GENERAL
INFORMATION
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
PURPOSE
Education in the DES community represents a significant commitment to financial and human resources. The benefits a student derives from this investment depend on the student’s attitude toward learning and the student’s adherence to high standards of behavior. The DES Student Code of Conduct provides methods and options for managing student behavior in the classroom as well as on and off school grounds. This Code provides information to parents and students regarding standards of conduct, consequences of misconduct, and procedures for administering discipline in DES. The Student Code of Conduct is a product of years of DES disciplinary training the adherence to the code leads to moulding CITIZENS OF CHARACTER.
CITIZENS OF CHARACTER
DES trains and expects its students to understand the need to become responsible for their actions. Since these actions can affect the welfare and lives of others, DES requires all its students to adhere to its core values of respect, citizenship, perseverance, responsibility, caring / concern / compassion, courage, and trustworthiness at all times. Students are expected to resolve conflict through reasoning rather than violence and should understand and celebrate the diversity that ultimately enriches the society.
STUDENT CORE CHARACTER TRAITS AND THEIR INDICATORS
DES trains and expects its students to understand the need to become responsible for their actions. Since these actions can affect the welfare and lives of others, DES requires all its students to adhere to its core values of respect, citizenship, perseverance, responsibility, caring / concern / compassion, courage, and trustworthiness at all times. Students are expected to resolve conflict through reasoning rather than violence and should understand and celebrate the diversity that ultimately enriches the society
1. Respect To consider worthy of high regard
| Self |
To accept and value one’s own abilities. To not discount one’s self due to his/her limitations. To establish and maintain healthy choices concerning what to consume; to create wise and reflective choices concerning what to wear, read, view and perform. |
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| Others |
To be tolerant of individuals possessing different qualities; to be patient and listen to other’s views and opinions; to recognize the right of others to possess beliefs different from one’s self. To not abuse, demean, or mistreat any individual; to not use, manipulate, exploit, or take advantage of others; to not be arrogant or judgmental; to not discriminate against another individual on the basis of issues related to social, ethnic, economic, religious, cultural background, age, gender, or disability. |
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| Authority |
To choose respectful behavior toward figures of authority, who carry special roles for leading or guiding oneself, such as parents, DES staff, and faculty; to choose positive ways to work with those in authority. To not mock individuals who might display respect for authority; to not permit one’s behavior toward authority to be influenced negatively by miscellaneous factors; to not choose aggression or withdrawal as means to resolve conflicts with authority. |
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2. Citizenship- The quality of an individual’s response to membership in a community
| Citizenship | To obey laws and abide by the set regulations; to perform one’s share; to remain constantly informed; to be a good neighbor; to be a good steward of one’s environment; to serve one’s community; to honor and value the symbols associated with any country; to undertake actions on issues that require immediate attention. | |
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3. Perseverance - To remain at any issue in spite of difficulties, opposition, or discouragement
| Perseverance |
To set realistic goals and have a plan for achieving them; to seek solutions to difficult situations and everyday problems; to bear in mind that a lengthy period of time may be required to achieve worthwhile goals; to always hope for the best in future. To not despair; to not think that everything should be done by one’s self; to not give up at the first sign of difficulty. |
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4. Responsibility - To be answerable, to be accountable; to understand how much has to be accomplished; to appreciate
the outcome of one’s hard labor
| Responsibility |
To be accountable for one’s actions; to think before acting; to exercise self-restraint and be self-disciplined; to set a positive role model for peers and the community; to reason the impact of one’s choices on others; to accept the consequences of one’s choices. To not create excuses for one’s self; to not place blame, of any sort, on other individuals; to not receive credit for another individual’s work or achievement. |
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5. Caring / Concern / Compassion - An active disposition toward fellowship and sharing, toward supportive companionship
in distress
| Caring / Concern / Compassion |
To protect the dignity of each individual and to display care about others through kindness; to feel concern, seek understanding and demonstrate friendliness, empathy, and politeness to others; to hold human life in the highest regard. To not be selfish, mean, cruel, or insensitive to others’ feelings; to not ignore the needs of other individuals; to not ridicule other individuals; to not take more than one’s fair share; to not take unfair advantage of other individuals. |
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6.Courage- Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty
| Courage |
To be brave; to face one’s problems; to stand up for what is deemed right; to tackle one’s fears; to express one’s feelings appropriately; to develop strong convictions. To not be afraid to express one’s beliefs; to not give into peer pressure. |
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7. Trustworthiness-Worthy of confidence
| Integrity |
To be brave; to face one’s problems; to stand up for what is deemed right; to tackle one’s fears; to express one’s feelings appropriately; to develop strong convictions. To not perform anything that one might feel wrong about. To display commitment, courage, and self-discipline. |
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| Honesty |
To speak the truth to one’s self and others; to honor one’s commitments; to perform the right action even when not under observation. To not betray a trust, deceive, cheat, or steal; to not be devious or manipulative in any manner. |
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| Loyalty |
To stand by, support, and protect one’s family, friends, and country; to respect one’s conscience. To not speak ill of an individual in the absence of that individual; to not spread rumors or engage in any conversation that might resemble gossip; to not commit wrong actions to maintain or win a friendship or gain approval; to not ask any individual, close or distant, to commit wrong actions on behalf of one’s self. |
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GENERAL CONDUCT VIOLATIONS
The categories of conduct listed below are prohibited at DES and all school-related activities. Any of these offenses are
serious enough to involve disciplinary intervention by ARC.
| Miscellaneous Offenses |
1. Violation of DGC. 2. Committing acts of cheating or plagiarism (i.e., copying the works of another individual / organization). 3. Falsifying records or other school-related documents. 4. Engaging in actions or demonstrations that substantially disrupt or materially interfere with instruction or school activities. 5. Repeatedly violating regulations set forth in the Student Code of Conduct. |
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| Disregard for Authority |
1. Failing to comply with directives prescribed by school personnel. 2. Leaving school grounds or school-sponsored events without permission. 3. Disobeying rules for conduct on school buses or at bus stops. 4. Refusing to accept discipline management techniques / consequences assigned by ARC. |
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| Mistreatment of Others |
1. Using profanity / vulgar language or making obscene gestures. 2. Threatening another student or DES employee on or off school property. 3. Fighting or scuffing, engaging in bullying, harassment, and making hit lists. 4. Name-calling, ethnic / racial slurs, or derogatory statements that school officials have reason to believe will substantially disrupt the school program or incite violence. 5. Hazing 6. Causing an individual to act through the use of threat of force (coercion). 7. Committing extortion or blackmail (obtaining a favor / service, money, or an object of value from an unwilling individual). 8. Making false alarms or reports or perpetuating hoaxes regarding school safety. |
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| Property Offenses |
1. Damaging or vandalizing property owned by others. 2. Defacing or damaging school property with graffiti or by any other physical means. 3. Committing theft from students, staff, and / or the school. 4. Discharging a fire extinguisher without valid cause. |
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| Misuse of Computers |
1. Violating computer use policies set forth by ITS. 2. Using the internet or other electronic communications to threaten one or more students, employees, or to cause a disruption of the educational environment. 3. Sending or posting electronic messages that are abusive, disruptive, illegal, threatening, harassing, or damaging to another individual’s / group’s reputation. |
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DISCIPLINE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Discipline will be instilled to improve student conduct and encourage students to adhere to their responsibilities as members of the school community.
The following discipline management techniques may be administered – alone or in combination - for breaching the Student Code of Conduct. They are segregated as local techniques (which can be administered by any instructor / DES official) and ARC techniques (which are solely administered by ARC).
| Local Techniques |
1. Verbal correction. 2. Truancy warning letter. 3. Seating change during examinations. 4. Confiscation of items that disrupt the educational process. 5. Grade reduction for cheating and plagiarism. 6. Counseling by instructors, academic coordinators, academic advisors, and/or the vice-principal. 7. Parent contact. 8. Parent-Teacher Conferences. 9. Withdrawal of privileges, such as participation in extracurricular activities, eligibility for seeking and holding honorary offices, or membership in school-sponsored clubs and/or organizations. 10. Assignment of school clerical duties other than class tasks under constant observation. |
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| ARC Techniques |
1. After-school detention. 2. Temporary suspension for up to three school days per violation. 3. Expulsion with re-admission in the next academic year. 4. Expulsion without re-admission. |
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NOTIFICATION
The Principal or designee will notify the respective student’s parent by phone and / or in writing of any violation that may result in any implementation of ARC technique on the respective student. Notification will be made within three school days after ARC becomes aware of the violation and assigns the applicable consequence(s) to the student.