There are four levels of disciplinary action in Grammar School:
Level One: Classroom Discipline – The vast majority of everyday discipline problems are dealt with at the classroom level. Teachers use FACTS as the means to communicate a daily assessment of a student’s behavior. If a behavior infraction occurs, FACTS will automatically send parents an email notification that will include an explanatory note from the teacher. At the discretion of the teacher or headmaster, time may be subtracted from recess or community service assigned for each infraction. Teachers use a visual reminder (such as a clip) to keep students aware of their behavioral standing for that day. Clip move forms will be filled out by the student and teacher. Parents should discuss the behavior at home with the student, sign the form and return the following day. Program details are given by teachers to students and parents at the start of each school year.
Level Two: Office Visits – A student’s continued inability to adhere to the Geneva culture and standards warrants a visit to the headmaster’s office. These consistent behavioral problems are addressed as follows:
After eight “clip” moves within a quarter from M (meets expectations) to N, the student will be sent to the headmaster’s office.
After two “clip” moves within a quarter from M (meets expectations) to U (Unsatisfactory), the student will be sent to the headmaster’s office.
In addition, five basic behaviors automatically necessitate discipline from the headmaster instead of the student’s teacher:
- Purposeful, verbal injury to others (i.e., name-calling).
- Fighting, or any physical force used with the intention to harm or intimidate another student or staff member.
- Outright disobedience or disrespect shown to any adult. The staff member on duty is the judge of whether disrespect or disobedience has been shown.
- Dishonesty in any situation while at school, including lying, cheating, and stealing.
- Obscene language, including taking the name of the Lord in vain or being flippant with the Lord’s name (i.e., “Oh my God,” "My Lord"), as well as repeated use of crude language (i.e., “What the . . .” or words such as “frickin”).
All referrals to the headmaster result in the student calling his or her parent, preferably the father, to discuss the reason for the visit and non-corporal disciplinary action (such as community service or writing lines). The headmaster may choose to send the student home or relegate to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day. An instance of cheating results in a zero for the assignment.
Level Three: Formal Parent Conference – If the actions outlined above do not resolve the problem, upon the second office visit, the student is placed on Behavioral Probation (see section “G” below) and the student’s parent(s) are asked to come to school to meet with the school administration and the teacher to discuss the student’s behavior and to create a behavior plan to solve the problem. The school and parents will work together to help the student. If necessary, the headmaster will send the student home for a period not to exceed three days to give the student and parent(s) time to correct the matter.
Level Four: Suspension and Expulsion – In the unusual event that efforts to give instruction and direction to a student fail and parents are unable to correct disobedient or disruptive behavior, expulsion is considered.