(mis)Behaviors

Middle School students are models for younger students' behavior.

Therefore, older students can have a dramatic impact on setting examples for positive behavior, and against negative behavior, in such areas as:

Profanity and Obscenity

Obscene material and profane language are unacceptable, in any school environment.

Fighting

There is a fine line between "rough-housing", which has gone out of control, and a premeditated fight. It is understood that disagreements between students can escalate to physical violence, but it is Old Trail's objective to help students learn to settle differences peacefully. Even the threat of violence ("If you don't do this, I'll...") is, in itself, psychological violence and will not be tolerated.

Private Property

We all enjoy the luxury of being able to bring a calculator, camera, skis, or any other needed valuable to school, knowing that the welfare of that valuable will not be jeopardized. This is a tradition that is actively promoted, and valued, at Old Trail. Each of us should have pride in ourselves, and our possessions, and feel that whatever we have at school is protected from abuse and theft. Likewise, Old Trail, the facility, must be respected as private property that we all share.

By the same token, we all appreciate a modicum of virtual privacy that can be violated by using cameras, camera phones, and video and audio recorders. Certainly these tools are useful devices that can enhance student production and learning. It is understood that no one, be it teacher, student or any other member of the larger community will be photographed or recorded without express permission. In addition, if images or recordings are intended for use and potential propagation on the Internet, it is expected that additional disclosure and express permission for such specific distribution (like youtube.com) be understood and granted. No one should ever be surprised to see their visage or words on the internet. If that happens, the School will be diligent about discovering the origin, and with a student’s parents, take appropriate action.

Stealing

Taking another person's things, even as a prank, can and should be perceived as stealing. Whether it is a pencil, textbook, calculator, i-pod, thumb drive, or phone, the "borrowing", without the owner's permission, is not borrowing.

To avoid confusion, every article (textbooks, notebooks, calculators, gym uniforms, bathing suits, towels, lunch bags, articles of clothing, etc.) should have the student’s name marked clearly and indelibly in a prominent place. In the front of school owned texts, a space is provided to write a student's name, in ink, and note the condition of the book.

To further avoid temptation, and confusion, valuables and large sums of money should be left at home or entrusted to a teacher, advisor, secretary or administrator.

Cheating

The Consequences of academic dishonesty can severely impede student learning and well-being. At risk is the trust and respect of parents, peers, teachers and self—one’s very integrity. Cheating jeopardizes important measures of student success more than it helps to earn better grades.

Cheating is perceived as stealing something that doesn't belong to you; whether it is the ideas of another that are plagiarized, someone's homework, a test, quiz, or notes. Students involved in cheating, whether they be the givers or takers, automatically forfeit the work on which they are cheating (or even suspected of cheating). The teacher, in consultation with the Division Director, may assign a retest, if appropriate; but, the work on which a student cheated will count as a zero. Parents will be notified and appropriate punishment assigned.

Drugs / Alcohol / Cigarettes (Tobacco) / Weapons

Under no circumstances should students be taking any medication without notification of the Nurse or Division Director.

Any illegal substances, be they drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, will subject a student to suspension and possible expulsion.

Knives, or any other potentially lethal weapons brought to school, will also subject a student to suspension or expulsion. Other hardware that is engineered and invented to throw a projectile, harm another person, or damage property, is not appropriate at school. Matches, lighters, fireworks, or drug paraphernalia are also prohibited.

Hate Speech

A student who uses language that is unsupportive of a community member's identity violates not only the other child, but also our school's core values. Use of this language will result in disciplinary action. Examples of hate speech include any identity-targeted language, racist slurs, gender-biased slurs, ethnic slurs and homophobic language.

Hazing

Hazing is a deliberate act of harassment, which is characterized by unnecessary ridicule or criticism, and is oftentimes initiated within a community of peers, to which another student may be seeking to impress or gain acceptance. Behavior that is perceived as hazing will be challenged as such, and cannot be tolerated in any school community.

Teasing and Bullying

Old Trail School is committed to naming, studying, and discussing bullying in a deliberate manner with all children, not just the bully or his/her targets. It is understood that middle school students have an especially difficult challenge in making the subtle distinction between age appropriate joking and fooling around, and crossing the line into more destructive and anti-social teasing, bullying and harassing. The School considers bullying as misbehavior that needs to be addressed as a matter of social justice. Bullying deprives students of their rightful entitlement to go to school in a safe, just, and caring environment; bullying interferes with children’s learning, concentration, and desire to go to school. The School has no tolerance for the code of silence that often protects bullies, and challenges those who witness bullying behavior with the responsibility to inform adults. To involve compassionate adults in knowing about bullies is the most expedient and courageous way for bystanders to help solve these student disputes, and rescue the target (and the bully). So too, the School considers willful silent bystanders to be complicit in the cowardly act of bullying. Bullying need not be physical; but is any deliberate social act, physical, verbal or even non-verbal, that makes the recipient feel unsafe, excluded, or different.

Cyber-bullying

Social Networking, texting and e-mail are all new communication technologies in which students have varying levels of exposure and autonomy. Social networking sites like Facebook require users to declare they are 13 years old, because the law insists that parents be informed and involved with people younger than thirteen. The School encourages parents to abide by this threshold. Upon allowing a 13 year-old to establish an account, parents are encouraged to make certain that the student “friends” the parent(s), to assure optimum oversight on the home front. We know that anything stated on a social network becomes accessible to a wider audience, and in many ways is irreversible.

The School acknowledges that since our students are “classmates,” it has a role in mediating for unkindness, dishonestly or cyber-bullying, even when actions occur outside of school walls and hours. The School expects parents to support its intervention, and will deal frankly and directly with perpetrators of slander, hazing, rumor-mongering or even idle gossip. Students are discouraged from writing about acquaintances. If a student is compelled to write about a classmate or teacher, she/he should make certain only to write what one would be comfortable stating face-to-face. If one’s words cannot pass this simple test, then one should think twice about attributing a remark that is difficult or impossible to retract, to oneself.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a form of student misconduct, which compromises the learning environment, for the victims of harassment. All students should be allowed to study and learn in an environment free from unsolicited and unwelcome sexual overtures. Sexual harassment does not refer to compliments, but does refer to behavior that is not welcome, which is personally offensive, which debilitates morale, and which therefore interferes with the school performance or emotional well-being of its victims and the bystanders who witness or know of harassment. Sexual harassment may include such actions as:

• sexually oriented verbal, written or digital comments
• subtle pressure for sexual activity
• physical contact such as patting, pinching, or brushing against another's body
• demands for sexual favors

Anyone who feels targeted by sexual harassment needs to report it to a parent, teacher, advisor, or administrator. Because the school is adamant about maintaining an environment free of sexual harassment, accusations will be taken seriously. It is important that targets of harassment understand that their accusation will be acted on quickly, and may involve, as a first step, immediate parent notification and conference for the target and for the accused.

Any type of teacher to student harassment will involve employee discipline up to and including discharge.

Dishonesty (False Accusation)

The above named acts of stealing and cheating are acts of dishonesty. They unfairly place other people on the defensive and are erosive of the community that we seek to build and maintain. Just as we might acknowledge that everyone, at one time or another is dishonest, we commit to encourage and reward honesty, and discourage and correct dishonesty. Deliberately inventing a story and accusing someone else of doing something like cheating, stealing, bullying, or harassing is a lie that is directly proportional to the misbehavior of which they are accusing another. Students that make accusations should do so based solely on what they know, not on what they have heard. Students who make an unfair accusation should expect to be disciplined for the damage that such an accusation causes another and the community.

Reporting Procedure

Old Trail School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability or age in the administration of its educational programs and activities, disciplinary procedures, or athletic programs. Any student who believes he or she has been the target of harassment or discrimination by any student, faculty member, administrator, employee, volunteer or representative of the School is encouraged to report the alleged acts immediately and confidentially to the Division Director or the Head of School. Any complaints of alleged harassment or discrimination will be investigated promptly. This will be done in a confidential nature and it is a violation of law for any individual to be punished or retaliated against for truthfully reporting any harassment or discrimination.

Amanda Irwin, Primary School Director airwin@oldtrail.org 330-666-1118 extension 310

John Pintola, Intermediate School Director jpintola@oldtrail.org 330-666-1118 extension 358

David Chottiner, Middle School Director dchottiner@oldtrail.org 330-666-1118 extension 327

Sarah Johnston, Head of School sjohnston@oldtrail.org 330-666-1118 extension 304

Consequences:

Teachers, staff and administrators may issue yellow communication slips to a child’s advisor. These slips keep the advisor informed of a child’s behavior and responsibilities. They help the advisor work with the child to create an optimum learning experience for all. A slip may be issued for a minor offense (1 point) a greater offense (2 points) or a major infraction (severe clause), or may be simply marked “FYI,” for the purpose of facilitating communication. The slips are discussed with the child when they are received and the consequences are served. Points are added together as the term progresses and discarded at the end of the term. Parents are typically informed of a child's offense after a fourth point in a term, or after a incident that is deemed to be "severe."

1 point - Warning

2 points - Miss half a break

3 points - Miss a full break and reflective lunch

4 points Note home to be signed—Miss a full break & reflective lunch

5 points - Note home to be signed—Miss a full break & reflective lunch

6 points - Phone call home—Miss full recess or break & reflective lunch

7 points - Phone call home—Division Head contacted. Miss a full recess or break and reflective lunch —an optional report or service to the school may be assigned at this time

8 points - Meeting between Division Head, advisor, student, parent. A personalized behavior improvement and future consequence plan will be considered during this meeting.

• After 8 points, the student starts over in the point system. If he or she reaches 8 points again in that same term, the student serves an in-school suspension and a conference is again arranged with the parent(s), student, and advisor. The Headmaster or Division Director may be present at this conference.
• A severe clause occurs when a full 8 points is designated in one incident, or a requires a critical individualized response. Examples include cheating, biting, deliberately kicking or hitting another child in anger, bringing a weapon to school, destruction of school property, destruction of another’s property.
  • Any severe clause infraction will be dealt with immediately.
  • Parent(s) will be called to come get the child.
  • A conference with the parents, teacher, and Division Director will be held. The Headmaster may also be present.
  • Age appropriate consequences may include restorative work, detention, suspension, and/or expulsion.

Reprimand

While it is Old Trail's policy to praise students in public and reprimand them in private, the attention directed toward students, for such reprimands, creates a negative impression among a student's teachers, peers, and the student. In all but the most flagrant cases, a reprimand, with accompanying infraction slip, may well be the first disciplinary step. Chronic misbehavior that consistently warrants reprimands suggests that a parent conference is indicated.

Break and Lunch Detention

As outlined above, deserving students will serve a Break Detention in the Director's Office or an advisor's classroom from 11:55-12:20 on any school day. Students deserving a Reflective Lunch will eat lunch in an assigned classroom or office from 11:30-11:55 on any school day. In either case, students must arrive promptly, sign-in, and sit quietly until dismissed.

After-School Detention

Students required to serve After-School Detention will do so, in the back dining room on scheduled Fridays. Students are expected to sit quietly from 3:40-4:40 for this detention. Advisors, faculty and administration may invoke a "severe clause" for a variety of misbehaviors, which may include this after-school detention as part of the consequence. Parents will be notified.

Suspension

Suspending a student from school, whether as an in-school or out-of-school suspension, is reserved for the most serious offenses, (a "severe clause"), or for chronic misbehavior, as part of due process for accumulated slips. It is instituted at the request of the advisor or Division Director, in consultation with the appropriate, teacher(s), Headmaster, and parents. Suspended students are expected to keep up with their schoolwork, and may be penalized for work missed while suspended.

Expulsion

Old Trail enrolls students who are judged to be civilized and cooperative. If, as a student's enrollment progresses, he/she is unable and/or unwilling to live by the most basic rules, then, that student subjects him/herself to the possibility of being expelled. After consultation with the Head of School, Division Director, parents, student, and appropriate faculty, the Head of School may acknowledge that all other corrective avenues have been exhausted and sever ties with the student. Of course, this final step is viewed as a failure for all concerned: student, family, and school.