School Policies & Discipline
Student Code of Conduct - Link to Full Document
Guiding principles for school discipline
The highest end of education is to foster wisdom and moral excellence. Our goal is to help young learners cultivate their minds and hearts and grow in virtues, including the qualities of benevolence, charity, humaneness, respect, responsibility, justice, resilience, temperance, self-control, forgiveness, tolerance, and magnanimity.
All persons are bearers of divine souls, and each is possessed of an inviolable dignity, irrespective of race, sex, creed, or ability.
Education is best pursued in a spirit of friendship and leisure. The formation of the human personality requires space for stillness, contemplation, and deep thought, away from distraction, unnecessary anxiety, and material exigencies.
Students thrive in an environment that provides order, belonging, and love. We understand that structure and high expectations are not incompatible with the spirit of leisure or the pursuit of freedom, but are preconditions for them.
Habits of outward conduct and behaviour play an important role in shaping habits of mind. Through immersion in a well-ordered environment, students learn to order their own souls well, and have the freedom to thrive.
Behavioural policies and expectations should be detailed, clearly communicated, and consistently applied. School staff will strive to apply discipline policies in a manner that is fair, kind-hearted, and firm, and oriented toward enhancing the common good of the community and the well-being of the individual pupil.
While we expect students to seek moral excellence, we recognize that this is a ceaseless process, and that mistakes are inevitable as students learn how to conduct themselves appropriately. Where discipline or correction is merited, it is carried out in a spirit of respect for the student and for the person they are to become, and should never be carried out with intent to cause humiliation or fear.
Students are expected to be in school during the dates that are on our calendar. There are many opportunities for vacations/trips during times when school is closed. If it is something that is not an emergency, we strongly encourage children to remain in school. Providing detailed information about what is being covered during the absence places an undue burden on the teacher. A general overview of what is to be covered during the prolonged unexcused absence can be given, and the student and parents/guardians are responsible for the needed remediation for students to bridge the gap in their learning.
Uniform Policy
Edmonton Classical Academy is a distinctive community, bound together by a shared goal of seeking moral and intellectual excellence in a spirit of friendship.
Our school uniform is a visible expression of this ideal: our students are part of a united community of learners, whose purpose transcends differences in socio-economic status, ethnic, religious, or racial background. In wearing their uniforms, students experience a sense of pride and belonging, and are reminded of their obligation to represent their school community well.
To see our school uniforms and read more about our school uniform policy and its rationale, please go to our Uniform Policy page. A complete list of approved uniform options is provided through our school page at Land’s End. Socks, hosiery, shoes, and white button-up shirts may be purchased through alternative vendor if preferred.
Homework
Homework is an essential part of a student’s development. It allows students to practice skills learned at school, prepare for new learning, and provides insights for parents into their child’s progress. Homework also supports the development of independent work habits and self-discipline.
With the exception of reading, our guideline for homework is based on a formula of ten minutes per night, per grade, to a maximum of approx. 75 minutes per night. This begins in Kindergarten, and does not include reading time. For example, a student in grade four will not have more than 50 minutes of homework assigned on any given night. These guidelines are estimates, and actual assigned homework will depend on many factors, including the day-to-day activities in the classroom as well as the work habits of individual students.
Students are expected to complete required homework assignments and return them to class in the time specified by their teacher.
Student Responsibilities
A student, as a partner in education, has the responsibility to:
attend school regularly and punctually,
be ready to learn and actively engage in and diligently pursue the student’s education
ensure that the student’s conduct contributes to a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging,
respect the rights of others in the school,
refrain from, report and not tolerate bullying or bullying behaviour directed toward others in the school, whether or not it occurs within the school building, during the school day or by electronic means,
comply with the rules of the school and the policies of the board,
co‑operate with everyone authorized by the board to provide education programs and other services,
be accountable to the student’s teachers and other school staff for the student’s conduct, and
positively contribute to the student’s school and community.
Academic Integrity
All students commit to the following:
To approach their academic work with diligence, integrity, and with the goal of seeking wisdom
To never lie, cheat, or engage in plagiarism, or present others’ work as my own;
To refrain from providing illicit aid in tests or in graded assignments;
To refrain from copying the work of others, or allowing one’s own work to be copied;
To complete all required readings, without use of “study aids” or summaries
Smartphone Policy
Our aim is to use screen-based technologies in a minimal, deliberate manner in the classroom, and we exclude smartphones from campus. Our approach responds to a growing body of research that excessive exposure to screens and social media damages a child’s concentration and negatively impacts mental health.
We students from bringing phones to school. If they are brought to school, they must be powered off and left in the care of a teacher and/or administrator. Parents looking to contact their child during school hours must do so through the main office. If phones or other internet-connected personal devices are seen or heard during the school day on campus, they will be confiscated.
Parents and students agree to abide by our no technology policy when registering in the school. That includes an agreement to abide by the Academy’s policies relating to smartphones, supporting discipline decisions related to the policy’s enforcement, and a commitment to be conscientious in regulating technology use outside of school hours and in the home.
No Popular Culture
Edmonton Classical Academy is committed to providing an educational culture that is focused on learning, friendship, and the pursuit of wisdom, and grounded in the study of great works that have endured over time. We want to ensure that our students are not confined to the parochial frame of the present — a state that G.K. Chesterton referred to as the “degrading servitude of being a child of [one’s] own time.” That requires creating conditions for students to step back from the pressures of contemporary consumerist trends, so that they can link with past generations and engage deeply with perennial questions and ideas.
At the same time, we aim to raise students’ imaginations, and educate their aesthetic judgement and emotions. Students should develop the ability to differentiate between the superficial and the profound; the beautiful from the base; the serious from the frivolous; and the permanent and universal from the fleeting and time-bound.
To further these goals, we have adopted a “no popular culture” policy. Specifically, we ask that students:
Refrain from bringing personal items to school that include images or references to popular culture (e.g. popular culture-branded backpacks, pokemon cards, toys)
Refrain from using popular culture references in conversation and in class
Refrain from referring to or imitating internet or social media trends on campus
Communication Policy and the Role of Parents
Parents are the central to the development of virtuous and conscientious behaviour in their children. Children learn by precept and example, meaning that parents are central to developing virtuous and conscientious behaviour in their children, providing moral guidance, and inspiring a love of learning in them.
Parents are encouraged to raise concerns with the appropriate staff in a timely fashion and to work constructively towards solutions; furthermore, where concerns are raised, parents will commit to support positive relationships with due regard to confidentiality and discretion.
Parents are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous manner when dealing with the Academy and all its employees, in a way that will not disrupt the functioning of the school. Communication during business hours, and through the appropriate channels, is encouraged, wherever possible.
More details on our Parent Code of Conduct and communications policy are available here.