Yorkville Community School is committed to ensuring a safe and nurturing environment that facilitates effective teaching and meaningful learning and fosters a sense of responsibility, good citizenship, and accountability. It is, therefore, necessary that students understand that there are standards of behavior with which all students are expected to comply and there are consequences if these standards are violated. Students should be aware that rules, which govern their behavior, come in a variety of formats, all of which correspond with each other. Families will be receiving a copy of the Citywide Standards of Discipline and Intervention Measures which outlines the discipline policies as set forth by the Department of Education for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. This document includes the DOE’s citywide Discipline Code as well as a Student Bill of Rights. In addition to the DOE’s Standards, every class will establish clear expectations to follow within their class and the school building. The rules and expectations will be posted in each classroom, along with a copy sent home to families to be reviewed together. The Code of Conduct is based on three core principles: Being Safe, Being Responsible, Being Respectful.

The following guiding principles support and maintain our effective learning community:

• At the heart of any effective discipline policy is prevention. Therefore students, parents, teachers and administrators need to work together to prevent problems as much as possible.

• A key goal should be the development of self-discipline. Opportunities for teaching and learning new skills and attitudes will be integrated into the curriculum and actively pursued when problems arise.

• Clear limits and consequences are important so that everyone understands what is needed for working together. The application of these limits and consequences must be informed by the needs of the students involved and the larger school community. Students need to understand what the core principles mean and be presented opportunities to be successful.

• Every human being has an inherent value.

• Both classroom and school consequences should be appropriate to a student’s behavior. The New York City Chancellor’s Discipline Code will be used to determine interventions and consequences. Guidance interventions will be provided to aid in developing student understanding of their action and its effect on the learning community.

Non-Negotiable

• Students have a right to work and learn.

• Students should do their best to learn and participate in class and school activities and allow others to do the same. They should be prepared and arrive on time to school to ensure maximum participation in learning experiences.

• Students have a right to feel safe.

• Students are expected to walk in the school building and keep their voices low when in shared spaces. Recess and lunchroom rules must be upheld.

• Fighting, bullying, and unwanted physical contact will not be accepted. The New York City Chancellor’s Discipline Code will be adhered to when determining consequences of these case by case behaviors.

• Students should be treated respectfully and treat others with respect.

• Students need to keep their community clean. They are expected to clean up after themselves.

These regulations and policies are available in English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu.