Conduct
Guiding Principles
In alignment with our Vision of The Learner, Milford Public Schools believe in building strong community connections with our students, families, and staff. We believe that all students, staff, and families deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to providing a positive learning environment where every person feels connected and safe, and where learning is maximized. Through this work our students, their families and our staff will be responsible and invested citizens that make positive contributions to the community.
We agree that together we will:
Create an environment that is safe, accepting, understanding, empathetic, and inclusive.
Promote the physical, psychological, emotional, and social well being of all.
Promote, nurture, and protect healthy relationships amongst each other as well as members of the community.
Encourage respect, healing, reflection, and restoration in our learning communities.
Provide opportunities for staff to remain current in facilitating restorative activities.
All Milford Public Schools commit to:
1. Relationship Building
Young people who have strong relationships with their educators and the entire learning community are more likely to be engaged in their learning. Together, we work to build strong connections with learners through challenging lessons that support their growth and development. Our classrooms are interactive, engaging, and inquiry-based, with lessons that are continuously evolving and relevant to our students’ lives and experiences.
2. Learner Support
Milford Public Schools believe in helping all learners meet with success, and make positive choices in order to learn and grow from setbacks. Behavioral interventions and supports that guide students as they learn social and emotional skills, as well as develop responsible decision-making skills, are practiced in all schools. In addition, students needing assistance (academically, socially, and psychologically) are provided with appropriate supports and resources to help them be more successful.
3. Community Building and Restorative Practices
Restorative practices build stronger communities, help students understand and appreciate the impact of their actions, and restore relationships when harm has occurred. When possible, Milford Public Schools uses the principles of Restorative Practices in response to and in support of student interactions. Restorative Practices view conflict as opportunities for us to learn about the impact of our actions, develop empathy with others, and experience how to make amends.
Conduct Policies
Lost or Damaged Personal Property, (3532.3)
Off-School Misconduct, (5131.8)
Threats or Acts of Violence, (5131.21)
Weapons and Dangerous Instruments, (5131.7)
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty requires that students respect the integrity of other people’s work. Milford Public Schools students are expected to submit work that is wholly and truly their own at all times. Cheating and plagiarism are examples of academic dishonesty. Such behaviors undermine the district’s goal of excellence in education by compromising the integrity and fairness of the educational process and by interfering with the student’s learning. As a result, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in academic and/or disciplinary consequences.
Cheating is the intent to gain an unfair advantage by dishonest or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating in school-related work include, but are not limited to:
the fraudulent giving or receiving of information about the content of a quiz or test
the unauthorized use of prepared materials or items during testing (e.g. cheat sheet, notes, textbook, and/or calculator)
the unauthorized copying of another student’s homework or classwork
collaboration of any kind with any person without the teacher’s knowledge and/or consent
Plagiarism is the use of the language, ideas, evidence (data), and/or organization of another and the presentation of the material as the product of one’s own mind. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
copying, paraphrasing or summarizing from a published or unpublished source without attribution
using information obtained from a conversation and/or interview with another without attribution
using the language or organization (e.g. extensive revision by another person) without the consent of the teacher
using experimental data or hypothesis without attribution
the failure to use quotation marks, citation and/or footnotes to denote material directly quoted from another source
Milford Public Schools uses the MLA Research Handbook and Style Manual for citing sources used in research. Each student should refer to an MLA guide prior to preparing papers. MLA guides are available from the Media Specialist, or the teacher making the assignment of the paper.
Academic/Disciplinary Consequences
Teachers may choose to handle the academic honesty infractions themselves or refer them in writing to the administration. A disciplinary record regarding academic dishonesty will be maintained throughout enrollment in a school. The record, however, will not be part of the student’s transcript. The file will be destroyed upon graduation.
The consequences of a student’s involvement in an act of academic dishonesty will include items 1-4 and may include item 5 upon review by teachers and administrators.
The student will receive an automatic “zero” on the assignment or test.
The teacher or assistant principal will contact the student’s parents or guardian.
If the academic dishonesty is related to a student’s CERTO capacity, he/she will be withdrawn and will not receive credit.
If the student is a member of the National Honor Society, the advisor will initiate dismissal procedures in accordance with chapter and/or national guidelines.
If the student participates in extracurricular activities, he/she may be restricted from participation.
Parents and students will be notified of the academic honesty policy annually (through this handbook). Parents are strongly encouraged to discuss the importance of academic honesty with their son or daughter and support the district’s efforts to enforce the policy.
Assemblies
Throughout the school year, students will have the opportunity to attend various types of assemblies and programs. The success of each depends upon the audience. There are certain expectations that must be adhered to in an assembly program. Good school spirit and pride can best be shown at such times by treating those presenting an assembly program with the utmost courtesy. Remember: much time and effort went into planning, organizing and conducting the assembly or program. Please be respectful.
Good Assembly Manners
Give your complete attention to the performer.
Show your appreciation of what is presented and applaud when appropriate. Refrain from stamping your feet, whistling, rhythmic applause or shouting out. Booing is unacceptable.
Conduct yourself properly when arriving, during, and when leaving an assembly. Place your feet on the floor, not on someone else’s chair. Sit up straight.
Audience members must remember to:
Use the lavatory before the event begins
Discard any food/drink before being seated
Refrain from getting up or talking
Pay attention to all fire rules and regulations -- know where to exit should an emergency arise
Exit in an orderly manner
Closed Campus
All Milford schools have a closed campus. No student may leave the school premises during the school day without permission from an administrator. Driving off campus without permission will result in both disciplinary consequences and loss of driving privileges on campus.
Extended Detention
I. Procedures Governing Program
A. If You’re Late for Extended Detention
Assignment will be for a full duration of the detention; no partial time assignments.
Tardiness of 15 minutes or less results in after school detention (45 minutes) on the very next school day.
Tardiness of more than 15 minutes will not be allowed regardless of the reason.
1. Student will not be allowed to enter Extended Detention on that day and they will be reassigned another Extended Detention date.
B. Conduct of Attendees/Materials Allowed
Students may use books and reference materials for academic research purposes verified by note previously acquired from the teacher who assigned the project.
1. No “team” study or research will be permitted.
2. No videos or audio materials/devices may be used.
3. Students will move about only for purposes of obtaining authorized research materials and only with permission of the Extended Detention monitor.
4. All work will be done at the student’s assigned station.
C. Rules and Regulations
Students who have been assigned to an Extended Detention are expected to serve as assigned. Dates will not be rescheduled to accommodate work and other personal obligations. A student who misses a detention will be excused only with the submission of a doctor’s note upon his/her return to school on the next regularly scheduled school day.
1. All school policies and rules are in effect including, but not limited to: smoking, dress, general behavior, punctuality, food and drink (none), talking (none), sleeping (none), and language when addressing a request to the Extended Detention monitor.
2. Student must remain educationally engaged during the entire Extended Detention period. Approved activities include and are limited to: homework, research, reading of legitimate books, stories, and magazine/newspaper articles, legitimate creative writing projects, and technical or artistic drawing which is related to school or other constructive endeavors, and which can be accomplished without paints, chemicals or clean-up necessity.
II. Offenses Which May Result in Extended Detention
A. Policy Violations
1. Smoking/Vaping
2. Cutting Administrative Detention
3. Class Cutting
4. Tardiness to School
B. Behavior Offenses
1. Insubordination
2. Profanity
3. Disruptive behavior
4. Vandalism
5. Truancy
6. Violations of Dress Code
7. Presence in unauthorized area
8. Failure to sign into school when tardy
9. Gaming devices including cards, dice, etc., are not permitted in school
10. Use of electronic devices in unauthorized areas
C. Other
Any other offense deemed appropriate by an administrator.
D. Leaving School Grounds
Leaving school grounds without permission from a school administrator will result in one or more Extended Detentions or I.S.S. at the discretion of the administrator and driving privilege may be revoked.
III. Enforcement
A. Discretion to assign Extended Detention or O.S.S. lies with administration.
B. Any violation of Extended Detention rules will result in disciplinary action.
C. Missing Extended Detention will result in one (1) day I.S.S.; subsequent offenses will result in up to three (3) days I.S.S.
Emergency Drills
Emergency Preparedness Drills
Each school year, all of our 14 schools participate in emergency response drills to exercise our safety and security plan. The purpose of an emergency drill is to give students and staff the opportunity to practice what they need to do should an emergency occur. Students learn the various types of drills that are conducted in our schools, notification methods and the actions to follow in each one. Drills are conducted on a scheduled basis in accordance with all applicable laws and requirements. We also partner with our first responders for guidance and feedback regarding our drills.
Fighting
Any fighting or action that appears physically aggressive to an administrator/other staff member in this building or on school property, (including buses and bus stops), is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action, up to and including arrest, suspension, and expulsion. See Suspension and Expulsion Policy, (5114), for additional details.
Hall Passes (High School)
When a student passes from one area to another other than during the regular passing of classes, the student must have a hall pass. Any student in the hall without a pass may be assigned disciplinary consequences. A student will face disciplinary consequences if they are in an unsupervised area of the building without authorization.
Lockers/Gym Lockers
Lockers are the property of the Milford Board of Education and are loaned as a convenience to students for their clothes and books. Students are expected to keep lockers neat and clean. Defacing school lockers will result in a monetary assessment for damages or clean up. If a locker does not work, the student should notify the office instead of trying to force it open.
The combination numbers must be known only by the student. A friend should never be instructed to get things from the student’s locker; others are not to use the locker. Sharing of lockers is strictly prohibited.
The locker is not a safe; valuables should not be left in it. Students will be held responsible for personal/school property that is lost or stolen.
The principal or assistant principal may search a student’s locker under the following conditions:
There is reason to believe one or more students have contraband materials in lockers.
The suspected presence of contraband materials poses a serious threat to the maintenance of discipline and order in the school. Contraband materials include, but are not limited to, weapons, dangerous instruments, drugs and alcoholic beverages.
Lockers may be inspected if the administration has reason to suspect that materials injurious to the best interest of the school are kept on school property.
Loitering
Loitering and congregating in lavatories, hallways, and areas off limits to students is not permitted.
Messages/School Telephone Use
It is not school procedure to interrupt classroom instruction to deliver messages. Parents should not contact their children via electronic communication during the school day. Parents/guardians are urged to remind students of appointments before they come to school. Students are permitted to use the office phone during school hours, with permission of the principal or designee.
Playscape
Each elementary school has an outdoor recreational structure called a playscape. Rules to ensure the children’s safety will be discussed by the classroom teachers. Visitors should not use the playscape during school hours; its use is limited to students during these hours.
Restorative Practice
Restorative Practice involves the building of positive relationships and establishing a supportive environment that is fair, consistent, and democratic. It involves interventions when harm has happened, as well as practices that help to prevent harm and conflict by creating a sense of belonging, safety, and social responsibility within the school community. At the core, restorative practices are about building and restoring relationships. The underlying principle is that relationships are important and, when an incident occurs, the focus is on the harm caused to the relationship and subsequent repairing of that harm rather than what rule has been broken and the resulting consequence that would be imposed.
A restorative approach to conflict and wrongdoing consists in asking key questions:
1. What happened and what were you thinking at the time?
2. What have you thought about since?
3. Who has been affected by what happened and how?
4. What about this has been the hardest for you?
5. What needs to be done to make it right?
A restorative approach:
Encourages students to understand the impact of and appreciate the consequences of their actions
Provides an opportunity for those harmed by another’s actions to share their personal experience
Requires students to be accountable for their actions
Encourages respect for all concerned and develops empathy for others
Views conflict as opportunities to learn through problem solving
Students’ Rights
Students have a right to understand and discuss why certain actions have been taken or why certain policies exist. Along with this right comes the responsibility of doing so in a respectful manner. The following guidelines have been set up for student due process:
1. Any question about a grade, action, or policy of a teacher should be discussed with the teacher after school, not in the middle of class.
2. The first line of communication should be with the teacher.
3. If, after discussion, additional advice or assistance is needed, a school administrator should be contacted.
Substitutes
It is expected that students will cooperate fully with substitute teachers. Substitutes are in our buildings to continue the learning process in the absence of a regular teacher. Assignments given to students by substitutes have been prepared by their regular teacher and will be returned to their regular teacher for grading.