Discipline Policy
1. PURPOSE
At Timothy Christian, we strive to create a caring, safe learning
environment in which all students are encouraged to grow academically,
emotionally, physically and spiritually. An important aspect of creating such an
environment is implementing and enforcing a discipline plan in which
expectations for behaviour and related consequences for misbehaviour are
clearly defined.
The word “discipline” is derived from the word “disciple” which means,
“follower”. Discipline is an opportunity to redirect children in a more positive and
accepting direction. The heart of discipline is to encourage the sincere desire to
walk obediently in the ways of the Lord. Following Christ is demonstrated by
respect for God, others and property. Behaviour needs to be based on the two
great commandments: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength;
and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.
At Timothy Christian School we seek to reflect this perspective as we
discipline our children. Since our Christian school functions as an extension of
the home, staff, administration and parents are encouraged to work in
partnership and to communicate closely concerning matters of discipline.
We expect our students to be kind and considerate, helpful and discerning,
and supportive of peers and teachers. Should a child need assistance
(discipline) to be brought into harmony with this vision, a variety of disciplinary
measures may be employed. The varying age of the students, their unique
nature, the degree of the severity of the offense and the different backgrounds
and experiences of staff members all contribute to the type of disciplinary action
employed. Such actions may include counsel, loss of privilege, removal from
peers, work assignments, restitution, referral to the principal, after school
detention, parental conference, suspension or even expulsion. The school does
not administer corporal punishment.
Parents, as partners in the education of their children, have the
responsibility to reinforce the need for proper behaviour at school. They are
expected to support the school in the enforcement of the Code of Conduct as
well as the consequences for misbehaviour.
2. OUR STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
• I will speak of God in respectful ways.
• I will cultivate a close relationship with God in others as well as myself through
Bible reading, prayer, sharing, etc.
• I will respect myself because God created me in His Image.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE IN AUTHORITY
• I will be respectful in my speech and conduct.
• I will be obedient to those in authority over me.
• I will not condone the disrespect displayed by others to those in authority.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS
• I will be respectful of others and I will not engage in bullying actively or as a
bystander.
• I will address others properly and not resort to name calling, swearing or dirty
language toward each other.
• I will respect everyone’s property and use it only with permission.
• I will model inclusive behavior.
• I will respect everyone’s person and remember, “no touching except for helping.”
• I will learn to apologize and ask for forgiveness when I fail and seek God’s
strength to continue building a community of love and respect.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHOOL PROPERTY
• I will respect school property. This includes furniture, books, equipment, sporting
equipment and the building.
• I will report any damage done and volunteer to pay for damages if I am
responsible for the damage.
• I will accept responsibility for the cleanliness of the school grounds and playing
fields.
3. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
Timothy Christian School does not use corporal punishment as part of its student
discipline policy. It is unacceptable for school personnel and volunteers to use any form of
physical discipline in all situations. Only when the safety of an individual is at risk will any
form of physical action be accepted.
4. STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT & PLEDGE
At the beginning of each school year, all Timothy students will be made aware of the
Student Code of Conduct and Grades 1-8 will be required to sign a pledge to respect and
abide by it. Parents will also co-sign the pledge to promise to support the school’s efforts in
requiring their child to respect and abide by the Student Code of Conduct.
• Junior & Senior Kindergarten: All JK & SK students will have the Student Code of
Conduct conveyed to them by their primary teacher in an age-appropriate
manner. They are not required to sign any document, however it is important that
they understand the basic rules of the TCS Discipline Policy. We believe this will
introduce them to the policy in a kind and caring way, lending to a good start for
what is required of them later on.
• Grades 1-3: All children enrolled in grades 1-3 will be required to sign the
Student Code of Conduct (Primary version) at the beginning of the school year.
By addressing behavioural expectations early on, students have a good platform
for the coming years.
• Grades 4-8: All children enrolled in grades 4-8 will be required to sign the
Student Code of Conduct (Senior version) at the beginning of the school year. By
addressing behavioural expectations early on, students have a good platform for
the coming years.
5. DEFINITIONS
i. BULLYING is typically a form of repeated, persistent, aggressive behaviour that is
directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to
cause) fear, distress and/or harm to another person’s body, feelings, self-esteem or
reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is real or perceived power
imbalance (Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum No.144)
ii. A DETENTION occurs when a student is kept back from his or her regular school
routine. A student will spend the morning or lunch recess in the classroom or office
and s/he will be given another activity or task to perform.
iii. A SUSPENSION occurs when a student’s attendance at school and participation in all
school related activities is stopped temporarily.
• An In-School Suspension includes a temporary stoppage of the student’s
admittance into class and participation in all school activities.
• An Out-of-School Suspension includes a temporary stoppage of the student’s
admittance to school and participation in all school activities.
• An Indefinite Suspension is an Out-Of-School suspension after repeat offenses
and disciplinary action, requiring the student to remain at home for an indefinite
amount of time (maximum 2 weeks) until the parent(s) and the student have
met with the school board and the Principal to discuss the future of that
student’s career at Timothy Christian School.
iv. An EXPULSION occurs when a student is no longer permitted to attend Timothy
Christian School due to repeated and/or severe behaviour problem(s).
6. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
The classroom teacher is responsible for maintaining a safe and reliable space for
learning. Considering that each person is unique, it is expected and encouraged that each
teacher will have their own individual disciplinary style. Within this freedom, however,
teachers are required to abide by the school policies and see that they are taught and
implemented constructively and consistently. If a discipline problem persists beyond the
teacher’s scope and/or resources, s/he is obligated to follow-through with the Principal
according to this policy.
• Teacher Responsibilities: As with all incidents, the teacher is required to keep
accurate, time/dated documentation when a student misbehaves and has
received some sort of disciplinary action. These records are mandatory and will
be used in the future if the misbehaviour persists. It is also required when a
student is sent to the Principal.
o The 1st disciplinary incident: the teacher issues an in-class detention or
another form of punishment.
o The 2nd disciplinary incident: the teacher will place a call to the parent(s)
outlining the behavioural situation/concern, and issue an in-class detention
or another form of punishment. The principal will be notified
o The 3rd disciplinary incident: the teacher will report the student to the
Principal for further action.
7. IMMEDIATE REPORTING TO THE PRINCIPAL
There are certain times when a student misbehaves at school, on the bus, on a field or
class trip that must be reported to the Principal immediately by a teacher. The following list
is not exhaustive; however, it outlines behaviour examples which are considered major
offenses:
• Disrespect of any authorized adult at any time (i.e.: teacher, assistant,
chaperone, volunteer, etc.)
• Physical harm and physical fighting.
• Bullying, including cyber-bullying, of another student. (Please refer to earlier
definition).
• Throwing objects in anger.
• Destruction and/or vandalism of school or personal property.
• Possession and/or distribution of illegal items and substances as well as entering
the school property showing evidence of the use of illegal items and substances.
• Swearing and/or vulgar language.
• Possession of a weapon (i.e.: pocket knife, sling shot, paintball gun, air soft
pistol, etc.)
• Uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person.
• Physical, verbal, or sexual harassment.
• Unauthorized leaving of school property.
8. FIVE STEPS OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION
REPORTING A STUDENT TO THE PRINCIPAL
As a rule, after the 3rd in-class disciplinary incident, the offending student will be
referred to the Principal. When a teacher directs a student to the office, several things
must be kept in mind:
• The teacher should call the office or send another student to the office to bring
the Principal to the classroom.
• The teacher must give an explanation to the Principal of why the student is being
sent to the office.
• The teacher must indicate what prior work with the student and the parents has
been done.
• The teacher may recommend what should be done with the student.
• The teacher will submit a written report of the incident upon the Principal’s
request.
1. STEP ONE
For the first referral (the 3rd disciplinary action), the student will serve an in-office
detention for one noon hour. The Principal will call the parent(s) and send a Discipline
Notice home that is to be signed by his/her parent(s) and returned to the Principal the
following school day. The Principal will follow the four steps of discipline listed below:
a. Show the student what s/he has done wrong.
b. Give the student ownership of the problem – no excuses, no blame shifting,
no “buts”, and no “if onlys”.
c. Give the student a process for solving the problem s/he has created
(restitution, resolution, and reconciliation).
d. Leave the student’s dignity intact.
Major offenses, however, may result in immediate suspension on first referral to the
Principal.
2. STEP TWO
A second referral to the Principal will result in another in-office detention for one
noon hour. The second Discipline Notice will be sent home to be signed and returned
to the Principal the following school day. The Principal will also call the parents and
explain to them what further disciplinary action may result if the behavioural pattern
continues.
3. STEP THREE
If a student is referred to the Principal a third time, or any offence at any point is
deemed serious enough by the Principal, the student may serve an Out-Of-School
suspension at home. An In/Out-Of-School suspension can be 1-3 days in length,
depending on the severity of the misbehaviour. The Principal may also send the
student home mid-day for a “cooling down” period for the benefit of all parties
concerned. In certain cases, at the discretion of the Principal, the student may be
required to serve an In-School Suspension.
Following a suspension, a 10 day probation period will be in effect upon the return
to school for the student. During this probationary period, the student may not
represent the school at any extracurricular program or sports event. A violation of this
probation will result in a 3-day Out-Of-School Suspension. If this occurs, the student
will not be allowed to return to the school until the parents have met with the Principal
and assured him/her that their child will respect the rules of the school. The student,
parent(s), and Principal will meet to develop a plan to correct the behaviour and to
bring about restitution and reconciliation.
4. STEP FOUR
If a student is referred to the Principal a fourth time, it is apparent that:
• The repeated use of the school suspension is not effective in ensuring
positive behaviour on the part of the student or
• The safety and well-being of other students are in danger or
• The proper management of the class is not possible.
The Principal at this point may issue an INDEFINITE SUSPENSION. The student
will not be allowed to return to school until the parent(s) and the student have met with
the school Board Executive and the Principal, and have assured them that their child
will respect the rules of the school. The maximum duration of the indefinite suspension
is two weeks. The student, parent(s), teacher(s), and Principal will meet to develop a
plan to correct the behaviour in question with the goal of bringing about restitution and
reconciliation.
5. STEP FIVE
If the previous plan to correct the student’s behaviour
does not bring about restitution and reconciliation and further
behavioural problems occur, then expulsion from Timothy
Christian School may be recommended by the Principal.
The Timothy Christian School Expulsion Policy will be
used.
EXPULSION POLICY
Background
This procedure will be followed between the Principal and the Board when there
is a recommendation from the Principal for a student expulsion. This procedure is to
ensure that the Board receives all relevant information from both the Principal and
parents to make a well-informed decision.
Procedure
When the expulsion of the student is being considered, the following steps will
occur:
• While the expulsion process is being considered, the student will be under
Indefinite Suspension and remain at home until the Board has made its final
decision.
• The Principal will notify the parents that a letter of expulsion will be sent to
the Board Secretary.
• A written recommendation for the expulsion will be delivered to the Board
Secretary from the Principal.
• A letter will be sent by the Board Secretary to the parents of the child letting
them know that an expulsion recommendation has been received from the
Principal.
• The Board letter to the parents will indicate a time when the Board will meet
to make the final decision regarding the recommendation.
• The Board letter to the parents will ask for their written response to the
recommendation and whether or not they plan to attend the Board meeting.
• The Board will meet on the stated day to discuss the expulsion
recommendation, after which the Board will meet on its own to consider the
parent’s written and verbal responses as well as the Principal’s comments
made during the meeting.
• The Board will make the final decision regarding the recommendation to
expel the child.
• The Board’s decision will be provided to the parents in writing and a copy
will be kept with the Board minutes.
• At a later date determined by the Board, the parents may appeal the
Board’s decision requesting reinstatement of their child.