Discipline Policy

North Ogden Eagles

SOAR!

We believe the primary objective of discipline is to be positive and to help each student develop self-control. Student self-control allows students to SOAR and achieve greatness! We will reinforce this concept through the school motto: SOAR

North Ogden Eagles…

are Safe ** take Ownership ** are Academic Achievers ** are Respectful

One of our goals is to teach students to take responsibility for all of their actions and behave in an appropriate manner that respects the learning environment and the rights of others. We are implementing a set of school rules that will be consistent throughout the school day and apply in all learning environments (i.e. classroom, halls, lunch, playground, and busses). Each learning area will also have procedures that will be taught and reinforced. A variety of positive reinforcement programs will be used to recognize students who are appropriately following these procedures. The area procedures include:

Voice Levels: 0-voices off; 1-Partner Voice; 2-Table Voice; 3-Classroom Voice; 4-Outside Voice

Corrective Actions

We are optimistic that this program will help to promote healthy self-esteem and a safe, orderly, and inviting school climate. However, any behavior that disrupts the learning environment, or which infringes on the rights of others is not acceptable and will be subject to corrective measures.

The most common corrective actions that a student may experience are:

1. Classroom interventions
   1. Each teacher has his/her classroom discipline program. Although the procedures differ in each classroom, they are typically designed to help the student to recognize that he/she has committed a behavior infraction and impose a pre-determined set of consequences (i.e. pull a ticket, move a marker, planner entry, etc.) in attempt to have the student correct the misbehavior his/herself.
2. Office Discipline Referral
   1. Students are referred to the office for major discipline problems such as bullying, inappropriate language, rough-housing, and fighting.
   2. Students who are referred to the office will be subject to the following:
3. Deprivation of privileges or preferred activities (i.e. recess)
4. “Think-time” in the classroom or office
5. Behavioral Referral form
6. Communication with parent via note or telephone
7. Teacher/student conference
8. Referral to counselor or principal
9. In-school or out-of-school suspension
10. Referral to proper authorities—district personnel/law enforcement
11. Behavioral Referral Form
    1. A Behavior Referral form is a note from the office outlining a student’s misconduct
    2. The Behavior Referral form should be signed by a parent and returned the following day.
    3. Please call Mr. Nestoryak (801-452-4300) or write a note on the Behavior Referral form if the incident requires further discussion.
    4. Students who receive multiple Behavior Referrals (3) will be required to have a Parent-Student Conference with the Principal, Counselor, and/or Teacher.

Please Note: We recognize that all incidents, students, and circumstances are not the same. We also realize that behavior interventions are a part of the student’s educational process. We will do our best to focus disciplinary efforts on the role, responsibility, and reaction of each individual student (i.e. if the student is 10% responsible for an incident we will focus on his/her 10% responsibility to the problem with the student) in order to properly correct his/her behavior. We take great effort to be fair, consistent, reasonable, and caring. Our responsibility is to ensure the safety of all students and to protect the school’s learning environment. We greatly appreciate your support.

School-wide Procedures-           Be Respectful         Be Responsible      Be Safe

North Ogden Elementary

Dress Code, Digital Media Devices, Picture Policy, & Attendance Policy

Dress Code

Students attending North Ogden Elementary should dress appropriately to not detract from the learning environment and exhibit pride in themselves and North Ogden. Clothing that is distracting, detrimental, disruptive, or unsafe for any reason is not acceptable attire. Specifically, the following should be avoided and will not be allowed at North Ogden Elementary School:

1. Clothing which displays obscene, suggestive, vulgar, lewd words, messages, or pictures: clothing that advertises controlled substances such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs and breweries, contains sexual content or which is otherwise plainly  offensive.

2. Inappropriate short, tight, revealing, mutilated, ragged or otherwise disruptive appearance or attire. (A good way to make sure items of clothing are long enough is to have your child put their hands to their sides. If their fingertips are touching skin, the item of clothing is too short for  school.)

3. Bare or stocking feet. It is recommended  that students avoid high heels, flip flops and slip-on shoes. Heelys are also not allowed. (This type of footwear contributes to falls and accidents in the classroom, during P.E., and on the playground.) State law requires that shoes will be worn at school at all times.

4. Apparel or accessories with gang symbols,  monikers, insignias or other gang identifiers.

5. No headwear will be permitted. This  includes but is not limited to hats, caps, scarves, bandanas, hoodies,  etc.

6. All shirts, tops, and dresses must have a  sleeve. Sleeves must cover the ball of the shoulder.

7. Excessively baggy, ‘sagging’ pants or shorts are not permitted. No underwear showing.

8. Clothing that exposes bare midriffs

9. Potentially dangerous apparel items such as spiked clothing, bracelets, large or long chains, or unsafe accessories  will not be allowed.

Students who violate this policy:

-Student’s parents/guardians will be notified of dress code violation.

-If further inappropriate or chronic dress code violations continue, disciplinary action may be taken, which includes, but is not limited to suspension and/or referral to the district office.

The school may make exceptions to the dress standard for special occasions. It is expected and appreciated that parents who spend time at our school follow the above dress code as well.

Digital Media Device (DMD) including Cell Phone Policy

North Ogden Elementary is committed to making sure that a DMD doesn’t infringe on the privacy of others or interfere with our learning environment and safety procedures. In order to do this, the following procedures will apply to the use of a DMD on school property during school hours:

• DMDs  (including student cell phones, music and gaming devices, etc.) should not  be used during school hours. It is strongly recommended that these devices don’t come to school at all. Misuse of the DMD may result in the confiscation of the device. Confiscated devices can be picked up at the school office by parents. Three offenses in a year may lead to consequences including, but not limited to, behavior contracts, loss of privileges and suspension. The office phone is available for students to contact parents in case of a school issue or emergency. Parents can also call the school to get messages to their child. School  personnel WILL NOT be held responsible for DMDs that are misplaced, lost  or stolen. School  district policies and State and Federal laws regarding DMDs will be enforced. The office phone is NOT available to students to schedule play dates.  Thank you for your support as we work together to provide a productive and safe learning environment for our students.

Picture Policy

North Ogden Elementary School has many opportunities to recognize students’ accomplishments and activities through photographs. This may take the form of adding a picture to print newsletters, video, TV, email, website, newspaper articles, etc. In accordance with Weber School District policy 8340 North Ogden Elementary is careful not to associate a student’s full name in such a way that it can be identified with a photograph of a student. Parents who DO NOT want their child’s photograph used in this way need to notify their child’s teacher in writing. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or additional concerns about this matter.

ATTENDANCE POLICY                                                                                        4170

The student is responsible to be present in class and the "parent, guardian, or other person having control of any minor between six and eighteen years of age shall be required to send such minor to school during the regularly established" school day in the attendance area of residence.

Students are expected to be in school in each class each day unless properly excused by their parents, administrator, or teacher. A student not properly excused will be considered truant.

Attendance shall be checked carefully in accordance with State and District pupil accounting regulations and procedures and individual building practices. Verification may be made to a student’s whereabouts when they are not accounted for.

1. A roll will be kept and marked by the teacher for each class period.

2. Reasonable attempts will be made to contact parents when students have excessive unexcused absences or when deemed necessary by school personnel. A record will be kept of this contact.

3. Parents may excuse students for illness and/or family emergencies. A student who is absent will provide the school with a written excuse from the parent or guardian, or the parent or guardian will call the office (801)452-4300 to provide an excuse via telephone. Administrators may require appropriate verification of absences. School sponsored activities and pre-arranged educational experiences must be approved by the school administration.

4. When parents request to have their children excused from school for reasons other than illness or family emergency, arrangements for such absences must be made in advance. School personnel may provide assignments for students and may also allow examinations to be made up. All such cases shall be handled on an individual basis.

5. It is the student's responsibility to work with the teachers in making up work for absences. Individual schools may set the time to be allowed for make-up work. A student who has been absent from class has lost some of the content of the course. If credit is in jeopardy due to content lost, the teacher will be responsible to inform the student and the parent or guardian in sufficient time for corrective action to take place.

6. Truancies will be referred to the school administration for appropriate action. Excessive truancies may result in district and/or juvenile court referral. (Truancy: An absence without the permission of parents and school.)

7. Teachers through student conferences and/or parent contact will handle students who are tardy. When additional assistance is needed, students may be referred to administration. When a student is tardy, they will check in at the office before going to class to obtain a “late slip”.

From the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Education:

A growing and compelling body of research demonstrates that chronic absence from school—typically defined as missing at least 10 percent of school days in a year (18 school days) for any reason, excused or unexcused—is a primary cause of low academic achievement and a powerful predictor of which students will eventually drop out of school. With an estimated five to seven and a half million students chronically absent each year, chronic absenteeism is a national problem that seriously undermines our collective efforts to improve education and life outcomes among our youth.

There is a cumulative influence of chronic absence such that with every year of chronic absenteeism, an increasing percentage of students drop out of high school. The Utah Education Policy Center found that more than half of all Utah children who were chronically absent (18 school days or more) for two years dropped out of high school.