Parent Information:

Parents Club

The Parents' Club has a number of objectives/responsibilities, which include:
- organising the School Uniform Shop.
- providing an opportunity for the social introduction of new parents to the school community.
- enabling parents to learn about the operation of the school and the management of its resources.
- being a vehicle through which parents may find ways and places in which they can help the school in its many tasks.
- raising funds to supplement Government funding and improve the teaching/learning facilities available to the children.
- providing a forum in which parents may express concerns, ask questions, and obtain answers - generally from the Principal who attends Parents' Club meetings whenever possible, for that purpose.
Parents' Club meetings are advertised in the newsletter and we would love to see some new faces!

The 2009 Parents' Club office bearers are as follows:
President- Mrs. Robyn McGraw
Vice President- Mrs. Kim Dye
Secretary- Mrs. Karen Clavin
Treasurer- Ms. Tina Dickinson
School Council Representative- Mrs. Suzette Peace

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School Council

In March of each year, half the parent-elected members of the Council will retire, so it is possible that an election will be held. The council consists of 8 parent-elected members (who must be parents of children enrolled at the school), one member nominated by Parents' Club (annually), another one year co-opted person and 4 members elected by the staff. The Principal is also a member.
The Council has ever-broadening responsibilities and is responsible for many decisions regarding the buildings and grounds, the financial management of the school, and the curriculum. Much of the curriculum responsibility may be delegated to the Principal and staff, but the Council still bears
ultimate responsibility for the functioning of the school.
The President of the Council, or any of its members, will always be ready to listen to any problem which may cause a parent concern. Normally however, it is suggested that problems be outlined to the Principal, who may well be able to resolve them immediately.
The School Council is important to the education of your child. You should give serious thought to whether you might serve as a member for one or more terms. We meet on the second Monday of the month, and for a minimum of eight meetings during the year. The Council has sub-committees based on the School Charter Goals - Curriculum, Management and Accountability, Resources and Environment.

The 2009 School Council office bearers are as follows:
President- Mrs. Alexia Stephens
Vice President- Mr. John McEwen
Secretary- Ms. Kathryn Curry
Treasurer- Mr. Rob West
Executive Officer- Mr. David Laidlaw

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Student Code of Conduct

Rationale:
Staff at Cohuna Consolidated School will strive to actively promote resilience, pro-active behaviour and a self- determination for students to do their personal best in all situations.

Aims:
The school is a positive environment in which all teachers assume responsibility for student welfare, provide successful experiences for all children, feel safe and secure in a supportive environment and where a sense of belonging and wellbeing are strengthened. A culture of positive reinforcement and encouragement will permeate all facets of our school.

Implementation:

· The school will adopt a proactive and strategic stance with issues of student welfare, rather than operating in a consistently reactive mode.
· Developing the wellbeing of our students is central to our role as a school, and is reflected in our whole school philosophy.
· Student work and achievements will be regularly showcased and publicly recognised.
· Our school will value and encourage student individuality, differences and diversity, sharing, tolerance and compassion among children.
· To develop pride in the school, opportunities for leadership will be promoted through School Captains, House Captains, Bus Captains and Junior School Council membership.
· Programs that provide for the emotional health of students, such as ‘Buddies’, Transition, ‘You Can Do It’ Harm Minimisation, Preparation For Puberty, Solving the Jigsaw, Tribes, Peer Support and Peer Mediation will underpin our curriculum.
· The curriculum will be broad, provide for the needs of individual students, and be developed to cater for multiple intelligences.
· Through individual classrooms, programs will be developed to cater for children identified with specific needs. This is done through creating support groups, individual learning plans and ongoing monitoring.
· The Well Being Team will consist of the Principal and Assistant Principal and a staff representative, who will meet regularly and discuss programs with classroom teachers.
· Strategies detailed in the ‘Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Government Schools’ will be implemented across the school.
· The school will provide access to DE&T, regional and network staff with wellbeing and/or welfare expertise as required.
· Staff will be provided with professional development regarding student wellbeing, the implementation of wellbeing programs, and the resolution of wellbeing issues.

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Anti Bullying Policy

Definition:

A person is bullied when they are regularly exposed to negative and/or harmful actions by one or more other people. Bullies are people who intimidate, exclude, threaten and/or hurt others on a repeated basis. Bullying is a clear form of harassment.
Sexual harassment can be physical, verbal, or written and can include words, actions, statements or images including text and email. It is against the law for any individual to sexually harass another individual.

Rationale:

The school will provide a positive culture where bullying is not accepted. Everyone will have the right of respect from others, the right to learn or to teach and the right to feel safe and secure in their school environment.
The school recognizes that everyone has the legal right to protection from sexual harassment.

Aims:

· To reinforce, within the school community, what bullying is and that it is an unacceptable form of behaviour.

· For everyone, within the school community, to be alert to the signs and evidence of bullying, and to have a responsibility to report it to staff, whether as an observer or as a victim.

· To ensure that all reported incidents of bullying are followed up appropriately, and support is given to both victims and perpetrators.

· To seek parental, peer-group support and co-operation at all times.

Implementation:

Parents, teachers and students will be aware of the school’s position on bullying. The Principal will issue a ‘Code of Conduct’ statement for parents to discuss with their child/children as early as practical each school year. Addressing the issue will involve a four-phased approach, as outlined in the ‘Anti-Bullying’ Framework.

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Discipline Policy

Rationale:

Positive and responsible student behaviour is essential to the smooth running of the school, to the achievement of optimal learning opportunities and to the development of a supportive, cooperative school environment.

Aims:
· To build a school environment based on positive behaviour, mutual respect and cooperation.
· To manage poor behaviour in a positive and professional manner.
· To establish well understood and logical consequences for student behaviour.

Implementation:
· Our school will develop, through a process of wide community consultation, a student code of conduct, which outlines agreed behavioural development and management strategies.
· Our code of conduct will place significant emphasis on the development and recognition of positive behaviours.
· Peer mediation, peer counseling and ‘buddies’ will be key strategies employed to guide and develop student behaviour.
· The school will deliberately engage the services of young people as guest speakers or workshop facilitators etc to act as positive role models.
· Whole school rules will be discussed with the Junior School Council.
· We will provide a wide range of positive extra-curricula activities for students including sporting, theatrical, leadership, community service and appropriate leisure pursuits.
· Positive student behavioural achievement will be appropriately recognised.
· An up-to-date database of student behaviour will be implemented and maintained.
· All staff will undertake professional development every three years on student behaviour and discipline management.
· The school curriculum will include units on resilience, peer pressure, positive choices, bullying, conflict resolution and leadership.
· Student Portfolios will include details regarding student behavioural achievement and personal goal attainment.
· Students experiencing difficulty achieving acceptable behaviour will undertake individualised behaviour management programs focusing upon agreed goals. Refer to Whole School Discipline Policy
· Consequences for ongoing inappropriate behaviour will include counselling, loss of privileges or suspension.
· Parents will be kept informed, and actively encouraged, to assist in the development of their children’s behavioural performance.

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Whole School Discipline Policy

Purpose:

It is anticipated that this Discipline Policy will provide guidelines to all relevant groups - students, staff and parents, regarding appropriate codes of conduct that will permit our school to function successfully.

Our intention is that the document will be used by teachers and parents. We do not expect it to be read by all students. However, it is expected that teachers and parents will accept the responsibility to explain, implement and support its contents.

Rules will be developed to guide the basic functioning of the school on the basis of:

1. a. Classroom Rules:
A standard set of rules will be developed to apply across all classrooms. These will address the aspects of:
- Talking - Movement
- Conflict - Learning
- Treatment (of others)
Individual teachers will be free to establish other rules to operate within their class. All teachers are to ensure, however, that all rules are thoroughly discussed on a regular basis and understood by the children. Teachers will ensure that rules are prominently displayed in classrooms.

b. Whole School Rules:
These rules apply throughout the school, inside and outside the classroom.
Staff, in consultation with the School Well Being Team (Principal, Assistant Principal and elected staff representative) will determine whole school rules and these will be reviewed on an annual basis. Whole school rules will address:
- Movement in the yard - Conflict resolution
- Treatment of others - Health and Safety
All teachers should regularly reinforce school wide rules with their students.

2. The use of consequences relating to established rules will occur in order to develop consistency in the implementation of the ‘Code of Conduct’ across the school.

a. Positive Consequences:
The benefits of developing a positive relationship between teacher and child cannot be overstated. Firm, but fair and consistent, application of school rules, coupled with a genuine empathy for the child can lead to a positive relationship being developed which may minimise the need for consequences of a disciplinary nature to be applied.
Examples of possible positive consequences.
- praise - note attached to homework/communication journal
- certificates, stickers - note sent home/telephone call to parents
- privileges - recognition of achievement from teachers
- Principal Award - recognition of achievement from Principal

b. Disciplinary Consequences.
While a range of management strategies may be employed by staff in the classroom and whole school situation, the general rule of application of consequences for discipline will occur in the sequence of:

Classroom – Prep – 2

A. Low Level: e.g. Disruptive behaviour, passive learning, uncooperative behaviour

1. Name on the board and name the behaviour. (A positive reminder of the task to
be done)
2. If behaviour persists – record a cross (X) on the board. Length of time inside at teacher’s discretion.
3. Parent to be contacted either verbally or written.

B. Extreme: e.g Physical Violence, Abusive or Foul Language directed at someone with intent
1. Red card – sent to Principal
2. Removal of student from area where incident occurred
3. Cooling off period if needed.
4. Counselling
5. Parent contact
6. Suspension process if felt warranted
(In or Out of school suspension)

Classroom – Grades 3-6

A. Low Level: e.g. Disruptive behaviour, passive learning and uncooperative behaviour.

1. Verbal warning first for things that are not so serious to warrant detention, but still need addressing.
2. Name on the board and name the behaviour. Warning.
3. If behaviour persists –“x” marked against name. No discussion entered into.
The following actions will then occur
* 1 cross - 15 minutes lunchtime detention OR instant classroom withdrawal eg completing work, time out may be warranted
* 2 crosses - 30 minutes lunchtime detention - withdrawal of privileges eg specialist programs, computer privileges, rotations
* 3 crosses - visit the Principal - likely to result in some special provisions being invoked
* 4 crosses - Parent/Principal conference - may result in suspension

3. Students should begin each day with a 'clean slate', although they may well have a detention to serve from a previous day's misbehaviour.
4. If due work returns incomplete, student remains in class under teacher supervision until completed.
5. Note sent home to parents with information about child’s behaviour
Refer to instant classroom withdrawal included in point 3.

B. Extreme: e.g Physical Violence, Bullying, Abusive or Foul Language directed at
someone with intent
“See Prep – 2 consequences”

Behaviour and Discipline:

The importance of consistency is stressed here. All staff need to ensure that they are aware of this Policy Statement, and that they implement it in a fair and consistent manner.

Record of Behaviour: Student Data Base.
As part of our on-going monitoring of student behaviour, our school is currently installing a data base of all student behaviour that is deemed inappropriate. Teachers will use this data base to identify patterns of behaviour, communicate with parents about the nature of their child’s behaviour and as a record for other future references.

Notes:
§ Children should have a clear understanding of what behaviour is expected of them. This should be appropriate to their age level and should develop as they progress through school.
§ It is important that teachers articulate that students have a choice. If they choose not to obey legitimate rules, they are choosing a disciplinary consequence - it’s their choice.

Severe Clause
§ A student may be removed from class or the school grounds immediately if they endanger the safety of others or become abusive and aggressive towards the teacher. Teachers must immediately follow up all removed students with the Principal or Assistant Principal as soon as possible and have a Significant Incident Report completed.

§ Teachers should send for the Principal or Assistant Principal via the Red Card rather than absent themselves from any incident. In the event of the Principal or Assistant Principal being absent, the staff member should call on another staff member to provide supervision assistance.

Playground:

Low level:

A. Disrespect, Insolence and Disobedience.

Respect will be shown to all adults and visitors. All rules must be obeyed.

B. Wrestling, Swearing, 'Put-downs', Throwing missiles, Spitting,
This type of behaviour is unnecessary, antisocial and will not be tolerated.

C. Staying within the School Boundaries.

Children are not permitted outside the boundaries without permission at any time,
or inside school buildings unless supervised by a teacher.

Low Level: Action to be taken
1. Name and misdemeanor recorded in Yard Duty folder
2. Walk & talk – counsel initially.
3. Restorative action – Sorry for…, I will try to……, I could have…….,
4. Time out of yard if required.

Extreme:

D. Respect for School Property, Property of Others, Bullying, Fighting, Vandalism and Theft, Violation of privacy by personal contact and other anti-social behaviour.

We all have a right to feel safe and to expect that our property is protected.
Behaviour which contradicts this premise will not be tolerated. We encourage valuable items not to be brought to school.

Extreme: Action to be taken
1. Removal from area where incident occurred
2. Sent to Principal
3. Cooling off period if needed. Likely detention procedures.
4. Counselling
5. Parent contacted
6. Suspension process if felt warranted. (In or Out of school suspension)

Play areas:

* The front lawn is for passive recreation - no ball games.

* The front Basketball Court area is for small ball games (not football or cricket). Running is limited to organised/supervised Basketball games.

* Back Netball courts: Large balls are not to be kicked on these courts at recess or lunch time.

* Oval: All games, including football.

* Play Equipment: These have temporary arrangements or rules imposed as the need arises.

* Care of the Environment: Bins will be used for all litter. Care will be taken of gardens and trees.

* Eating is to be confined to classroom court yards and seats on the front lawn area after buying from the canteen. Students cannot eat in areas not serviced by a bin.

Consequences for breaking these rules:

A warning will be recorded for first offence. Detention Slips and the Behavior Recovery - 4 W’s Task (see page 11) will then be issued for second and third violations of rules if they occur within five days. The slips must be taken home, the school section signed by the parent/guardian, and returned to school on the following day.

The Detention Slip and the Behavior Recovery - 4 W’s Task must be presented to the teacher on detention duty. If the slip is not returned the detention time will be increased the following day and parents notified. A record of children's names and number of misdemeanors will be kept on the sheets in the duty folder. It will be renewed weekly and kept in a file.

Weekly

1st violation - Warning and appropriate task at teacher's discretion.
2nd violation - Detention Slip and 4W’s Task sheet. 15 minutes detention isolation/withdrawal
3rd violation - Detention Slip and 4W’s Task sheet. Parent notification and 30 minutes detention - withdraw privileges.
4th violation - Parent/teacher conference - Principal.
Subsequent offences - suspension procedures initiated if appropriate.

Suspension Process.
Suspension is a serious disciplinary measure and should normally only be used when other measures have not produced a satisfactory response.
A suspension process at our school will be conducted in line with the procedures as outlined in the ‘Student Discipline Procedures 1994.’

In general:
i) The Principal or senior staff member in charge is to make the decision and take all appropriate steps.
ii) The parent will be notified in writing of the times of, and reason for, the suspension.
iii) Opportunity will be provided for the parent to discuss the matter with the Principal and if necessary, teacher concerned.
iv) An appropriate support process will be aimed for in order to enable a positive
re-entry for the child.

Suspension is a serious exercise - there must be a strong basis (of proof) for an action to be taken.

Expulsion Process.
Authority for this process to occur rests with the Principal. This power cannot be delegated to any other person at the school level.
Implementation of this process will occur in line with the procedures outlined in the ‘Student Discipline Procedures 1994.’
Except in the most unusual and extreme circumstances, expulsion will only be used after other relevant forms of behaviour management outlined in the school’s ‘Code of Conduct’ have been exhausted.

Role of individual staff members.
Staff need to be consistent with their approach to issues:
i) all incidents reported to teachers should be seen as valid and investigated.
ii) children should receive positive reinforcement for doing the right thing. (Catch them being good.)
iii) staff should avoid physical contact with students unless in their opinion a pupil needs to be restrained to avoid damage or injury to the student, teacher, other students or property.
iv) completion of Significant Incident Reports.
v) participation in interviews with parents.
vi) the class teacher in liaison with the Principal will implement further action:
- notification of parents by phone or note.
- arranging an interview.
- implementing the outcomes of the meeting.

Role of Parents and children.
In conjunction with this policy statement, an ‘Overview’ of the ‘Student Code of Conduct’ will be prepared to assist families in considering this program using ‘jargon free’ language.
The following process will be followed in relation to the Overview:
i) At the beginning of each year the class teacher will discuss the class and whole school rules.
ii) Children will take their ‘Overview’ booklet home for discussion with parents.
iii) Students must return the overview of the ‘Student Code of Conduct’ agreement to school with parents and student signature.

School rules:

A. Behavioural rules
· All children are expected to be courteous and considerate towards all other children and other adults
· All children must show care and respect for property, whether it be their own, that of
others or of the school

B. Safety rules
· All children and parents crossing Mead and Sampson Street should use the school crossing
· Playthings which can be seen as dangerous or frightening are not to be used – this includes such things as sticks, guns, hard balls and skateboards
· Any accident which cause injury should be reported to the duty teacher

C. Clothing rules:
· Children must not wear outside footwear into the building. Slippers or socks should be worn. Bare feet or thongs are not acceptable. Shoes are to be worn outside at all times.
· The wearing of school uniform is mandatory. Refer to School Uniform policy. All items of clothing should be clearly named
· The only earrings permitted are sleepers or studs. No other piercing apparel is permitted

D. Grounds and building rules:
· Climbing on trees, buildings and fences is expressly forbidden
· Children must eat in their own courtyard or in the Canteen eating area. The courtyards are ‘safety zones’ for each class where quiet activities are encouraged
· Running or playing with balls under the verandah is not permitted – kicking games, involving balls of any type, is confined to the oval
· Children must not be inside the school building unless under the supervision of a teacher
· Bicycles should be stored in the bike shed, after being walked along the path. Children are not to ride or interfere with the bicycles inside the school ground
· The car park should only be used by parents during school time if there are special recognized needs. At all times the ‘Emergency Access Ramp’ is to be left vacant
· Dangerous activities at the teachers discretion
· Damage of school property may be paid by parents, if the Principal deems necessary

E. General rules:
· Chewing / bubble gum is not permitted at school
· Persons wishing to have an interview with a teacher need to make an appointment
· Sign the visitors book
· Mobile phones are not allowed at school

The entire Student Code of Conduct document can be downloaded by clicking here

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