Code of Conduct

Student Discipline Procedures

The word “discipline” originates from the Latin word disciplina meaning “instruction” and derives from the root discere meaning “to learn.” The word discipulus means “disciple or pupil”.

“‘Discipline’ means any action taken by the school district in response to behavioral violations. Discipline is not necessarily punitive, but can take positive and supportive forms. Data show that a supportive response to behavioral violation is more effective and increases equitable educational opportunities. The purposes of this policy and accompanying procedure include the following:

  • Engaging with families and the community and striving to understand and be responsive to cultural context
  • Supporting students in meeting behavioral expectations, including providing for early involvement of parents
  • Administering discipline in ways that respond to the needs and strengths of students and keep students in the classroom to the maximum extent possible
  • Providing educational services that students need during suspension and expulsion
  • Facilitating collaboration between school personnel, students, and parents, and thereby supporting successful reentry into the classroom following a suspension or expulsion
  • Ensuring fairness, equity, and due process in the administration of discipline
  • Providing every student with the opportunity to achieve personal and academic success
  • Providing a safe environment for all students and for district employees” (Policy 3241).

SHIELD (PBIS)

PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports. This system of teaching and expecting specific behaviors in all areas of the school has been shown to decrease discipline issues, which in turn creates a more positive school culture and learning environment. It also celebrates all of the wonderful decisions our students make on a daily basis!

At Royal High School, we call it SHIELD, and its three main expectations are to

1) Be respectful,
2) Be responsible, and
3) Be safe.

The Code of Conduct below lists RHS's expectations.

Royal High School’s Code of Conduct

The Knights’ SHIELD-Service, Honor, Integrity, Excellence, Leadership, and Determination

 

Area/Core Value  Be Respectful  Be Responsible Be Safe 
Classrooms 
  • Use teacher-directed voice level
  • Respect everyone’s right to learn
  • Speak kindly to everyone
  • Keep cell phones off and put away (unless teacher directed)
  • Use school-appropriate language
  • Be on time
  • Be on task
  • Be on target
  • Clean up after yourself
  • Use classroom equipment appropriately
  • Maintain school-appropriate personal space
Common Areas
  • Use Level 2 voice (Level 1 while classes are in session)
  • Use appropriate language
  • Maintain a healthy personal space
  • Keep space clean
  • Walk to the right side of hallways
  • Walk to the right side in hallways
  • Follow the flow of the traffic
  • Secure your locker
  • Yield to passing traffic
  • Leave doorway areas clear
Bathrooms
  • Use Level 1 voice
  • Keep bathrooms neat and clean
  • Respect school property
  • Use bathroom during transitional break times whenever possible
  • Return to class immediately if used during class time
  • Use closest bathroom
  • Report problems/
    vandalism to staff
  • Practice proper hygiene
Cafeteria
  • Use Level 2 voice and school-appropriate language
  • Treat others with respect
  • Respect property
  • Begin at the end of the line and maintain that position
  • Clean up after yourself
  • Make room for others
  • Maintain school-appropriate personal space
  • Walk to and in the cafeteria
Assembly Areas
  • Keep remarks and questions polite and positive
  • Respect school property
  • Give presenter full attention
  • Use school-appropriate language
  • Show appropriate enthusiasm
  • Approach assemblies with an open mind
  • Comply with presenter’s requests
  • Be appropriately engaged
  • Maintain personal space
  • Enter and exit in a quiet, orderly fashion
  • Stay seated, if expected
  • Leave when grade level is called
  • Bags stay in classroom/lockers
Athletic Events
  • Show good sportsmanship
  • Use school-appropriate language
  • Respect everyone
  • Be responsible for your actions
  • Accept winning and losing graciously
  • Clean up after yourself
  • Use bleacher aisles to enter and exit
 Library
  • Use Level 1 voice
  • Use school-appropriate language
  • Use library appropriately
  • Treat materials respectfully
  • Check out/
    return materials in a timely manner
  • Carry a library pass
  • Clean up after yourself
  • Use the appropriate enter and exit doors
  • Walk

Voice levels: 0-Silent, 1-Whisper, 2-Conversation, 3-Outside, 4-Emergency

How RHS Helps Students Follow the Code of Conduct:

  1. Students are taught and have a chance to practice all of the expectations at the beginning of the school year and other times of the year on an as-needed basis.
  2. Expectations are posted in classrooms and throughout the school.
  3. SHIELD remains a focus throughout the school year in the bulletin, on District Facebook, and in a multitude of other ways.

How RHS Encourages/Celebrates Students Who Follow the Code of Conduct:

  1. Students will earn Knight Time tickets and cards for following the Code of Conduct and/or exhibiting SHIELD characteristics.
    1. Tickets will be white.
    2. Cards will be black/gray and gold.
  2. Classroom drawings for white tickets will be held about every two weeks; monthly schoolwide drawings will occur for black cards and quarterly drawings for gold cards.
    1. Incentives will vary.
  3. Tickets and cards can also be used to purchase items from the school store.
    1. They are only valid when stamped on the back with an official school staff stamp, unique to each staff member.
  4. Group incentives will also occur at certain times of the school year for recognizing groups of students meeting specific criteria in regard to attendance, grade point average, few to no tardies, and other criteria to be announced. 
  5. Once a drawing is complete, all other cards will remain in the bin for the semester.
  6. At the end of the semester, all cards will be removed, and the process continues!

 How RHS Responds When Students Do Not Follow the Code of Conduct:

When a student does not follow the Code of Conduct, this is referred to as a “behavior violation”, which Royal School District defines as “a student’s behavior that violates the district’s discipline’s policies.”

Teachers and staff will utilize the Code of Conduct flowchart in response to a student’s behavioral violation.

Classroom exclusions are defined as “the exclusion of a student from a classroom or instructional or activity area for behavioral violations…[but] does not include action that results in missed instruction for a brief period of time when a) a teacher attempts other forms of discipline to support the student in meeting behavioral expectations; and b) the student remains under the supervision of the teacher or other school personnel during such brief duration” (Procedure 3241).

If the removal from the classroom does NOT meet the above criteria, office personnel will inform parents or guardians of the classroom exclusion.

Due process: In the event of a behavioral violation, students and parents have the right to an informal conference for the purpose of resolving the matter.  Students, parents, administrators, and staff members may all be included in the informal conference to be able to voice issues and concerns related to the violation as well as ask questions.  

The school is here to support students so will provide a variety of possible responses to behavioral violations.  Discipline actions include--but are not limited to--the following:

  • Behavior monitoring
  • Mentoring
  • SafeSchools for Students online training
  • Referral to Behavior Interventionist
  • Social skills’ instruction
  • De-escalation
  • Restorative practices
  • Parent communication
  • Lunch detention
  • After school detention
  • In-school suspension
  • Short-term suspension
  • Long-term suspension
  • Expulsion
  • Emergency expulsion

Students who are placed on any form of out-of-school suspension or expulsion are not permitted to participate in or attend school-sponsored activities, including all academic and sporting events.  This includes being on any Royal School District property.

For further details about student discipline, please see School Board Policy and Procedure 3241.