Student Code of Conduct

Under the BC Human Rights Code, individuals are protected from discrimination, denial of
services or access by virtue of their race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief,
religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation,
age (applies to persons 19 to 64 years of age) and unrelated criminal or summary
convictions. Pender Harbour Secondary School’s Code of Conduct supports and aligns with
the BC Human Rights Code, as well as School District 46 Regulation 2760 (Regulation
2760), which addresses sexual orientation and gender identity.

Pender Harbour is a school community that embraces restitution and restorative
practices.

• Disciplinary action will be preventive and restorative whenever possible,
  rather than merely punitive. Discipline is the act of teaching acceptable social
  behaviour. It is not just the elimination of inappropriate behaviour. It involves
  teaching an individual to choose behaviours that will enhance and empower
  them to coexist in culturally adaptive and healthy way.
• Consequences will depend on the severity and frequency of the inappropriate
  behaviour as well as the age and maturity of the student.

Effective consequences will:

• Be a learning experience for the student involved. They should also be taught
  alternative appropriate behaviour to the situation and should be restorative
  in nature.
• Have a positive influence on the learning environment in the classroom and
  the school. Consequences should be directed at the misbehaviour, not at the
  individual. Discipline should not involve retaliation, confrontation, or
  humiliation. All parties involved should feel that inappropriate behaviour has
  been promptly and justly dealt with.
• Act as a deterrent for similar behaviour by impressionable students.
• Consistent and fair responses to misbehaviour are a priority.
• As often as possible, students will be involved in problem solving discussions
  with other students, staff members and/or parents in order to fix their
  mistakes and restore their sense of self.
• Steps will be taken to prevent retaliation by a person against a student who
  has made a complaint of a breach of the code of conduct.

Be: Caring, Courteous, Cooperative, Committed, and Conscientious

• Treat others (staff, students, visitors) with courtesy and respect
• Progressively assume responsibility and leadership roles
• Take pride in individual achievements
• Respect the personal property of others and their right to privacy
• Ensure the safety of others and not bully, threaten, or physically harm anyone
  else

Certain behaviours such as bullying, harassment, intimidation, defiance, violence, and the
use of illegal substances are totally unacceptable. Consequences for these actions may
range from being sent home to an in-school or formal suspension.

All secondary schools on the Sunshine Coast follow the Guidelines for Suspension. The
following behaviours may lead to a suspension:

Willful Disobedience:
Any student not adhering to a reasonable request by any staff member will be sent
home immediately and not permitted reentry until they have explained the refusal to act to
the staff member involved, in the presence of a parent and administrator.

Drug or alcohol or smoking or vaping involvement is defined as possessing, using,
smelling of, or being with someone while they were using drugs or alcohol or smoking or
vaping.

Assault is defined as threatening or intimidating behaviour in addition to physical acts of
violence towards a student, teacher, or other staff member.

Weapons are defined (as per District Policy 6950) as:

• anything used or intended for use in causing death or injury to persons
  whether designed for that purpose or not;
• anything used or intended for use in threatening or intimidating any persons;
• anything else that, in the opinion of an administrative officer, is potentially
  dangerous in the hands of a particular student or in a specific situation.
  District Policy requires that all incidents involving drugs, alcohol, assault or
  weapons be reported to the RCMP.

Bullying and Harassment

Students and staff have the right to be in a school community that is free of bullying,
intimidation, harassment, racism, sexism and homophobia. There is no place for these
practices at Pender. Our goal is to build a community that fosters respect, inclusion,
fairness and equity.

ATTENDANCE

Regular attendance is extremely important.

When requested, teachers will provide work for excused absences. However, experience
and research indicate that attendance and student performance have a direct correlation.
Students are responsible for making up the missed work within the given time frame or an
“incomplete” may be assigned.

If a student is absent due to curricular or extracurricular reasons:

• students are expected to see teachers in advance of the absence,
  complete the field trip form and make arrangements for missed
  tests/quizzes/assignments.

If a student is absent due to illness, injury, family crisis, funeral, medical
or dental appointments:

• parents are asked to contact the school by phone, note or email to
  alert the school.
• students are to see teachers on the first day back to make
  arrangements for missed tests/quizzes/assignments.

If a student must be absent for other reasons, please contact the school at the
earliest possible date in order for teachers to prepare work or an alternate
assignment.

Students who wish to leave before the end of the school day must sign out at
the office. The school takes the information about sign-in and sign-out very
seriously, as it is an official record of a student’s whereabouts. Permission to
sign out must be verified by someone in the office to ensure that a parent has
given permission to the student to sign out.

Students whose progress is affected by chronic absenteeism may have to
justify their continued presence at the school. Poor attendance and
unexcused absences will result in a parent meeting and possibly an alternate
school setting.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Students whose absences are not excused by their parents or guardians are
considered to be “skipping” school.

• Missed tests, quizzes, and marked in-class activities will result in an
  incomplete until they are made up as agreed to by the teacher and student.
• On the first occurrence of skipping, the teacher will warn the student and
  notify parents of consequences.
• Further occurrences of skipping may result in in a suspension or individual
  course reassignment.

LATES

Students are expected to arrive in class:

• on time and prepared to participate positively.
• with appropriate books and supplies.
• with all prescribed homework and assignments completed.

Students who are late must sign in at the office!

• Teachers will assign their own consequences for lates and notify parents if the
  situation is chronic.
• Chronic tardiness will be referred to administration.

Medical Room

Students who become ill during the school day should sign out and go home if
parental consent can be obtained. Students are to inform the teachers of classes that
will be missed. If parents can’t be reached, junior students will be signed into the
medical room. Senior students may be dismissed at office discretion.

Cell phones & personal electronic devices will be turned off and stored during all
instructional time.

• Cell phones/personal digital devices are not required for educational purposes and
  the use of them is a privilege. PHSS provides electronic devices required for teaching
  and learning. Beginning in September each student will have their own Chromebook
  assigned to them and loaned out at the beginning of the day in Teacher Advisory
  Class. It can use it throughout the school day and returned at the end of the day to
  TA.
• Cell phones/personal digital devices will be turned off during instructional time,
  which includes seminar blocks.
• Cell phones/personal digital devices will be stored in either the classroom “Cell
  Phone Hotel” or in students’ lockers or back pack. *Cell phones will not be kept in
  pockets during class time, as studies have shown the mere presence of a cell phone
  may be a distraction to students.
• Personal head phones, ear buds, or air pods will not be worn or be visible during
  instructional time and need to be left in your locker.
• If a student has a smart watch and is using it to send and receive messages, they will
  be asked to turn it off and secure it the classroom “Cell Phone Hotel” or in their
  locker or back pack.
• For privacy considerations, the taking of pictures, videos, or recordings on school
  property is strictly prohibited.
• Personal Digital Devices may be used to support learners with diverse needs in
  consultation with the school based team.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

We understand communication is important and if you need to contact your child
during instructional time, please call our school office at 604-883-2727. If you need
to reach your child in an emergency, please call the school office and we will
remove your child from their classroom to take your call privately. In an emergency
we will support your child until arrangements can be made.

The following are non-instructional times when students can be contacted:

• Before school starts at 8:53am
• During lunch:
  o Monday-Thursdays 12:17pm-12:57pm
  o Fridays 12:27pm-1:07pm
• After school ends at 3:10pm

WHAT STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN EXPECT:

• Students will receive a reminder to turn off and store devices in the classroom, in
  their locker or their back pack.
• Should a student not comply, they will be directed to deliver their device to the
  front office staff, where it will be held in a secure location for the remainder of the
  school day. Students will meet with school principal or staff member before
  retrieving their device.
• The school principal or staff member will contact parents/caregivers when a
  student is struggling to follow the cell phone/electronic device policy.
• In the event a student is consistently struggling to follow the school wide cell
  phone/electronic device policy, parents/caregivers will be contacted to arrange a
  pickup for that student and/or device, AND the device will remain home until
  further notice.
• Expectations will be clearly shared with students and families and posted in clear
  view in the planners, common areas, and classrooms.

Physical Education Class Exemptions
If you are well enough to come to school but have good reason not to participate in PE,
a note from a parent or doctor is required for presentation to your PE teacher. You
will be required to remain in the PE class and may be asked to participate as much as
you are able. You may be required to make up the missed time.

Bicycles and Boards
Bicycles are not to be stored in the school. Skateboards, longboards, and hoverboards
should not to be used on school property.

Parents Please Note:
The school cannot provide direct supervision of students engaged in boarding –
particularly off the school grounds. If you allow your student to bring a board to
school, it is your responsibility to:

• Be sure that they have appropriate safety gear.
• Let your teen know your expectations about riding along the busy highway.

Students Please Note:
If you board in an unsafe manner at, to or from school, you may be asked not to bring
your board to school.

Dress Code
All members of the school community shall respect reasonable standards of
appropriateness in dress. Clothing is not appropriate if it becomes distracting in the
learning and working situation. Clothing bearing direct or indirect messages or
graphics referring to drugs, including alcohol, cigarettes or e-cigarettes, or of a
discriminatory, sexual, or violent nature, cannot be worn at school. The Administrator
is given the authority to ask any member of the school community not respecting these
guidelines to change into suitable clothing, provided by the office if necessary.

Bottom Lines
PHSS maintains the following baseline behaviours:

• Students must follow clear and reasonable requests by staff members. Students
  who fail to do so will be considered to be in Direct Defiance of a staff member and
  will face consequences.
• Students must attend classes on a regular basis.
• Students must not use, be under the influence or be in possession of drugs, alcohol,
  tobacco products (including vapes and e-cigarettes) while at school or schoolrelated
  events. Failure to comply will result in an out of school suspension and will
  require a parent meeting.
• Weapon possession or use while at school or during a school-related event will
  result in an indefinite suspension pending a parent meeting.
• Bullying, cyber-bullying, harassment, intimidation, or physical violence will not be
  tolerated and will result in the student being sent home pending a parent meeting.

When there is a breach of school Code of Conduct, school officials have the responsibility to
advise the following:

• Parents of offenders, victims
• School district officials as required by school district policy
• Police and/or other agencies, as required by law

Guests
Except for unusual circumstances and pre-approved by school administration, guests
are not permitted during class time, as this can be disruptive to the school day. To
bring a guest to a dance, permission from administration is required in advance.
Students are responsible for all actions of their guests.

Gym Use
Running shoes with non-marking soles must be worn. Jewelry should not be worn while
engaging in gym activities. Food or drink is not permitted in the gymnasium at any time.

Language
Language appropriate in an office setting is what is appropriate here. Profanity is not
acceptable.

Locks and Lockers
You are responsible for your locker and its contents at all times. Lockers must be kept
locked when unattended with a school-approved combination lock. The combination
must be registered at the office. Lockers remain the school’s property and for health
and safety reasons may be opened by the school administration at any time.

Scent & Fragrances Policy
All schools in our District are designated scent-free zones. Many people have severe
allergies to scented products. Parents and students are asked to refrain from wearing
any scents at the school.

Bus Expectations and Procedures
Bus transportation is a privilege and ensuring a safe and pleasant ride for everyone is
essential. The bus driver is fully in charge of their bus.

Cheating and Plagiarism
Academic conduct and in particular cheating and plagiarism are a part of our student
code of conduct.
When either has occurred, administration and parents will be informed and no marks
will be awarded for the work involved.

SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PLANS

Allergies and Medical Assistance
Many students and staff suffer from a range of serious allergies and medical concerns.
It is essential that students with medical conditions that could require treatment at
school provide up-to-date information to the school. See the office staff for a medical
information form.

Sudden Illness While at School
Students who are ill are expected to report to the main office. They will be directed
from there and parents will be informed if necessary.

Earthquakes
If an earthquake occurs, it is important that you drop to the floor, take cover under
something solid (like your desk) and take hold of your cover (so that it is not shaken away from you).

Fire Alarms
When the fire alarm rings, everyone must evacuate the building safely and quickly and
move to the grass field at the back of the building.

Lockdown
Lockdown protects staff and students from a threat inside or outside the building
when it may be more dangerous to evacuate than to stay in a secured room. During a
lockdown, you must stay in (or return immediately to) your room. The door will be
locked and no one will be let in until an “all clear” notification. Stay away from
windows and doors in lockdown.

Room Clear
If school staff need you to leave an area (classroom, gym, etc.) an order for room clear
will be given. If this occurs, leave the room without delay.