MAKE YOUR DAY CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM
Boulder Creek Elementary School is designed to be a center of high academic and personal achievement for every member, be it student, staff, parent or patron. The foundation for such a goal must include a consistently safe and positive environment.
The following portion of this handbook outlines our Make Your Day Citizenship Program. Please read and review this section carefully as a family during the first week of school. Teachers will also review this section in class to be sure all students understand the procedures.
The Make Your Day program is intended to be proactive and gives all students the opportunity to learn in a positive atmosphere, to make choices and to evaluate and self-correct.
We believe that…
No one has the right to interfere with the learning, safety and well being of others.
We are committed to the following:
We will do what is expected and do it the best we can.Ó
Introduction & Overview
During the 1996-1997 school year, the staff and parents of Boulder Creek voiced concern relative to citizenship awareness. In response to these concerns, we have implemented the Make Your Day Citizenship Program.
The Make Your Day program is no more than the understanding that no one has the right to interfere with the learning or rights of others and that each student is to do what is expected and do it the best they can.
If a student is interfering with the learning or rights of others, they are permitted to take time away from the current activity in order to process the consequences of their current behavior, its effect on those around them and engage in problem solving to resolve the difficulty. In a few minutes, the student is allowed to return to designated activities if they indicate a willingness to participate appropriately. More time is allowed if a student needs additional time to reflect and/or to gather self-control. On occasion, a three way conference between the staff member, the student and the parent(s) is structured to give the student an opportunity to assess and take responsibility for their behavior, provide alternate choices for future situations and indicate a readiness to return to the classroom.
Throughout the day, each student is aware that the consequences of their behavior, both positive and negative, result from their choices and not from decisions made by the staff. Students who do not meet expectations are required, on a written form, to describe why they did not make their dayÓ Students are expected to discuss their behaviors with their parents, ask their parents to sign the form and return it the next day. Communication with parents is critical for changing negative behavior and an important strength of this program.
Make Your Day is positively motivated. It constantly puts students in positions to succeed, not fail. If a student does not "make their day", they are simply provided with an opportunity to learn from a mistake or to modify their behavior. This is not a program about "good" or "bad"; this is a program about choice and taking responsibility for personal behavior. It allows a student to make a mistake without feeling like he/she is a bad person. Students are provided with the opportunity to develop lifelong skills in taking responsibility, in making choices and in effective communication.
Your teacher or the principal will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this program. Thank you for your support and understanding of our efforts to create a safe and positive learning environment for your child at Boulder Creek Elementary School.
Program Purpose
The Make Your Day program provides a consistent total campus management system. It demonstrates that teachers hold high expectations for all students and is a cooperative management system, not merely a discipline plan. Students are held responsible for their own actions and for coming to school ready to learn. The foundation of Make Your Day is threefold:
All students are capable of success
Parents must be directly involved in their student's academic process
Making appropriate choices at school, coupled with open communication between home and school will generate student success
Earning Points
Students earn points when they are doing what they are supposed to do, the best way they know how. At the end of designated time periods, students are asked to review their performance by assigning themselves points. Each student has the opportunity to earn bonus points on a daily basis to help them "make their day".
Once students have assigned their own points, fellow students and/or staff have an opportunity to give feedback to each other under teacher direction. In other words, if students in the classroom feel that a fellow student has given themselves too many points, they may question or disagree with those points. Student concerns will only include interfering with learning and/or safety. Teachers make the final decision about the disagreements and point assignments.
Students are taken off concerns (or the option to challenge another student's points) when they use concerns irresponsibly. For example, using concerns as a threat or a "get-back", pettiness or continuously monitoring others' behavior. The purpose of a concern is to help others in their self-evaluation.
Students "make their day" by averaging 45 points per class period in intermediate grades and ten points in primary grades.
Incentives and Rewards
Each student is an active participant in the learning process. Students are encouraged to accept responsibility for their learning and behavior. Each classroom teacher at Boulder Creek establishes a reward system to develop self-confidence, high self-esteem and pride in one's accomplishments. Your child's teacher will communicate to you regarding this aspect of Make Your Day.
Steps
Inappropriate behavior will be dealt with in steps. The Make Your Day Program emphasizes student decision-making and responsibility. It is important for the student, parent and teacher to realize that progression through steps is entirely the student's choice. It must be noted that when the student is on steps, he or she is not allowed to talk, move around excessively or make noises.
Step 1: When a problem occurs for a student in a class, the student will be asked to take a seat away from the academic setting and sit facing away from the class. The student is to spend an appropriate time period, approximately 3 - 5 minutes, quietly thinking about the problem he/she had. The student then may choose to return to the class activity.
Step 2: If the student fails to sit appropriately on Step 1, he/she forfeits his/her chair and stands facing away from the class for an appropriate time period before returning to Step 1.
Step 3: If the student fails to stand appropriately on Step 2, the student will focus on a sign with the Make Your Day principle written on it. The purpose of this is to assist concentration on appropriate behaviors. After an appropriate time period, the student may return to Step 2.
Please note that Steps 1 - 3 allow the student to remain in the classroom and receive instruction as they attempt to correct their behavior.
Step 4: Inappropriate behavior on Step 3 will lead to a Step 4 conference. The student will be sent to the office to phone a parent, with an adult present, to request a time to meet. Parents will be requested by the student to come in for an immediate conference to facilitate the student's returning to class. The student will remain out of class activities until a parent, student and teacher/administrator conference can be held. This is to determine if the student is ready to return to class for the purpose of learning. If the parents are not able to meet on the day of the Step 4 violation, the student will be kept in an alternate classroom for the remainder of the time until the parents are able to conference regarding their child's behavior. Upon completion of a successful conference, the
student then returns to Step 3.
Step 5: This step is used only when a child is out of control or has violated district policy that warrants suspension. At this point, the principal or designee will contact the parent and indicate that the child needs to be picked up at school immediately. If this is not possible, the principal or designee will transport the student to the parent at home or at work. The alternative classroom may be used for the remainder of the day if a parent contact is unable to be made. The student will remain at home the following day or until they have satisfied the sanction requirements appropriate for their infraction as outlined in the Paradise Valley School District discipline policy and a successful conference has occurred. The Step 5 conference will be scheduled by the administrator. Please note
that Step 5 sanctions may involve short and long term suspension from Boulder Creek.
Step 4/5 Conference
When the parent comes to school for a conference, the purpose is to help the student understand the behavior choices expected to occur at school. At Step 4 and Step 5, the student has requested his parent to be present for the conference about his/her choice of behavior. The student will conduct the conference. At this time the student will:
State the problem
Express that it was his/her responsibility to manage his/her behavior
Offer alternative methods of managing his/her problem
Exhibit a willingness to accept responsibility
Express a desire to return to class
Both parent and teacher/administrator must find the outcome of the conference acceptable and make the determination that the student is indeed ready to appropriately rejoin his/her class. Please note that even with a successful conference the student will be expected to fulfill the sanction his/her behavior brought about.
Please note: Step 4 and 5 will result in zero points for that class period and the child will not make their day.
NOTICE Ð Some behaviors require a circumventing of all or a portion of the steps system.
Steps may be adjusted for students who chronically misbehave. When an administrator evaluates which disciplinary action is appropriate for the behavior of a student, the individual case is reviewed in the context of the students past behavior and disciplinary record.
Exceptions
Shadowing: When another student responds to or interacts in any manner with a student on steps, he/she has chosen to "shadow" or follow his/her fellow student through the steps. Choosing steps is only the business of the student making the choice. No other student should be allowed to become involved.
Requesting Steps: Occasionally a student, for any number of reasons, may choose to go to steps so he/she may earn his/her points away from the learning environment. This student should be accommodated by the teacher and recognized for taking responsibility for behavioral management.
Automatic Step 4: Immediate Step 4 placement will occur should the student participate in any of the following behaviors:
Defiance of school authority (willful disobedience). Refusal to obey reasonable directions for requests of any staff member, including, volunteers, aides, substitutes, secretaries, custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, etc.
Willful abuse or destruction of property
Chronic cheating
Stealing
Extreme disrespect
Threatening others
Profanity directed at others
Automatic Step 5: If a student's behavior is such that it surpasses the parameters of the Make Your Day Program and violates the Paradise Valley District's discipline policy, the student will not participate in steps but will be immediately referred to the Boulder Creek school administration for disciplinary measures. Those infractions are outlined under the Paradise Valley policy section of the Parent Handbook. An automatic Step 5 placement will occur should the student participate in any of the following behaviors:
Possession and/or use of tobacco, lighters or matches
Possession and/or use of alcohol
Possession and/or use of illegal drugs or related paraphernalia
Possession and/or use of illegal weapons, knives, Chinese stars, firecrackers or other objects of danger to others.
Last Updated 8/5/09
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