Behavioral & Anti-Bullying Policy
Philosophy of Student Governance and Discipline
Northeast Woodland believes that there is an innate desire in all students to be contributing members of their community. School culture will focus on students taking responsibility for their actions through recognition of the effects of their actions on the community at large.
Behavioral Expectations Waldorf Education is a developmental pedagogical approach to working with children. We cultivate a growth mindset towards and among the students in our care. Each class group is a community that will travel through many years together. As the children learn, grow, and mature they will acquire skills and behaviors that will serve them in the physical world, emotional world, social world, and the intellectual world. Our primary goal is that children do not just learn what is right to do, but why it is right to do it. In short, we see discipline as a learning experience not a punitive experience.
We have two main behavioral expectations that guide the work and social life in every classroom:
- Be kind and respectful to peers and teachers
- Actively engage in the work of the classroom
Process for Dealing with Disruptive Behavior The road to new knowledge is paved with successes, mistakes, and failures. Northeast Woodland works to create an atmosphere that recognizes mistakes and failures are part of the learning process. Teachers will work with children to address all issues of misbehavior so that no further steps need to be taken. If the initial intervention does not stop the behavior, teachers will then follow the steps listed below to address these issues:
Step 1: When an incident occurs, the teacher explains or reviews the expectations and logical consequences with the student and describes why these expectations exist. * If the teacher deems the incident serious in nature, the teacher may refer the incident immediately to the Head of School or the Assistant Head of School. Additionally, middle school students may be asked to write a reflection and participate in other restorative practices.
Step 2: If the incident occurs again, the teacher:
a) communicates with the child’s parent(s)/guardian(s);
b) applies appropriate logical consequences;
c) documents incident and parent/guardian communication;
d) informs the administration of behavior through written communication.
Step 3: If a third incident occurs:
a) the student meets with the teacher and the administration;
b) the administrator sends a written report home and/or calls parents/guardians;
c) at the discretion of the administrator, a meeting with parents/guardians is scheduled to discuss behavior/incident as well as develop a behavior plan.
*When a behavioral incident is deemed serious in nature, the Head of School may apply more serious consequences immediately, including suspension or expulsion.
Anti-Bullying Policy
NH Law 193-F deems bullying a crime. Northeast Woodland will not tolerate any unlawful or disruptive behavior that interferes with student learning and orderly school operations. This includes any form of bullying, cyber-bullying or retaliation. The Head of School and Assistant Head of School are responsible for implementing this policy, but may delegate specific responsibilities to others as they see fit.
Definitions of Bullying and Cyberbullying
Bullying is defined as aggressive behavior that involves an incidence of real or perceived physical or psychological power among those involved. Typically, the behavior is repeated over time and includes the use of hurtful words and/or acts.
Bullying behaviors may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
- Verbal: Hurtful name-calling, teasing, gossiping, making threats, making rude noises, or spreading hurtful rumors.
- Nonverbal: Posturing, making gang signs, leering, staring, stalking, destroying property, using graffiti or graphic images, or exhibiting inappropriate and/or threatening gestures or actions.
- Physical: Hitting, punching, pushing, shoving, poking, kicking, tripping, strangling, hair pulling, fighting, biting, spitting, or destroying property.
- Emotional (Psychological): Rejecting, terrorizing, extorting, defaming, intimidating, humiliating, blackmailing, manipulating friendships, isolating, ostracizing, using peer pressure, or rating or ranking personal characteristics.
- Cyber Bullying: Sending insulting or threatening messages by phone, e-mail, web sites, or any other electronic or written communication.
Bullying shall include actions motivated by an imbalance of power based on a pupil’s actual or perceived personal characteristics, behaviors, or beliefs, or motivated by the pupil’s association with another person and based on the other person’s characteristics, behaviors or beliefs.
Cyberbullying applies to conduct defined above undertaken through the use of electronic devices. Electronic devices include, but are not limited to: telephones, cell phones, computers, pagers, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging and websites.
Bullying is more than misconduct. In evaluating whether conduct constitutes bullying, special attentions should be paid to the words chosen and/or the actions taken; whether such conduct occurred in front of others or was communicated to others, how the perpetrator interacted with the victim; as well as the motivation, either admitted or appropriately inferred, of the alleged perpetrator.
A determination that conduct does not constitute bullying under state law or school policy, however, does not restrict the right of the administration to impose appropriate disciplinary consequences for student misconduct.
Northeast Woodland reserves the right to address bullying and/or cyberbullying, and impose discipline for bullying and/or cyberbullying that: (1) occurs on, or is delivered to, school property or a school-sponsored activity or event on or off school property; or (2) occurs off of school property or outside of a school-sponsored activity or event, if the conduct interferes with a pupil’s educational opportunities or substantially disrupts the orderly operations of the school or school-sponsored activity or event.
Administrator Responsibilities:
- Create an environment where the school community understands that bullying is inappropriate and will not be tolerated.
- Communicate and ensure that staff, students, and parents are informed of the School policy and procedures regarding bullying.
- Develop and incorporate anti-bullying procedures into behavior or discipline codes. Review and revise these annually, as appropriate.
- Provide in-service training to certificated and classified staff to ensure that staff is clearly familiar with and able to identify the indicators of bullying and understand their individual responsibilities to respond to and report bullying behavior
Faculty Responsibilities
- Create an environment where students understand that bullying is inappropriate and will not be tolerated.
- Discuss with students all aspects of the anti-bullying policy and strategies to prevent bullying.
- Encourage students to report bullying incidents.
- Learn to recognize the indicators of bullying behavior.
- Intervene immediately and take corrective action when bullying is observed. Report the behavior to the Head of School in a written report.
- Understand individual responsibility not only to intervene when bullying is observed, but also to report incidents and actions to appropriate administrators.
Student Responsibilities:
- Take responsibility for helping to create a safe school environment.
- Avoid engaging in or contributing to bullying behaviors, actions, or words.
- Treat everyone with respect. Be sensitive as to how others might perceive your actions or words.
- Report bullying behavior to a trusted adult.
- Never engage in retaliatory behavior or ask of, encourage, or consent to anyone’s
taking retaliatory actions on your behalf.
Complaint Process
Formal Complaints Students and/or their parents or guardians may file written reports of conduct they consider to be bullying. These written reports must be reasonably specific as to the actions giving rise to the suspicion of bullying; including time and place of the conduct alleged; the number of such incidents; the target of the suspected bullying; the alleged perpetrator as well as the names of any potential student or staff witnesses. These complaints can be filed with any teacher, who will forward them to the Head of School, or directly to the Head of School, for review and action.
Informal Complaints Students may make informal complaints of conduct that they consider to be bullying by verbal report to a teacher or administrator. Such informal complaints shall be reasonably specific as to the actions giving rise to the suspicion of bullying, including time and place of the conduct alleged, the number of such incidents, the target of the suspected bullying, and the names of any potential student or staff witnesses. The individual who receives the informal complaint shall promptly forward a written complaint, including the information provided to the Head of School for review and action.
Anonymous Complaints Students who make an informal complaint as set forth above may request that their name be maintained in confidence by the teacher(s), administrator(s) who receive the complaint. Should anonymity be requested, the Head of School shall meet with the student to review the request for anonymity and the impact that maintaining anonymity of the complaint may have on the investigation of the complaint and/or possible remedial action. At such meeting, the student shall be given the choice as to whether to maintain the anonymity of the complaint. Anonymous complaints shall be reviewed and reasonable action will be taken to address the situation, to the extent such action may be taken that does not disclose the source of the complaint and is consistent with the due process rights of the student(s) alleged to have committed acts of bullying.
Investigation of Complaint Once a complaint has been reported to the Head of School, appropriate measures will be taken to investigate the complaint within five days, although if necessary, an additional seven days may be granted to determine whether bullying has occurred, including the following:
● The Head of School may review student records; interview students and staff witnesses; interview both perpetrator and victim.
● Both parents of the alleged perpetrator as well as the victim will be made aware of the investigation and notified within 48 hours of the written complaint according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This requirement may be waived should the Head of School deem it vital to the best interest of either the perpetrator or the victim.
● Upon completion of the investigation written communications will be furnished to parents/guardians of both parties detailing the outcome of the investigation, including any necessary remedies and/or assistance. This communication shall occur within ten days of completion of the investigation.
Consequences of Actions After the investigation is complete, the responsibility of determining consequences lies with the Head of School. Consequences will be determined for the individual(s) on a case-by-case, age appropriate basis. Bullying takes on many forms and can vary dramatically, depending on the nature of the bullying, recidivism of the perpetrator as well as the impact on the victim. There is no “one size fits all” solution. Conduct that reaches the level of “bullying” will most often lead to disciplinary action against the perpetrator; however, whether and to what level of disciplinary action is subject solely to the discretion of the Head of School. It is the goal of Northeast Woodland to have the student achieve redemption; learn from his/her mistakes and to stop bullying. The following are possible consequences/interventions that may be considered to enforce the prohibition of bullying:
Non-disciplinary Intervention
(a) When confirmed acts of bullying have been identified early and when such acts do not require disciplinary action; students may be counseled as to the definition of bullying, state and school policies on bullying and their responsibility to refrain from participating in any act(s) that could be considered bullying.
(b) Non-disciplinary remedial measures shall be designed to correct the problem behavior, prevent another occurrence of the problem, protect and provide support for the victim, and take corrective action for documented systematic problems related to bullying. Examples of non-disciplinary remedial measures include but are not limited to making a written apology to the victim, completing hours of community service, or receiving behavioral strategies.
Disciplinary Interventions/Consequences
When a determination has been made that bullying has occurred and a disciplinary response is warranted, students are subject to a wide-array of disciplinary consequences including, but not limited to, the following:
- Making amends with the victim
- Working to repair the social community that has been damaged
- Peer Support Groups
- Behavioral Management Plan
- In-School Community Service
- Loss of Recess or other privileges
- Detention
- In-School Suspension
- Out-of- School Suspension
- Expulsion
State Reporting Obligations
In accordance with NH RSA 193-F:6 Northeast Woodland “shall annually report all substantiated incidents of bullying or cyberbullying to the Department of Education. Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and privacy Act, 20 U.SC. 1232g, such reporting shall not contain any personally identifiable information pertaining to any pupil.”