Holy Cross School

We at Holy Cross School, as a Catholic community, believe in a safe, positive and respectful learning environment, where academic excellence is promoted.  All students, parents and school staff are to be treated with respect and dignity.  Effective discipline depends on cooperation between the school and parents/guardians.

School Responsibilities

Holy Cross School staff members strive to develop and support a positive school environment. We expect and display the highest standard of respectful and responsible behaviour. Standards are upheld when school staff:

  • Demonstrate honesty, integrity and respect toward all students and parents/guardians
  • Promote the Catholic faith and live the school’s mission statement
  • Maintain fair and consistent standards of behaviour for all students
  • Ensure a safe and orderly learning environment
  • Communicate regularly with parents/guardians to keep them informed of student’s behaviour, attendance and progress
  • Provide quality programs in accordance with Manitoba Department of Education, Citizenship and Youth guidelines
  • Respect confidential information about students, families and staff
  • Assist students in resolving conflicts peacefully
  • Dress appropriately for the working environment
  • Maintain a clean environment for students

Parents/Guardians Responsibilities

Parent/guardians play an important role in their children’s education. Students benefit from parents/guardians’ active participation in their education. Parents have a responsibility to support the efforts of the school in maintaining a safe and respectful learning environment. Parents/guardians fulfill this responsibility when they:

  • Ensure regular and punctual attendance
  • Assist their child(ren) in being prepared for school (i.e. Supplies, uniforms, gym clothes, signed forms returned to school promptly, daily review of student agenda)
  • Review Holy Cross School’s Code of Conduct with child and encourage responsible citizenship by following school rules. Assist their child to establish positive attitudes towards achievement as well as respect for peers, school personnel and property.
  • Communicate regularly with teachers. Inform the school of problem areas of behavioural concerns.
  • Ensure concerns are addressed in a respectful manner with the child’s teacher. If unresolved, contact the principal. If the problem remains, then contact the Holy Cross School Board.
  • Attend school meetings and events and support the school

Weapons

Students will:

  • Not be in possession of any form of weapons
  • Not threaten to use a weapon
  • Not cause injury to any person with a weapon or object

Bullying

Bullying or abusing physically, sexually, or psychologically – verbally, written or otherwise – any person is unacceptable.

Bullying is harmful and hurtful. Staff and students have the right to come to school and to be safe. Bullying is any physical act, verbal comment, gesture, facial expression or action that would intentionally hurt someone on the inside or outside. It also means leaving people out. Bullying is a deliberate and typically repeated attempt to hurt either physically or emotionally from which the aggressor derives gratification.

Types of bullying may include but, are not limited to:

  • Physical – such as gestures, slapping, hitting, choking, poking, punching, pinching, kicking, scratching, spitting, defacing property. Physical acts that are embarrassing, locking in and out of space, physical violence against family or friends, threatening with a weapon, or inflicting bodily harm.
  • Verbal – such as name calling, gossiping or embarrassing another, spreading rumors, ethnic slurs, setting up to take blame, taunting, teasing, threatening, phone calls, text messaging, threats of violence against family or friends
  • Social/Relational – such as rejection, exclusion, manipulating, social order, setting up to humiliate in person or through the use of technology
  • Cyber-bullying – such as the use of information and communication technologies such as email, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging (IM), defamatory personal websites and defamatory online personal polling websites to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others
  • Discriminating unreasonably on the basis of any characteristic set out in subsection 9(2) of the Human Rights Code is unacceptable

Expectations of Students (School Rules)

At Holy Cross School, we believe it is important that students follow the established rules and take responsibility for their own actions. Students will:

  • Respect the ideas, opinions and rights of others. Respect and demonstrate consideration for other cultures.
  • Behave respectfully to everyone. Bullying or intimidating behaviour will not be tolerated.
  • Show common courtesy and respect to all. Defiance of authority and abusive language and aggressive behaviour is unacceptable.
  • Be honest in their daily lives. Lying, cheating and stealing are unacceptable.
  • Respect school property and the property of others
  • Respect the need of others to work in an environment of learning and teaching
  • Come to school prepared, learn and complete assignments on time and to the best of their ability
  • Be punctual and attend school regularly
  • Comply with the school’s uniform policy
  • Be respectful when attending off-school facilities
  • Unnatural hair colours (pink, green, blue, purple, orange, etc.) are not permitted.
  • Refrain from bringing anything to school that might compromise the health and safety of others
  • Comply with all federal, provincial and municipal laws
  • Maintain a clean environment for themselves and others
  • Solve conflicts peacefully through discussion or by seeking help
  • Walk quietly in the school  
  • Enter/depart the school in an orderly manner
  • Refrain from verbally or physically fighting
  • Use school equipment appropriately
  • Refrain from throwing any objects, including snowballs
  • Show proper manners when eating in the lunchroom and remain seated until dismissed for recess
  • Refrain from using foul or offensive language
  • Refrain from littering in and around school property
  • Follow any guidelines communicated through daily morning announcements

Alcohol and Drugs

Using, possessing or being under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs at school or on school related activities – inside or outside the school – is unacceptable.

Gang Involvement

Gang involvement will not be tolerated inside or outside the school.           

Online Privileges

Computer, Internet and email use is a privilege that engenders certain responsibilities.

Inappropriate use by any student or staff member which includes, but is not limited to, vandalizing, prohibited accessing, uploading, downloading, creating and transmitting viruses or distribution of material that the school has determined to be objectionable, will not be tolerated.

Access is a privilege and not a right.

To gain access all students must obtain parental permission and must have their parent/guardian sign and return the school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to the school.

Consequences

The severity of the infraction to school rules will direct the type of consequence a student will receive. The consequences listed below will not necessarily be applied in the order shown. Disciplinary decisions can be appealed in a respectful manner with the child’s teacher. If unresolved, parents may then contact the principal. If the problem remains, a written communication must be sent to the Holy Cross School Board. All decisions will be guided by the Manitoba Education Administration Act.

Disciplinary consequences for violating the school’s Code of Conduct include, but are not limited to:

  • Warnings
  • Time outs/cooling-off periods
  • Apologies
  • Conferences
  • Phone call to parent/guardian
  • Removal of privileges
  • Not permitted to participate in special activities
  • Special assignment
  • Individual student behaviour plan to be initiated by the teacher for students who have on-going difficulty
  • Restitution of deliberate damage to property (i.e. financial or community service)
  • Detention at recess, noon hour or after school (24-hour notice to be given for after school detentions)
  • Out-of-school suspension for repeated non-compliance of school rules or serious offenses
  • Expulsion (in accordance with Holy Cross School Board policy)
  • Police involvement for major infractions