Communication and Discipline

We want our students to take ownership of their behaviour. As students progress from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6, they become increasingly responsible for their actions. During this process, a safe, comfortable environment for all is nurtured. Physically and verbally abusive behaviours are not accepted.

To help students develop personal and community responsibility, we use several strategies:

• A Code of Behaviour: The students have developed a code of behaviour for the school, and they refine the code regularly.
• A Dress Code: Reflecting student and parental input, our dress code requires students to dress in a respectful, appropriate, and safe manner.
• The student “Learning For Living” and “Anti-Bullying” programs: These are used extensively throughout the school to help students identify their feelings and concerns. By using cooling down “I” talk statements and problem-solving techniques, students are encouraged to take ownership of their problems and resolve them in positive ways.
• Positive supervision: On the yard and within the school, staff and parents model appropriate behaviours for children. When a child's actions are inappropriate, an adult presents effective replacement behaviours. For each negative behaviour that is identified to the student, positive behaviours should also be communicated. Through this process the student is given a bank of positive ways to act within our school and society.
• Logical consequences: Teachers help students to understand that all actions have consequences. For example, students learn that focused attention to tasks leads to earlier completion and high quality results. When inappropriate behaviours occur, children are helped to see the natural or logical consequences for those behaviours. For example, when students arrive late for an activity, they learn that they must take the responsibility to inform themselves of what they have missed.
• Offering choices: Teachers take a proactive role to help students who are experiencing difficulties. They clearly communicate their expectations, offering students a range of choices that will result in positive experiences for all. For example, if children are experiencing difficulty listening in a group, they might be offered two choices: to begin to demonstrate group listening behaviour; or to complete the activity by themselves.
• Open communication: Clear and regular communication between parents and teachers can deal with recurring inappropriate behaviours. This can be achieved through a planner, a communication book, meetings, and/or telephone calls.

Here are some guidelines teachers consider:

• A behaviour is connected to a child, or to a specific group of children. Using a whole class consequence to deal with the inappropriate actions of one child or a small group of children will not effectively resolve these difficulties.
• Strategies for dealing with behaviours will vary with the child. What is effective with one child may be ineffective with another.
• A quiet, respectful tone of voice is used for all communication between children and adults.
• When removal or isolation from a group is necessary, a “thinking” chair or area may be used for short periods of time.