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Based on Board policies on discipline PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, November 1, 1988 -- 23 Durham schools working on behavior code One of the Ministry's goals of education states that students should be assisted with develop- ing a sense of personal respon- sibility in society and with developing values related to per- sonal, ethical or religious beliefs and to the common welfare of society. The Ministry's regulation on discipline deals with the subject in broad terms only, therefore each Durham Board of Education school must work with parents, staff and students to develop a clear code of behaviour for students, based on the Durham Board's policy on discipline. Teachers must work to main- tain discipline in individual classrooms or when they are on duty in the school or school grounds, but the Principal has the lead role in maintaining discipline overall at the school. Phil Long, Principal at Whit- by's West Lynde Public School, sends home a copy of the school's Student Behaviour Code during the first week of school with every student. It outlines the conduct expected of students and the con- sequences which will befall them if the rules are disregarded. 'As long as the consequence is a logical and fair punishment for the particular misconduct, the children accept the Behaviour Code well," says Long. Most discipline cases are handl- ed in the classroom by the teacher, but, if necessary, Mr. Long becomes involved. He's IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ... -- high taxation -- proper land use and development -- preserving a quality, rural way of life IN BROCK TOWNSHIP VOTE NOVEMBER 14th never had to suspend a child; usually withholding a child's recess privileges is enough to set her or him straight. Misconduct in elementary schools, especially in the early grades, is less common than in the secondary schools, although the older elementary students occasionally become in- volved in more aggressive ac- tivities such as fighting, swearing or being generally disruptive. ""The parents are usually very supportive of the school's need to discipline their child," says Long. "Most back us up completely and some even show their support for us by grounding the child at home for breaking the school rules." At West Lynde Public School, the three C's -- courtesy, common sense and co-operation -- are JOHN DOBLE REGIONAL COUNCILLOR RR 3, SUNDERLAND -- 357-3601 Qualified, Honest, Effective Leadership ELECT Ross St evenson * PH.D. in ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE * FORMER PARLIMENTARY ASSISTANT TO THE MINISTRY of the ENVIRONMENT * COMMITMENT TO WORK FOR A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT Ross Stevenson "A STRONG VOICE FOR DURHAM "Only with responsible action will we have clean water and air for our generation and for generations to come." stressed. By working together with the students, Mr. Long and his staff are able to work out most discipline problems without much difficulty. Secondary school life is dif- ferent. Schools tend to be much larger and the students are older and more independent. 'Nobody likes surprises," says Anderson CVI Principal Arend Dekker. "The students prefer to know ex- actly what is expected of them." He too sends home a code of con- duct with every student in the school. Grade 9 students attend a special assembly early in September for the purpose of ac- quainting them with the school's expectations. Home room teachers also discuss the code of conduct with their students. Anderson's Student Guide sets out rules for everything from use of the school's parking lot to behavious on a school bus. Most students have excellent self- discipline by the time they reach secondary school, but some students still need more help. At ages 14-19, they are young adults and should be treated as such. Punctuality, regular attendance, co-operation and good work habits are stressed at Anderson. Most discipline situations arise in these areas. "Initially, if there is a problem, the student is counselled by the teacher,"" says Dekker. 'Ad- ministrators become involved if this approach fails and the pro- blem persists."' Detentions are often the next step. In most cases the parents are contacted by either the teacher or school ad- ministrative staff to help decide on the best way to bring about a change in their child's behaviour. Denture Therapy Clinic Mr. Dekker encourages parents to assume proper ownership of the problem and co-operate with the school by showing support for the school's actions and by assisting with solving the problem. Suspension, a far more serious consequence, is allowed and pro- vided for under the Education Act. Suspensions come into play when students fight, destroy school property maliciously, become involved with drugs or alcohol, use abusive and profane language with staff, persist in be- ing truant, and show persistent opposition to authority. The Prin- cipal can suspend a student for up to ten days for the above infrac- tions. In the case of substance abuse-related infractions, the suspension can be twenty to for- ty days depending on the nature of the incident. "The attitude of parents is ex- tremely important when it comes to effective student discipline," says Dekker. Parents are very supportive of the school in discipline-related matters. For discipline with students to be ef- fective, it must be a shared responsiblity. The home and the school must be supportive of one another. Dekker concludes by saying that most students accept and support the school's rules and firm discipline procedures as long as they are fair and applied in a consistent manner. All Durham Board of Education schools are striving to ensure that student discipline, a natural ex- tension of the whole education process, helps students to develop a strong sense of responsibility for their actions...in short, to become 'good citizens. 1330 Ritson Rd. N., (Ritson at Taunton) Oshawa, Ont. 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