Behavioral infractions and demerits are earned for conduct violations and are the primary means of monitoring student alignment with the rules, standards, and expectations of the Rhetoric School.
All infraction and demerit-worthy offenses are brought to the Rhetoric School Office and recorded under the direct supervision of the headmaster and/or dean of students. Every infraction results in a corresponding lunch detention. Every demerit results in additional consequences, including, but not limited to, lunch detention(s), morning detention(s), suspension, or Behavioral Probation.
Infractions are minor offenses that accumulate into demerits as outlined below. Demerits result from the accumulation of infractions or are given immediately for more significant violations of the rules, standards, and expectations of the school. Once a student acquires five demerits in a semester, he or she is placed on Behavioral Probation. Students on Behavioral Probation are ineligible to participate in extracurricular competitions, performances, or events for the period of their probation. See the section on Behavioral Probation below for further details. If a student continues to acquire demerits, he or she may be subject to additional consequences, depending on the severity and frequency of the student’s behavior, including suspension and/or expulsion.
Infractions and demerits are cleared at the end of each semester.
Some examples of infraction-worthy offenses include, but are not limited to:
- A dress code violation
- A cell phone going off in a student’s backpack (this offense may result in multiple infractions or demerits depending on the circumstance). The student’s cell phone will be collected and delivered to the Rhetoric School Office. Parents are required to come to the Rhetoric School Office and retrieve the student’s cell phone.
- Tardiness to Assembly
- Eating lunch in an unopened area.
- Visting one’s car without prior approval.
Each infraction results in a corresponding lunch detention. For certain violations, once a student acquires more than two infractions during the course of a semester, he or she will receive one corresponding demerit along with additional consequences as determined by the headmaster and/or dean of students.
In addition to students receiving demerits through the accumulation of infractions, students may receive demerits without previous infractions for the following behavioral violations (see below).
Some examples of one-demerit offenses include, but are not limited to:
- An office visit resulting from disruptive, inappropriate, or disrespectful classroom behavior or language. This same standard applies to Assembly.
- Accumulating more than two dress code violations during a semester and any subsequent dress code violations.
- Accumulating five combined tardies during a semester
- Any “public display of affection” (PDA)
- Certain violations of the Student Driver Contract
Some examples of two-demerit offenses include, but are not limited to:
- Carrying (in hand, pocket, etc.) or using a cell phone on campus during the day
- Excessive or repeated instances of “public displays of affection” (PDA)
- Disrespectful or inappropriate behavior or language of a significant/serious nature
Some examples of three-demerit offenses include, but are not limited to:
- Truancy (skipping class/unaccounted for attendance)
- Academic Dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.)
- Disrespectful or inappropriate behavior or language of a significant/serious nature
Violations of the Student Driver Contract may earn more than one demerit, depending on the severity of the violation.