Code of Conduct

Assemblies and Chapels

Chapel attendance is required for all students. Complete respect and undivided attention for speakers and performers are expected. Complete respect, including the removal of caps/hats worn by the boys and young men, is also expected during the playing of the national anthem, flag salutes, the reading of God’s Word, and prayer whether in an assembly or the classroom. Anything else would be dishonoring to our Lord and our country.

Church Attendance

Students are strongly encouraged to attend church regularly with their parents.

Student Behavior

Students are expected to:

1. Respect all adults, other students, and visitors at all times.
2. Follow directions given to them by any of the Grace staff.

Public Display of Affection

Public displays of affection are inappropriate and not permitted. This includes holding hands, kissing, and inappropriate caressing. The discipline process is as follows:

1. 1st OFFENSE: warning by verbal notification
2. 2nd OFFENSE: detention by the teacher
3. 3rd OFFENSE: 1 to 3-days suspension with parent conference and conduct probation

Harassment

Any form of harassment, including sexual harassment, and bullying is absolutely prohibited. Any incident of possible harassment is to be immediately brought to the attention of an administrator who will thoroughly investigate the matter in confidence. If it has been determined, after reviewing the facts, that a student has been harassed; the Grace administration or School Council will determine the disciplinary action, including possible dismissal.

Sexual Harassment Includes:

1. Unwanted sexual advances
2. Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances
3. Visual conduct such as leering, making sexual gestures, displaying sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons, or posters
4. Verbal conduct such as making derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, and jokes
5. Verbal/written abuse of a sexual nature, graphic commentaries about an individual’s body, sexually degrading verbiage, including embarrassing and humiliating statements, used to describe an individual, suggestive or obscene letters, notes, texts, emails, or invitations
6. Physical conduct such as touching, assaulting, impeding, or blocking movement

Prohibited Materials

All audio/video/electronic/digital equipment, toys, playing cards, and other material not related to the curriculum are prohibited on campus and on the school buses unless permission has been granted by Grace staff for a specific event. Unauthorized items will be confiscated. Parents may retrieve the items from the office at the end of the day. Bicycles, skateboards, and rollerblades are not to be used on the sidewalks of the campus. They are hazardous to both users and pedestrians.

Guns, knives, firecrackers, or any other weapons of any description are not allowed on ANY school campus. Suspension or expulsion will be determined by the administration and/or school council.

Cell Phones

1. All cell phones or other electronic devices (including smart watches) brought to campus must remain in a students backpack or on the teachers desk throughout the school day.

2. Cell phones and other electronic devices (including smart watches) will be confiscated if they are seen, heard, or used on-campus without faculty permission and supervision.

1. If a device is confiscated for the first time, the student may retrieve his/her device from the Front Office at the end of the day.

2. After this first warning, there will be a meeting with administration for further discipline.

Property Damage

Breakage of, or damage to, school facilities, equipment, or supplies (i.e., desks, lockers, textbooks, etc.), must be paid for by the responsible party(ies) whether intentional or accidental.

Grace School forbids any form of school pranks by students at any time.

If any prank interrupts the school's schedule or causes any form of destruction, the responsible student(s) will not receive any form of reports, certificates, or diplomas until the cost to repair has been recovered. If need be, a report and charges will be filed with the proper authority.

The teacher has complete authority over students at school and in the classroom. Students are expected to be respectful, cooperative, courteous, orderly, and respond properly to correction (Hebrews 13:17).

There are different levels of correction used to help students develop their own personal self-discipline and responsible behavior, as unto the Lord (Ephesians 6).

Food In the Classroom

Gum chewing is never allowed on campus. Food is not allowed in classrooms unless specifically permitted by the teacher for special events. Water bottles may be brought to class, with the understanding that if at any time they are disruptive to the progress of the class, the teacher, at his/her discretion, may refuse to allow further drinks in the class.

Textbook Procedures

Students must not write in their textbooks or fold pages. Acceptable covers are required. Students MUST NOT cover books with self-adhesive contact paper. Student accounts will be charged for any abnormal wear, damage, or lost textbooks at the end of the course. If a lost textbook is found and returned to the school, your account will be credited the fee charged minus a $10 processing fee. Promotion Certificates (grade 6) will be withheld pending settlement of such fines. All textbooks must be turned in at the end of the school year. Students bring their Bibles, English Standard Version (ESV), and items on the supply list for their particular grade level. All classroom textbooks are provided from tuition funds. In consumable textbooks, which are the majority of elementary texts, the student must write his/her name and the classroom number on the inside front cover. This is to prevent the loss of the book. Students are allowed to write in the textbook as directed by the teacher. The student is responsible for his/her books.

Search and Seizure Policy

As part of the endeavor to maintain a safe environment, Grace Elementary administration may conduct random searches of students and their backpacks, desks, and cell phones. Furthermore, students may be asked to open their social networking page such as Facebook, and allow the administrator to examine its contents. In those situations where a student’s person is to be searched, care and consideration are taken by the school to make the search process as comfortable and convenient as possible for the student. A parent or guardian will be notified immediately following such a search. All prohibited material found during a search is seized and confiscated.

Cell Phone Policy

1. All cell phones or other electronic devices (including smart watches) brought to campus must remain in a students backpack or on the teachers desk throughout the school day.

2. Cell phones and other electronic devices (including smart watches) will be confiscated if they are seen, heard, or used on-campus without faculty permission and supervision.

1. If a device is confiscated for the first time, the student may retrieve his/her device from the Front Office at the end of the day.

2. After this first warning, there will be a meeting with administration for further discipline.

Administrative Procedure

Serious misconduct is handled by referral to the administrator who will:

1. Investigate the facts of the complaint.
2. Meet with the individual making the complaint, witnesses, and the student(s) accused of misconduct.
3. Meet with the parent(s) of the student(s) when appropriate.
4. Reach a determination of facts in the incident and implement corrective action when appropriate.

Conduct Probation

Students may be placed on conduct probation whenever there is clear evidence that the student falls below the minimum Grace behavioral standards. Students placed on conduct probation will remain on probation for the remainder of the current quarter, and the entire next quarter. Probation students will be evaluated weekly on their current progress.

Students on Conduct Probation are ineligible for extracurricular activities (SAM Club, Worship Band, Drill Team, Student Council, and intramural sports.) However, they may be reinstated if each of the following criteria is met:

1. The student has not previously been on conduct probation during the current school year.
2. His/her teacher may issue eligibility every week if his/her current behavior record is satisfactory. The student will be informed on Monday (or the first school day of the week) as to his/her status for that week.
3. It is in the best interest of the student as determined by the administration.

If the student fails to demonstrate the necessary improvement to meet school standards, the administration requires that the student be withdrawn at the end of the probationary period. Most often this is in the student’s best interest as well as the school's. The student is generally eligible to reapply at Grace after one full year.

Detention Policies

Students assigned detentions, whether by the classroom teacher or the administration, are to report to the assigned area at 3:15-4:15 after the close of the school day and remain for 60 minutes. Tardiness to detention will result in the assignment of an additional day of detention.

Students in detention are not allowed to communicate in any manner with other students during their detention period unless an exception is made for a service project to be fulfilled during detention time.

Students are to bring work to make the time productive. Failure to comply will result in an additional day of detention.

Detentions must be served on the day assigned, regardless of work, family plans, extra-curricular or co-curricular activities, or transportation inconvenience. Parents will be notified in time to make arrangements.

Suspension Policies

Suspended students are the responsibility of the parents for the duration of the suspension. The length of suspension is determined by the severity of the offense by the judgment of the administration. The length is normally from one to five days. It is also the responsibility of the student and parents to obtain assignments from the teachers for the suspension period and to have all assignments completed on time when the student returns. Students who are suspended may earn a maximum grade of 60% for work completed during the suspension. Failure to complete all work and turn it in upon the student’s return to school will result in a grade of zero (0) for all work missed. Students will receive a grade of zero (0) for all quizzes and tests that occur during his/her suspension. A suspended student is automatically placed on conduct probation for the remainder of the quarter and the following quarter. 

Expulsion Policy

In cases of expulsion, the Principal recommends action to the School Council. Willful disobedience, a rebellious attitude, bullying, physical violence toward another person, profanity, destruction of school property, smoking, stealing, lying, and disrespect to a teacher or other adult, are examples of serious misconduct requiring disciplinary action such as detention, suspension, or expulsion.

Repeated incidents of serious problems may result in expulsion when it becomes clear that the student chooses not to conform to school standards. Drug or alcohol abuse will result in immediate expulsion or required withdrawal from the school whether occurring on or away from the campus. Expelled students will be considered for re-enrollment on a case-by-case basis. Normally, students are not considered for return before one year from the date of withdrawal.

Internal school procedures are available to give the necessary help for which the parents’ effort and cooperation are critical to a successful intervention.