Conestogo Public School Student Expectations

Waterloo Region District School Board Code of Conduct:  The Waterloo Region District School Board recognizes that all members of the school community have the right to be safe and to feel safe in their school community.  With this right comes the responsibility to contribute to a positive school climate.

Building and Maintaining a Positive School Environment:
Students, staff and the school community benefit together when they share the common values of mutual respect, inclusion and acceptance of one another.  At Conestogo our goal is to establish and maintain a school community that respects one another, accepts one another, and includes one another.

Classroom Code of Conduct:  This is developed at the beginning of the school year and posted in the classroom.  The teacher and the students develop their Code of Conduct together in their classroom.

Students, who do not meet the expectations in the Code of Conduct, by demonstrating unsafe or inappropriate behaviours, can expect follow through by staff and/or the Principal in the form of progressive discipline.  Progressive discipline is a non-punitive, whole-school approach that uses a continuum of corrective and supportive interventions, supports and consequences to address inappropriate behaviour and to build upon strategies that promote positive behaviours. Consequences include learning opportunities for reinforcing positive behaviour and assisting students to achieve their potential, and for maintaining a positive school environment.  A positive school environment is effected through programs and activities that focus on building healthy relationships, character development, and civic responsibility, which encourage positive participation of the school community in the life of the school. Parents/guardians should be actively engaged in the progressive discipline approach.

Intervention strategies to prevent unsafe or inappropriate behaviour may include:

  • Review of expectations and verbal reminders
  • Contact with the pupil’s parent(s)/guardian(s)
  • Written “thinking” assignments addressing the behaviour, which include a learning component
  • Time-outs, detentions, withdrawal of privileges; withdrawal from class; withdrawal from extra curricular school activities
  • Volunteer services in the school community
  • Conflict mediation and resolution
  • Peer mentoring
  • Meeting with the pupil’s parent(s)/guardian(s), pupil’s teacher and/or principal
  • Referral to Board resource staff or community agency for counselling/intervention
  • Small group intervention (educational and reflective practice) with a staff member
  • Restitution for damage
  • Restorative justice practices
  • Suspension (if other interventions have already been implemented)