civility. b. Students must obey adult instructions/directions. c. Insubordination, verbal abuse, and assault will not be tolerated. | |
3. Show respect for fellow students. | a. Students must keep hands, feet and objects to themselves. b. Student interactions with fellow students must reflect courtesy and civility. c. Students must use appropriate language. d. Students must have permission to use one another's possessions. e. Physical and verbal abuse, fighting, harassment, bullying, threats, or intimidation will not be tolerated. | |
4. Show respect for yourself. | a. Students must dress appropriately for all school related/sponsored functions. Student dress or appearance must not contribute to the disruption of the educational process. b. Students must give their proper name when asked by school personnel and must sit in their assigned seats within the school building. c. Students must not inappropriately display physical affection. d. Students must not use or possess drugs, alcohol, tobacco or explosive/flammable materials. Improper use of prescription medications or other substances and possession of drug-related paraphernalia is not allowed. e. Students must not use, possess, sell or distribute weapons, look-alike weapons or explosive/flammable materials. |
Rules: | Expected practices include: | |
RESPONSIBILITY | 1. Attend school and participate as expected. | a. Come to school and all classes on time. b. Participate in an appropriate manner. c. Use calculators and other electronic equipment only as directed. |
2. Accept rules and respect authority. | a. Adhere to the rules of each classroom and all common areas inside and outside of school. b. Chewing gum is not allowed in school. c. Follow directions as given. d. Food and candy are not allowed in class without teacher approval. | |
3. Accept responsibility for your own learning. | a. Come to class with all homework completed. b. Come to school with all necessary supplies. | |
4. Be responsible for your safety and that of others. | a. Report unsafe situations to an adult immediately. b. Do not engage in any behavior that endangers your safety and/or the safety of others. c. Pagers and laser pointers are not allowed in school at any time. d. Do not use or possess alcohol, tobacco, drugs, weapons, look-alike weapons, or flammable/explosive materials. Improper use of prescription medications or other substances and possession of drug-related paraphernalia is not allowed. e. Students must not use, possess, sell or distribute weapons, look-alike weapons or explosive/flammable materials. | |
5. Accept responsibility for behavior and consequences received. |
Rules: | Expected practices include: | |
HONESTY | 1. Tell the truth. | a. Tell the whole truth, with no omissions. b. When school personnel ask for your name, answer immediately and truthfully. c. Do not deny guilt when guilty. d. Do not deny others the right to tell the truth. |
2. Do not steal. | a. Ask permission before borrowing. b. Return borrowed materials. c. All forms of stealing are prohibited. | |
3. Do not cheat. | a. Do not discuss test/quiz questions and answers with someone who has not taken the test/quiz. b. Do not take or give answers on homework. c. Do not represent others' work as your own; do not plagiarize. d. Do not cheat on tests or quizzes. | |
4. Promote honesty in others. | a. Students are expected to report to an adult gross violations of the Code of Conduct. |
Rules: | Expected practices include: | |
KINDNESS | 1. Be courteous, helpful and cooperative. | a. If you are going to share, share equitably, for example, school supplies and information. b. Do not take advantage of others, for example, by bullying, teasing and harassing. |
2. Support others with positive words and actions. | a. Be inclusive in your school interactions, for example, school birthday celebrations. b. Encourage others to do their personal best, for example, You can do it! c. Voice legitimate praise for jobs well done, for example, That was a great speech! d. Do not name call, mock, or laugh maliciously at others. | |
3. Accept both success and disappointment. | a. Practice good sportsmanship. b. Do not be boastful. c. Control your temper. |
Procedures and Consequences
Positive behavior will be reinforced on a daily basis. Students who fail to uphold the Code of Conduct will be held accountable for their actions by teachers and administrators through the application of appropriate and consistent consequences, which may be formal or informal contingent upon the nature of the misbehavior.
This practice is not designed to punish students. Rather, its intent is to focus students' attention on the primary objectives of their academic growth and appropriate conduct. This will be enforced so those students will be responsible for their own behavior and will not neglect their academic responsibilities.
Student actions and formal teacher actions will be documented and parent contact will be made. An administrative referral with subsequent action and follow-up will be made in situations when the level or frequency of misbehavior warrants.
A framework of meaningful and enforceable consequences has been established to ensure leveled, differentiated and fair responses for misbehavior. Parent contact is expected in conjunction with all formal consequences.
Consequences include conference(s) with a teacher, parent contact, formal detentions both after school and on Saturdays, parent conference(s) with appropriate staff, establishment of behavior plans, in school and out of school suspensions, disqualification from school sponsored events and activities, and expulsion as outlined in Kenilworth School District 38 Policy and the Illinois School Code. There are three forms of detentions: behavioral detentions issued for failure to uphold the Code of Conduct; homework detentions for students with work completion issues; and tardy detentions which are issued to junior high students who are tardy to class three times in one trimester.
Formal consequences will be documented on the Behavioral Consequence form, which parents are expected to sign and which must be returned the next day. In the case of detention, students are required to serve the assigned detention on the next scheduled detention day. After-school detentions are served after school and Saturday detentions are served from 9-11 a.m. Failure to report to detention or tardiness to detention will result in additional detentions.
Suspension and expulsion are serious consequences governed by the Illinois School Code and Kenilworth School District 38 policy and apply to incidents of gross disobedience or misconduct. Gross disobedience or misconduct shall include any activity or behavior, which might reasonably lead school authorities to forecast substantial disruption or material interference with school activities, whether these activities take place in the school, on the school grounds, or at a school-sponsored function. Examples of such prohibited conduct include but are not limited to: insubordination or serious verbal abuse of another student or staff member, fighting, destroying school property, use or possession of drugs, alcohol or weapons, smoking, false fire alarm, assault, bullying, threats or intimidation to students or staff and theft.
Extracurricular activities are those activities which are sponsored by The Joseph Sears School and which ordinarily occur outside the school day and include athletics, spirit club, student council and the eighth grade play. Student participation in extracurricular activities will depend upon satisfactory grades in school subjects and compliance with the Code of Conduct. For the purpose of disqualification, disqualification applies to those extracurricular activities for which students do not earn service or merit points.
Participation in all extra curricular activities is a privilege earned by students at The Joseph Sears School. Without a signed Acknowledgment of Receipt and Review of the Code of Conduct, students will be precluded from participation in extracurricular activities
Letters of recommendation will be written only if a student's behavior complies with the Code of Conduct.
The level of the consequence is dependent upon the nature and/or frequency of the misconduct.
Level I Informal Options
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Level II Formal Mandated
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Level III Formal Mandated
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Level IV Formal Mandated
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Level V Formal Mandated
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