Standards of Behavior

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School is a Christian community in which students, staff, parents and parish clergy are committed to the nurturing of a caring environment. Within this environment, all members are given the opportunity to flourish and to grow.

The cornerstone upon which all of our standards of discipline is founded can be summarized in a single word: respect. Every person involved in the Our Lady of sorrows School community is challenged to treat every other person with dignity, courtesy, and respect at all times.

Definition of Discipline

".....the ability to cooperate with other. The aim of school discipline in a democracy should be to teach students that a degree of obedience and conformity is reasonable and necessary to productive and harmonious interaction with others in any social group. At the same time, it should encourage individuals to internalize the fundamental values that are essential to the well being of both the individual and society, and to accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions. In this way, young people can develop a self-discipline that arises from a respect for themselves and others rather than a fear of punishment and also develop the ability to distinguish between socially acceptable behaviour." (TCDSB Policy Register- V.P. 04)

Communal Rights and Responsibilities

Rights:
Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
Everyone has the right to be treated equally.
Everyone has the right to learn and to work in a safe environment.
Everyone has the right to express personal view/opinions in a respectful manner.

Responsibilities:
Everyone has the responsibility to treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Everyone has the responsibility to treat others equally.
Everyone has the responsibility to ensure that everyone feels welcome.
Everyone has the responsibility to express personal view/opinions in a respectful manner.

Respect

Because respect is the founding principle upon which all relationships are based at Our Lady of Sorrows School, specific statements about various aspects of respect are appropriate.

Respect for Self and Others
"The Board and its staff are fully committed to the elimination of discrimination and will actively foster the creation of an environment which respects the racial, ethnic, and cultural plurality of our system and our society at large." (TCDSB Race and Ethnic Relations and Multiculturalism Policy Regulation #1) The student who respects self and others reflects a positive self-image. The respectful individual is mindful of the rights of all others in the community.

Respect for Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff
It is understood that all staff members are responsible for all pupils at all times. Every member of staff has authority in the school and at school events. Consequently, students are to regard all staff members as they would their regular teacher.

Respect for Property
School property such as textbooks, library materials, physical education equipment, team uniforms, computers, software, furniture, etc., are for everyone's use. Pupils who are responsible for vandalism, damaged or lost articles are expected to pay replacement costs.

Academics

The primary goal of all staff at Our Lady of Sorrows School is to develop inquisitive, independent, self-disciplined, and self-motivated learners.

Consequences for lack of cooperation with respect to academic expectations; (consequences not necessarily in sequential order):
students will be required to make up missed work, possibly in detention
parental contact
case conference involving student, parent(s), teachers, school administration
follow up to recommendations of the case conference

Attendance/Punctuality

Students are expected to be in regular attendance at school. Legitimate absences from school should be marked by a telephone call by the parent/guardian on the day(s) when the child is absent. The student should also bring a written note to the school (to be given to the classroom teacher) on the day of his/her return.

Students are expected to arrive punctually at class, prepared for the school day. Preparation includes the completion of daily assignments which are done to the best of the individual student's ability. Preparation also implies that the student devotes appropriate time to study in advance of test situations.

Consequences for tardiness will include making up the missed time either at recesses, lunch hour or after school (at the discretion of the teacher). Persistent tardiness may result in after school detentions.

Anticipated Appropriate Behaviours

Assembly:
When the outside bell rings all students are to proceed immediately to their designated entrance. Students must enter and exit the building in a safe and reasonably quiet manner. Students will enter and exit the building by way of their designated entrance.

Pupils are not to be in the building before 8:30 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m. unless they are participating in an activity under the direction of a teacher.

Bus:
All students are expected to be at their designated bus stop in plenty of time and students are expected to wait in an orderly manner for the arrival of the bus.
Students must remain seated while the bus is in motion.
Students must conduct themselves appropriately during the bus ride. Loud voices or sudden actions by the students cannot be tolerated because of the possibility of endangering the safety of everyone on the bus.
Students must be extremely careful both in entering and exiting the bus. The bus driver must be able to see the students at all times.
Transportation privileges will be withdrawn for any student whose behavior creates a potential threat to the safety of others.

Athletics and Extra Curricular Events:

Participation in extra-curricular activities is a privilege afforded to pupils who fulfill their responsibilities as students and members of the Our Lady of Sorrows School community. This privilege may be removed for unacceptable performance and/or conduct which fails to "treat others with courtesy and respect".

Lunch:

Lunch pupils are not permitted to leave the school grounds during lunch hour without written permission from a parent. Such permission should occur on very infrequent occasions.
Pupils are to each lunch in the designated areas and lunch students must be able to follow lunchtime procedures as outlined by school personnel.
During lunch or rainy day recess, students are to remain seated and to talk quietly in their assigned lunchroom.

Proper Attire:

All students are expected to come to school appropriately dressed; that is, neat, clean, and in a manner that reflects the aims and atmosphere of a Catholic school.
Clothing that is in poor taste is not acceptable (e.g. T-shirts with inappropriate slogans, halter tops, tube tops, short shorts, hats in the building).
The school discourages the wearing of make up for the students. Students are asked to take pride in their personal appearance. It is the parent's duty and responsibility to ensure that each child is suitably attired.

Fire Drill:

For very definite safety reasons, during Fire Drill all pupils are to leave the school in single file as quickly and as quietly as possible. Once outside, pupils are to line up in single file in the designated areas so that attendance may be taken.

Playground/Hall Safety:

Any dangerous activities are not permitted. The definition of dangerous is at the discretion of school personnel. While no attempt will be made to outline all 'dangerous activities', certain easily recognizable and unacceptable activities can be listed: throwing of snowballs, creation of ice slides, use of skateboards or bicycles in the schoolyard, use of hockey sticks or tennis racquets in the schoolyard, climbing of fences, etc.

Inappropriate personal equipment (walkmans, video games, trading cards, etc.) should not be brought to school.
Inappropriate language or comments are not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Consequences for Inappropriate Decisions

We are extremely proud of the vast majority of the pupils at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School who work hard to make this a community founded on respect and love. However, on those occasions when a student chooses not to respect the rights of others, one or more of the following consequences will be utilized by staff. The sequence of consequences is again left to the discretion of school personnel, in consultation with the parent.
Informal interview with the student (teacher/student)
Parental involvement through phone call, letter, or interview
Formal interview with the student (Principal/Vice Principal)
Detention of student
Involvement of resource personnel
Implementation of individual Student Contract or Daily Student Profile
Removal of privileges to participate in extra-curricular/co-curricular activities
Removal of student from the classroom to an alternate setting with in the school
Restitution for damaged or lost articles
Suspension from school
Referral to Metro Toronto Police (for illegal acts such as assault, theft, etc)
Expulsion of student