Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour

The Wellington Catholic District School Board is committed to providing the highest degree of service to all students entrusted to its care. The Board recognizes that the diverse emotional and behavioural needs of some students may require unique discipline, accommodation and or modification. A healthy, safe and inclusive learning environment where all students feel safe, included, and accepted is a necessary condition for student success and well-being. The WCDSB is committed to maintaining a positive school climate that follows the principles of progressive discipline. This policy will work in concert with the Safe Schools Code of Conduct Policy and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy to ensure a positive Catholic learning environment for all students.

Progressive Discipline

Is a whole-school approach that utilizes a continuum of prevention programs, interventions, supports and consequences to address inappropriate student behaviour and to build upon strategies that promote and foster behaviours. When inappropriate behaviour occurs, disciplinary measures should be applied within a framework that shifts the focus from one that is solely punitive to one that is both corrective and supportive. Schools should utilize a range of interventions, supports and consequences that are developmentally and socio-emotionally appropriate and include learning opportunities for reinforcing positive behaviour while helping students to make better choices.

Bullying Prevention

The Wellington Catholic District School Board prohibits any form of bullying behaviour and is committed to bullying prevention strategies in all of our schools.

“Bullying” means aggressive and typically repeated behavior by a pupil where,

(a) the behaviour is intended by the pupil to have the effect of, or the pupil ought to know that the behaviour would be likely to have the effect of,

(i) causing harm, fear, or distress to another individual, including physical, psychological, social or academic harm, harm to the individual’s reputation or harm to the individual’s property, or

(ii) creating a negative environment at a school for another individual, and

(b) the behaviour occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance between the pupil and the individual based on factors such as size, strength, age, intelligence, peer group power, economic status, social status, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, family circumstances, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, disability or the receipt of special education.

“Cyberbullying” is defined as bullying by electronic means including:

(a) creating a web page or a blog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person;

(b) impersonating another person as the author of content or messages posted on the internet; and

(c) communicating material electronically to more than one individual or posting material on a website that may be accessed by one or more individuals.

Code of Conduct

The Wellington Catholic District School Board as a faith community honours the dignity of all persons and recognizes that all members of the school community, including pupils, staff, parents, volunteers and visitors have an obligation to comply with the standards of behaviour outlined in the Board’s Safe Schools policies and procedures.

The Education Act provides a discretionary model for suspensions and expulsions. Mitigating factors and other factors are to be considered when a principal is deciding on whether to proceed with a suspension and when determining the length and the extent of a suspension. The minimum duration of a suspension is one school day and the maximum is twenty school days.

Suspension

Under subsection 306(1) of the Education Act, a principal shall consider whether to suspend a grade 4-12 student if the principal believes that the pupil has engaged in any of the following activities while at school, at a school-related activity or in other circumstances where engaging in the activity will have an impact on the school climate:

Uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person;
Possessing alcohol or illegal drugs;
Being under the influence of alcohol;
Swearing at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority;
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 pupil’s school;
Bullying;
Any other activity that is an activity for which a principal may suspend a student under a policy of the Board.

Under Board policy, a principal may suspend a grade 4-12 student if the principal believes that the student has engaged in any of the following activities while at school, at a school-related activity or in other circumstances where engaging in the activity will have an impact on the school climate:

Persistent truancy (only non-compulsory school age students);
Persistent opposition to authority;
Habitual neglect of duty;
Willful destruction of school property; vandalism causing damage to school or Board property or property located on school or Board premises;
Use of profane or improper language;
Use of tobacco;
Theft;
Aid/incite harmful behaviour;
Physical assault;
Being under the influence of illegal drugs;
Sexual harassment;
Racial harassment;
Fighting;
Possession or misuse of any harmful substances;
Hate-motivated violence;
Extortion;
Distribution of hate material;
Inappropriate use of electronic communications/media; and/or
Other – defined as any conduct injurious to the moral tone of the school or to the physical or mental well-being of others.

Suspension Pending Possible Expulsion Under subsection 310(1) of the Education Act, a principal shall suspend a student if the principal believes that the student has engaged in any of the following activities while at school, at a school-related activity or in other circumstances where engaging in the activity will have an impact on the school climate:

Using a weapon to cause or to threaten bodily harm to another person;
Committing physical assault on another person that causes bodily harm requiring treatment by a medical practitioner;
Committing sexual assault;
Trafficking in weapons or in illegal drugs;
Committing robbery;
Giving alcohol to a minor;

Bullying (if the student has previously been suspended for engaging in bullying and the student’s continuing presence in the school creates an unacceptable risk to the safety of another person;
Any activity listed in subsection 306(1) that is motivated by bias, prejudice or hate;
Giving alcohol to a minor;
Any other activity for which a pupil may be expelled under Board policy: Possession of explosive substance; Serious or repeated misconduct; and or Other – defined as any conduct injurious to the moral tone of the school or to the physical or mental well-being of others.

Educational programs will be provided to students who are suspended or expelled from all schools of the Board.

Mitigating Factors

In considering whether to suspend a pupil or whether to recommend to the Board that a pupil be expelled, a principal will take into account any mitigating factors or other factors prescribed by the regulations under the Education Act.

Additional Expectations:

Act morally and legally as a person formed in, and/or respectful of Catholic traditions;
Participate in the spiritual life of the school;
Accept accountability for one's actions;
Respect the environment and use resources wisely;
Contribute to the common good;
Adhere to the rules established within the Code of Conduct;
Fulfill expected academic obligations;
Dress appropriately and in accordance with established school standards;
Use respectful language free from profanity;
Work cooperatively with staff and other students.

Reporting to the Principal

Section 300.2 of the Education Act states that an employee of the Board who becomes aware that a student at a school of the Board may have engaged in a serious student incident shall report the matter to the principal as soon as reasonably possible, and no later than the end of the school day.

All employee reports, including those made to the principal verbally, must be confirmed in writing using the Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form – Part I (Form 1).

The principal will investigate all reports submitted by Board employees. Once the investigation is complete, the principal will communicate the results of the investigation to the teacher who made the report. If a board employee who is not a teacher made the report, the principal will communicate the results of the investigation to that employee, if the principal considers it appropriate. Communication between the principal and school staff about the investigation and the results of the investigation is a shared responsibility and is an important factor in meeting student needs and fostering collaboration in the school.

The principal will not disclose more personal information than is reasonably necessary for the purpose of communicating the results in the investigation.

In all cases, the principal will provide the employee who reported the incident with written acknowledgement, using the Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form – Part II (Form 2).

For further information regarding Safe Schools, please see:

www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/safeschools.html

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