CODE OF DISCIPLINE

Quality schools are active in their commitment to a philosophy of student discipline that is fair, consistent, and effective. The purpose of these procedures is to promote the development of student citizenship and learning by maintaining a safe and educationally conducive environment for students, faculty and members of the community. Effective discipline is possible only when students, parents, and school personnel know, understand, and support the school rules and regulations. Correspondingly, they should also understand and support the consequences of misbehavior. Only with effective discipline can students have the maximum opportunity to develop emotionally, socially, and intellectually. 

All students are expected to be familiar with the information contained in this booklet of discipline procedures. A committee of administrators, students, and teachers reviews the policy annually.

The Colegio de Santa Ana Discipline Board will provide due process in all matters of significant discipline, such as student suspensions and expulsions. The nature of due process will vary with the severity of the violation and the proposed discipline.

Students are subject to suspension, expulsion or other discipline for misconduct as described in these Discipline Procedures that occurs:

a) during school time,

b) on school grounds or at any school supervised or school sponsored activity,

c) going to or from school related activities,

d) during off-campus activities where the violation is reasonably related to school matters, and

e) in places adjacent to school grounds designated and publicized by the building principals as having a reasonable relationship to school matters.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE

Student discipline refers to the desire and/or expected norm of conduct of students and the corresponding disciplinary sanctions for violations thereof

PROCEDURES FOR DISCIPLINARY MEASURE

FORMS OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION

After due investigation, any of the following penalties/sanction may be imposed on individual offenders upon careful study of the case and its evidences.

a. Ordinary suspension forbids attendance in regular classes but demands the student's presence in the Guidance Office or any office for that matter to deliver school service while under suspension.

b. Preventive suspension prohibits the student's presence in school or in any school-related activity off campus.

After due investigation, any of the following penalties/sanctions may be imposed on groups or sections upon circumstantial offenses or offenses:

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING VIOLATION SANCTIONS

Categories specified herein are only applicable to Grades 4 - 12. ECE to Grade 3 violations necessitate guidance, parents and board's discretion as regards the management of the case, except for the haircut wherein it covers all levels from ECE to Grade 12.

CATEGORY I

Penalties for the commission of the following are:

1st offense: Oral reprimand/warning by the subject teacher/adviser or personnel witness with report to be made to the Guidance Office for monitoring.

2nd offense: Report to be made to the Guidance Office written warning to the parents by the Guidance Office

3rd offense: Parent Conference with the Guidance Counselor

4th offense onward: Counselors will refer case to the Prefect of Discipline for disciplinary sanctions/remediation. Lowest possible grade in Conduct for the Grading Period.

Note:

3, No parent's permit or guardian's explanation/permission for absence(s) upon his/her return.

4. Littering (classroom, corridor, quadrangle, gym, canteen, etc.)

5. Violation of Library/Laboratory Rules; Misuse of laboratory equipment, devices, materials, etc.

6. Overstaying in the school or school premises or any area visibly noticeable as school area beyond the school time.

7. Misconduct-General

Students are expected to engage in proper behavior at school, going to or from school or school-related activities or anywhere they are for as long as they are identified as CDSA students or representatives of such at any time. Behavior that is antisocial, disrespectful, illegal-general wrongdoing - which disrupts the educational environment or may jeopardize the welfare of proceedings, of others or that which might be dangerous to other students and/or school personnel is prohibited.

Disruption in non-classroom areas such as in the gymnasium or athletic field, cafeteria, lavatory, hallways, school service, and school-sponsored off-campus activities. This can also include any inciting or participation in a disturbance, the preventing of orderly conduct or otherwise the causing of a disruption to the atmosphere of order and discipline in the school necessary for effective learning.

8. Entry or use of areas not designated on the class schedule for that period of the day.

9. Non-compliance/non-cooperation with instructional and classroom procedure, classroom time and classroom decorum, not bringing of school materials (books, notebook, activity materials, etc.) in the course/duration of the academic year or whenever required. (A disciplinary sanction will be taken aside from the academic repercussions of such if this item is violated).

10. Habitual loss of school materials including school ID, temporary ID, and Hall Pass.

11. Loitering in the campus during class official time (when expected to be in the classroom) and during non-official class time but without permission.

12. Wearing of uniform in other places aside from the school after school hours.

13. Use or possession of cellular phones and other electronic devices such as digital camera, laser light projecting devices, Televisions, audio devices, video games, iPod, iPad, Tablet, Laptop, Netbook, and earphones during the school day is prohibited, except as approved by a teacher, the administrators, etc. in particular situations.

Note: A special provision for the use/possession of cellphones or any electronic device (tablet, iPod, iTouch, laptop, digital camera, etc.) upon 3rd offence - confiscation - will be turned over to the Prefect of Discipline then to the Principal. The item will not be returned until the end of the school year.

14. Any offence analogous to the above.

CATEGORY II

Penalties for the commission of any of the following offenses (first offense, repeated offenses or in-category offenses) are:

1st offense: 3-5 days suspension. Lowest possible grade/score in the activity/test/output (Item no. 2 - Cheating and Plagiarism)

2nd offense: 5-7 days suspension. Disciplinary Probation (for a certain period). Failing marks in Conduct/Deportment.

3rd offense: Dismissal/Transfer

CATEGORY III

Penalties for the commission of any of the following offenses (first offense, repeated offenses or in-category offenses) are:

1st offense: 7-10 days suspension. Disciplinary Probation (for a certain period). Failing mark in Deportment for the Grading Period.

2nd offense: Dismissal/Transfer

a. Threats to inflict a wrong upon the person, honor or property of the person or on his or her family;

b. Stalking or constantly following or pursuing a person in his or her daily activities, with unwanted and obsessive attention;

c. Taking of property;

d. Public humiliation, or public and malicious imputation of a crime or of a vice or defect, whether real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause dishonor, discredit or expose a person to contempt;

e. Deliberate destruction or defacement of, or damage to the child's property;

f. Physical violence committed upon a student, which may or may not result to harm or injury, with or without the aid of a weapon, Such violence may be in the form of mauling, hitting, spanking, or other similar acts;

g. Demanding or requiring sexual or monetary favors, or exacting money or property;

h. Cyber-bullying - is any conduct as resulting in harassment, intimidation, or humiliation, through electronic means or other technology, such as, but not limited to texting, email, instant messaging, chatting, Internet, social networking websites or other platforms or formats.

CATEGORY IV

Penalties for the commission of any of the following are:

1st offense: Dismissal/Expulsion

Dismissal from school - wherein the school authorities reserve the right to suspend or dismiss from school at any time during the school year any student whose character influence or academic weakness is regarded as undesirable or unsatisfactory; students who are habitually troublesome, unruly or idle, and who refuse to improve themselves after repeated admonitions will be requested to withdraw.

DUE PROCESS

Colegio de Santa Ana will provide due process in all matters of significant student discipline, such as student suspensions and expulsions. The nature of due process will vary with the severity of the violation and the proposed discipline. However, the essential elements of due process are notice of the misconduct with which the student is charged and an opportunity for the student to respond unless otherwise not recommended due to psychological or other personal reasons. Where appropriate and legally permissible, the School Discipline Board will strive to maintain the anonymity of student witnesses.

While implementing due process, the Prefect of Discipline/Administrator or a designee authorized to suspend will confer with the student and will investigate the matter. During this conference, the administrator will inform the student of the violation, state the reasons for the proposed disciplinary action and give the student the opportunity to respond. If the school designee handling the case suspends the student, the designee will attempt to notify the student's parent or legal guardian either by telephone or in writing (written notice) to the student's parent(s) or legal guardian. If the stated means are not possible, a transmittal notice through the student will be utilized instead.

The student's parent(s) or legal guardian may request the Discipline Committee Board for a conference appeal to be conducted within five (5) academic days upon receipt of the Discipline Committee decision. If the student is suspended, the suspension will remain in effect pending the resolution of the conference.

In cases when parents wouldn't commit to cooperate in the investigation proceeding, a notice transmittal delay, or notice blockage, the case will merit to push through with the authorization of the school administrators and any pending sanctions will be executed (except for Category III and IV cases where the presence of the parents will be necessitated to further the case). This will also apply for Tardiness and Absences Sanctions.

In case when parents don't affirm to the decision of the school, a third party (school lawyer, education board, etc.) will hold the conference and will arrange the resolution of the matter for and in behalf of the school and the parties involved.

Provisions on Absenteeism

All students are expected to be in classes, study halls,  or assigned areas each period of the school day.

Under the Colegio de Santa Ana Code, absences may only be authorized for the following reasons:

A parent/legal guardian is responsible for informing the adviser, the Attendance Officer and the Principal's Office of their student's absence within 24 hours. Excessive absences that are non-school related may require further documentation as reasonable requested and approved by the school Principal.

A. Excessive Authorized Absences from Class:

After an absence, a student must present an excuse letter signed by the parents/guardian to be presented to the class adviser noted by the Guidance Counselor.

A student will be dropped from the roll of the academic year if he/she has incurred absences beyond the 20% of the total number of days of the school calendar allowed him/her.

Field trips, school sponsored activities, and other school-related absences do not count towards excessive absences. However, participation in such activities may be limited based on a student's attendance record.

B. Unauthorized Absenteeism from Class:

A student with no excuse letter will still be considered absent for the day until an excuse letter duly signed by his/her parents/guardian is presented to the Prefect of Students and from whence, an admission slip will be issued. Regular occurrences of this kind will subject the pupil to one of the administrative sanctions imposed under the student discipline.

C. Perfect Attendance

The qualification for Perfect Attendance necessitates no record of absence (whether excused or unexcused / authorized or unauthorized), no record of Tardiness either in class or school. Also, the category requires presence from school within the schedule of classes.

Provisions on Tardiness

Since teachers and students need to make full use of instructional time, students must report to class on time.

If the student is unauthorized tardy to class, the teacher shall admit the student to class, record the tardy in the attendance record and the following will occur as a result of the first and subsequent unauthorized tardiness:

1st - 2nd Violation: The teacher may confer with the student and may assign one detention to be served with the teacher.

3rd - 4th Violation: The teacher may confer with  the student, will notify the student's parent(s) or legal guardian and may assign two detentions to be served with the teacher. The case will be referred to the Counselors for intervention.

5th and subsequent Violation: The teacher will refer the matter to the Counselors and from which a referral to the Prefect of Students will be made for further action.

Tardiness to School:

Because school must open in an orderly basis each day, students must report to school on time. Students who arrive after the official start of their school day must sign in at the Guidance Office immediately upon arrival and before reporting to class. Failure to do so may result in detentions or suspensions.

Students who came to school after 8:00am will only be admitted in the school campus if accompanied by the parent/guardian.

ECE to Grade 3

Violations made in these grade levels will be handled by the respective adviser or Guidance Counselor until a maximum of 20 tardiness was made which will give the student the lowest possible grade in Conduct for the said covered grading period.

Grades 4 - High School

1st - 3rd Violation: The tardy will be recorded in the Guidance Office

4th - 5th Violation: A letter of concern will be sent to the student's parent(s) or legal guardian for a conference by the Guidance Office and Adviser in an effort to remediate the tardy situation.

6th - 7th Violation: The Guidance Office will send a record of the tardy dates and the reason for each tardy to the Prefect of Discipline with a written notice for a conference for parent(s), guardians, counselor; Home visit by the counselors

8th - 9th Violation: Prefect of Students will conduct Conference with the parents

10th Violation: In house suspension

14th Violation: 1 day suspension

16th Violation: 2 days suspension, lowest grade in Conduct (punctuality)

18th Violation: 3 days suspension, lowest grade in Conduct (punctuality), failed mark in Conduct and Deportment for the covered grading period.

20th Violation: Probation Contract, failed mark in Conduct and Deportment for the covered grading period

25th violation: Recommended for transfer.

Other Provisions

GATE PASS

HALL PASS

ADMISSION SLIP

Issued for Tardy students or for other such intention of admission.

CALL SLIP

Used by the offices to call on students for certain business matters.

OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS:

MEDIA ETHICS ACT

Transactions over networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or the like) and other commercial medial form or source are to be monitored aligning the policy item that Ananians should act in conformity to the requirements of Right Discipline which is based on the principle of self-respect, acceptance of legitimate authority and respect toward others and of others.

This applies to all presently enrolled, previous students and graduate students of Colegio de Santa Ana.

The code further states:

Avoid creating and/or posting derogatory, embarrassing, violent, harassing remarks, images, pictures, videos or any such items over the Internet (covering networking sites, blogsites, etc.) which would directly/indirectly humiliate, intimidate, annoy, offend, much worse destroy the image of an individual (whether a present component of the school, previous student or graduate students).

Any such offence will fall under categories where analogous offences are under (CDSA's Code of Discipline) and subject to the necessary disciplinary action.