Code of Conduct

The intent of the Ripple Rock Elementary code of conduct is to establish guidelines for acceptable conduct to maintain a safe, caring, and orderly environment conducive for learning. All students are subject to the school's code of conduct while on school premises and during school activities off of school grounds.

Ripple Rock’s code of conduct is established to maintain a safe, caring and respectful environment for our entire learning community.

Our core values are directly linked to our code of conduct. These core values are the central beliefs deeply understood and shared by all members (students, parents and staff) of our school. Every day, all members of the Ripple Rock learning community strive to achieve the core values and maintain the code of conduct of our school. At Ripple Rock we are creating a learning community….

• that is emotionally and physically SAFE
  “We believe it is essential that all learners feel emotionally and physically safe”.
• where LEARNING is at the center of all we do.
   “We believe that learning is an active, inclusive process that ensures success for all learners.”
• where CARING AND RESPECT for all members of the learning community is fundamental to our work together.
   “We believe that a safe, caring and respectful community values communication, celebrates diversity and builds nurturing relationships between all members.”

It is these core values that provide the basis of our code of conduct and that provide our students, parents and staff with the vision of what we wish to achieve at Ripple Rock. Our core values guide the behaviour of everyone; they focus our energy and are the anchor point for all our plans and decisions.

All members of the Ripple Rock learning community are expected to follow our code of conduct. This helps us maintain an orderly environment for purposeful learning. The code of conduct also helps establish and maintain appropriate balances among individual and collective rights, freedoms and responsibilities.

The code of conduct clarifies our expectations for student behaviour while at school, while going to and from school, while attending any school function or activity at any location, as well as any other behaviour which has an impact on the safe, caring and orderly environment of the school.

Conduct Expectations

Acceptable conduct

How students are expected to conduct themselves:

• respecting self, others and the school
• helping to make the school a safe, caring and orderly place
• informing a “tellable” adult, in a timely manner (in advance, if possible) of incidents of unsafe, dangerous behaviours, bullying, harassment or intimidation
• engaging in purposeful learning activities in a timely manner
• acting in a manner that brings credit to the school

Unacceptable conduct

These are a few examples of unacceptable behaviours:
(Note: This is not an all-inclusive list.)

• behaviors that:
  • are contrary to the school’s core values, rules and/or Board policies
  • interfere with the learning of others
  • interfere with an orderly environment
  • create unsafe conditions 

• acts of:
  • bullying, cyber-bullying, harassment or intimidation
  • physical violence
  • retribution against a person who has reported incidents
  • discrimination contrary to the Human Rights Code (grounds for discrimination under section 7 & 8 of the Human Rights Code are; race, color, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, gender, sexual orientation, age)
• illegal acts, such as:
  • possession, use or distribution of illegal or restricted substances (including alcohol)
  • possession or use of weapons
  • theft of or damage to property
  • inappropriate use of the school computers

Rising Expectations

At Ripple Rock we believe as our students become older, more mature and move through successive grades, that we can expect increasing personal responsibility and self-discipline. Consequences for inappropriate behaviour will be determined on an individual basis according to circumstances, maturity and age. Standards

Interventions

At Ripple Rock, the responses to unacceptable conduct are consistent and fair for all students. The severity and frequency of unacceptable conduct, the nature of the misconduct, as well as the age and maturity of students is considered in determining appropriate disciplinary action or intervention. In some cases interventions will be identified in a student’s individualized education plan (IEP). In cases where students with special needs are unable to comply with the code of conduct, whereby their behaviour results in serious or repeated misconduct, students may require time away from school until an approved safety plan has been developed. Attempts will be made to consult with parents in the development of this plan.

For example:

• responses to unacceptable conduct are pre-planned, consistent and fair
• disciplinary action, wherever possible, is preventative and restorative, rather than merely punitive
• students and/or parents, as often as possible, are encouraged to participate in the development of meaningful interventions for violations of the established code of conduct
• suspension or time away from school, may be used as an intervention after repeated or severe misbehaviors

Notification

Our school personnel will advise other parties of serious breaches of the code of conduct.

For example:

• parents of student offender(s) – in every instance
• parents of student victim(s) – in every instance
• school district officials – in the judgment of the school principal
• police and/or other agencies – as required by law
• all parents – when deemed to be important to reassure members of the school community that school officials are aware of a serious situation or incident and are taking appropriate action to address it