~Preamble~
We, the People of Avalon, in order to provide for a safe and productive learning environment, promote the obtaining and usage of knowledge for the benefit of those around us, and ensure general happiness, do ordain and establish this constitution for Avalon High School.
~Article I~ The Legislative Branch
Section I.
All Legislative power herein shall be vested in a Congress of Avalon, which shall consist solely of that group of officials.
Section II. Congress: Organization and Powers of Impeachment
- Congress made of any person choosing to take part.
- Any person attending may vote, regardless of prior attendance. The only reason a person would not be allowed to vote is if that person were removed from Congress.
- For a person to be removed there must be a majority vote in favor of removing that person. Length of removal will be judged by remaining Congress members. If a person is removed three times, that person is no longer allowed to take part in Congress.
- No representative shall hold a position of higher power within the Congress, therefore, there shall be no Speaker of the House, nor any similar position.
Section III. Meetings Of Congress
Meetings shall be held on a weekly basis, at whatever time is found most convenient by the members of Congress (if there is free attendance we need a set time).
Section IV. Rules Of Procedure
Minutes must be recorded at every meeting. The Person that records minutes at one meeting leads at the next.
Section V. Privileges and Limitations
- Representatives of Congress shall be compensated with credit, and by no other means.
- For a Congress member who has been removed three times to be reinstated, that member must first go through mediation, as well as be approved by Congress.
Section VI. Procedure for passing bills, executive veto
- Congress is charged with passing bills.
- Any member of the school may propose a bill to the Legislative body, whether they are a student or a staff member.
- A bill must pass through congress with a majority, after which it must be passed through the Executive branch, also with a majority vote.
- For a bill to be vetoed there must be a majority vote within the Executive branch in favor of such a veto.
- A bill may not be re-proposed for three weeks.
Section VII. Powers delegated to congress
- The Representatives of the student body shall report all meeting information to their peers.
- Congress may make, modify, or disband any law applying to students or the student/advisor relationship so long as it is not unconstitutional or against any higher-level laws.
- Congress reserves the right to declare emergency or follow up meetings that are not scheduled.
- Congress may form committees to organize, control, and lead any and all social events, including but not limited to the All School Meetings, Presentation Nights, Public Relations Tours, School Dances, and other events called to order.
Section VIII. Powers denied to congress
- Congress may not override decisions made by higher-level laws, including, but not limited to the School Board, School District, Minnesota Government, or US Federal Law.
- Congress may not be involved in or perform any disciplinary actions, as those are reserved for the Mediators.
- Congress may not override the Executive veto.
- Congress may not place restrictions on other branches of Government.
~Article II~ The Judiciary branch
Section I Division of branch, tenure of office
- The Judiciary branch of Avalon should consist of the Mediation Council.
- The Mediation Council will consist of Peer Mediators as well the Circle Process Group.
- Any student who attends the mediation training may be a Mediator.
- Mediators will facilitate communication to resolve individual student/student issues or student/staff issues.
- There will be a minimum of three trained Peer Mediators.
- The Circle Process Group will address school issues through a Talking Circle and bring resolutions to Congress.
Section II Jurisdiction
- The Judicial Branch will be committed to Restorative Justice.
- The Judicial Branch will handle all cases that are not in violation of higher laws.
~Article III~ Executive branch
Section I
- The Avalon Staff shall form the Executive Branch.
- The executive branch shall be responsible for upholding all higher laws.
- The Executive Branch is permitted to veto laws made by Congress.
- It is the responsibility of the Executive Branch to enforce the laws.
~Article IV~ Governing Body
Avalon School guarantees all students that it is a Democratic single party government, and will follow all procedures as such.
~Article V~
Amendment Procedures
Any member of the school may propose an amendment or bill, whether they are students or staff, to the Legislative Branch.
All proposed amendments to the Constitution must first be passed by a majority of the Executive Branch.
After the approval by the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch will present the proposed amendment to the Avalon Community in an all school meeting. All amendments to the Constitution must be passed by a majority of the Avalon School community in a simple vote.
~FIRST AMENDMENT~
BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Every person has the right to bring someone to mediation.
2. Every person has the responsibility to attend mediation when asked at a reasonable time.
3. Every person has the right to be treated with respect and dignity.
4. Every person has the responsibility to treat others with respect and dignity.
5. Every person has the right to his or her own personal space.
6. Every person has the responsibility to respect other people’s personal space.
7. Every person has the right and responsibility to try.
8. Every person has the right to ask why.
9. Every person has the responsibility to question themselves and their actions in times of duress.
10. Every person has the right to speak and communicate his or her views as long as they are respectful to others.
11. Every person has the responsibility to listen at all times to whoever is speaking.
12. Every person has the right and responsibility to be involved and participate here at Avalon High School.
Avalon Laws
Law 001: Sex Ed
(2002)
Be it enacted that Avalon will provide a sexual education seminar two times each year. The seminars shall:
a. Be one block long.
b. Be exclusively on sexual education.
c. Address relationships, personal values, birth control options, pregnancy
options, sexually transmitted infections, sexual health rights, sexual abuse, sexual abuse rights, and sexual orientation.
This requirement would facilitate Avalon students’ access to information on sexual health so that they can make informed decisions on sexual issues.
d. for graduation standards
e. meet two times a week
Law 002: Mandatory Advisory Cleaning Period
(2003)
This bill proposes that:
1. There will be one set and repeating period of time in which each advisory will remain in the advisory and clean their respective learning areas.
2. A clean area will be defined as:
· Void of all unnecessary rubbish (bottles, cans, scraps of paper, etc.), both on and under desks.
· Being or having the appearance of being neat and organized (books in a pile, no loose papers, etc)
· Furthermore, if any rubbish receptacles exist in the advisory, a designated person or volunteer will dump said receptacle into one of the larger bins in the cafe´.
3. Students and advisors will take care to ensure that during the cleaning period, all recyclable materials will be placed into their proper receptacles.
4. The said period of time may not be more frequent than once a week.
5. The said period of time may not be shorter than a quarter-hour.
6. The preferred period of time will be during advisory time.
7. Both advisors and students will take part in the cleaning.
8. For Advisory credit, if students don’t clean during that time, they do not receive credit for that time.
Law 004-Moment of Silence
(2005)
We have voted to no longer have a moment of silence at the end of the Monday morning meetings. The vote came out 16-14 in favor.—Avalon School Board Approved.
Law 005- Comfort Committee
(2005)
Avalon students have shown significant need for a comfortable meeting area. The Congress Comfort Committee would like to request the permission of the Avalon staff to allow us to bring two to three medium sized cushioned chairs (as seen in photo or smaller) and a small coffee table to provide a more comfy and welcoming place to work in the back of the café to be used by the students and staff with one person per chair. Monitoring the students’ activities will be simpler in this location, and since there will be chairs rather than couches problems faced in previous years will not be an issue.
Law 006- Circle Disciplinary Action
(2005)
This bill is to insure that circle guidelines will be respected and followed. Student will be given one warning by the facilitator or can be suggested by another student. The second warning will result in the student being asked to leave that circle meeting. This decision will be made by the facilitator but can be later discussed if it was seen as unacceptable. If so, it will not count as one of the student’s three dismissals. After being asked to leave three circles, the group will vote to decide if the student may return. ¾ opinion will decide this for the rest of that school year. If the student is allowed to return and another incident occurs, another vote will take place. This will happen for each situation that may follow.
Law 007-Guardian
(2005)
When a student reaches the age of 18, given that they have parental consent given in person at a conference with the parent and advisor, they have the right to sign their own project proposals, seminar registration and seminar drop forms, and permission slips for field trips.
Law 008-Math Law
(2005)
Any senior may be use the hour here on referred to as the “math hour” (9:20 am – 10:20 am) that Avalon school has, to work on any projects. This includes their senior project, outstanding work, or any other obstacles that are threatening them from graduation. They may do this once the following guidelines are met:
Ø The student must be ahead in math by one week, which by the standards now, would be 3-4 objectives.
Ø The student must be a senior or above.
Ø The student attends school on time
Ø The student is in Algebra 2 or Pre-Calculus
Ø The student must have permission by signature from both advisor and math teacher.
If the student falls behind for whatever reason, at the advisor’s/math teacher’s discretion, this privilege will be revoked.
At any time, this privilege can be revoked at advisor’s/math teacher’s discretion.
Student will have a sheet that they must have with them, here on referred to as a “pass”. Student must have this “pass” signed, and sign it themselves. This pass will work as a regular pass does. Advisors may check it, and if the pass is lost the student will need to get another.
Ø Students may only work in their own advisory.
Ø Students must have pass with them.
Ø Students must be working during this time.
Law 009-Reading
(2005)-Amended
Students have the right to read in the café provided they have turned in their annotated bibliography for the previous block. If the student is disruptive while in the café they will no longer be allowed there for the rest of the block. Students must return to the advisory on time from lunch to be able to read outside the advisory.
Law 010-Executive Veto
(2007)
Although the Executive Branch retains the power to veto bill, the Executive Branch must provide academic or social reasons in writing to the next Congress meeting.
Law 011-Avalon Cleaning Crew
(2008)
Avalon students effective as soon as possible, will be responsible for the cleaning of the café after lunch. In order to eat lunch in the upstairs Café’ instead of the basement cafeteria, a small group of students will volunteer to clean the café daily after lunch.
With approval by the Avalon School Board, Congress has also revised the following policies in the Avalon Student Handbook:
Dress Code (2003)
Tardy Policy (2005)
Attendance Policy (2005)
Open Lunch Policy (2007)