Student Conduct Policy

Process

1. Responsibilities of students:

   Following shall be the responsibility of each student of the school community, with regard to discipline and conduct

   • To treat other students with respect
   • To avoid offensive language
   • To be sensitive and respectful of the beliefs and customs of others
   • To be honest in all matters
   • To be inclusive and not exclusive in social groups and language use
   • To help maintain a secure, pleasant and peaceful environment
   • To avoid substance abuse
   • Not to participate in inappropriate public displays of affection
   • To abide by the rules of the school and laws of the country
2. In the event of a disciplinary problem or violation of any of the above, the concerned teacher shall report the same to the student(s) Home Room Teacher. The student(s) shall be encouraged to reflect and shall be counseled by the Home Room Teacher, Level Coordinator or Academic Leadership team (Coordinators, Deputy Principal, Principal) or may be referred to external counselors, depending on the severity of the discipline issue and the age of the student. The consequences could be one or more of the following, depending on the severity of the offence
   • Counseling (internal or external)
   • Behaviour contract
   • Warning letters (issued by Deputy Principal, Principal)
   • Detention administered by teacher, HRT, HoD (subject to approval of academic Coordinator/Principal), Coordinators, Deputy Principal, Principal – staying after school or coming to school on Saturday, to complete unfinished academic work, under supervision.
   • Internal suspension administered by Deputy Principal, Principal - student is placed in academic quarantine to complete unfinished tasks
   • Suspension
   • Expulsion
3. In no event the school shall administer corporal punishment.
4. The following shall form the Discipline policies of the school:
   • No Bullying Policy:

     Any form of harassment, physical or mental, of a student shall be strictly prohibited. Bullying includes using abusive language, physical violence, teasing other students, sending threatening emails or social media messages on hand phones or computers, acts of coercion.

     Students indulging in such behaviour may be expelled, at the discretion of the Principal, depending on the severity of the offence after thorough investigation

   • No Alcohol and Smoking Policy:

     Smoking and consumption of alcohol within and near the campus shall be strictly forbidden.

   • Substance Abuse Policy

     As per laws in Singapore, experimentation with any kind of drugs is illegal. Students who have been caught indulging or have been suspected of indulging in substance abuse shall be expelled from the school and handed over to the police after thorough investigation by the school.

   • Banned Items
     • The following items shall be banned in the school premises:
       1. Cigarettes
       2. Pornographic material
       3. Expensive jewelry and accessories (items not above $200.00)
       4. Alcohol
       5. Drugs
     • Personal music and entertainment systems shall not be used during school hours. If any student is caught using them, the items shall be confiscated for a period of time to be determined by the Principal. The school shall not be responsible for loss of such items. Students who repeatedly disregard these rules may face more severe consequences, depending on the circumstances.
     • The school shall prohibit the use of audio / video recording devices in school and the uploading of images of videos / audio recordings of students or staff onto any internet site/portal.
   • Behaviour Contract

     Disruptive behaviour in class/school shall be dealt with by putting the student on a Behaviour Contract. Students shall be counselled accordingly.

   • Mobile phones policy

     Students shall not use mobile phones during lesson hours. A mobile phone cupboard shall be installed in the school premises for students to surrender their phones at the start of school day. They shall collect the mobile phones during school dismissal. Students found with mobile phones during school hours shall have their mobile phone confiscated by the Principal for a period of time to be determined by the Principal. The school shall not be liable for loss of mobile phones. Students who repeatedly disregard these rules may face more severe consequences, depending on the circumstances.

   • School Bus
     1. School bus usage rules shall be as follows:
        Students must
        • Be at the assigned bus stop 5minutes before pick-up time in the morning and be punctual for the departure time from the school. Due to the need to reach school on time, buses shall not wait for students.
        • Board and drop off at designated bus stops only
        • Show respect for private property near the bus stop
        • Treat bus equipment with care and responsibility
        • Respond positively to requests made by the bus driver and attendant
        • Keep the aisles clear of books, band instruments, etc.
        • Remain seated and fasten seat belts while the bus is in motion
        • Keep the windows closed at all times
        • Do not eat or drink on the bus
        • Talk in low tones
        • Refrain from conduct that diverts the driver's attention from his primary job and thus endangering the safety of other passengers
     2. Students who show poor behaviour on the bus or causing danger to him/herself or to other students in the bus, may lead to withdrawal of the privilege of travelling by the school bus and further disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the school, depending on the circumstances.
   • Dress Code
     • Students shall remain in full school uniform on working days except when advised about reporting in mufti on special occasions.
     • PE uniform is only to be worn during the days when a student has a PE class. Hats must be worn during outdoor PE classes.
     • Hair shall be well groomed. Girls with shoulder length hair or longer should have it tied back and secured with a clasp.
     • Boys’ hair should be trimmed at the nape of the neck and above the collar. Longhair, side burns and unusual hairstyles shall not be permitted
     • Dyeing and colouring of hair shall not be permitted.
     • Skirts and dress length should not be shorter than 2” above the knee.
     • Piercing of any other body parts shall not be permitted. Nose rings, nose studs and multiple ear rings shall not be permitted.
     • Coloured nail polish and tattoos/ skin decorations shall not be permitted.
     • Ornaments and jewellery are not permitted. Exception shall be made for 1 set of discreet earrings only for girls.
     • The Home Room teacher shall decide on the appropriateness of the dress and that decision shall be final.
     • Mufti on birthdays shall be permitted only in Early Years and Primary School.
     • The Principal may send any child home whose dress code is unacceptable, in any day of the school year, irrespective of circumstances.
     • Any request to wear anything other than the official school uniform on any day for any reason (including religious reasons) must be made in writing by the parents and must receive the Principal’s written approval.
   • IT Policy
     • Students shall use the school’s computers under the supervision of the teacher in charge.
     • No student shall be allowed to store games, pictures, movies of any kind or any other inappropriate/objectionable material in the local hard disk or in the network.
     • Students over 16 years old and are from the senior school shall only be allowed to check emails during the school day.
     • Downloading, viewing, transmitting, exchanging or creating pornographic images, bullying, racist, sexist, xenophobic, hatred-inciting or politically sensitive material shall invite strict disciplinary measures, up to and including dismissal from the institution.
     • Students shall not be allowed to interfere with any type of hardware connections of the computer and the network. Any such actions will be treated as vandalism and may become a police matter.
     • No student shall be allowed to engage in computer hacking or downloading of viruses. These are against the laws in Singapore and offenders shall be face serious consequences up to and including dismissal.
     • For full details, please refer to the School’s Cyber Safety and Conduct Policy.
5. Serious violations and Extreme violations

   The following may be considered serious violations to the Students’ Responsibilities:

   • Serious lying
   • Stealing
   • Damaging proper of another
   • Misuse of IT
   • Borrowing money from fellow students and not returning it
   • Inappropriate displays of affection
   • Profanity
   • Obscene gestures and language
   • Physical violence
   • Use of forbidden items, etc

   Consequences for the above may range from suspension to expulsion depending on the severity of the infraction.

   The following may be considered extreme violations to the Students’ Responsibilities:

   • Substance abuse
   • Possession of drug paraphernalia
   • Consumption of alcohol
   • Bullying (including cyber bullying)
   • Ragging
   • Sexual, racial or religious harassment
   • Smoking
   • Possession of pornography/obscene images

   Consequences for the above may lead to immediate dismissal from the school In both the above cases, parents shall be notified, an investigation shall be undertaken and records shall be kept by the school. The decision on the consequences to be levied is at the sole discretion of the Principal/Head of School.

   All the above policies shall be contained in the Student Handbook that is distributed annually to parents.