In the Lower School, a Regis boy begins to understand what the acceptable limits of his behavior are and how to effectively communicate his thoughts and feelings.
In Lower School, students begin to develop the skills and tools necessary to productively and positively interact and maintain social relationships while discovering their sense of self. This personal growth—which is a key part of Goal V—includes respecting the rights, feelings, and dignity of others, and learning to accept, embrace, and honor the unique differences of others. Central to this work is the building of community, within the classroom and the larger student body, and the collective belief that each boy in the Lower School has the right to learn, play, and grow in an environment that is safe and inclusive. To ensure this, our educators, in partnership with our families, will continually develop our boys to:
- Treat all people with courtesy and kindness
- Follow classroom rules that are collectively set by the teacher and the class
- Display empathy and appreciation of others’ points of view
- Problem-solve without the need for physical contact or deliberately hurtful words
- Seek opportunities to assist others in need
- Respect the rights and property of others
- Conduct themselves with honesty and integrity
Different parts of campus (classroom, playground, eating areas, bathrooms, etc.) call for slightly different sets of expectations. To help our young Knights ingrain an over-arching sense of right and wrong throughout their school day, while using age-appropriate best practices in social-emotional development, we find it best to center all expectations around:
- Respect
- Fairness
- Responsibility
Most “rules”, whether for an indoor space or an outdoor space, can be centered under one of these three big expectations. Examples might include:
- If we want a student to stop calling out of turn during a lesson, or to stop disrupting a learning experience, we talk to them about our expectation of “Respect” – respecting the teacher’s classroom expectations and respecting their peers’ right to learn in an organized and productive manner.
- If we want students to be mindful to extend an invitation for everyone to participate in an activity or game, we bring their attention back to the expectation of “Fairness” and guide them to think about how they might feel if they were excluded.
- If we want students to clean up after themselves when eating, we remind them of our expectation of “Responsibility” – they are responsible for caring for their school and for leaving communal spaces in as good, if not better, condition than how they found it.
During the opening weeks of the school year, all faculty and administration take much time and great care in teaching the various expectations for each location and situation, modeling them for students, and then giving the boys opportunities to practice those desired behaviors and routines while receiving constructive feedback on their progress. By devoting larger amounts of time on this “Interactive Modeling” early, we gain much more time later to focus on academic learning and student cognitive growth.
DISCIPLINARY NOTICE
Rooted in Goal V, we approach progressive discipline with a Growth Mindset. We as educators understand that students will have errors in judgment as they grow - this is a natural part of the maturation process. Therefore, we strive to give the boys the understanding necessary to make wise decisions. Learning and moving on from mistakes is as vital as cataloging successes. If students do not meet the expectations required for a safe and inviting learning environment, they will be given opportunities to discuss, correct, and reflect on their choices.
Regis Lower School teachers actively develop caring and supportive relationships with their students by clearly expressing expectations, presenting students with equal opportunities to participate in class discussions, and communicating their confidence in each student’s ability to achieve academic and social success.
The homeroom and co-curricular teachers address minor disruptions and small issues within the classroom setting and in age-appropriate ways. If student misbehavior becomes a pattern, or if it is severe, it is entered into our system as an infraction (see below).
While our discipline system strives for consistency and fairness in all situations, it is essential to note that not all disciplinary issues can fall into easily defined categories. Issues must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, relying upon the experienced professional judgment of teachers and administrators, and will not always follow the exact structure outlined in this section.
The following outlines the progressive process we aim for in reacting to negative student behaviors and determining appropriate consequences:
LEVEL ONE
Level One infractions will be dealt with by the teacher or staff member witnessing the infraction(s) and/or the homeroom teacher. Communication about the incident(s) will be sent to parents, depending on the severity and/or frequency of the behavior.
Examples include:
- Disturbance or disruption of the learning environment
- Defiant behavior
- Disrespectful comments/behavior toward teachers/faculty/staff
- Disrespectful behavior toward peers
- Improper or unauthorized use of school or others’ property
- Inappropriate or disrespectful language, drawings, gestures
- Overly physical behavior/roughhousing
- Inappropriate use of technology
Consequences may include:
- Verbal warning
- Removal from the situation, thus allowing for the student to self-regulate his emotions and refocus his efforts
- Restitution
- Written reflection
- Discussion between student and teacher to address the incident, providing an opportunity for full reflection as to why a behavior was inappropriate and should not be repeated
LEVEL TWO
Level Two infractions will be dealt with by the teacher or staff member witnessing the infraction(s), in consultation with the school counselor and/or Dean of Students. Depending on the severity of the behavior, the Lower School Division Head may be involved. Communication about the incident(s) will be sent to parents.
Examples include:
- Persistent or extreme Level One infractions
- Inappropriate physical contact with the intent of causing harm
- Bullying and/or social aggression
- Abusive or profane language, drawings, or gestures
- Misbehavior during field trips or school programs
- Cheating, plagiarism, lying, forging signatures
- Vandalism or damage to school property
Consequences may include:
- Immediate removal from the area of the offense, so as to allow for the student to self-regulate his emotions, and to protect the rights and safety of his peers
- Denial of privileges (as appropriate) and/or modified day
- After-school or lunch detention (for Third and Fourth Grades only)
- Restitution
- Conference with the parent, child, teacher, and counselor or Dean of Students (depending on the offense)
LEVEL THREE
Level Three infractions will be dealt with by the Lower School Division Head. A parent meeting will be required.
Examples include:
- Persistent or extreme Level Two infractions
- Any incident causing physical harm
- Ongoing bullying and/or social aggression
- Making racial, ethnic, or religious insults
- Any threatening comments or conversation that could reasonably lead to others on campus feeling unsafe or potentially in physical or psychological danger
Consequences may include:
- Denial of privileges and/or extracurricular activities (as determined by the Lower School Division Head)
- Restitution (if appropriate)
- After-school detention (for Third and Fourth Grades only)
- In-school suspension
- Out–of–school suspension
- Conference with parent, child, teacher, counselor or Dean of Students, Lower School Division Head
LEVEL FOUR
Level Four constitutes persistent or extreme Level Three infractions and will result in being referred to the Head of School.
Consequences may include:
- In-school suspension
- Out–of–school suspension
- Expulsion
NOTICE OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION
When a student receives an out-of-school suspension, parents receive a written and verbal notice from the School that outlines the reasons for the suspension and the terms of the suspension. The parents and student will be required to meet with the Lower School Division Head, classroom teacher(s), counselor and/or Dean of Students to develop a behavior plan.