Our School

The following expectations were established through a collaborative process in the spring of 2005. The steps included: 1) data gathering where every parent, staff member and student had an opportunity for input; 2) an open forum where parents, staff and students gathered to sort and prioritize the data collected; 3) a series of meetings where each stakeholder group had opportunity to review the results of a forum and provide editing input; 4) a review of the edited copy by each stakeholder group; 5) consensus These expectations provide the foundation to decisions and protocols reinforced and established at the school. 

As a student at Sturgeon Heights School I will . . . 

• Develop and demonstrate decision-making skills, leadership, communication and problem-solving skills 
• Show responsibility for my own learning by being organized, prepared for class, and by utilizing resources to my best ability 
• Be respectful and considerate of self, property, others and authority 
• Demonstrate dignity and respect for myself and others by dressing and behaving according to expectations of the school 
• Demonstrate characteristics of honesty, empathy, self control, patience and kindness 
• Demonstrate appropriate behavior on school buses, playgrounds, field trips and outings as well as in school 
• Demonstrate school spirit and pride by supporting school activities, by keeping our environment neat and clean and by speaking positively about our school. 

As a teacher / staff member at Sturgeon Heights School I will . . . 

• Help students understand and develop skills they will use throughout their life 
• Encourage and build student confidence as I assist them in reaching their potential 
• Display enthusiasm in order to make school an enjoyable and positive experience for all students 
• Be cognizant of the homework load and responsibilities of students when assigning meaningful homework 
• Recognize different learning styles and adjust instruction accordingly 
• Treat all members of the school community with respect, fairness and dignity 
• Provide and maintain an atmosphere where students feel safe, cared for and valued 
• Assist parents to help their children 
• Openly communicate in a positive manner the successes, concerns, and issues throughout the year by using the “healthy interactions” process 
• Speak highly of our school. 

As a parent of a student at Sturgeon Heights School I will . . . 

• Be involved with and participate in my child’s development and school experience – both academic and nonacademic 
• Be a good role model by showing respect and teaching morals and values at home 
• Monitor homework; help and encourage my child 
• Support school rules by being aware of them and by understanding their impact on learning 
• Support teachers by ensuring student attendance, homework completion and readiness to learn and by encouraging my child to reach his/her full potential 
• Openly, honestly and positively communicate with students, staff and other parents by using the “healthy interactions” process for problem solving 
• Communicate with the school on matters that impact on student learning 
• Positively promote the school within the community.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

We expect all of our students to act in a manner that promotes learning, respects themselves and others, and maintains a welcoming school that is safe and caring for everyone. Any behaviour at school or online which does not follow this guideline will be addressed and corrected. In order to deal with violations consistently, inappropriate behavior is categorized according to three levels of severity with appropriate action steps. 

Collaborative Problem Solving

We believe that all students will behave and work hard in school when given the right tools and opportunities to do so. When a child misbehaves and prevents learning, or causes harm, or is disrespectful they may be lacking the proper understanding or skills to succeed. To help children with this we have a Collaborative Problem Solving team made up of a teacher and our counselor who meet with students that are struggling with behaviour to try to find out what might be missing or unresolved. We believe this is a positive approach that builds strengths and not a negative approach that works only with motivation.

 STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT - ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR TECHNOLOGY

At Sturgeon Heights, we recognize the value of school and personal technology as a learning tool within the classroom, so we actively promote the use of technology for students.  At the same time, using technology is a privilege, and students need to be responsible with how they use all forms of technology. This is an abridged version of our technology use agreement that all homeroom teachers will go over at the beginning of the school year. The full version is also available on our website.

The following are expectations within the Sturgeon Heights acceptable use policy:

• Students will use technology at school ONLY for school work and projects, unless otherwise directed by a staff 
• Students will keep their password to themselves and are responsible for changing it regularly to protect their work. 
• Students will use responsible and kind language at all times while online. They will THINK before they post.
• Students will use their personal devices in class only with the consent of the teacher for educational purposes

The following are not acceptable behaviours within the Sturgeon Heights acceptable use policy:

• I will not take pictures of people without permission; I will not post pictures of any student without explicit consent
• I will not record audio or video of people without explicit permission each time.
• I will not use technology to bully or say hurtful things about anyone else, and understand that I may be held accountable for comments made about a student/staff member over the Internet, text, or social media websites. This includes posting comments made when not at school.
• I will not plagiarize assignments by using somebody else’s work as my own (quoting material from the Internet or other sources is encouraged within reason to help support your ideas)
• I will not create Google classrooms for other students to enroll in or represent myself as a teacher in our Google space.

If students do not follow these expectations or are disrespectful to each other or their teachers with the use of their technology we will work with them to learn to do better. The student may be banned from school computers or be asked to keep all personal technology at home, or may involve school detention or suspension. 

Keep your Technology Safe

Please understand that while students are encouraged to bring their own personal technology, the school will not be responsible for any damages or loss to property. For this reason, please ensure you label all items and are sure to lock them at school when not in use.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT - ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

Our expectation at Sturgeon Heights is that all students will give their best work for assessment and that this work will come from their own thoughts and understanding. It is critical when giving feedback to students that teachers are confident that work originated with the student and is not plagiarized or copied from any other source.

When students copy during exams or submit work that is not their own, they are misrepresenting themselves, breaking trust with their teachers and being disrespectful to our school. This is at its essence a behavior problem and will carry behavior consequences. However, it also creates a problem for teachers to adequately assess a student’s understanding and therefore carries academic consequences as well.

The following guidelines will be used when an instance of plagiarism or cheating during an exam is discovered.

• Parents or Guardians will be contacted.
• Students will receive a zero for the assignment and a comment will be added in PowerSchool indicating academic dishonesty.
• Behavior consequences may vary with the nature of the assignment.  A first offence may receive a half-day in-school suspension or students may give a presentation in a character education classroom about honesty and building trust. This will be at the discretion of administration.
• At a later time students will be given another assessment that covers the same outcomes. This will be administered in the office. When completed this mark will count toward the student’s grade and the first assignment will be removed from the grade calculation. However, the zero will remain viable in the academic record with the comment.
• The next major assessment in the class will also be administered in the office.

Similar consequences will result if further infractions continue during the year. However, after the first time, students will receive a suspension of longer length to serve in school in addition to other possible consequences related to classroom or school activities.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT - ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular attendance is a necessary ingredient of success in school.  The School Act requires that every child who has attained the age of six years at school opening date and who has not attained the age of sixteen years must attend school.  Parental support and guidance regarding regular attendance is appreciated.

When your child is absent due to illness or other unavoidable reasons, the school requests a signed note a telephone call, or an email from parents the day of the absence.  The email address is: SHSabsences@sturgeon.ab.ca  A report of total days absent is on PowerSchool. It is the responsibility of the student to catch up on work missed during an absence.

Phone calls will be made home each day when a child is absent from school if we have not received a note or phone call from a parent.  Safety of the children is of the utmost importance.

The school is open for students at 8:30 a.m. and there will be no supervision of students by school staff until that time. Should a student(s) become a problem in the front area, the privilege of coming early may be denied.

Students are expected to remain on the school grounds at all times during the day.  Exceptions must receive prior approval of the Principal.

Parents wishing to remove their child from the school during school hours are expected to sign them out at the office prior to approaching the classroom teacher.  Children will not be released to individuals other than the parent or guardian. Exceptions must receive the prior approval of the Principal.   

REFERENCE: POLICY F/IV/1 School Attendance Policy

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT – 

BULLYING, HARASSING, DISCRIMINATORY and AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS

A welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning environment for all students and school staff will be one that is free from bullying, harassing, discrimination or violent behaviour. To achieve this at our school all students, staff, parents, and guests will;

• Model respectful conduct, inclusive behaviour and an understanding and appreciation for diversity, equity and human rights.
• Refrain from, report and refuse to tolerate bullying or bullying behaviour, even if it happens outside of the school or school hours or electronically.

• Inform an adult you trust in a timely manner of incidents of bullying, harassment, intimidation or other safety concerns in the school.

When concerns arise relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination, aggressive behavior, or conflict it is expected that students, staff, parents, and guests will communicate directly with the authority most closely involved. This staff member will investigate and respond to the concern promptly. They will also relate the incident and any actions carried out to our school administration.

What is Bullying?

Bullying: repeated and hostile or demeaning behaviour by an individual in the school community where the behaviour is intended to cause harm, fear or distress to one or more individuals in the school community, including psychological harm or harm to an individual's reputation.

What Bullying is Not

Bullying behaviour is not the same as hurting someone's feelings if there is no misuse of power or a deliberate intent to cause harm. Bullying behaviour is sometimes confused with conflict. Conflict is a disagreement about different beliefs, ideas, feelings or actions. 

REFERENCE: POLICY D/III/1 Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights

POLICY D/III/2 Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT –

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION and HUMAN RIGHTS

All students, staff, parents, and guests share responsibility for proactively creating and maintaining welcoming, caring, respectful, safe and inclusive learning environments that acknowledge and promote understanding, respect and the recognition of the diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights of all students and families within the school community.

Any language or behavior that degrades, labels, stereotypes, incites hatred, prejudice, discrimination and harassment towards students, staff, or families on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression will

not be tolerated. Student offences will be dealt with as outlined in our conduct procedure chart. Parents, community members, or other guests at the school who engage in is behavior or language will be dealt with directly by school administration and may be asked to leave the premises.

Each year, Sturgeon Heights School staff will evaluate our building facilities, learning resources, and our common practices to ensure they support the safety, health, well-being and educational needs of students who identify as, or are perceived to be, gender minorities. We will also strive to promote critical thinking and include age-appropriate materials that accurately reflect the diversity of Canada's sexual and gender minority families, cultures, and communities.

REFERENCE: POLICY D/III/1 Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights