CARES: Cambridge Cougar Code

Cambridge School

Cougar Code of Conduct

Cougar Code of Conduct
Expectations,

Rules, &

Consequences

Developed by the

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL

CONFLICT RESOLUTION COMMITTEE

Revised 8/08

The Cougar Code of Conduct

Section 1: Student Expectations

Cambridge School is our community of learners. The members of our community include students, parents, professional staff and teacher’s assistants, as well as volunteers. As a community,all members are responsible to work together to make the school a safe and peaceful place for everyone.

All South Brunswick Schools embrace the following Core Ethical Values, CARES, in an effort to build positive citizens in our learning community. This is supported through our district’s Character Education Program.

C   Cooperation

A   Assertion

R   Responsibility

E   Empathy

S   Self-control

Each of these Core Ethical Values is defined below:

Cooperation: Do your best to work with others. Play by the rules. Take turns and share. Be open-minded; listen to others.

Assertion: Speak up respectfully for what you believe. Tell the truth. Use theWin/Win Guidelinesto deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements.

Responsibility: You have aresponsibilityto berespectfulto others. Be accountable for your choices. Follow rules and directions. Strive forexcellence!

Empathy: Try to understand feelings, emotions, and actions of others. Treat others with respect. Be tolerant of differences. Use good manners. Be considerate of the feelings of others.

Self-Control: Control your emotions, desires and actions. Be self-disciplined. Persevere: keep on trying. Think before you act- consider the consequences.

Section 2: School/Classroom Routines

The following routines will help to insure the safety of students and adults. An orderly climate in classrooms and throughout the building is an essential and expected behavior. Students are expected to:
  • Arrive in the classroom by 9:05am each morning.
  • Complete all assignments on time.
  • Take responsibility for personal belongings.
  • Keep classrooms and school grounds neat and orderly.
  • Push in chairs, pick up litter or other items from the floor, and put the room in order, before going to lunch, leaving for any special class, and at the end of the school day.
  • Sit on chairs and keep them flat on the floor. (No tipping/leaning back and no feet on chairs or desks.)
  • Walk through the school in a quiet and orderly manner. (Keep hands off the walls, bulletin boards and each other.)
  • Drop off and pick up class lunch baskets from the lunch room each day.
  • Use school books, materials and all equipment appropriately.
  • Line up immediately at the end of the lunch/recess period.

Section 3: School/Classroom Rules

As stated in the District Handbook included in the summer letter:

 Students are expected to bring to school only those supplies, books and other materials needed for learning. The school provides students with recreational supplies and equipment for use during recess and/or Physical Education. Personal items, including but not limited to electronic devices such as cell phones, are not allowed to be used in school during school hours.

Students are prohibited from engaging in the following activities:

  • Physical fighting or play fighting.
  • Name calling, using put-downs, or making racial slurs.
  • Wearing hats, bandannas, or sunglasses inside the building.
  • Chewing gum.
  • Vandalism.
  • Cursing.

Students are prohibited from bringing the following items to school:

  • Hard balls, bats, or hockey sticks.
  • Electronic games, radios or walkmen, iPods, handheld games.
  • Skateboards, in-line skates, roller-skates, heelys.
  • Beverages in glass containers
  • Backpacks with rollers.
  • Any other item not listed, which is deemed to be potentially hazardous to any student, may be prohibited by the staff.

In addition to school rules, each class develops their own rules and procedures, and students should familiarize themselves with those rules. If students are unclear about a classroom rule, they should speak with the teacher.

Section 4: Consequences*


All actions have consequences: some positive and some negative. If a student does not follow the Cougar Code of Conduct, there will be logical consequences.

Goals of Logical Consequences:

  • To give children the chance to regain self-control.
  • To help children:
    • Recognize the connection between their actions and outcomes of those actions.
    • Fix problems caused by their mistake or misbehavior.
    • Make amends and preserve their relationships.
    • Avoid similar problems in the future.
  • To preserve the dignity of the child and the integrity of the group.
  • To keep children safe.

Three Kinds of Logical Consequences:

1. “You break it- you fix it.”
Children take responsibility for fixing, as best they can, any problem or mess they created. This logical consequence also includes “Apology of Action”. This means that children attempt to fix hurt feelings and damaged relationships by apologizing and doing an action that will make amends for the hurtful behavior.

2. Loss of Privilege
Students are entrusted with many privileges throughout the school day: using materials, equipment, working with friends, choosing a learning activity, etc. When a student (or group of students) breaches that trust, for example, by being careless or unsafe, a logical consequence is for the adult in charge to take away the related privilege until the child shows a readiness to handle the privilege.

3. Time-out or Take a Break
A child who is beginning to lose control in a way that is disruptive or that compromises safety is asked to leave the scene. During that time away from the group, the child’s job is to regain self-control so he or she can come back to the group and participate in a positive way.

Cougar CARES Celebrations

  • Each month the bulletin board in the hallway outside of the main office will feature names and photographs of students who have demonstrated Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control.
  • On a random basis, students will be given aCougar Couponif they are "caught" going above and beyond daily expectations and responsibilities involving the Core Ethical Values. The coupons may be submitted to the main office for recognition by the principal.

Conclusion

Cambridge School has long been recognized as an outstanding school with caring, sensitive, and responsible students. The above outlined Code of Conduct will help all members of the community understand what it means to be a responsible and respectful student.
We have read and understand the information contained in the Cambridge Cougar Code:

-_______________________________________________Student

-_______________________________________________Parent or Guardian