Valhalla Student Discipline Policy

Revised 11/18/04

Expectations

 

The Valhalla staff believes all students can behave appropriately at school. The Valhalla community stresses respect, responsibility, and resourcefulness. No student has the right to interfere with a teacher teaching or a student learning. The following three rules guide our expectations and procedures:

 

1. Be Safe

2. Be Kind

3. Be Productive

 

Parent participation and support is vital to the academic and social success of all students. The following behavior plan encourages student success and increases parent participation in that success. In order for students to learn and grow in the area of behavior the school staff, student, and families must work together in a positive team relationship.

 

Behavior Plan

 

I.                     The classroom teacher is responsible for managing behavior in the classroom.  Each teacher has classroom rules, expectations, and consequences.  In addition, there is a school-wide set of expectations developed to keep Valhalla safe, kind and productive.

II.                   Every staff member has the responsibility of helping students meet school-wide expectations.  Normal motivating and disciplinary techniques will be used to maintain student behavior.  Only uncooperative, severe or constant violations will be documented.

III.                  Students will consistently be encourage and given support to correct inappropriate

behavior.  They will be provided ample opportunities to make positive choices and clear their student record.

IV.        Consequences will be increasingly restrictive.  Increased parent involvement is the key to helping students behave at an appropriate level.

 

Valhalla Classroom Student Self Reflection Sheet

 

The Student Self Reflection Sheet will be used at Valhalla for infractions of the Discipline Plan that are not a danger to themselves or others, have not been repetitive in nature, or are not severe.  The student will be given an opportunity to use the incident to turn his/her behavior around in a positive direction.  The staff member would fill out the reason or incident and then the student would fill out the rest of the form prior to taking the form home to be signed by the student’s parent and returned to school the next day.  The teacher may contact the student’s parents to discuss the issue.

 

Valhalla Discipline Procedures

Conduct Report: The Conduct Report includes a list of specific behaviors which fail to meet behavior expectations, and are used to clarify inappropriate behavior to the student and communicate the behavior to parents.  Conduct Reports will be used for actions that have not been remedied by classroom interventions or situations where children are a danger to themselves, others, or other severe behaviors.  All supervising adults have access to Conduct Reports.  When an inappropriate behavior occurs, the Conduct Report will be explained to the student when possible, filled out, and signed by the supervising adult.  Copies will be sent to the office, the student’s teacher, and the parents by way of the student. 

 

The student takes each Conduct Report home, the parent signs it; and it is returned the next school day.  The student will lose ALL recesses if the Conduct Report is not returned signed the next school day.  The student will then go into the Solution Room to problem solve the situation and call his/her parents with an administrator or the counselor.

 

Solution Room:  The focus of our discipline plan is to help student’s problem solve negative choices and help them to make better choices in the future.  Instead of students standing on the wall when they have earned a consequence or if they fail to return a Conduct Report, they will report to the Solution Room, which will be held in the Assistant Principal’s office.  The Solution Room will also be used for completion of the S.T.O.P Problem Solving Forms and calling parents to discuss choices that they have made.

 

S.T.O.P. Problem Solving Form:  Each student who earns a Conduct Report here at Valhalla will need to take time to reflect in writing about the negative choices that he or she has made.  The student will need to complete this S.T.O.P Problem Solving Form, get the necessary signatures and then return it to school the next school day along with his/her Conduct Report.

 

Behavior Summary: The Behavior Summary documents the current accumulated standing of each student and is maintained by the Assistant Principal and Principal.  Student Conduct Reports are recorded on the Behavior Summary.  Students are taken off the Behavior Summary at the end of each trimester.  Students will have a fresh start in the area of behavior at the beginning each trimester

 

Level I - First Conduct Report: This will give the student an opportunity to gain a clear understanding of expectations for school behavior.  The student’s name will be entered on the Behavior Summary, parents will be contacted, and other consequences may be assigned

 

Level II - Second Conduct Report: The Student continues to violate school rules. Parents should be concerned.  Parents will be contacted, consequences may be assigned and administrators will set up a meeting with the student and family.

 

 

Level III - Third Conduct Report: The student may lose special privileges such as special events, assemblies, field trips; room parties, intramural sports, class rewards, etc. The teacher and other supervising adults have authority to decide additional privileges that might be lost. Parents will be called to set up another parent-student-administrator meeting.  Other consequences for behavior may be assigned.

 

Level IV -  Fourth Conduct Report: Parents are welcome to spend one half day (morning or afternoon) observing their child at school.  The student continues to lose school privileges and will have consequences.  At the discretion of the school, a formal Behavior Contract may be required.  Parents will be called to set up this half day of shadowing their student. 

 

Level V - Fifth Conduct Report: One day of suspension followed by a parent re-entry conference.  Parents will be called.  The suspension day follows the fifth infraction.

 

 

Severe Behavior Clause: The Severe Behavior Clause will occur if a student significantly disrupts the learning environment; refuses to obey a reasonable request, or is a danger to self or others. Under these circumstances, the student will be removed from the classroom and/or excluded from school. The student may be suspended or expelled depending on the severity of the problem. The student will be placed at the Level II of the discipline plan upon returning to school.  Questions can be addressed to the Asst. Principal. Parents are encouraged to arrange a parent conference at any time.