All members of the Braeside School Community will act in ways that promote a safe and caring environment. Discipline practices will be reflective of safety, respectful opportunities for student learning, and processes that are well communicated to students, staff and parents, and consistently adhered to by all students and staff members. Living our discipline policy will help us to realize our school motto: Be the best we can be!  

Philosophy and Beliefs

We believe that respect is a key component in all the interactions that take place in the school environment. We believe that students who are treated with respect will act with respect toward others. Our staff is committed to modelling respectful behaviour and to expecting respectful behaviour from students. Clear, consistent, well-communicated guidelines for student behaviour are a second requirement for a successful school discipline policy. Communication takes place through class meetings, school council meetings, student agendas, school newsletters, phone calls and other means. We believe that reasonable expectations for student behaviour will result in reasonable actions on the part of our students. 

Staff believe in using some of the following strategies with students to encourage reasonable behaviour: 

• class meetings
• setting class rules
• modelling
• school wide expectations
• role play, stories and discussions

Our policy for discipline in the school setting is based on and consistent with guidelines from the School Act and Administrative Regulation 6006 - Progressive Student Discipline of the CBE. 

School Discipline Practices

With regard to discipline practices, we believe:

• Discipline practices must maintain the dignity and worth of those involved.
• Discipline practices consider the best interests of each student.
• Discipline practices serve to resolve difficulties and to teach social skills.
• Discipline practices take into account the student’s age and developmental level.
• There should be a proactive focus on preventing problems.
• There should be opportunities for learning available in all school situations, including disciplinary situations.
• There should be a consistent approach employed by all staff members involved with students in disciplinary situations.
• Discipline practices must be fair, just, meaningful, and appropriately applied.
• Students, staff and parents should have opportunities to understand expectations and their responsibilities in the school setting.
• Consequences for inappropriate behaviour should be based on natural justice. Further, should inappropriate behaviour continue, there should be increasingly significant consequences based on: 
• the number of times students have acted in inappropriate ways, and,
• on the severity of their behaviour.
• The ultimate goal of our work with students is to develop self-discipline and a safe and caring school community. 

Zones of Regulation

As a school, we are using the “Zones of Regulation” program to support our students in talking about and managing the different ways that they are feeling throughout the course of a day. This gives us a common language to use when supporting students with self-regulation and helping them be ready to learn. It also helps us as a conflict resolution tool,
and can help us establish personalized strategies for regulating emotions and behaviours.

Many parents have expressed interest in learning more about the program in order to continue the use of the language at home. Please go to: http://www.zonesofregulation.com for more information.

Please contact us if you have questions or concerns with any of the above information.

Levels of Discipline and Consequences

Self-discipline is the preferred approach to following the Braeside School Code of Conduct. It is only when self-discipline has not been exercised that students may have external forms of discipline imposed on them. Levels of discipline are dependent on the severity and the number of incidents. Thus, inappropriate student behavior that persists over time, even if it is not severe, will progress through levels of discipline. Staff members monitor student behaviour on an ongoing basis. Behavior reports are kept in the office as are documentations of behaviour that require administrative involvement.

Level I Interventions (Classroom, Lunchroom, Playground)

Students will be encouraged to, and recognized for, exercising the following types of self-discipline:

• Silence, self-directed time-out, walking away
• Deep breathing to reduce tension or anxiety
• Problem solving, either on one’s own or with others
• Taking responsibility for one’s actions, errors, malfeasance, eg. an apology

Level II Interventions (Classroom, Lunchroom and Playground)

Consequences are:

• Verbal/non-verbal cues and/or
• Time out from activity and/or
• Loss of privileges and/or
• Community service

This level is handled by the classroom teacher and/or playground supervisor.

Level III Interventions: (Parental Involvement)

Consequences are:

• Classroom teacher notifies parents through a behaviour report and/or telephone call
• Time out from activity and/or
• Loss of privileges and/or
• Community service and/or
• Letter of apology and/or letter of conversation

Level IV Interventions: (Administration and/or Specialist Involvement)

Consequences are:

• Behavior report (specific consequences likely from the consequences mentioned above)
• Teacher/administrator meet with parents
• Possible referral to specialist
• Teacher/administrator to meet with student
• Contract or Action Plan
• Review Date

Level V Interventions (Home/School Suspension)

Consequences are:

• Administrative Involvement
• Behaviour report
• In school or out of school suspension; parents notified
• Formal letter sent home for out of school suspension

Level VI Interventions (System Suspension)

Consequences are:

• System Suspension

Severe Misbehaviour

Students may skip one or more levels if the misbehaviour is severe. Examples include:

• Assault on another person
• Threatened violent behaviour
• Verbal abuse toward students or staff
• Harassment or bullying behaviour
• Playing with matches or fire
• Bringing weapons to school
• Vandalism of school or school property

In cases where this type of behaviour occurs, students may immediately move to Level V or Level VI. 

Communication Plan

In order for our discipline policy to be effective, it is critical that all components are clearly communicated to members of our school community. Parents and staff members have had a role in formulating the policy. The Discipline Policy will be clearly outlined to students at the beginning of each school year, both at a school wide assembly and through classroom discussions. Expectations will be reinforced by all staff members on an ongoing basis, with emphasis where required. Each classroom teacher will decide on a process for developing reasonable expectations for behaviour in the classroom. The policy will be sent through the school newsletter and student agendas.