Good Shepherd School emphasizes developing the godly character of children. We expect students to take responsibility for their behavior by making choices that demonstrate attitudes and actions that honor the Lord, their parents and one another. We look to Jesus and God’s Word for our example of setting standards and expectations for student behaviors. If a child struggles with any of the behaviors listed below, the school will endeavor to come alongside the student to foster growth. If a child continues to struggle despite the effort of the school and family, the child will be at risk of losing their spot at the school at the discretion of the principal.
Attitude
Students are expected to have an attitude of mutual respect in all relationships.
- Student to staff
- Student to student
- Student to adult.
We encourage students to follow the golden rule principle, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
This includes:
- Building one another up
- Believing the best of others
- Supportive relationships
Language
Students are expected to use edifying language. We encourage:
- Problem solving
- Constructive criticism
We discourage:
- Degrading language—oral and written
- Name calling
- Destructive criticism
- Griping
- Any form of bullying
Safety
Students are expected to conduct themselves in a safe manner.
- Physical Safety
- No scuffling, pushing, shoving
- No unnecessary risks
- Nothing with wheels (skateboards, shoes, etc.)
- Emotional safety
- No intimidation
- No name calling, degrading talk or bullying
- Facility safety
- Keep an orderly, clean environment
- Personal property will be well cared for and will not create unnecessary temptation to others
- Do not damage or deface church/school property
- Students will be responsible for replacement of damaged property
Dress and Appearance
Students’ dress should be modest, representing the Lord, as a believer’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
- Clothes should be appropriate for the function and occasion.
- Appearance should not be a distraction (unnatural hair color, goth style make-up, Mohawks, piercings, etc. with this judgment being the sole discretion of the principal).
- Any written message on clothing is to be in good taste and not political.
- Clothing is to cover underwear.
- Tops are to cover midriffs.
- Shorts with an inseam of 5” or longer are acceptable.
- Dresses or skirts should be modest in length. Please click here for our dress code visuals.
- Clothing that is too tight is a distraction so err on the side of modesty (for example yoga pants/leggings on 5 th grade or older should be covered with a long sweatshirt or something wrapped around their waist).
- Hats/hoods/beanies are not to be worn in the building.
Electronics
We prefer electronics are not brought to school. If they must come to school, they should stay in the student’s backpack. Phones should not be on the student’s person during the school day. If teachers or staff see a cell phone, they will confiscate it and hold it in the school office until a parent comes to retrieve it. Exceptions may be made for teacher directed activities.
Food & Gum
The use of food should not distract from the learning environment or damage the facility. Gum is not allowed.
Discipline Procedure & Philosophy
The classroom teacher is responsible for developing and implementing a student management plan for their class. Teachers are expected to relate to students in a positive, respectful manner. They will establish a Christ-centered, orderly learning environment where students take responsibility for their actions. If a student’s attitude or behavior escalates to the point where the classroom interventions are not adequate, they will be referred to the principal’s office for further actions.
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11
When mistakes are made, and/or poor behavior happens we desire to get to the heart of what happened and why a child behaved the way they did. Our goal is to invite Christ into these situations and work with the student(s) in a way that lets them know we care about them as a person, not just behavior management.
We aim to provide appropriate discipline from a place of love, not shame.
This starts in the classroom with teachers creating classroom environments where kids feel seen, safe and known. When an issue needing attention arises in the classroom, specials class or recess, the teacher or staff member will handle it with interventions that are laid out at the beginning of the year. The teacher will communicate to parents when unwanted behaviors are happening in the classroom so the parents and school can partner together to provide support for the child. If classroom interventions are not or no longer working, the teacher will inform the principal who will then get involved in conversation with the student and parents with the aim of establishing appropriate discipline/consequences for the child’s actions.
Some behaviors like hitting, kicking, shoving and threatening will be taken directly to the principal.
We define bullying as mean, intimidating, manipulative behaviors that happen over and over even after the child has been asked to stop. Classroom teachers, the principal and parents will work together in these situations with the expectation that a change in behavior happens by the one doing the bullying.
Some consequences that we use in discipline are but not limited to:
- Classroom interventions (vary class to class)
- Missing Recess (doing physical activity in the office during recess)
- In-School Suspension
- Out-of-School Suspension
- Expulsion