A. Student Rights
The district is committed to safeguarding the rights given to all students under state and federal law. In addition, to promote a safe, healthy, orderly and civil school environment, all district students have the right to:
1. Take part in all district activities on an equal basis regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender or sexual orientation or disability.
2. Present their version of the relevant events to school personnel authorized to impose a disciplinary penalty in connection with the imposition of the penalty.
3. Access school rules and, when necessary, receive an explanation of those rules from school personnel.
B. Student Responsibilities
All district students have the responsibility to:
1. Contribute to maintaining a safe and orderly school environment that is conducive to learning and to show respect to other persons and to property.
2. Treat others and themselves with respect.
3. Be familiar with and abide by all district policies, rules and regulations dealing with student conduct.
4. Attend school every day unless they are legally excused and be in class, on time, and prepared to learn.
5. Work to the best of their ability in all academic and extracurricular pursuits and strive toward their highest level of achievement possible.
6. React to direction given by teachers, administrators and other school personnel in a respectful, positive manner.
7. Work to develop mechanisms to control their anger.
8. Ask questions when they do not understand.
9. Seek help in solving problems that might lead to discipline.
10. Dress appropriately for school and school functions.
11. Accept responsibility for their actions.
12. Conduct themselves as representatives of the district when participating in or attending school-sponsored extracurricular events and to hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct, demeanor, and sportsmanship.
IV. Essential Partners
A. Parents
All parents are expected to:
1. Recognize that the education of their child(ren) is a joint responsibility of the parents and the school community.
2. Send their children to school ready to participate and learn.
3. Ensure their children attend school regularly and on time.
4. Ensure absences are excused.
5. Insist their children be dressed and groomed in a manner consistent with the student dress code.
6. Help their children understand that in a democratic society appropriate rules are required to maintain a safe, orderly environment.
7. Know school rules and help their children understand them.
8. Convey to their children a supportive attitude toward education and the district.
9. Build good relationships with teachers, other parents and their children’s friends.
10. Help their children deal effectively with peer pressure.
11. Inform school officials of changes in the home situation that may affect student conduct or performance.
12. Provide a place for study and ensure homework assignments are completed.
B. Teachers
All district teachers are expected to:
1. Maintain a climate of mutual respect and dignity, which will strengthen students’ self-concept and promote confidence to learn.
2. Be prepared to teach.
3. Demonstrate interest in teaching and concern for student achievement.
4. Know school policies and rules, and enforce them in a fair and consistent manner.
5. Communicate to students and parents:
a. Course objectives and requirements
b. Marking/grading procedures
c. Assignment deadlines
d. Expectations for students
e. Class room discipline plan.
6. Communicate regularly with students, parents and other teachers concerning growth and achievement.
C. Counseling Personnel (Psychologist/Social Worker)
1. Assist students in coping with peer pressure and emerging personal, social and emotional problems.
2. Initiate teacher/student/counselor conferences and parent/ teacher/student/counselor conferences, as necessary, as a way to resolve problems.
3. Regularly review with students their educational progress and career plans.
4. Provide information to assist students with career planning.
5. Encourage students to benefit from the curriculum and extracurricular programs.
D. Non-Teaching Staff
1. Maintain a climate of mutual respect and dignity, which will strengthen students’ self-concept and promote confidence to learn.
2. Promote a safe, orderly and stimulating school environment, supporting active teaching and learning.
3. Be prepared to work.
4. Demonstrate interest and concern for student achievement.
E. Principals
1. Promote a safe, orderly and stimulating school environment, supporting active teaching and learning.
2. Ensure that students and staff have the opportunity to communicate regularly with the principal and approach the principal for redress of grievances.
3. Evaluate on a regular basis all instructional programs.
4. Support the development of and student participation in appropriate extracurricular activities.
5. Be responsible for enforcing the code of conduct and ensuring that all cases are resolved promptly and fairly.
F. Superintendent
1. Promote a safe, orderly and stimulating school environment, supporting active teaching and learning.
2. Review with district administrators the policies of the board of education and state and federal laws relating to school operations and management.
3. Inform the board about educational trends relating to student discipline.
4. Work to create instructional programs that minimize problems of misconduct and are sensitive to student and teacher needs.
5. Work with district administrators in enforcing the code of conduct and ensuring that all cases are resolved promptly and fairly.
G. Board of Education
1. Collaborate with student, teacher, administrator, and parent organizations, school safety personnel and other school personnel to develop a code of conduct that clearly defines expectations for the conduct of students, district personnel and visitors on school property and at school functions.
2. Adopt and review at least annually the district’s code of conduct to evaluate the code’s effectiveness and the fairness and consistency of its implementation.
3. Lead by example by conducting board meetings in a professional, respectful, courteous manner.
CODE OF CONDUCT
The Board of Education expects all students to conduct themselves in an appropriate and civil manner, with proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students, district personnel and other members of the school community, and for the care of the school facilities and equipment.
The best discipline is self-imposed, and students must learn to assume and accept responsibility for their own behavior, as well as the consequences of their misbehavior.
District personnel who interact with students are expected to use disciplinary action only when necessary and to place emphasis on the students’ ability to grow in self-discipline.
The Board recognizes the need to make its expectations for student conduct while on school property or engaged in a school function specific and clear. The rules of conduct listed below are intended to do that and focus on safety and respect for the rights and property of others.
Students who will not accept responsibility for their own behavior and who violate these school rules will be required to accept the penalties for their conduct. Students may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension from school when they:
a) Engage in conduct that is disorderly. Examples of disorderly conduct include:
- Running in hallways.
- Making unreasonable noise.
- Using language or gestures that are profane, lewd, vulgar or abusive.
- Obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
- Engaging in any willful act, which disrupts the normal operation of the school community.
- Trespassing. Students are not permitted in any school building, other than the one they regularly attend, without permission from the administrator in charge of the building.
- Computers/electronic communication misuse, including any unauthorized use of computers, software, or internet/intranet account; accessing inappropriate websites; or any other violation of the district’s acceptable use policy.
- Hugging or kissing or any other physical demonstration of affection.
b) Engaging in conduct that is insubordinate. Examples of insubordinate conduct include:
- Failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators or other school employees in charge of students or otherwise demonstrating disrespect.
- Lateness for, missing or leaving school without permission.
- Skipping detention.
c) Engage in conduct that is disruptive. Examples of disruptive conduct include:Failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators or other school personnel in charge of students.
d) Engage in conduct that is violent. Examples of violent conduct include:
- Committing an act of violence (such as hitting, kicking, punching, and scratching) upon a teacher, administrator, or other school employee or attempting to do so.
- Committing an act of violence (such as hitting, kicking, punching, and scratching) upon another student, any other person, or self lawfully on school property or attempting to do so.
- Possessing a weapon. Authorized law enforcement officials are the only person permitted to have a weapon in their possession while on school property or at a school function.
- Display what appears to be a weapon.
- Threatening to use any weapon.
- Intentionally damaging or destroying the personal property of a student, teacher, administrator, other district employee or any person lawfully on school property. Including graffiti or arson.
- Intentionally damaging or destroying school district property.
e) Engage in any conduct that endangers the safety, morals, health or welfare of others. Examples of such conduct include:
- Lying to school personnel.
- Stealing the property of other students, school personnel or any other person lawfully on school property or attending a school function.
- Defamation, which includes making false or unprivileged statements or representations about an individual or identifiable group of individuals that harm the reputation of the person or the identifiable group by demeaning them.
- Discrimination, which includes the use of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability as a basis for treating another in a negative manner.
- Harassment, which includes a sufficiently severe action or a persistent, pervasive pattern of actions or statements directed at an identifiable individual or group which are intended to be or which a reasonable person would perceive as ridiculing or demeaning or any other violation of the Argyle School District’s Sexual Harassment Policy.
- Intimidation and bullying which includes engaging in actions or statements that put an individual in fear of bodily harm.
- Hazing, which includes any intentional or reckless act directed against another for the purpose of initiation into, affiliating with or maintaining membership in any school sponsored activity, organization, club or team.
- Selling, using or possessing obscene material.
- Using vulgar or abusive language, cursing or swearing.
- Smoking a cigarette, cigar, pipe or using chewing or smokeless tobacco.
- Possessing, consuming, selling, distributing or exchanging alcoholic beverages or illegal sub-stances, or being under the influence of either. “Illegal substances” include, but are not limited to, inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, LSD, PCP, amphetamines, heroin, steroids, look-alike drugs, and any substances commonly referred to as “designer drugs.”
- Inappropriately using or sharing prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
- Gambling.
- Indecent exposure, that is, exposure to sight of the private parts of the body in a lewd or indecent manner.
- Initiating a report warning of fire or other catastrophe without valid cause, misuse of 911, or discharging a fire extinguisher.
f) Engage in misconduct while on a school bus. It is crucial for students to behave appropriately while riding on district buses to ensure their safety and that of other passengers and to avoid distracting the bus driver. Students are required to conduct themselves on the bus in a manner consistent with established standards for classroom behavior. Excessive noise, pushing, shoving and fighting and harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.
g) Engage in any form of academic misconduct. Examples of academic misconduct include:
- Plagiarism.
- Cheating.
- Copying.
- Altering records.
- Assisting another student in any of the above actions.
Reporting Violations
All students are expected to promptly report violations of the code of conduct to a teacher, guidance counselor, the building principal or his or her designee. Any student observing
a student possessing a weapon, alcohol or illegal substance on school property or at a school function shall report this information immediately to a teacher, the building principal, the principal’s designee or the superintendent.
All district staff who are authorized to impose disciplinary sanctions are expected to do so in a prompt, fair and lawful manner. District staff who are not authorized to impose disciplinary sanctions are expected to promptly report violations of the code of conduct to their supervisor, who shall in turn impose an appropriate disciplinary sanction, if so authorized, or refer the matter to a staff member who is authorized to impose an appropriate sanction.
Any weapon, alcohol or illegal substance found shall be confiscated immediately, if possible, followed by notification to the parent of the student involved and the appropriate disciplinary sanction if warranted, which may include permanent suspension and referral for prosecution.
h) Engage in any form of harassment or discrimation. Harassment and
discrimination of any student while on school grounds or at a school-sponsored
activity are strictly prohibited. Examples of discrimination and harassment
include, but are not limited to verbal threats, intimidation, bullying, taunting,
and excluding others based on their actual or perceived race, color, weight,
national origin, ethnic group, religion or religious practice, disability, sexual
orientation or gender.
Students who fail to act in a respectful and civil manner toward others while on
school property or at a school-sponsored function will be subject to disciplinary
action. Consequences will be assigned according to the District Code of
Conduct. Any student who feels he/she has been the victim of harassment or
discrimination should report the incident to a school administrator/Dignity
Act Coordinator.
The Dignity Act Coordinator will be appointed yearly. This person will be
thoroughly trained to address human relations in the areas of race, color,
weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion or religious practice, disability,
sexual orientation or gender. The Dignity Act Coordinator will be accessible
to students and staff members. Students and staff members who witness
incidents of harassment or discrimination have the responsibility to report the
incidents without fear of retribution.