Code of Conduct

Every student at Central Middle School is expected to exhibit behavior that creates a safe, orderly and supportive environment. To ensure that each student and parent has a clear understanding of the specific behavior that is expected, we want each parent and student to review the policies and procedures listed in the front of the SAB (Student Assignment Book) as well as those listed below and on the following pages.

ADDITIONAL CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS

In addition to the policies found in the Student Assignment Book (the red book or SAB), Central Middle School has the following expectations:

Students at Central:

• do not drink carbonated beverages or any beverage in a glass container on school premises. Juice, milk, or water are acceptable.
• may carry water with them at all times.
• may purchase juice from the vending machines at lunchtime and must drink it in the cafeteria.
• do not eat or drink in the hallways.
• arrive on time for school and for each class and are prepared to participate.
• present a pass from the adult who detained them when they are tardy.
• report to the office and receive a pass to report to class when they are tardy for school.
• use office telephone only for medical emergencies or when school activities are canceled.
• use the pay phone only with a pass and only before and after school and during lunch.
• carry backpacks to and from school only. Backpacks are stored in lockers during the school day.

Students at Central:

• treat all other students, school staff, substitutes and visitors to the school with respect.
• will develop and use their own ideas, projects, and writings for given assignments.

Students at Central:

• do not chew gum at school.
• cover all books and take responsibility for all damages to books.

Students at Central:

• use a library card to check out materials and are responsible for their timely return and maintaining them in good condition.
• accept responsibility for lost, damaged or late materials and for good behavior in the media center.

The intended use of the Internet is for academic growth and increased learning opportunities. Internet access is a privilege made available by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools in support of instruction and is consistent with its academic expectations.

Students at Central:

• must have on file a signed parent and student District Consent and Waiver form.
• must ask for permission before accessing and using the Internet.

Students who violate the school’s Internet Code of Conduct will have their privileges withdrawn temporarily, or in two instances, permanently for the rest of the school year. The violation will become a part of the student’s discipline file.

Regarding student dress:

Students at Central:

• are expected to be appropriately dressed and well groomed for the school setting.
• are expected to wear clothing which does not present a safety hazard.
• appropriate and specific interpretations of dress will be determined by staff.

Students at Central:

• report safely and on time for the buses observing the rules set by the staff person supervising loading.

• present a pass from a parent to the office if they choose to walk home instead of taking a bus.
• present a note from their parent and signed by the office before taking a bus other than the one to which they are assigned. Bus drivers will not allow students to ride a friend’s bus without this signed note.
• will not be permitted to have helium balloons at school due to the danger of inhaling the helium gas.

We are concerned about the safety and welfare of all students who ride the bus. Therefore, a bus referral will be treated like a school referral and copies of bus referrals will be placed in the student’s discipline file.

In the event that students break any of the rules regarding school buses, the following consequences will result:

First Offense             Warning/Probation
Second Offense       Three days off the bus
Third Offense            One week off the bus
Fourth Offense         Two weeks off the bus
Fifth Offense              Four weeks off the bus
Sixth Offense            Suspended from riding the bus for the rest  of the school year

At Central, we have a school-wide plan for handling discipline concerns which utilizes many different interventions and approaches.

A. POSITIVE RECOGNITION

Our policy is to encourage and reward positive behavior:

1) Student of the Month - Each month teachers will select students to be recognized for scholarship and citizenship. These students will receive a positive phone call home, a pizza lunch, and a certificate.

2) Charge to Success - We have printed some post cards that can be filled out and sent home to parents detailing positive qualities their son/daughter has demonstrated.

3) Charger Pride - Students who are recognized as exhibiting the traits of a positive citizen are given a Charger Pride note. They are then entered into a drawing in which they may earn Central wearable merchandise.

B. ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance at school highly correlates with school success. Therefore, it is extremely important for us to take the necessary measures to assure that students are in attendance as much as possible.

1) After 10 unexcused absences the assistant principal will send a letter home to inform parents.

2) After 15 absences from school, the Principal mails home a letter.

3) After 20 absences, the principal will send home a letter expressing our concerns, stating the importance of students being in school, and informing the parents that a truancy petition may be filed if attendance does not improve. A mandatory meeting with the school administrator will be scheduled to discuss attendance.

4) Further attendance problems will result in a referral to the Wayne County Prosecutor's office.

C. TARDY POLICY

As a life skill, being on time is very important. Also, students who arrive on time for school are more connected to the school and perform better.

Our tardy policy is as follows:

1) After five tardies to school, the assistant principal will assign an after school detention.

2) If the problem persists additional detentions and/or In-School Suspensions will be assigned, and parents will be asked to have a conference with a school administrator.

3) If the student continues to be tardy, his or her overall attendance record will be examined to determine if a truancy petition should be filed with Probate Court.

D. BEHAVIORS THAT WARRANT AN AUTOMATIC OFFICE REFERRAL

The following behaviors will result in an automatic referral to the office and probable suspension:

• Fighting.
• Swearing at a teacher.
• Serious destruction of property or vandalism.
• Possession of cigarettes or smoking paraphernalia.
• Possession of alcohol or illegal substances.
• Arson.
• Out-of-control student behavior.
• Plagiarism: stealing, copying and using another’s ideas, projects, writings, etc.
• Possession of a weapon.

E. REFERRAL PROCESS

The process for referring students to the office involves the following:

1) Before a student is sent to the office, it will be assumed that a teacher has already gone through all the steps of his/her discipline plan. The exception are those behaviors listed above that are considered very serious.

2) If the offense is serious enough to warrant a referral to the office, the teacher will call home to explain to the parent what has transpired. Parent contact will take place within 12 hours of referral being issued.

3) The administrator will take action on the referral as soon as possible and will assign a consequence based on the student’s actions and previous history. Parents will be contacted. A record of the referral will be kept in a disciplinary log in the office and in the student’s disciplinary file.

4) On the fourth (4) referral, a parent/student/administrator conference will be held.

5) The fifth (5) referral for any reason will result in a suspension for persistent disobedience with ensuing referrals resulting in suspensions of increasing length. (Earlier referrals may also result in suspension if they are for fighting or other major disciplinary problems.)

6) After 10 referrals or 10 days of suspension, a building level review will be held to determine if there is sufficient cause to hold a pre-expulsion meeting. If it is determined that a pre-expulsion meeting should be held, it will either result in a petition for expulsion or setting up a contract, the violation of which will result in a petition for expulsion.

F. RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE

Potentially violent acts will be broken down into three categories. In each case, the emphasis will be placed on learning appropriate methods of resolving disagreements.

1) Horseplay - This would involve playful pushing, shoving and punching typical of middle school students. Teachers are encouraged to respond to these incidents individually with a goal of stopping the behavior short of a referral. If a problem seems to be developing, the students should be referred to their counselor. Persistent horseplay frequently leads to fighting and therefore is strongly discouraged.

2) Verbal or physical intimidation/harassment/bullying – This would involve harassing words or actions short of an actual fight. In this case, a referral will be made to the office. Appropriate action will be taken ranging from counselor intervention to suspension, depending upon the severity of the incident. If the intimidation is serious enough or threats are made, the police may be notified.

3) Fights - Fights are any physical altercation where punches are thrown or where an individual intentionally attempts to harm another individual. Except in cases where it is clear that one person was assaulted and did not respond violently, both students involved will be suspended.

Revised 5/01

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Last Update September 06, 2007 , Designed by Tami Fox, Media Specialist  
© 2007, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, MI