Environmental School

23125 116 Ave
Maple Ridge, BC, V2X 0G8
t. 604.466.4359

Code of Conduct

The Environmental School Community believes in respect of the natural world, the environment, ourselves and others.  Our community learns in a safe, caring, and supportive environment with acceptance of all learners, belief systems, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Our community includes both the human learners (students, parents, teachers, and invited educators) and more than human world (Earth, plants, animals).

To learn about how to function in an understanding community and to develop our code of conduct we have drawn from Indigenous wisdom.  The Seven Sacred Teachings of Indigenous people teach us methods for pursuing a good path:  Humility, Honesty, Respect, Courage, Wisdom, Truth, and Love.  These guiding practices work within the Environmental School community’s established principles and values.

Responsibilities:

(applicable to all human members of the Environmental School community, defined above)

  1. It is my responsibility to respect the Natural World (the more than human world).
  2. It is my responsibility to minimize my impact on our learning places.
  3. It is my responsibility to be kind and respectful to myself, other humans, animals, and the environment. To allow equal access for all people to services and facilities that are normally available to all.
  4. It is my responsibility to be safe, and treat others safely, physically and emotionally.
  5. It is my responsibility to follow the safety guidelines and boundaries set by the places that we learn in.
  6. It is my responsibility to listen to and follow the instructions and guidelines of staff and appointed people, learning community members.
  7. It is my responsibility to be informed and ask questions if I am unsure about instructions.
  8. It is my responsibility to be mindful of the physical and emotional wellbeing of others when engaging in play, including but not limited to rough play (wrestling), cooperative play, and imaginative play.
  9. It is my responsibility to handle tools safely.  Tools may include but are not limited to natural materials, pocketknives, axes, saws, hammers, matches.
  10. It is my responsibility to safely and appropriately interact with digital technology.  This includes but is not limited to the internet, chatting, phone calls, and texting. I will not publish or ask others to publish anything that discriminates against or causes discrimination of other people or groups of people.
  11. It is my responsibility to learn.
  12. It is my responsibility to wear appropriate clothing at all times.  Appropriateness will vary depending on location and weather.  My clothing must not intimidate others or represent or promote weapons, gang culture, alcohol or drugs. My clothing must also not promote violence, racism, sexism or discrimination of others.
  13. It is my responsibility to eliminate bodily wastes in designated places and situations.

Cell phones and the use of other electronic devices

Cell phones, iPad, cameras, and other electronic devices are not to be used during school hours without teacher permission. Please do not send expensive electronic devices to school with your child.

We expect learners to become more responsible as they begin to understand and to develop.  Expectations vary according to developmental age.

Rights:

(applicable to all human members of the Environmental School Community, defined above)

  1. The Right to Exist = “I belong here. It is safe to be me.”
  2. The Right to Need = “Life nourishes me.”
  3. The Right to Have Support = “It is okay, and not shameful, to ask for help.”
  4. The Right to Freedom = “I have the right to be autonomous, to make my own decisions.”
  5. The Right to Love = “I can love with my whole being and be loved for my whole being.

(Grille, Robin.  January 2014. Cultivating emotional intelligence in your child. Kindred Magazine.  Retrieved from http://www.kindredcommunity.com/2014/01/cultivating-emotional-intelligence-in-your-child-the-five-rites-of-passage-part-three/)

Responses to actions and responsibility issues will be thoughtful, restorative and restitutive in nature, restoring relationships within the community.  Every effort will be made to support learning, where learning is mediated through restorative justice processes.  Decisions will be made with respect to the community, its learners and the individual.  With continued issues and mediated interventions, progressive discipline will occur, which may include but not limited to: activity adjustment, suspension, intervention committee, change of school, or involvement of the police.