Guidelines on Student Positive Behavior
Purpose
The purpose of student positive behavior is to support the community toward achieving the school community’s vision of showing respect for others, our environment, and ourselves.
- Respect is defined as seeing through the eyes of others and working together for the good of all.
We support a positive, pro-active approach to maintaining appropriate behaviors in our school. Through our social competency curriculum, students are encouraged to understand what positive behavior looks like, have opportunities to talk about things that are not working, and receive instruction in areas that are sometimes difficult. Models of positive behavior and effective approaches to problem-solving are emphasized. A key element in the implementation of our behavioral code is teamwork. Students, parents, teachers, and other staff members all have roles. We are far more effective when we commit to working together.
CLASSROOM SETTING
Classroom teachers work with students to develop class rules and consequences with the spirit of maintaining respect for self and others. Classroom teachers will provide parents with class behavioral expectations and specifics of classroom management systems. Instances of inappropriate behavior will be handled within the classroom context whenever possible. In serious or chronic situations, teachers and/or elementary support personnel will consult with guidance or administration. Parents will be involved with chronic or serious misbehaviors.
When situations involve students from different classrooms, classroom teachers involved will coordinate fact-finding and involve the counselor, principal, or assistant principal as necessary.
All matters involving chronic misbehavior, inappropriate physical contact and/or bullying will be brough to the attention of the principal, assistant principal, and counselor.
Bowman School uses an intervention log system to help inform and document incidences. This system helps us document to frequency and location of needed intervention and helps us identify areas, grades, and groups of students that might benefit from additional pro-social instruction. A phone call home typically precedes receiving an intervention log. Upon occasion when an event occurs at the end of the day, investigation of a situation may require additional time.
GENERAL BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PROTOCOLS
The ultimate goal in any behavioral intervention is to insure that the student remains a part of the classroom and able to benefit from instruction. As a result, this protocol designed to have students removed from class as the VERY LAST possible consequence. Individual student plans will be created to support students who need additional help.
Please not that serious or dangerous behaviors may result in alternative consequences and steps at any point (even in a first or second incident). Our goal is to keep everyone safe.
CLASSROOM BASED INTERVENTION
The goal of any management intervention is to help students return to instruction as quickly as possible. The expectation is that most behavioral issues can and will be managed in the classroom. Intervention logs are used to inform parents about behaviors. Ms. Corduck, Mrs. Glick, Mrs. Uzenski, and Mrs. Shavers are available and will help classroom teachers develop intervention plans for individual students in need of additional strategies.
LUNCH ROOM/PLAYGROUND PROTOCOLS
LEVEL ONE – BEHAVIOR
- disrespectful
- non-compliant
- negative interactions with peers
- poor sportsmanship
Playground monitors will assign students a 2-3 minute cool down time on the side of the playground for this behavior. The classroom teacher is informed of the incident. The student will have no further consequences. Repetitive incidents of Level One behaviors may result in an intervention log and further consequences.
LEVEL TWO – BEHAVIOR
- repeated disrepect or non-compliance
- fighting verbally with peers using inappropriate language
- aggressive play
- teasing
Playground monitors will assign a 5-minutes cool down time. The classroom teacher will be informed of the behavior and will send an intervention log home to the parent to sign.
For some incidents, Ms. Corduck, Mrs. Glick, Mrs. Uzenski, or Mrs. Shavers may come to the classroom to follow up with student or may send for student. The classroom teacher will call home to alert the parent that the intervention log is coming.
For instances of group aggressiveness or difficulty with particular games, students may be asked to “Take a Break” from the game for the remainder of recess or for repeated difficulty for a period of a couple of days to a week.
LEVEL THREE – BEHAVIOR
- physical fighting
- intentional hurting of another child
- bullying
- unacceptable language or touch
Supervising adult will immediately remove the child from contact/play with others. The classroom teacher is informed of the incident. Further consequences will be determined by administration.
An interventionl log will be sent home for parent signature. The student RETURNS to the classroom unless the student is felt to be unsafe. Ms. Corduck, Mrs. Glick, Mrs. Uzenski, or Mrs. Shavers will go to the classroom to confer with student, establish additional consequences, and will contact parents.
LEVEL FOUR – BEHAVIOR
- aggressive physical behavior that does not stop
- behaior that is dangerous or destructive to oneself or another that has not deescalated
- persistent attempts to leave the playground or building without permission
The playground monitor will notify the classroom teacher and call on the Bowman Crisis Team for intervention.
Consequences and subsequent action will be determined individually.
BULLYING –
The Bowman Elementary School has a strong NO Bullying policy. All incidents of bully-like behavior will be promptly investigated by the school counselor. Bowman Elementary School has established an Anti-Bullying Task Committee to guide our school’s efforts to provide a strong response to potential situations of bullying.
Please see the Lexington Public Schools Elementary Handbook for additional Discipline Code policies.
