Code of Life
Please read carefully and discuss with your child. We will not be asking you to sign and return this year.
ADS Elementary School Code of Life
2024 - 2025 School Year
The ADS school community is continually working towards being a safe and happy place where students can be confident, responsible, autonomous, considerate and involved members of their community. Students work closely with their teachers, school staff and principal in a caring and engaging environment.
At ADS, we expect our students, staff members, parents and volunteers to be respectful, courteous and speak to each other as they would like to be spoken to.
It is important that everyone conduct themselves in a manner to satisfy the instructional and emotional needs of the classroom and school life. We instill values of demonstrating good manners in and out of class. By doing so, it will preserve the rights of all students to an education.
(Basic School Regulation 18.4: Students shall conduct themselves in a civil and respectful manner toward their peers and school board personnel. They shall contribute to creating a healthy and secure learning environment. (2012, c.19, s.3)
We, at ADS value a positive and supportive attitude by modeling a PROUD way of being:
Positive: Encouraging other students during performances and showing interest in the classroom and school culture, focusing on solutions and learning from mistakes
Respectful: Greeting adults and other students appropriately, making appropriate use of material around the school, being aware of the personal space of other students, adopting a respectful attitude and using respectful words
Optimistic: Showing interest in school activities, beginning the day willing to participate, having a positive attitude towards making mistakes and the mistakes of others
Unique: Putting effort into assignments and projects, showing their strengths and personality accomplishments. Making use of individual talents to improve the school.
Dedicated: Completing projects, assignments and activities to fruition. Showing pride in their accomplishments in class and in the school, being invested in their work and success.
Behaviour and Interventions
List of potential behaviours of concern:
● Using vulgar or insulting language
● Being uncooperative or disruptive
● Physical aggression
● Throwing objects
● Disrespecting other people’s things
● Doing something without permission
● Not being where you are supposed to be
● Being disrespectful
● Breaking a school rule
When actions are deemed inappropriate, an intervention will take place.
The nature of the intervention will be based on the age of the child, the nature of the behaviour, and the frequency (How often is the behaviour occurring), intensity (Student’s choices of behaviour and level of disorganization), duration (How long the action persists)
Lists of possible interventions:
- Discussion with staff member or principal
- Walking with supervisor at recess/lunch when prevention is required
- Apology (verbal or written)
- Act of kindness to repair the emotional and/or physical damage
- Reflection sheet (to complete and sign by parent)
- Contact to parent(s)
- Recess/Lunch detention
- In school suspension
- At home suspension
- Meeting with parents and school team
- Positive reinforcements
- Thinking room
- Other
* Please note that several interventions could be combined according to the needs of the students and/or what the situation may require
Technological Devices and Toys
Students are allowed to bring technology devices (cellphones, tablets, etc) to use on the bus. Although, they must be handed in to their homeroom teacher as soon as they get to class. The teacher will store the device and return it to the student at the end of the day. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen devices that are brought to school, even if it is handed into the teacher. Students who forget to hand in their device will get a warning. If the student continues to forget the office will contact the parents to come and get the device and have a discussion. The devices are not allowed to be used to film, record or photograph any other students or adults.
Students who bring toys from home to school must understand that the toys are not meant to be played with in the classroom and must leave them in their locker. If a toy gets broken or lost the school is not responsible for the replacement of the toy. Toys cannot be exchanged, lent or given to other students. If a student does not follow the rules, they will not be allowed to bring toys to school anymore.
In the case of minor offences: Each student, in grades 1 through 6, will have a Behaviour log to report minor offences. Students in K4 and K5 will not have a behaviour log. The behaviour logs will be used all year. Except for students in cycle 1 (grades 1 & 2), their behaviour log will be restarted after March break.
In the event of a minor offence, the student will bring the Behaviour log home. It must be signed by a parent and returned the next day. This way, we ensure a healthy communication between parents and the school.
Every minor offence will result in a 20 minute recess detention in the Thinking Room.
The Thinking Room is a room where students will go to reflect on their actions and further discuss with a staff member. There, students will complete a reflection sheet and if needed, an apology.
In addition, the Behaviour log is built upon an incremental Strike system. It goes as follows:
Strike 1: After 4 minor offences, the student will spend a 30 min lunch detention in the office.
Strike 2: After 3 additional minor offences, the student will spend a 50 min lunch detention in the office.
Strike 3: If 2 more minor offences take place, a half-day in-school suspension at the office will be given.
Strike 4: 1 more minor offence will lead to a full day in-school suspension in the office.
*Behaviours that will not be tolerated:
● Theft
● Any kind of physical violence towards students and/or adults
● Swearing at students and/or adults
● Spitting on students and/or adults
● Vandalism, damage to property
● Threats and/or intimidation
● Bullying
*In the event of an incident that is deemed severe or violent, internal or external suspensions and re-entry meetings with a parent may be required.
PROUD Cards
Students will be encouraged to be PROUD and in doing so they will be contributing to school spirit and sense of community. We want our students to be PROUD of themselves, their peers, support systems and community.
Students will have the possibility to receive a PROUD card, if an adult has seen them doing something helpful, caring and/or supportive towards students and/or staff members.
The cards will be kept in a container for a draw. The students will be randomly chosen for a special activity or treat. The draws will take place in November, February, April and June). The more cards they have, the more chances they have to be chosen.
Students randomly chosen will participate in the special activity (to be determined by the staff) or to receive a prize . All the other cards, not picked, will remain in the container for the following draw. At the end of the year the remaining names will be given a special activity or treat (to be determined by the staff).