Student Code of Conduct

L.E.A.P. is a Learning Enrichment Activity Program

L.E.A.P is designed to provide both, week-day after school homework help and learning enrichment opportunities. It is our desire to help students gain confidence in their own abilities and achieve their full potential.

L.E.A.P will offer a healthy snack each afternoon (hungry minds struggle to focus) and a time for help with homework or school assignments. Monday through Thursday will also offer a rotation of classes designed to enrich the learning experience. Rotations will include subjects like team sports/field games, science, sewing, art and more to come.

LEAP students are expected to

Be Respectful.
Be Responsible.
Possess Integrity.

Guiding Principles

The L.E.A.P. Student Code of Conduct is not intended as an exhaustive list of misconduct. As a result, L.E.A.P. reserves the right to discipline a student for any conduct the L.E.A.P. program deems inappropriate even though not specifically mentioned in this Code.

All sanctions and consequences are designed to be fair, redemptive, and instructive, with an emphasis on growth and development.

The nature and severity of sanctions are based on the severity of the incident, past behavioral patterns, as well as the maturity and emotional state of the student in question. If at all possible, initial intervention for disciplinary problems should be minimal with an emphasis on caution, reasoning, and counseling. Throughout any disciplinary process, grace and forgiveness should be guiding forces, while maintaining firm and uncompromising position on inappropriate behaviors.

Violations Defined

According to L.E.A.P. Policy, violations are divided into three categories based on the severity of the action. While administrative response to these violations are based on the category in which the behavior falls, additional factors including past behavior will be factored into the decision-making process.

Category I-Minor Violations

Minor violations are those behavioral issues which individually do not warrant an office referral and can be handled by the individual L.E.A.P. staff member utilizing the classroom assertive discipline plan. These include, but are not limited to

Unnecessary talking during instruction.
Failing to follow directions.
Failing to complete assigned tasks.
Behaving impolitely.

Category II-Moderate Violations

Moderate violations are those which negatively affect the L.E.A.P. staff’s or program’s ability to meet educational commitments to our students. These include repetitive minor behavioral violations which the assertive discipline plan has ineffectively discouraged. These behavior include, but are not limited to

Program disruption.
Defiance of authority.
Propagating dissention.
Verbal or physical abuse.
Deceptive behavior.
Category I behaviors that are determined to be habitual and/or continuous.

Category III-Serious Violations

Serious violations are those which require the immediate attention of a L.E.A.P. administrator because of severity or continuous action of Category I and II violations. These behaviors include, but are not limited to

Continuous classroom disruption.
Dishonesty and other forms of deception.
Misuse of L.E.A.P. property including inappropriate use of technology, unauthorized use of L.E.A.P. equipment, and trespassing on campus after program hours.
Skipping class including extended tardiness and truancy.
Obscene or lewd behavior.
Possession of pornographic or sexually explicit material.
Physical, sexual, or verbal abuse.
Slander or libel.
Unauthorized possession of a weapon including guns, knives, batons, bladed tools, pepper spray and any additional items considered dangerous by the L.E.A.P. program staff.
Commission of any crimes or misdemeanors on campus, including (but not limited to) possession of alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs, immoral behavior and destruction of property.
Insubordination to a the L.E.A.P. program authority including (but not limited to) walking out of class, failing to follow field trip procedures, leaving campus without permission, continuous and willful violation of the L.E.A.P. program rules.
Behavior which potentially endangers the another’s safety.
Sexual misconduct or immoral behavior (on or off campus) including inappropriate displays of affection at the L.E.A.P. program.
Category I and II behaviors that are determined to be habitual and/or continuous.
Any infraction determined to be severe by the administration.

Consequences Defined

Student Communication/Counseling

The staff and administration of L.E.A.P will rely on reasoning to encourage appropriate behavior. As a result, our primary consequences are based on positive communication with our students. Most communication is preventative in nature and is designed to make students aware of our expectations to avoid situations where they unknowingly exhibit inappropriate behavior.
For this reason, staff will teach students the rules and regulations for the program. Each L.E.A.P. Staff Member is also required to maintain an assertive discipline plan which includes a concise and concrete set of rules and reinforcements designed to teach correct behavior. In addition, L.E.A.P. staff members are encouraged to talk to students regarding inappropriate behavior in such a way as to encourage the students and avoid embarrassment.
When L.E.A.P. staff members feel additional assistance is needed they are encouraged to refer students to the office for counseling. Counseling may be provided by a L.E.A.P pastor and is designed to be positive and proactive in order to prevent incidents before they become problematic. Many times, a “cooling off” period provided by counseling is all that is needed to prevent a more serious disciplinary problem.

Parent/L.E.A.P. staff member Communication

It is our belief that the primary biblical source of guiding student behavior should be the parents. Our mission for maintaining appropriate student behavior is to form a partnership between the L.E.A.P. program and parents, allowing parents to handle as many problems as possible. However, when the parent is in need of assistance it is our responsibility to ensure that we maintain an optimal academic environment for all of our students. Our secondary consequences are parent contacts including letters, e-mails, phone calls, and parent conferences. However, when these forms of communication are no longer effective, graduated consequences are required.

Confiscation of Contraband

Students who bring contraband on campus or use unauthorized items inappropriately may have the item confiscated by L.E.A.P. staff. If a staff member determines that an item is inappropriate and should be confiscated, the student is to be referred to the office and the parent is to be notified. If the student continues the behavior, they may be denied the right to bring the item on campus for a specified period of time.

Suspension

A suspension is a denial of the right of a student to attend the L.E.A.P program. The purpose of a suspension is to send a clear message to the student that the behavior is unacceptable. Students are not allowed on campus or to participate in any program activities during the period of their suspension. For a serious Category III violation or when it has been determined that negative behavior has become habitual, a
student may be assigned a suspension with probation. At this point, further violations may result in a recommendation for expulsion.

Expulsion

Expulsion refers to the permanent dismissal of a student from the L.E.A.P program. It is considered an absolute last resort to be used when all attempts to correct disciplinary issues have been exhausted. At this point it is determined that a complete change of environment is in the best interest of the student. An expulsion may also be justified when a student commits an act so severe that it threatens the safety of our other students or severely inhibits the L.E.A.P. program from meeting obligations to our other students. Finally, an expulsion may be necessary if a parent continuously refuses to support the L.E.A.P program in our efforts to correct inappropriate behavior of our students and support our mission to promote a positive learning environment.

Recommended Consequences

Recommended Consequences of Category I Violation

Assertive Discipline Plan
Student Conference/Warning
Parent Contact
Confiscation of Contraband
Parent Conference
Counseling

Recommended Consequences Category II Violations

Parent Contact
Confiscation of Contraband/Pending Action
Parent Conference
Counseling
Administrative Student Conference/Warning
Suspension

Recommended Consequences of Category III Violations

Immediate Referral to an Administrator
Confiscation of Contraband/Pending Action
Required Parent Conference
Counseling
Suspension/Probation
Expulsion

During times that students are outside of L.E.A.P operations and program-related activities, they are not under the direct supervision of the L.E.A.P. program and are not subject to the consequences of the L.E.A.P. Student Code of Conduct.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to arrive in a timely manner to when the L.E.A.P. program starts. Attendance of students is based on all fees being paid prior to student’s participation in the L.E.A.P. program.