The Victor Intermediate School staff will work in partnership with parents/guardians to maintain a learning and working environment that supports the character development of its students. Character development will reflect and reinforce our school motto of Respecting Ourselves, Others and VIS.
In an effort to ensure the safety of all members of the school community, the Victor Central School District has adopted a Code of Conduct, which outlines expectations and consequences for student behavior. The items addressed in this handbook refer to both building-level and district-level expectations. Expectations for how students conduct themselves apply to all school-sponsored activities, events on school grounds, and on school buses.
Expectations for Student Behavior (A more complete description of these expectations can be found in the Victor Central School District Code of Conduct. This document can be accessed on the district website at www.victorschools.org or in the main office of any school building.)
The Board of Education expects all students to conduct themselves in an appropriate and civil manner, with proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students, district personnel and other members of the school community, and for the care of school facilities and equipment.
The best discipline is self-imposed, and students must learn to assume and accept responsibility for their own behavior, as well as the consequences of their misbehavior. District personnel who interact with students are expected to use disciplinary action only when necessary and to place emphasis on the students’ ability to grow in self-discipline.
Students may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension from school, when they:
• Engage in conduct that is disorderly.
• Engage in conduct that is insubordinate.
• Engage in behavior that is disruptive.
• Engage in conduct that is violent.
• Engage in any conduct that endangers the safety, morals, health or welfare of others.
• Engage in misconduct while on a school bus.
• Engage in any form of academic misconduct.
Disciplinary Action
Disciplinary action, when necessary, will be fair and consistent so as to be the most effective in changing student behavior. As a general rule, discipline will be progressive. In determining the appropriate disciplinary action, school personnel authorized to impose disciplinary penalties will consider the following:
- The student’s age.
- The nature of the offense and the circumstances that led to the offense.
- The student’s prior disciplinary record.
- The effectiveness of other forms of discipline.
- Information from parents, teachers and/or others, as appropriate.
- Other extenuating circumstances, i.e. disability.
Possible Consequences for Misbehavior
Students who are found to have violated the District’s Code of Conduct may be subject to the following consequences, either alone or in combination. The school personnel identified after each consequence are authorized to impose that consequence consistent with the student’s right to due process.
- Oral warning – any member of the district staff
- Written notification to parent – bus driver, hall and lunch monitors (through administrator), coaches, school counselors, teachers, assistant principal, principal, superintendent
- Student Behavior Reflection Form completed
- Detention – teachers, assistant principal, principal, superintendent
- Suspension from transportation – director of transportation, assistant principal, principal, superintendent
- Suspension from social or extracurricular activities – activity advisor, assistant principal, principal, superintendent
- Suspension of other privileges – principal, assistant principal, superintendent
- In-school suspension – assistant principal, principal, superintendent
- Removal from classroom by teacher – teachers, assistant principal, or principal
- Short-term (five days or less) suspension from school – principal, superintendent, board of education
- Long-term (more than five days) suspension from school – principal, superintendent, board of education
- Permanent suspension from school – superintendent, board of education
DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT
A student’s ability to learn and to meet high academic standards, and a school's ability to educate its students is compromised by incidents of discrimination or harassment including bullying, taunting, or intimidation. The Dignity Act makes it the official policy of New York State that all students in public schools have the right to an education free of discrimination and harassment.
The Dignity Act includes, but is not limited to, acts of discrimination and harassment based on a student’s race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender (defined to include gender identity or expression), or sex.
The Dignity Act defines material incidents of harassment as a single incident or a series of related incidents where a student is subjected to harassment and/or discrimination by a student or school employee on school property or at a school function that creates a hostile environment by conduct, with or without physical contact and/or by verbal threats, intimidation or abuse, of such a severe or pervasive nature that:
- has or would have the effect of unreasonably interfering with a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional and/or physical well-being; or
- reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety.
