Positive Learning Environment Policy (Policy 703)
Principles
A positive learning and working environment is one in which adults and pupils in the public school system have the right to work and to learn in a safe, orderly, productive, respectful and harassment-free environment. Just as students deserve the right to be in a safe school and respectful environment, teachers and support staff deserve the right to work in one was well.
- Every person is valued and all individuals, including staff, pupils and parents, are treated with respect and treat others with respect.
- Pupils have the right to be taught and to learn without being disrupted by others and have the responsibility not to disrupt the learning of others.
- Pupils are responsible for their behaviour in accordance with their stage of development and to the extent to which their behaviour is voluntary. When disruptive behaviour is due to exceptional characteristics of a pupil and he/she is unable to control this behaviour, solutions must take the needs of the pupil and the pupil’s classmates into account.
- Parents, pupils, staff and the community together have defined goals for the learning environment of the schoo, have agreed on a plan for reaching those goals and are communicating and applying the plan consistently at home, in school and in the community.
- Great value is placed on effective teaching so that pupils have a sense of belonging, feel they are supported by staff in their efforts to succeed and have a positive relationship with at least one adult in the school system.
- Successes, appropriate behaviour and accomplishments are emphasized and celebrated.
- Parents, staff and the community understand that social skills, self-discipline, compassion and ethics continue to be learned throughout life and each partner in education plays a role in teaching these things through instruction and by example.
- Administrators at the school, the district and head office, support effective teaching and behaviour management.
The following behaviours by any person will not be tolerated in the New Brunswick public school system. This means intervention, as agreed upon in the School Positive Learning Environment Plan, is consistently required when these behaviours occur:
- harassment, intimidation and violence
- abusive language towards or about staff members
- discrimination based on gender, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, culture, language group, sexual orientation, disability, age or grade level
- dissemination of hate propaganda including hate literature
- use or possession of alcohol or illegal drugs
- possession/use/selling of illegal substances or weapons
- theft of personal or school property, or intentional property damage
- any behaviour which threatens the health or safety of any person (e.g. arson, bomb threats and tampering with safety equipment such as fire alarms)
- accusations involving falsehood or malicious intent
- creating or attempting to create a disturbance, using threatening or abusive language and speaking or acting in such a way as to impair the maintenance of order and discipline on school property. This is contrary to the Education Act and is an offence punishable under the Provincial Offences Procedure Act. Any person behaving in such a way can be removed from school grounds by staff members or those instructed to act on their behalf.
Application
The behaviour standards defined in this policy and in the School Positive Learning Environment Plan apply to all participants in the public school system, on school property, on school buses and other school system-organized transportation, at school-sponsored events, whenever the school is responsible for a pupil, whenever an individual is acting on behalf of or is representing the school and in all communications related to school events (e.g. meetings, phone calls and written correspondence between parents and staff, e-mails sent by pupils using school system resources, contacts with the public when fund-raising and in all out-of-school interactions based on in-school relationships, etc.).
Violence, Harassment and Weapons Policy
Anglophone School District West works hard to ensure that schools are safe places for students. ASD-W policy states that violence of any kind will not be tolerated. Any form of violence or intimidation that threatens the health, safety and welfare of students or staff is not acceptable. Violence includes verbal, written, or physical threats, bullying harassment, fighting, or emotional or sexual abuse.
Weapons are defined as anything that is used with the intent to hurt or frighten someone. Students are not permitted to have weapons. Any student found with a weapon, involved in a violent act, or soliciting others to commit an act of violence will be disciplined.
Harassment is considered to be any mean word, act or gesture used continually with the intent of hurting a person’s feelings, body or possessions. Students and staff have an absolute right to be and feel emotionally and physically safe at school. No one will bully, taunt, intimidate or subject others to harassment in any form.