Behaviour

A school should be a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility, and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment.  A positive school climate exists when all members of the school community feel safe, comfortable, and accepted.  All students, parents, teachers, and staff members have the right to be safe, and to feel safe, in their school community. With this right comes the responsibility to contribute to a positive school climate.

Respect, Civility & Responsible Citizenship

All members of the school community must:

* respect and comply with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws;
* demonstrate honesty and integrity;
* respect differences in people, their ideas and opinions;
* treat one another with dignity and respect at all times, and especially when there is disagreement;
* respect and treat others fairly, regardless of, for example, race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability;
* respect the rights of others;
* show proper care and regard for school property and the property of others;
* take appropriate measures to help those in need;
* respect all members of the school community, especially persons in positions of authority;
* respect the need of others to work in an environment that is conducive to learning and teaching;
* seek assistance from a member of the school staff, if necessary, to resolve conflict peacefully;
* not swear at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority.

Safety

All members of the school community must not:

* be in possession of any weapon, including firearms;
* cause injury to any person with an object;
* use any object to threaten or intimidate another person; not be in possession of, or under the influence of, or provide others with, alcohol or illegal drugs;
* inflict or encourage others to inflict bodily harm on another person; engage in bullying behaviours;
* commit sexual assault;
* traffic weapons or illegal drugs;
* give alcohol to a minor;
* commit robbery;
* engage in hate propaganda and other forms of behaviour motivated by hate or bias;
* commit an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property or to property located on the premises of the school.

Suspension  Infractions

When a principal’s investigation of an incident, which should include consultation with the adult student or the student’s parent/guardian and student, determines that a student has committed one or more infractions outlined below on school property, during a school-related activity or event, and/or in circumstances where the infraction has an impact on the school climate, a principal will consider whether that student should be suspended, taking into account any mitigating and other factors that might be applicable in the circumstances.

The principal will also contact the police consistent with the Police and School Response Protocol if the infraction the student is suspected of committing requires such contact.  When in doubt, the principal will consult with his or her Superintendent.

The infractions for which a suspension may be imposed by the principal include:

1. Uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person;
2. Possessing alcohol, illegal and/or restricted drugs;
3. Being under the influence of alcohol, illegal and/or restricted drugs;
4. Swearing at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority;
5. Committing an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property at the student’s school or to property located on the premises of the student’s school;
6. Persistent truancy;
7. Habitual neglect of duty;
8. Use of profane vulgar, or improper language;
9. Bullying;
10. Conduct injurious to the moral tone of the school;
11. Persistent opposition to authority,
12. Conduct injurious to the physical or mental well-being of any member of the school community,

Any act considered by the principal to be contrary to the Board or school Code of Conduct.

A student may be suspended only once for any one instance of an infraction and may be suspended for a minimum of one (1) school day and a maximum of twenty (20) school days.

Expulsion Infractions

Expulsion is the removal of a student by the Board from the regular services of the Board for reasons as set out in the Education Act and by the Expulsion Policy of the Niagara Catholic District School Board. Principals may recommend to the Committee of the Board expulsions of students from their schools.

When a principal has reasonable grounds to believe that a student has committed one or more infractions outlined below on school property, during a school-related activity or event, and/or in circumstances where the infraction has an impact on the school climate, the principal will suspend the student. The principal will also contact the police consistent with the Police and School Response Protocol if the infraction the student is suspected of committing requires such contact.  When in doubt, the principal will consult with his or her Superintendent.

The enumerated activities are:

1. Possessing a weapon, including possessing a firearm;
2. Using a weapon to cause or to threaten bodily harm to another person;
3. Committing physical assault on another person that causes bodily harm requiring treatment by a medical practitioner;
4. Committing sexual assault;
5. Trafficking in weapons, illegal and/or restricted drugs;
6. Committing robbery;
7. Giving alcohol to a minor;
8. A pattern of behaviour that is so inappropriate that the student's continued presence is injurious to the effective learning and/or working environment of others;
9. Activities engaged in by the student on or off school property that cause the student's continuing presence in the school to create an unacceptable risk to the physical or mental well-being of other person(s) in the school or Board;
10. Activities engaged in by the student on or off school property that have caused extensive damage to the property of the Board or to goods that are/were on Board property;
11. The student has demonstrated through a pattern of behaviour that s/he has not prospered by the instruction available to him or her and that s/he is persistently resistant to making changes in behaviour which would enable him or her to prosper; or
12. Any act considered by the principal to be a serious violation of the Board or school Code of Conduct.

Bullying Prevention and Intervention

Bullying is typically a form of repeated, persistent, aggressive behaviour that is directed at an individual and is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear, distress and /or harm to another person’s body, feelings, self-esteem, or reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is real or perceived power imbalance.

Bullying has been identified as a widespread problem with serious implications for students, schools, and the entire community.

Bullying is predominantly a learned behaviour, which must be addressed by teaching students to build positive relationships, and develop effective communication strategies. Educators will endeavour to create opportunities to model and encourage behaviours and interactions that help create a classroom and positive school climate.

Bullying will not be accepted on school property, at school-related activities, on school buses, or in any other circumstances where engaging in bullying will have a negative impact on the school climate.
 

Positive School Climate

A positive school climate exists when all members of the school community feel safe, comfortable, and accepted. To help achieve a positive school environment in their schools, the Niagara Catholic District School Board and its schools will actively promote and support positive behaviours that reflect their catholic gospel values. They should also endeavour to ensure that parents and members of the broader community are involved in the school community.
 

The Niagara Catholic District School Board and its schools will actively promote a positive school climate in their Schools. The following are some characteristics of a positive school climate:

* Students and staff feel safe and are safe.
* Healthy and inclusionary relationships are promoted.
* Students are encouraged to be positive leaders in their school community
* All partners are actively engaged
* Bully prevention messages are reinforced through programs addressing discrimination based on such factors as age, race, sexual orientation, gender, faith, disability, ethnicity, and socio-economic disadvantage.

Improvement of learning outcomes for all students is emphasized.
 

Bullying may include but is not limited to:
 
Verbal, Physical, Name-Calling/Put Downs, Hitting, Insults, Kicking, Racist Comments, Spitting, Harassment, Pushing, Sexist Comments, Inappropriate Gestures, Teasing/Taunting, Tripping, Threatening /Extortion, Stealing, Social/Emotional, Technological, Relational Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Manipulating Friendships, Internet Misuse, Gossip, Text Messages, Exclusion, Digital Photos, Intimidation, Chat Lines, Written Notes, Websites, Making False Statements, Telephone (3 Way Calling)

In recognition of the importance of addressing bullying, which can have a significant impact on student safety, learning, and the school climate, bullying has been added to the list of infractions for which suspension must be considered.

Prevention and Intervention Strategies

1. Niagara Catholic Schools and Staff are expected to:

* provide a safe, caring, and supportive environment that upholds our Gospel values and encourages positive relationships between students, staff and parent.
* emphasize intervention strategies that are preventative in nature.
* model appropriate language and actions for students.
* increase awareness and understanding of the dynamics of bullying and develop a school-wide plan.
* maintain an environment where bullying will be addressed age appropriately in a manner characterized by respect, responsibility and civility.
* use resources that will assist in developing age-appropriate conflict resolution skills, social skills, positive relationships, and discourage bullying as unacceptable behaviours.
* encourage students to report incidents of bullying; and support, monitor and act upon all reported incidents, to ensure the safety of all students.
* recognize that some bullying behaviours may be more serious and may require more comprehensive intervention.
* keep open lines of communication between the home, school parish, and community members.

2. Students are expected to:

* promote a safe, caring and positive environment for all by developing an awareness of bullying issues.
* refuse to bully others or to be a bystander to acts of bullying.
* report all acts of bullying that they may experience or observe to appropriate school personnel for assistance.
* assist and co-operate in the implementation of school-wide bully prevention initiatives.

3. Parents/Visitors/Community Members are expected to:

* promote a safe, caring and positive environment for all by developing an awareness of bullying issues.
* inform the school if bullying is suspected.
* encourage their children to discuss any incidents of bullying and reinforce the need to speak out.
* support the school when resolving identified incidents of bullying.
* support the school through Catholic School Councils, in promoting local school bully prevention initiatives.
* support the school in training  and communication strategies for members of the school community

4. Current Legislation and the Provincial Code of Conduct require all schools in consultation with their Catholic School Councils, staff, students and parents to develop local Codes of Conduct. These locally developed Codes of Conduct shall be in compliance with the Ministry’s and the Board’s Code of Conduct.

5. The Niagara Catholic District School Board requires that each school include and address the following bullying prevention statement in their local school Code of Conduct. In keeping with the teachings of Christ, Lakeshore Catholic High School will strive to create a safe, caring and supportive school environment, free of bullying, for all members of the school community.

Safe Schools Teams

Each school must have in place a safe school team responsible for school safety that is composed of at least one student (where appropriate), parent, teacher, support staff member, a community partner, and the principal. The team must have a staff chair.

Through the development of school level plans, which address prevention and intervention strategies, schools will implement a bullying prevention and intervention plan.

Schools must also establish a monitoring and review process to determine the effectiveness of their bullying prevention and intervention plans (i.e. school improvement plans).