Student Discipline
At the beginning of each new school year, the Olympia School District provides every student and staff member with its policies related to student rights and responsibilities. These policies are contained in a district publication, “Olympia School District Student Rights and Responsibilities”. This publication or handbook is distributed to all students and is used as guidance for staff when orienting students at the beginning of the school year. It is the expectation of the district that each student will share the publication with parents and the parent and student will acknowledge receipt of the handbook by reading and signing the parent acknowledgement form enclosed in the handbook and by returning that signed form to the school during the first ten days of the school year. If you would like to refer to the discipline matrix please refer to this linked document.
Philosophy of Discipline
We believe everyone involved in our community of learning shares a commitment to a school environment which supports and nurtures the uniqueness of each individual. In our work together we strive to develop integrity by establishing an atmosphere of collaboration, trust, and respect.
We believe in each person's ability to make appropriate choices, to exercise self-discipline, to reflect on one's choices and actions, and to make restitution for inappropriate choices. Knowing that the mistakes we make in life can be our best teachers, we strive to maintain a positive and healthy climate where we can use our mistakes to learn and grow.
Discipline Goals
Everyone in the school is encouraged to actively work on achieving the following goals:
- Respect all students and adults
- Respect learning time
- Cooperate with other people and treat them with respect
- Manage yourself
- Respect the rights and property of others
- Respect the health and safety of others
- Respect the school's responsibility for its students
- Respect the laws of our general society
- Respect and maintain the fair and consistent application of procedures and consequences
- Recognize the special or unusual needs of students requiring alternative procedures and consequences
- Deal with actions and behaviors while maintaining the individual self-worth
- Recognize and respect the cultural differences of students, and ensure that our procedures are in harmony with their cultural backgrounds
- Develop and support appropriate social skills, physical development, intellectual growth, and emotional balance
- Discipline Policy and Procedures
Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and permit the steps of discipline to occur at the lowest level. Our discipline policy is referred to as “progressive discipline.” This means that should an infraction of a rule be repeated, the next resulting consequence may be more significant than the proceeding consequence. It is our goal to help students learn to make better choices.
- A time out is provided in classrooms to allow students who are committing minor offenses to gain control of their actions.
- Students are referred to the office for non-compliance in the time-out setting or for offenses that are more significant. Office administrators or their designees will follow the school discipline consequence guidelines.
- Students could be excluded from activities (i.e. assemblies, a time out from the classroom, etc.).
- Students could be assigned to lunch detention (usually 10 or 30 minutes).
- Students could be assigned to in-school detention (ISD).
- Students could be assigned to a home suspension.
- A short term suspension shall be for up to five days. This might be served in ISD or at home.
- A long term suspension shall be for a suspension greater than five days. This is served at home
- An expulsion shall mean the exclusion from attendance at any school in the Olympia School District.
- There is a process to appeal any suspension or expulsion. It is included in Olympia School District policy, section 5100. A copy is available in the school office.
Each student will receive a copy of this policy. Our discipline policy extends door-to-door. This means our jurisdiction may begin once a student leaves home in the morning and may extend until the student returns home after school.
Recovery Room
We maintain a recovery room as a service to our students and parents. If an incident warrants its use, we assign a student to the Recovery Room. While assigned to Recovery Room, homework is provided and an education assistant is available to help the student with assignments. Students may be detained in the Recovery Room pending a resolution to a conflict that resulted in their referral. Students are expected to adhere to the Recovery Room rules or the detention time will be converted to a home suspension. Students are excluded from regular and extra curricular activities when suspended.
End-of-Year Suspensions
During the month of June, suspension days are first assigned to the last day of school and work forward from there. For instance, a student suspended for two days of school might miss the last two days.
Peer Relationships
The physical display of affection such as kissing and exaggerated hugging is not a necessary part of the regular school day and should not occur during school activities.
Lunch Room Behavior
Students are expected to be courteous and considerate at all times.
- Students must pick up after themselves
- Food and drink are not to be taken out of the cafeteria
- During the lunch period, students may go outside under adult supervision
- Students are to remain in designated, supervised areas at all times
- Authorized Areas
Students are to remain in authorized areas during the school day. Those areas include those portions of the school under the direct supervision of school staff members. If a student is in a location where s (he) cannot see a staff member on supervisory duty, (s) he should assume this is not an authorized area. When in doubt, check with a staff member.