Section 1 – Student Behavior, Dress, and Communication

A.   Student Behavior Code

Acceptable and appropriate:

Bicycles/Skateboards/Inline skates, etc.

Bicycles must be parked in the racks provided.  Students coming to or leaving the school campus on bicycles or skateboards must obey all traffic rules.  All bicycles should be prived with locks and licenses.  The school is not responsible for damage or theft of parts while bicycles are parked in the racks.  Any student who lawfully uses a skateboard to get to and from school may not use the skateboard on school property, including the roads and sidewalks.  Inline skates, wheeled sneakers, or any other recreational transportation aide may not be used anywhere at school without express approval from the administration.  At no time may either bicycles, skateboards, or any other vehicle or mode of transportation be on the school track or athletic fields.

Assembly Procedure

Assemblies are held periodically during the school year to educate and celebrate achievement.  For any assembly, students are expected to arrive with the classroom teacher that they are currently with and enter the assembly in an orderly manner without any yelling, screaming, pushing, or needless talk.  There should be absolute silence when the speaker stands in front of the group to introduce the program.  At Central Valley, hand clapping is recognized as the only courteous form of applause.  Whistling, shouting and other noises are considered rude and discourteous.  Many times the reputation of the school is jeopardized and tarnished by discourteous students when guests are visiting our school.  When the program is over, please wait seated with your class until your classroom teacher instructs you to leave, then exit in an orderly fashion.

Fire Drill

When the fire alarm sounds, all students will move at a rapid walk to the nearest exits designated and posted in each room.

There must be no conversation or other unnecessary noise during fire drills.  This quiet will enable emergency instructions to be given for change in routes in case regular exits are blocked.  Students are to immediately listen to all emergency instructions from the staff in charge of you without question or argument.

Upon leaving the building, students will stay with the class they left the building with so teachers may call roll if necessary.

Lost and Found

All articles found are to be taken to the office immediately where they may be claimed during the school day.  Anyone who has lost anything in school should notify the office immediately and check the lost and found collection.  After an announcement, items will be placed periodically for claim in the cafeteria lost and found collection box and discarded if not claimed by anyone.

Attendance

The New York State law requires that each minor from six to sixteen years of age must attend school and remain in attendance through the end of the school year in which the students reaches 16 or graduation from High School.

Students are expected to be in school on time each day.  The New York State Education Department guidelines that apply legal and illegal absences from school will also apply as guidelines to tardiness.

A student is legally absent from school when:

• The parent has contacted the school to provide the legal reason for the absence and the parent follows with a written excuse to school upon the student’s return (in cases of long term illness, a Doctor’s evaluation is required).

• Legal reasons are illness, a doctor’s appointment, road test, college visit, court appointment, death in the family, funeral, internship, religious observance, counseling appointment, probation or military obligation, field trip or on a school approved trip such as college or workplace visit.

A student is illegally absent from school when:

• The student does not attend school and no reason is provided to school.

• The student is on a trip with parents.

• The parent keeps the student home for academic or safety reasons.

• A student is truant.

Procedures governing absences and tardiness:

• If you are legally absent, the day you return to school you must bring a written excuse to the Attendance Office signed by your parent or guardian.  If you absent for five days or more, a doctor’s certificate is necessary.

• Anytime you are to be absent for other reasons, such as your parents taking you on a trip, the attendance aide should be notified.

• APPOINTMENTS – Students being excused during school hours must bring their excuses to the office before first period for verification and sign outs.

• If any time during the school day a student becomes ill, then the student should report to the nurse’s office.  At no time should the student leave the building and go home on his/her own.

• If a student is going to be absent from school, we recommend that the parent or guardian call the office/attendance aide that morning.  If the call is not received, then the school nurse or attendance aide will contact the parent or guardian.

• Students are responsible for all work and/or assignments when absent.

• Students must be in attendance for at least a half day for a verified appointment in order to attend extracurricular activities or functions on the day of the absence as a spectator or participant.  This includes interscholastic athletics (practices and games), field trips, dances, concerts, club meetings, play rehearsals or any school-related activities etc.

Unacceptable and Inappropriate

• Any violation of the law

• Truancy

• Cutting class, tardiness, skipping school

• Unacceptable classroom behavior

• Being disrespectful of teachers

• Inappropriate talking in class

• Cheating

• Plagiarism

• Altering records

• Leaving class without permission

• Harassment of other students

• Other

• Public displays of affection – i.e. hand holding, kissing

• Gambling

• Possession/Use of tobacco in the building or on school grounds

• Carrying cigarettes in shirt pockets or any place where they are visible

• Also, chewing tobacco or powdered tobacco

• Alcohol

  • Under the influence

  • Possession

  • Sale

• Illegal Drugs

  • Under the influence

  • Possession

  • Sale

• Possession of weapons, other dangerous devices, or anything that might be considered a weapon

  • Guns, knives, brass knuckles, martial arts weapons, black jacks, etc.

  • Bombs, fireworks, or fire crackers etc.

• Theft

• Vandalism

  • Destruction or defacing of school property

  • Threats of Violence

• Fighting or other forms of violence on or near school property

• Bomb threats

• Extreme dress or appearance which is disruptive to class (boys and girls)

  • Wearing hats, head gear, or head coverings in the building

• Eating or drinking outside the cafeteria unless acceptable by a teacher within a class

• Loitering in the areas of heavy traffic

• Rowdy behavior, running in the building, or use of hacky sacks

• Dropping waste paper, candy wrappers, etc., in the building

• Locker misuse

• Doing anything at an athletic contest, school activity, or other school that will damage

• Central Valley Central School District’s reputation

• Coats in classroom or study hall

• Possession or use of a radio in the hallway or classroom

• Possession or use of electronic game boys, walkman, hand-held games, tape/CD players or any electronic hand-held device that would diminish the students’ attention in the hallways or classrooms

• Use of skateboards, scooters, or roller blades on school property

• Possession or use of cellular phones or beepers

• Trespassing. Students are not permitted in any school building, other than the one they regularly attend, without permission from the administrator in charge of the building

• Computer/electronic communications misuse, including any unauthorized use of computers, software, or internet/intranet account, accessing inappropriate websites, or any other violation of the district’s acceptable use policy

• Initiating a report warning of fire or other catastrophe without valid cause, misuse of 911, or discharging a fire extinguisher

• Other

B.   Student Dress Code

Acceptable and appropriate:

All members of the school community are expected to dress in a manner that is appropriate and acceptable, and is not disruptive to the learning and teaching environment. All students are also expected to give proper attention to personal cleanliness.

A student’s dress, grooming and appearance, including hair style/color, jewelry, make-up and nails, shall:

• Be safe, appropriate and not disrupt or interfere with the educational process.

• Recognize that extremely brief garments and see-through garments are not appropriate.

• Ensure that underwear is completely covered by the outer clothing.

• Include footwear at all times. Footwear that is a safety hazard will not be allowed.

• Not include the wearing of hats in the classroom except for a medical or religious purpose.

• Not include items that are vulgar, obscene, libelous or denigrate others on account of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

• Not promote and/or endorse the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs and/or encourage other illegal or violent activities.

Each building principal or his or her designee shall be responsible for informing all students and their parents of the student dress code at the beginning of the school year and any revisions to the dress code made during the school year.

Students who violate the dress code shall be required to modify their appearance by covering or removing the offending item and, if necessary or practical, replacing it with an acceptable item.

Any student who refuses to do so shall be subject to discipline, up to and including in-school suspension for the day. Any student who repeatedly fails to comply with the dress code shall be subject to further discipline, up to and including out of school suspension.

Unacceptable and inappropriate:

• T-shirts depicting images of sex or drugs

• Gang related dress

• Hats, head gear, or head coverings

• Underwear as outerwear/sleepwear as outerwear

• Disruptive clothing (e.g., see-through garments, bare midriffs)

• Other

C.   Student Communication Code

Acceptable and appropriate:

All members of the school community are expected to use appropriate and acceptable language in their relationship to others. Unacceptable and inappropriate language would include, but not be limited to directing profanity, vulgar language, and obscene gestures toward other students, school personal, or visitors to the school. In addition, engaging in verbal abuse, i.e. name calling, ethnic or racial slurs, or derogatory statements addressed publicly to others that precipitate disruptions of the school program or incite violence are also inappropriate and unacceptable.

Unacceptable and inappropriate:

• Abusive language

• Sexually suggestive or indecent language

• Harassment (sex, race, religious, etc.)

• Cursing

• Excessive arguing with a teacher

• Threats of violence

• Hate speech

• Other

Section 2 – Disciplinary Actions

The range of disciplinary actions will include, but not be limited to; conference with the student, parent notification, removal from class, detention, in-school suspension, out of school suspension, or contacting law enforcement. Greater or lesser penalties can be imposed on a case-by-case basis.

Section 3 – Removal of Disruptive Students from the Classroom and School Property

A. Disruptive Student

For the purposes of this section, a disruptive student is an elementary or secondary student under twenty-one years of age who is substantially disruptive of the educational process or substantially interferes with the teacher’s authority over the classroom.

A student’s behavior can affect a teacher’s ability to teach and can make it difficult for other students in the classroom to learn. In most instances the classroom teacher can control a student’s behavior and maintain and restore control over the classroom by using good classroom management techniques. These techniques may include practices that involve the teacher directing a student to briefly leave the classroom to give the student an opportunity to regain his or her composure and self-control in an alternative setting. Such practices may include, but are not limited to: (1) short-term “time out” in an elementary classroom or in an administrator’s office; (2) sending a student into the hallway briefly; (3) sending a student to the principal’s office for the remainder of the class time only; or (4) sending a student to a guidance counselor or other district staff member for counseling, Time-honored classroom management techniques such as these do not constitute disciplinary removals for purposes of this code.

On occasion, a student’s behavior may become disruptive. For purposes of this code of conduct, a disruptive student is a student who is substantially disruptive of the educational process or substantially interferes with the teacher’s authority over the classroom. A substantial disruption of the educational process or substantial interference with a teacher’s authority occurs when a student demonstrates a persistent unwillingness to comply with the teacher’s instructions or repeatedly violates the teacher’s classroom behavior rules.

A classroom teacher may remove a disruptive student from class for up to two days. The removal from the class applies to the class of the removing teacher only. Consideration for this length of time of removal should be related to the student’s age or developmental level.

B. Violent Student

For the purposes of this section, a violent pupil is an elementary or secondary student under twenty-one years of age who:

• Commits an act of violence upon a teacher, administrator, or other school employee;

• Commits, while on school district property, an act of violence upon another student or any other person lawfully upon said property;

• Possesses, while on school district property, what appears to be a gun, knife, explosive or incendiary bomb or other dangerous instrument capable of causing death or physical injury;

• Displays, while on school district property, what appears to be a gun, knife, explosive or incendiary bomb or other dangerous instrument capable of causing death or physical injury;

• Threatens, while on school district property, to use any instrument that appears capable of causing physical injury or death;

• Knowingly and intentionally damages or destroys the personal property of a teacher, administrator, other school district employee, or any person lawfully upon school district property; or

• Knowingly and intentionally damages or destroys school district property.

C. Removal of Disruptive Students from the Classroom and School Property

A disruptive student is an elementary or secondary student who is substantially disruptive of the educational process or substantially interferes with the teacher’s authority in the classroom. A teacher could remove a substantially disruptive student from the classroom. A student who is removed from the classroom temporarily because a teacher is exercising good classroom management techniques more than two times in a semester for being disruptive may be removed from the same class for the entire period for up to two (2) class periods. The removal from a class for the entire period is considered more severe than a temporary removal like a time out situation or a trip to the guidance counselor to discuss one’s behavior. The following actions will be considered substantially disruptive, including, but not limited to:

• Insubordination – not submitting to authority, disobedient

• Defiance – bold resistance to authority or opposition

• Disrespect – to show lack of respect, discourtesy

• Rudeness – lack of consideration for others

• Discourteous behavior – bad manners, rude, impoliteness

• Vulgar language

• Obscene gestures

• Refusal to comply with teacher’s direction

• Excessive arguing with teacher

• Consistent talking

• Verbal, physical or sexual harassment or any action which threatens the physical well-being of any member of the school community

• Possession or use of illegal substances

• Possession, use or threat of the use of weapons or any dangerous instrument that is capable of causing physical injury or death

• Violation of any individual’s civil rights

E. Removal of a Disruptive Student by a Teacher

Teacher’s Responsibilities

Before removing, explain basis of removal to the student and allow student to informally present his/her version of relevant events.

• Inform principal of reasons for removal in writing as soon as possible.

• If the student poses a continuing danger, or an ongoing threat of disruption to academic process, provide the principal with a detailed basis for the removal in writing and allow informal opportunity to be heard within 24 hours.

• A program of continued education by the disciplining teacher is mandatory as soon as a student is removed from class.

• Attend the disciplinary conference with parent and/or student as arranged by the principal.

• Student removal will not exceed two (2) class periods.

• Student removal for elementary students will not exceed two (2) class periods. A class period is defined as an allotment of time that is given to teach a particular subject. For example, if a student were giving the teacher a difficult time when he/she is teaching English, this would mean that the student is removed when the teacher teaches English.

• Each teacher must keep a complete log for all cases of removal of students from his/her class.

Principal’s Responsibilities

• Within 24 hours of removal, the principal or designee, must inform parent of reasons for removal based on the referral of the teacher doing the removal.

• On request, student/parent must be given an opportunity to discuss reasons with principal and teacher at an informal conference.

• If student denies the charges, student/parent must be given explanation of basis for removal and an opportunity to present his/her version. This meeting must take place within 48 hours of removal and must include the student, teacher, parent/guardian(s), and principal.

• Principal must decide, by the close of business on the day following the opportunity to be heard by the principal, whether the discipline will be set aside. Principal may only set aside discipline if:

  • The charges against the student are not supported by substantial evidence.

  • The student’s removal is in violation of the law.

  • The conduct warrants suspension and a suspension will be imposed.

• The principal will ensure that a student’s education will continue if a student is removed from class or if a student under the mandatory age of attendance is suspended from school.

• The principal will follow procedures outlined in Educational Law 3214 for suspensions longer than (5) days that may require a Superintendent’s Hearing.

• The principal must keep a log of all removals of students from class.

D.   Suspension from School

Suspension from school is a severe penalty, which may be imposed only upon students who are insubordinate, disorderly, violent, or disruptive, or whose conduct otherwise endangers the safety, morals, health or welfare of others.

Any staff member may recommend to the superintendent or the principal that a student be suspended. All staff members must immediately report and refer a violent student to the principal or the superintendent for a violation of the code of conduct. All recommendations and referrals shall be made in writing unless the conditions underlying the recommendation or referral warrant immediate attention. In such cases a written report is to be prepared as soon as possible by the staff member recommending the suspension.

The superintendent or principal upon receiving a recommendation or referral for suspension or when processing a case for suspension, shall gather the facts relevant to the matter and record them for subsequent presentation, if necessary.

F. Corporal Punishment

Corporal punishment is any act of physical force upon a student for the purpose of punishing that student. Corporal punishment of any student by any district employee is strictly forbidden.

However, in situations where alternative procedures and methods that do not involve the use of physical force cannot be reasonably used, reasonable physical force may be used to:

• Protect oneself, another student, teacher or any person from physical injury;

• Protect the property of the school or others;

• Restrain or remove a student whose behavior interferes with the orderly exercise and performance of school district functions, powers and duties, if that student has refused to refrain from further disruptive acts.

Teachers must report corporal punishment to the principal immediately following the incident. The district must file all complaints about the use of corporal punishment with the Commissioner of Education in accordance with Commissioner’s regulations.

Section 4 – Students Who Bring a Weapon to School

Pursuant to the regulations, any student, other than a student with a disability, found guilty of bringing a weapon onto school property will be subject to suspension from school for at least one calendar year. Before being suspended, the student will have an opportunity for a hearing pursuant to Education Law 3214. The superintendent has the authority to modify the one-year suspension on a case-by-case basis. The federal law defines “weapon” somewhat narrowly. In deciding whether to modify the penalty, the superintendent may consider the following:

• The student’s age

• The student’s grade in school

• The student’s prior disciplinary record

• The superintendent’s belief that other forms of discipline may be more effective

• Input from parents, teachers and/or others

• Other extenuating circumstances

A student with a disability may be suspended only in accordance with the requirements of state and federal law.

Section 5 – Discipline of Students with Disabilities

Codes of Conduct will ensure that the rights of students with disabilities are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This code of conduct affords students with disabilities subject to disciplinary action no greater or lesser rights than those expressly afforded by applicable federal and state law and regulations.

Section 6 – Notification of Code Violation

• Parents, guardians, or the individual in parental relationship will be notified.

• The principal in consultation with teachers and staff may make appropriate referrals to Human Service Agencies.

• Code violations of criminal nature will be referred to the proper law enforcement agencies.

• Repeated code violations or violations of a criminal nature may result in criminal court complaints, juvenile delinquency petitions or PINS petitions.

Section 7 – School Visitors

Visitors are defined as individuals not employed by the school district or not enrolled in the school district that are visiting in the buildings or attending school functions, either on or off school grounds. All rules of the district code of conduct relative to dress, language, behavior and conduct will apply to all visitors. Visitors in violation of the code will be warned, asked to leave and/or removed from the premises. If necessary, law enforcement officials will be involved. School officials retain the right to ban individuals from future school events or prohibit individuals from being on school property as circumstances warrant.

• Anyone who is not a regular staff member or student of the school will be considered a visitor.

• All visitors to the school must report to the office upon arrival at the school. There they will be required to sign the visitor’s register and will be issued a visitor’s identification badge, which must be worn at all times while in the school or on school grounds. The visitor must return the identification badge to the principal’s office before leaving the building.

• Visitors attending school functions that are open to the public, such as parent teacher organization meetings or public gatherings are not required to register.

• Parents or citizens who wish to observe a classroom while school is in session are required to arrange such visits in advance with the classroom teacher(s) in consultation with the high school principal, so that the class disruption is kept to a minimum.

• Teachers are expected not to take class time to discuss individual matters with visitors.

(return to Elementary Code of Conduct Index)