Shutesbury Elementary School utilizes the Choose Love social emotional curriculum. This curriculum is facilitated by the school psychologist and school counselor. All students at SES have access to the school counselor or psychologist on a weekly basis during Social Emotional Curriculum implementation. All SES classrooms have a 30 minute Choose Love lesson each week. The teachings and overarching themes of the Choose Love curriculum are embedded in all parts of the culture at SES, including our monthly assemblies.
Information on the Choose Love curriculum can be found here: https://chooselovemovement.org/
Shutesbury Elementary School also infuses the best practices of PBIS ( Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) and the Zones of Regulation in its social emotional work with students.
For more information about PBIS go here: https://www.pbis.org/
For more information about Zones of Regulation go here: https://zonesofregulation.com/
Shutesbury Elementary School has 4 school wide expectations:
Choose Safety
Choose Respect
Choose Responsibility
Choose Love
Fore more information about schoolwide behavior and culture expectations, please contact the school principal, psychologist or counselor.
The team at SES will work with students and caregivers to develop supports for students displaying behavioral needs.
In the event of chronic misbehavior, conduct that is physically or verbally abusive or disruptive to the normal functioning of the school, a student will be referred to the principal for disciplinary action. After conferring with the student, the principal will inform the child’s parents and determine appropriate consequences. Such consequences may involve loss of privileges for a specified period, restitution, school or community-related service, or temporary exclusion from school. Any student suspended from school will have an opportunity for a hearing prior to such suspension.
Chapter 71, Section 37 H - MGL
“Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, all student handbooks shall contain the following provisions:
(a) Any student who is found on school premises or at school-sponsored or school-related events, including athletic games, in possession of a dangerous weapon, including but not limited to, a gun or knife; or controlled substance as defined in chapter ninety-four C, including but not limited to marijuana, cocaine, and heroine, may be subject to expulsion from the school or school district by the principal.
(b) Any student who assaults a principal, assistant principal, teacher, teacher’s aide or other educational staff on school premises or at school-sponsored or school -related events, including athletic games, may be subject to expulsion from the school or school district by the principal.
(c) Any student who is charged with a violation of either paragraph (a) or (b) shall by notified in writing of an opportunity for a hearing; provided, however, that the student may have representation, along with the opportunity to present evidence and witnesses at said hearing before the principal.
After said hearing, a principal may, in his discretion, decide to suspend rather than expel a student who has been determined by the principal to have violated either paragraph (a) or (b).
(d) Any student who has been expelled from a school district pursuant to these provisions shall have the right to appeal to the superintendent. The expelled student shall have ten days from the date of the expulsion in which to notify the superintendent of his appeal. The student has the right to counsel at a hearing before the superintendent. The subject matter of the appeal shall not be limited solely to a factual determination of whether the student has violated any provisions of this section.
(e) When a student is expelled under the provisions of this section, no school or school district within the commonwealth shall be required to admit such student or to provide
educational services to said student. If the student does apply for admission to another school or school district, the superintendent of school district to which the application is made may request and shall receive from the superintendent of the school expelling said student a written statement of the reasons for said expulsion.”
Chapter 76, Section 5 ---M.G.L.
“Every person shall have the right to attend the public schools of the town where he actually resides…. No person shall be excluded from or discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town, or in obtaining the advantages, privileges and courses of study of such public school on account of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.”