School-Wide Discipline Procedures

Whitmore Charter School has a school-wide discipline policy that supports each teacher's classroom plan and provides a safe and orderly environment within which students can study, learn and grow. We expect proper conduct from ALL students. If your child has any problems whatsoever, you or your child should contact a school staff member so that we may help. We appreciate the cooperation and support of parents during the often difficult process of student discipline. A positive and effective home/school partnership helps bring about the best possible outcome for everyone involved.

The CUSD Board-approved Conduct Codes for grades K-6 and 7-12 serve as the basis for the WCS school-wide rules, as listed below. Whenever a student is having difficulty following school or classroom rules, parents will be contacted. This contact ensures that together we can help our students become successful and productive.

School Rules

Treat people and property with respect.
Follow directions the first time given.
Stay in designated areas.
Use equipment properly and safely.
Use appropriate school language. Foul language, name-calling, and putdowns are not allowed.
Do not use inappropriate body contact, or any contact that could hurt yourself or others.
Do not play in or around the restrooms, bicycle racks, school buildings, ramps, or trash enclosures.
Always walk on designated pathways. Running is only allowed on playgrounds and playing fields. Remember the rule: "Walk on White!"

Consequences

Warning Slips:

Warning slips are given to students who have broken school rules on campus, on the yard, or in the cafeteria. These student behaviors are serious enough in nature to warrant documentation and parent notification. A time-out for the offending student may also be required.Students who are habitual offenders will move to the next discipline step: detention. Warning slips must be signed by the parent/guardian and returned to school . If not signed and returned in a timely manner, a detention will be issued by the classroom teacher.

Time-out:

A student is placed in timeout when that student has been a problem on the yard and needs immediate disciplinary action to reinforce a rule. Any student who leaves the timeout area without permission, refuses to do timeout, is found eating, or is talking with other students in the timeout area will be given detention or possibly a suspension for defiance, depending on the severity of the defiance.

Detention:

Detention is issued to a student who has broken a school or classroom rule that is serious in nature but is not necessarily a direct violation of the Education Code. Detention is served after school from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Detention duty is rotated among the teaching staff. Three detentions in one month or repeated detentions on a month-to-month basis are an indicator of a habitual discipline problem, and parent contact will be made and/or suspension imposed. When issuing a detention, a minimum of one day from the offense will be given prior to the serving date to allow for parent notification and return of the detention slip. Parents are responsible for student transportation. Failure of a student to serve detention, or inappropriate behavior during detention, will result in an additional detention or suspension.

Student/Yard Referral:

Referrals are issued to students who have reached a level of behavior that warrants their removal from the classroom or yard to the office for sterner disciplinary measures, i.e., detention, parent telephone call, suspension, or investigation for suspension.

Teacher Discipline Partners:

This agreement between teachers facilitates placement of a student in another classroom for a period of time. A student who is placed on in-school suspension will be placed in their teacher discipline partner's class for the period of the suspension.

In-School Suspension:

In-school suspensions may be issued to students who have reached a severe level of discipline by breaking either a school rule, class rule, or the Education Code. Parents will be contacted by telephone and/or an in-school suspension form sent home for parents to sign and return to the school. Students are placed in their teacher discipline partner's classroom to complete classroom assignments. Students eat lunch with the teacher partner's class and spend their recess time in "timeout". Students who are disruptive during in-school suspension and/or fail to complete assigned work will receive a full suspension from school as of the following school day.

Full Suspension from School:

Suspensions from 1 to 5 days are issued for severe cases, especially Education Code violations. The Ceres Unified School District Conduct Code for Grades K-6, and Grades 7 - 12 provide detailed listings of violations and penalties.

Expulsions:

Expulsions are considered in extreme discipline cases as outlined in the Education Code and the Ceres Unified School District Conduct Codes for Grades K - 6, and Grades 7 - 12.

Classroom Discipline

Teachers will send home a copy of their classroom rules during or before the first week of school. Each teacher has developed a plan that works for him/her. While rules, consequences, and rewards vary from classroom to classroom, the basic premise is always the same: Every student deserves a quality educational experience, and no student has the right to prevent a teacher from teaching or students from learning.

Suspensions

The staff and administration of Whitmore Charter School will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary measures, including suspension or expulsion, when deemed appropriate and in the best interests of the students involved and the other students in the school. The following behaviors will result in automatic suspension from school and could lead to expulsion:

• Automatic Suspension Law (State Law 48900)
  
• Physical injury to another person - actual or threatened *
  
• Disruption of school activities or defiance of school authorities
  
• Commission of obscene acts or engagement in habitual profanity or vulgarity
  
• Damage to, or theft of, school or private property
  
• Possession or sale of weapons
  
• Possession or sale of drugs, alcoholic beverages, or intoxicants
  
• Possession or use of tobacco
  
• Sexual harassment
  
• Possession of an imitation firearm
  
• Hate violence
  
• Harassment, threats, or intimidation
  
• Forgery