School Policies and Procedures
Reporting Student Absence Procedure-NEW SEPT 2024!
Students no longer need to submit a paper note to the Main Office to report absences and phone calls are no longer required.
To have your child’s absence excused (whether for a timeframe known in advance or after the student has returned to school):
Email gladstone@vsb.bc.ca with the following information:
1. First, last name and grade of student
2. Dates missed
3. Periods missed
4. Reason for absence(s)
The email will only be considered valid and therefore, processed, if it is received from a parent/guardian email on file.
The attendance record in MyEd will be adjusted to indicate that the home has excused the absence. Students/Parents/Guardians are encouraged to contact their teachers directly in order to ensure students have the necessary work to not fall behind with their progress.
Actions
After three absences over a short period of time, the teacher makes contact with the student’s counsellor and home via phone call, email or interim report. If done by interim report, the counsellor will sign and submit for mailing home.
With further absences, a written referral is made to the counsellor who can check attendance records looking for patterns and consult with the student and teacher to implement strategies. The counsellor may choose to meet with parents/guardians.
If the counsellor deems it beneficial, a referral will be made to the administration for further action.
Students are expected to communicate with their teacher should an absence occur resulting in a missed assessment. They are also expected bring a note from home to make up an assessment.
Extended Absences
If a student is unavoidably absent for medical or other serious reasons, parents are requested to contact the counsellor. The counsellor will advise the teachers so that arrangements can be made to make up any missed learning and assessment. If a student is absent for family holidays or other non-medical reasons, the school cannot be expected to make special arrangements for missed learning and assessment. The responsibility for taking a student out of school and the resulting consequences must rest with the student and the parents. Families will be asked to complete a form for extended absences.
Lates
Students are to be seated in each of their classes with all needed materials by the time the class bell rings. Teachers will report unexcused tardiness and issue consequences as they deem appropriate. Continued tardiness may lead to the following consequences: warning, detention, referral to counselling, home contact, parental interview, temporary dismissal, removal from enrollment.
Lockers
Lockers are the property of Gladstone Secondary School. Grade 8, 9, 10 and 11 students are assigned lockers. Grade 12 students may select their lockers through their grad committee in August. Students are to use only their assigned lockers and are not to share lockers. Lockers should be left in the condition received. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure both gym and school lockers are secured with a sturdy lock.
Neither the school nor the Vancouver Board of Education has insurance to cover the loss by theft or damage of personal property of students or teachers.
Although supervision by staff and the cooperation of students decreases the possibility of theft, students are advised to leave valuables at home and to ensure that personal property left in the school is covered by their own insurance.
NO MONEY OR VALUABLES SHOULD BE LEFT IN A LOCKER.
Any thefts from lockers should be reported to the office.
Government and School Issued Textbooks
All textbooks required for regular courses are supplied without a rental fee. Students are required to:
- write their names on the book label inside the cover
- take good care of all books issued
- refrain from marking or defacing books in any manner
- pay for a lost book as soon as the loss is discovered and a replacement book will be issued
- return all books at the end of the school year or when withdrawing from the school and pay any assessment required due to damage to texts.
Yearbook
The Gladstone Secondary School annual is many things, including:
- a historic document of a year in the life of the school and school district
- a memento of the school year
- a documentation of the accomplishments of the students and staff
- a celebration of school life
- an artistic creation of the students and staff responsible for the project
- a reflection of the values of Gladstone Secondary and the Vancouver Board of Education
The annual belongs to all the students of Gladstone, current, past, and future. It is a document that is broadly shared throughout the community and one that forms an important part of the school’s achievement. Therefore, the following guidelines were developed to maintain a standard which reflects the values and ideals of Gladstone Secondary School.
Text
Must be written in standard English prose and follow the standard rules of capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Initials, abbreviations, codes, slangs, and slurs are not permitted.
Content
Must meet the criteria of respect for all people and the Student Code of Conduct.
Visuals
Must be respectful and in good taste. No offensive or suggestive poses or gestures will be included.
Grad Write-ups
Must be transparent and comprehensible to anyone who reads them.
Use of languages other than English or French is not acceptable.
These guidelines will be reviewed each year by staff, students, and PAC.
The Principal has the ultimate responsibility for the annual.
Code of Academic Ethics and Honesty - Gladstone Secondary School Policy
Gladstone Secondary School is committed to excellence in learning which meets the highest standards of personal, ethical and moral conduct. Any of the following actions would result in a breach of this standard.
· Submitting another person’s work in part or in whole as their own
· Failure to properly cite an outside source
· Submitting the same assignment more than once
· Cheating on tests, exams, quizzes or any other form of evaluation
· Consciously assisting another student to attain marks fraudulently
· Improper use of technology such as using cell phones, PDA’s, cameras, internet, headphones, electronic
translators, etc. when not authorized.
translators, etc. when not authorized.
Cheating is defined as:
Any attempt by a student to complete an examination or assessment by unfair means. Unfair means may include any one or more of the following:
1. Plagiarism “Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. It is intellectual theft. Any use of another’s
research, ideas or languages without proper attribution may be considered plagiarism”. (Gordon, s.d., p.l).
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person’s work (written or visual) and the presentation of
that work, in whole or in part, as one’s own, or assisting in the act of plagiarism by allowing one’s work to
be used in this fashion.
research, ideas or languages without proper attribution may be considered plagiarism”. (Gordon, s.d., p.l).
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person’s work (written or visual) and the presentation of
that work, in whole or in part, as one’s own, or assisting in the act of plagiarism by allowing one’s work to
be used in this fashion.
This may include:
a) presenting the words of ideas of another as one’s own, or
b) submission of the same work to more than one teacher.
2. Obtaining or providing unauthorized use of books, notes, text, or electronic devices.
3. Obtaining or providing information concerning all or part of an examination prior to the examination.
4. Copying work done by another person.
5. Taking an examination for another student or arranging for another person to take an exam in one’s place.
6. Altering or changing test answers after submission for grading, altering or changing grades after grades
have been awarded, or altering or changing other academic records.
have been awarded, or altering or changing other academic records.
7. Making any other attempt to improve grades using means that have not been or would not be approved by
your teacher, (e.g. being absent without an acceptable reason from a test or class assignment.)
your teacher, (e.g. being absent without an acceptable reason from a test or class assignment.)
8. Submitting an assignment more than once.
9. Removing an exam from the classroom or test area.
10. Consciously assisting another student to attain credit through misrepresentation.
1. Teacher Responsibility
· Enforce policy consistently. Inform students of consequences.
· Work on students’ attitudes towards academic dishonesty. Create an atmosphere where it is not
acceptable. Positive peer pressure encouraged.
acceptable. Positive peer pressure encouraged.
· Minimize the opportunity to cheat.
· Teacher may give “0” for work or test and no make-ups.
· Report all incidents to administration.
· Document the incident.
2. Counsellor Responsilbity
· To counsel students around the whole issue of cheating, its meaning and consequences (long and short
term)
term)
· Consult and sign the Academic Dishonesty form.
3. Administration Responsibility
· Meet with the students and go over the incident. Refer the student to their counsellor.
· Send a letter home to parent/guardian (possible meeting set up)
· Consult the Academic Dishonesty form and record the action taken and return a copy to the counsellor
and teacher.
and teacher.
· To see that consequences are in place. To encourage consistency among all staff.
Academic Dishonesty Consequences
On first offence:
· The student may receive a ‘0" for that particular work.
· The incident may be recorded on the student’s discipline file.
· The student will not be eligible for Honour Roll recognition for that particular term.
On second offence:
· The student may not be eligible for Passport to Education for that academic year.
· The student may not be eligible for School-based Scholarships for that academic year.
· The student may be suspended or transferred.
Internet use Policy
The Internet was developed as a research tool and it has the potential to be a tremendous resource for students and teachers at all levels. The use of an assigned account must be in support of educational research and within the objectives and goals Gladstone. You must realize that you are personally responsible for this provision at all times when using the electronic information.
Smoking (including E-cigarettes, Personal Vaporizers (PV) or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)
No person may smoke in the school buildings, on the school grounds, or at any school sponsored function. Disciplinary action is taken against students who break this policy.
Drugs and Alcohol
No student may be in possession of or under the influence of illegal or non-prescribed drugs or alcohol in the school, in the vicinity of the school, or at school sponsored functions. Any infraction will be considered serious and will result in the immediate implementation of school and Board policies dealing with student discipline. This may include possible suspension, withdrawal and transfer of the students involved.
Vandalism
Vandalism is a serious breach of students’ responsibility. The School Act, Bill 67 (10), 1989 states:
If property of a board is destroyed, damaged, lost or converted by the intentional or negligent act of a student, the student and the student's parents are jointly and severally liable to the board in respect of the act of the student.
Violence and Weapons
The Vancouver Board of Education works hard to ensure that schools are safe places for students. Board policy states that violence of any kind will not be tolerated. Any form of violence or intimidation that threatens the health, safety and welfare of students is not acceptable.
Violence includes verbal, written, or physical threats, bullying, fighting and physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Weapons are defined as anything that is used with the intent to hurt or frighten someone. Students are not permitted to have weapons. Any student found with a weapon, involved in a violent act, or soliciting others to commit an act of violence will face disciplinary action.
What Should I Do If I…?
If you have been affected by, or know of others who have been affected by harassment, violence, weapons, drugs, or alcohol, it is important that you talk to a counsellor, teacher, administrator, school liaison officer, or anyone else in the school that you trust, so that others can help to solve the problem.
Harassment
The Vancouver Board of Education recognizes that every individual should be treated with respect and dignity and therefore has the right to be free from harassment in our schools and workplaces. A positive and welcoming work and learning environment protects and promotes the self-esteem, worth, and human rights of every person and supports mutual respect and cooperation among individuals. Any student involved in racial, ethno-cultural, religious, or sexual harassment in any form will face disciplinary action.
Bullying
Students and parents expect schools to be safe, where students can learn and teachers can teach in a warm and welcoming place, free from bullying, intolerance and violence.
Bullying is a pattern of aggressive behaviour meant to hurt or cause discomfort to another person. Bullies always have more power than victims. Their power comes from physical size, strength, status, and support within the peer group.
There are three types of bullying:
· physical, where a person is harmed or their property damaged
· verbal, where a person’s feelings are hurt through insults and name-calling
· social, where a person is shunned or excluded from groups and events.
Any student involved in bullying in any form will face disciplinary action.
Cell Phones, IPods and Other Electronic Devices
Electronic devices (cell phones, IPods, PSPs etc…) are allowed at Gladstone subject to the following rules and regulations:
- Appropriate use of electronic devices is guided by our Gladstone Code of Conduct – RESPECT.
- Electronic devices are not to be used during instructional time, unless as part of an individual or group educational program as designed by a teacher.
- Electronic devices are not to be used to record or photograph others in the school or on school property without previously received permission.
- Inappropriate use of an electronic device will result in confiscation and later return of the device by the grade administrator.
Intruders
The Vancouver Board of Education policy allows for VBE personnel, VBE elected officials and VBE students from other schools participating in sanctioned events to be at Gladstone. All other persons who are visiting the school are to report to the office. Anyone found on the premises who does not have an acceptable reason as listed above is liable to be charged under Section 177 of the School Act.
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