Student Code of Conduct

Guiding Statements

Vision : Your best self for a better world

Mission : We are an inclusive and caring community that embraces diversity. We nurture inquiry, integrity, and innovation to prepare for future challenges.

[DEIB Statement TBD]:

Behavioral Expectations

At ASA, we believe in creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment where every member of our community can thrive. Our commitment to "Your best self for a better world" means we have zero tolerance for behaviors that diminish the dignity, safety, or well-being of any member of our school community. Behavior that disrupts the learning environment or prevents any student from fully engaging in their education has no place at ASA. We understand that every student has the right to learn without fear or distraction, and we are committed to protecting that right. We are all responsible for creating an environment where differences are celebrated, kindness prevails, and everyone feels valued, secure and empowered to learn.

These expectations are in place to foster a safe and inclusive learning environment. Inappropriate behaviors that do not support a positive learning environment will be taken seriously and addressed through a range of supportive and disciplinary measures, as needed. Disciplinary actions will be thoughtfully taken in an attempt to promote student safety and well-being, as well as to help change and improve behavior.

Bullying

Bullying is a pattern of unwanted, aggressive behavior that repeatedly targets one person or group by another person or group who have or are perceived to have more power. This power imbalance can come from physical strength, social status, access to embarrassing information, or other advantages. The behavior is intentional, meaning it is deliberate and meant to cause harm rather than accidental, and can take many forms, including physical, verbal, social, or digital actions.

For behavior to be considered bullying, it must be repeated or have the clear potential to be repeated over time. It can occur on or off school grounds, during or outside school hours, and can be carried out by an individual or a group. This is distinct from normal peer conflict, such as a single disagreement between equals, mutual conflicts without a power imbalance, one-time incidents of meanness, or occasional teasing between friends. What sets bullying apart is the harmful combination of intentional aggression, a power imbalance, and repetition or the threat of repetition.

Types of Bullying

BULLYING IS NOT:

A mutual conflict or disagreement between students without a power imbalance. Both parties are usually upset and want to resolve the problem.
Social rejection or dislike, unless it's directed towards a specific person with repeated attempts to cause distress, exclude or make others dislike them.
Single episodes of meanness, nastiness or aggression, rather than a pattern of behavior.
Occasional teasing between people with a good, equal relationship, as it's not meant to be aggressive.

REPORTING INCIDENTS

All members of the ASA community have a responsibility to report bullying when they witness it or become aware of it. Staff members who observe or receive reports of bullying behavior must take immediate action to stop the behavior if possible and must report all incidents to the appropriate administrator within 24 hours using the Incident Tracking Form. Any student, parent, or community member who witnesses bullying or has reliable information that bullying has occurred is strongly encouraged to report the incident to a trusted adult at school. Bystanders have a crucial role in preventing bullying - choosing to remain silent when witnessing bullying makes one complicit in the behavior. The school will take all reports seriously, thoroughly investigate, and handle them with appropriate confidentiality. No individual will face retaliation for making a good-faith report of bullying behavior, and any act of retaliation for reporting bullying will itself be treated as a serious disciplinary matter.

When an incident is reported, we will:

Document all relevant details
Maintain confidentiality and respect privacy as much as possible.
Provide support to all students involved so they feel heard and not alone.
Follow up with the reporter and monitor the situation to ensure the inappropriate behavior has stopped.

Responses to inappropriate behaviors

The table below outlines common behaviors disrupts the learning environment or prevents another student from fully engaging in their education and possible responses to these inappropriate behaviors.

Conclusion

The school will respond to inappropriate behavior in a manner that is appropriate to the offense, the student’s age, past behavior, and the specific circumstances. The school will also address incidents that occur outside of school when it impacts the school experience, academically or socially, for individuals or the community. Our goal is to promote student safety and wellbeing, while also helping to change and improve the student's behavior.

The behaviors listed above are only some examples. The school reserves the right to extend this list and decide which tier the behavior falls into. In addition, school counselors may be used to support students involving any or all Tier 1, 2, or 3 behaviors. School counselors may be consulted to seek best practices for children's social and emotional development.

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