DISCIPLINE

Student Body Relations

Our students are expected to be cordial and sociable between each other. Our student body prides itself on having the reputation for a high level of positive social interaction not only between class members but also between different grades. ASA students are therefore expected to demonstrate this behavior all times.

Acts that can be categorized as harassment, including bullying, name calling, rudeness, and disrespect carry with them disciplinary consequences. Given the past "tradition" of hazing or "baptism" by 12th graders towards ninth graders, the school has been very strict in controlling any behavior that can even remotely be construed as hazing. However, the school cannot be responsible for what students do outside the walls of ASA. Parents, especially parents of seniors, are asked to be aware of this problem and not allow their sons or daughters to participate in any hazing activities.

It is especially important that all ASA secondary students understand that whenever an incident of the type described in the paragraph above occurs, the upperclassman involved will be held responsible for the problem. This is especially the case in senior-freshman, high school-middle school, and secondary-elementary disciplinary incidents.

Conduct

Students in secondary are expected to conduct themselves in responsible, respectful, and honest ways at all times. Should they fail to achieve this, there are corrective steps that teachers and administrators will take to address these misbehaviors. Students with a poor conduct average (below 2.0 average of all conduct grades on a report card) will not be eligible to participate in any international tournaments in the following quarter, and may be placed on disciplinary conduct probation. Repeated periods or three semesters in a row of conduct probation can result in recommendation for expulsion.

Conduct Probation

At the end of the semester, the Principal's Office reviews all the report cards and identifies students who are demonstrating poor conduct. These students are then placed on conduct probation. In most instances, Conduct Probation is applied to those students with below a 2.0 average in conduct. A probationary contract is written up and made known to the parents and student with specific steps designed to better monitor and improve the student's behavior.

Conduct probation lasts for a full semester. All secondary students on conduct probation are not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities until such time as mid-quarter progress reports or quarterly report cards indicate improvement. Once improvement has been demonstrated, the student can resume participation until and unless further reports indicate poor conduct. Once again, keep in mind that students on conduct probation for more than three semesters put their continuation as a student at ASA at risk.

Eligibility for After-School Athletics

In order for secondary students to be eligible for the after-school athletic program these must meet the following criteria:

1) Students in high school must have at least a 2.0 average in academic and conduct grades. If a student is on either academic or conduct probation he/she may begin the semester on a team, but his/her eligibility will be determined by the bi-weekly reports given by the teachers throughout the semester. If at any point a student has two “D’s” and/or an “F” on these reports or is in poor conduct standing as determined by the teacher, they will automatically be pulled from the team for the remainder of the quarter. If at the end of the quarter there is improvement (as determined by the High School Counselor and Athletic Director), the student may rejoin the team. Please note that there will be no refund of the athletic fee to any student who has been taken off a team due to poor academic and/or conduct performance.

2) Students in middle school that are on academic or conduct probation may participate on a team(s) throughout the semester. However, if at any point a student’s grades and or conduct performance is greatly at risk (as determined by the Middle School Counselor and Athletic Director) he or she may be pulled from a team until improvement is made. Please note that there will be no refund of the athletic fee to any student who has been taken off a team due to poor academic and/or conduct performance.

3) Students must be in good standing with the coach and follow all team rules in order to maintain eligibility. If at any time a student should not follow the team rules, the student may be removed from the team as determined by the coach and Athletic Director. Please note that there will be no refund of the athletic fee to any student who has been taken off a team due to behavioral problems.

Eligibility for Extracurricular Events

In order for secondary students to participate in any extracurricular event (athletic tournaments, music festivals, knowledge-bowl competitions, etc.) in which students will miss two or more school days, there will be several items to determine their eligibility. Please note the following;

1) Students can not exceed 4 absences from school during the previous quarter nor can students exceed 4 absences in the same quarter in which the event takes place.

2) Students with less than a 2.0 conduct grade average or 2.0 academic grade average at the end of the quarter preceding the event will not be eligible.

3) Students who are not eligible to participate on a team or club because of poor academic performance (academic probation students) or poor conduct performance (conduct probation students) will not be eligible for such events. This is determined by the bi-weekly reports given to students on probation. Please note that high school students on academic probation may not have two or more “D’s” or an “F” on their bi-weekly report in order to participate on the team.

4) Students must be in good standing with the coach and team. This will be determined by the following;

• Student’s attendance in both practices and games

• Student’s attitude with the team and coach as evaluated by the Athletic Director

• Student’s ability to execute team objectives and potentially contribute to the team as evaluated by the Athletic Director

• Student’s age and grade level

5) All outstanding school fees must be paid before the extracurricular event takes place.

Violations of the Honor Code and Consequences

All teachers and students are obligated to report any violation of the Honor Code to the Secondary Principal. Records will be kept in the Secondary Office concerning any student involved in the violation of the code. The teacher’s word or physical evidence constitutes proof of dishonesty, with a final determination to be made by the principal. The consequences for violating the code are cumulative across all subject areas in Middle School (grades 6 through 8) and again in High School (grades 9 through 12). Every student entering either level will begin with a clean record, and all records will be destroyed when the student either leaves or is transferred to another school. The information contained in the student’s file is only for internal use and will not be reported to any other institution.

The principal reserves the right to determine the severity and consequences of each case. However, he will follow guidelines established for consequences of violating the code, which are as follows:

1. First Offense:

• Report to principal for determination. If the Honor Code has been violated, a contract will be issued which records the event and further consequences, signed and placed on file.

• Any academic work involved needs to be made up to the satisfaction of the teacher.

• The student’s semester grade in that course will be reduced by 5% (1/2 of a letter grade).

• A conference will be held with the student, parents, teacher, and principal.

• The student will be unable to participate in the Honor Roll during the quarter that s/he violated the code.

• The student will be required to do a week of school service, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the secondary office the week after the conference is held.

• The student will receive counseling concerning this problem.

2. Second Offense:

Generally the same conditions will prevail as in the first offense with the following modifications:

• If the violation is in the same subject, the grade reduction is 10% (a full letter grade).

• The student will be required to serve a week of school service, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the secondary office the week after the conference is held.

• The student will receive counseling concerning this problem.

3. Third Offense:

Generally the same conditions will prevail as in the first and second offense with the following modifications:

• The student’s semester grade in the course will be reduced by 10% (a full letter grade). If second time in the same subject a 15% reduction, if third then reduction is 20% (two full letter grade).

• The student will be removed from any school office, club, or team that s/he belongs to for a period of 9 school weeks beginning the week after the conference is held. S/he will also be required to serve a week of school service during the first week of vacations at the end of the semester the violation took place.

• The student will receive counseling concerning this problem.

4. Fourth Offense:

• Referral to the Director General and Board of Directors for expulsion.

Honor Code Enforcement and Institutionalization

This code will be reviewed and discussed with students at the beginning of each semester. A copy of this will be sent home at the beginning of every school year for parents to read and discuss with their children.

Teachers will make sure that students are informed about what exactly unauthorized aid is in their particular course. All students will be required to sign the following statement when handing in any major evaluated work:

"I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this evaluated work."

All questions, recommendations, and concerns about this Honor Code should be addressed to the Secondary Principal, whose duty is to see that it is strictly enforced.