Positive Behaviour Plan

The overriding philosophy of Northmount’s “Positive Behaviour Plan” is child, teacher and parent (community) centered. Dignity is kept intact for everyone as the children are guided and assisted to solve their problems by the responsible adults that surround them.  Emphasis is placed on the positive behaviours that are consistently displayed by a majority of the students in Northmount School.  Established school and classroom rules will be well communicated and reinforced so that students understand that their behaviour will be treated as a conscious choice, both positive and negative.

Our plan is multi-leveled so that it can be flexible, and yet have structure.  It includes both a Leveled Behaviour Management Process and a Positive Reinforcement component.  The Positive Reinforcement component can be found in all areas of the school.

Needless to say, a full range of consequences (mild reprimand through to recommendation for expulsion) may be applied at any time for behaviour in contravention of expectations for a safe and caring school.

‘Gramma’s Law,’ “If you hurt, you go home;” applies to situations at the school.  Sending students home when they hurt someone allows tempers to cool and injuries to heal.

Positive Reinforcement of Desired Behaviours

Our Northmount Legend program helps to highlight the students who are setting positive examples for the character trait that is being emphasized at school.  The students are announced and their accomplishments are read at the school bi-weekly assembly. This way all students hear what it was that helped to have the Legends recognized.  At the assemblies classrooms also have an opportunity to demonstrate through role-plays, poems, stories, and songs what the positive character traits are and what they look like.  The classrooms present these mini-presentations on a rotating basis so that all the students know what is expected of them in and around the school. Parents are always welcome!

Being a Northmount Legend is not “turn-taking.”  This component is meant to recognize those students clearly demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which support a safe and caring school.

The teachers have I saw what you did and you’re helping… “Gotcha” tickets.  These tickets can be stapled into the students’ agendas for communication home.  These little tickets inform the students and the parents about what the child did, shows that the behaviour was appreciated, and that a staff member noticed.

There is also the Power Point slideshow that plays every morning in the rotunda.  This slide show displays students doing what they do well.  They are able to see themselves and others around them in a positive light.   Students look forward to seeing themselves and their friends.

All of the student work that is hanging on display in the hallways shows how hard the students are working in their individual classes and that they are proud of it.  These displays enable the students to look at each others’ work and see what interesting things are happening in their school.  It also gives students ideas for their own work, and criteria to work towards.

In individual classrooms teachers are always reinforcing the positive things they see with encouraging words, and thank yous.  The teachers also have individual methods of building incentives into their daily routines and classes.  It may include some kind of sticker system, points system, check list system that encourages the students to work towards: popcorn parties, lunch with teachers, Pioneer Lodge, and movie parties. These are all methods that the teachers have of recognizing the good things the students are doing.  Of course there is the positive consequence of marks achieved that can serve as an incentive as well.

Leveled Behaviour Management Process

As determined by the individual teacher in accordance with the established classroom discipline plan or the on-the-spot staff member. Students will know what the poor judgment on their part was and will be helped to formulate more acceptable alternatives for the future.  Students who require more than low level verbal intervention will begin the Behaviour Management Process: 

In the Leveled Behaviour Management Process, emphasis is put on providing a process, which assists the child in identifying the problem, making a plan to prevent re-occurrences, and repairing any sort of damage (feelings or belongings) caused by their poor choice making.

Teacher-Directed Management

·        Problems dealt with directly by teacher (Minor Problems)

·        Stage One: 5 minutes in class time out

ü      Note to be written in agenda for parents’ information

ü      Note to be made in SIS or anecdotal record (if needed by teacher)

ü      Administration is not involved directly at this point.

·        Stage Two: 10 minute time out in another class

ü      This will happen because of continued misbehaviour from Stage One OR disruption is enough to warrant an out of class timeout.

ü      Note to be written in agenda for parents’ information

ü      Note to be made in SIS.

ü      Teacher to call home at some point if problem does not correct

ü      Administration is not involved directly at this point.

§         Stage Three:  20 minute time out in Office (Major Problems)

ü      This will happen because of repeated Minor Problems in the classroom OR disruption that is enough to warrant an in-office timeout this includes potentially injurious behaviour to others, vandalism, defiance, disrespectful and/or abusive language and/or gestures, stealing, continuous disruptive behaviour, or any other equally unreasonable conduct.

ü      Problem to be recorded in SIS

ü      Direct communication with parent either through letter or phone call.

Teacher and Administration Management

·        Problems dealt with by the teacher and/or administration (Major Problems)

·        Teacher-Directed strategies have been used, but the student continues the problem, or the problem is, at the on-set, considered major.  The time allotted at this point is dependent on student cooperation and the problem solving required.

ü      Restorative circles may be used.

ü      A Restorative circle is a voluntary process and requires the commitment of the student

ü      It will be an opportunity for all students, teachers, and parents involved to talk to each other in a structured format to find a solution for the problem.

ü      The idea is to repair any and all damage, including property and feelings, which relates directly to the Northmount philosophy*

ü      The circle dialogue will be recorded and kept in a binder for future reference if necessary.

ü      In-school suspensions will be used when it is apparent that the student needs time away from the school population.  Then a circle can take place.

ü      Direct communication with parents will be done by phone.

ü      Out-of-school suspensions may still occur before or after a circle is conducted

ü      A recommendation for expulsion may occur at any point in the process.

Modified recesses fit into the Northmount Philosophy of the behaviour plan which is child, teacher, and parent (community) centered.  Modified recesses replace the detention room.  These recesses are opportunities for the students, who have made poor choices while outside, to walk with a supervisor, talk about what they did, and how they are going to fix it. 

Modified recesses also allow the student to watch all the other students playing and having fun.  It shows them that other students are finding constructive things to do and that they should join in that kind of play. 

The supervisors of the students on modified recess have the opportunity to point out first-hand demonstrations of the behaviours that they are talking about.  The students demonstrating these positive behaviours are their schoolmates, classmates and friends.  This is the most effective kind of modeling: real life examples of people they know.

A detailed Student Behaviour and Conduct Policy will be sent home with each student at the beginning of the school year, and will be available to all new students to the school upon registration.

Note: In keeping with our positive/corrective discipline practices special allowances can be made to provide for individual differences. 

There is a 0% tolerance for weapons at school.  Even toy guns and plastic weapons serve no purpose at school, please remember this during Halloween.