Students » What We Expect
Behaviour
We expect everyone at Discovery School to treat others with respect, kindness and courtesy. We also expect you to co-operate with all the teachers, not just your own, follow instructions, and keep to the “rules of the school”. If you are disruptive in the classroom or playground, your teacher may place you in isolation for a while. If you continue to be disruptive, you may be placed on contract. A contract is a document that you, your parents and your teacher sign. It spells out exactly what behaviour is expected of you. From the day it begins, you will have a set number of written warnings if you break the contract. After receiving those warnings, we may ask you to leave Discovery School.
A contract may be for any - or all - of the following:
- Homework
- Attitude
- Insolence
- Swearing
- Drugs/cigarettes/alcohol
- Disruption
- Dress code
- School expectations
- Absenteeism/tardiness
- Bullying
- Harassment
Homework
To be successful, you have to work towards your own potential, do your best and keep up with in-class and homework assignments. You must meet homework deadlines for assignments to have any value for you. You must re-do homework that does not show your best effort.
If there are unusual circumstances that mean you cannot complete your homework, you must have a note of explanation from your parents in your school logbook. If you do not have a note in your logbook, you will be required to complete the assignment.
Tips to make homework easier
- Choose one place, the same place every night to do your homework.
- Choose a quiet place where you will not be distracted. Do not work in front of the T.V!
- Eat before you begin your homework so that you aren’t distracted by hunger, and nothing will be spilt on your books.
- Remember - your teacher knows you very well. They will not give you anything you can't handle.
- Make sure you have all your materials, pencils, pens, eraser, etc, before you start.
- Be confident and take your time.
- When you have completed your work, put all your books back into your knapsack together with your signed logbook.
- Double check that you have everything packed that you brought home from the school.
- If there is something you do not understand, ask an adult or older sibling to help you, but don’t let them do the work for you – the assignment is to help YOU learn!
- Tell your teacher about anything for which you needed help. She needs to know. Homework is YOUR independent work and YOUR responsibility, not that of your parents.
Absences
If you have been absent from school it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed and catch up. Missed tests for Junior High and Middle School will have to be written when you return to school. Remind your parents to call the school if you are absent.
Logbook
Your logbook is a special book for recording your homework and any special assignments. It will help you organize your time, and will let you look back at how much progress you’ve made.
At the end of each day, in class, your teacher will give you time to record your homework and any important information such as field trips, newsletters, etc. Your parents must sign your book each day before you return to school. We will ask them to reward you for comments that the teacher will write like, Excellent Day - Good Attitude.
You must remember to take your logbook home with you every night, get your parents to look at it, and when done put it in your school pack immediately so you remember to bring it back to school the next day.
Staying on school grounds
If you are in the Junior High Class you may, if your parents give you permission, leave the school property at lunchtime. If you are in the Middle School Class you may, if your parents give you permission, leave the school property at lunchtime one day a week. For safety, all other classes must remain on school property at all times during the school day. If you live close to the school and have parent permission, you may return home at lunch time. This privilege may be suspended at any time if the staff does not consider you are acting responsibly.
Eating at School
Eating healthy food is good for your body – and helps you concentrate, too. That’s why we promote healthy eating by not allowing gum, pop or candy at school.
Dress code
We do not have a school uniform, but like all independent schools we do have a dress code. You are expected to dress appropriately for school and school sponsored activities. The principal has the right to decide whether or not your appearance is acceptable.
You may wear:
- Clean T-shirts and jeans that aren’t tattered or torn
- Walking shorts, when appropriate to the weather
- T-shirts with slogans that are in good taste and appropriate to the Christian values of our school
- Neatly trimmed, well-groomed hair styles
You may not wear:
- Halter tops, tank tops, spandex or short-shorts
- Dirty or tattered T-shirts and jeans
- T-shirts with slogans that are in bad taste or inappropriate to the Christian values of our school
- Extreme or outlandish hair styles
- Hair dyed in unnatural colours (green, purple, etc.)
- Long dangling earrings for boys or girls are not allowed.
Reading: THE B.E.A.R. PROGRAM
B.E.A.R. stands for Be Enthusiastic About Reading. To help you become a better reader, you are required read independently every night throughout the school year. Your goal is to read for twenty minutes a night for 200 nights. Your parents are required to sign the B.E.A.R. program sheet every night, confirming that you completed the reading. You will receive certificates and incentives when you reach 50, 100, and 150 nights of reading. If you successfully read for all 200 nights, you will be recognized with a B.E.A.R. award at our annual awards night in June. Your parents and teacher will help you reach your goals by listening to you read, giving you encouragement, and being enthusiastic about reading themselves!
