ST. LEO CONDUCT POLICY 2023 - 2024
Our primary goal is to ensure the safety and well-being of all students, staff, and guests. As a community of learners, the students, staff, and parents share a responsibility to create a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that honours our call to work together in faith, love, and hope. We celebrate our accomplishments, and we believe that each person brings gifts, talents, and interests to our community to develop and share.
As a community, all stakeholders—students, staff, and parents—are expected to work together to prevent and eliminate discrimination and/or bullying behaviors. We affirm that the rights set out in the Alberta Human Rights Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are afforded to all students and staff members within St. Leo School. Students should report any incidents of bullying or discrimination immediately to a teacher or supervisor through verbal, written and/or electronic means.
We believe that behaviours and other issues can be mediated with a restorative justice approach. This approach involves those who have been harmed and those who have caused the harm to meet with together with a facilitator, with the following in mind – each person will share their experience of what happened, discuss who was harmed and how, and to create a consensus of what the offender can do to repair the harm done.
This approach fosters empathy and compassion within our community and aims to have the offenders take responsibility for their actions, to understand the harm they have caused, to give them an opportunity to redeem themselves and to discourage them from causing further harm. For the person harmed, it gives them an active role in the process and reduces feelings of anxiety and powerlessness.
There may be instances where a discipline issue may warrant a suspension and if this occurs, it will be discussed with the student, parent(s) and administration. Each issue will be handled on an individual basis and information shared will only be information that pertains to your child(ren).
The St. Leo School Student Conduct Policy applies to all students, always within the building or on school grounds, during the school day, at all school events/activities, or when using electronic devices.
STUDENT STANDARD OF DRESS
Philosophy
In Edmonton Catholic Schools, students are expected to dress in a manner that honors the dignity of the human person, who was created in the image of God, and that supports an inclusive, welcoming, caring, respectful, safe, and Catholic learning environment that promotes the well-being of all. Each school in the Division will have a Standards of Student Dress for their community. Understanding that it is not possible to list all the specific types of acceptable and unacceptable student dress, the purpose of establishing Standards of Student Dress is to empower students to make appropriate choices
Students are expected to dress in a manner which is appropriate for the school day or for any school sponsored event. All students shall come to school dressed in a comfortable manner that allows them to be authentically who they are, while also meeting the standards in this document.
Students who do not meet the Standards of Student Dress will be required by the school principal or their designate to meet the standards before participating in school activities. Schools will facilitate the enabling of students to meet the standards in such situations whenever possible.
Student dress must maintain personal safety and the safety of the school community. Students are not permitted to wear articles of clothing, jewelry or accessories that indicate or suggest membership in or affiliation with any group or organization that does not support a welcoming, caring, respectful, safe, and Catholic learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging.
Students at St. Leo must wear:
A shirt or the equivalent (tops) with fabric in the front, back, and sides under the arms
Pants or the equivalent (bottoms), and
Shoes. Courses or activities may require specific attire for safety or curriculum purposes (i.e.: CTF/CTS, PE, science labs, field trips)
Underwear must not be visible or exposed, and buttocks and nipples must be covered with opaque fabric and remain so during all activities over the course of the school day.
Students at St. Leo may wear if they are in alignment with this standard’s philosophy the following:
t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, tank tops
jeans, leggings, sweatpants, skirts, dresses, shorts
Headwear that is specifically required for religious observance (i.e., hijab, yarmulke, turban) or for medical reasons in consultation with the principal
Hats and other headwear must allow the face to be visible to staff, and not interfere with the line of sight of any student or staff. Hoodies must allow the face and ears to be visible to school staff. Hats and other headwear (excluding headwear required for religious observance) must be removed during religious celebrations, liturgies, or mass.
Clothing with logos or text on it that is positive in nature, respectful, or implies or encourage a healthy lifestyle/choice for children and youth
Students at St. Leo may not wear:
Articles of clothing that discriminate based on age, religion, gender, gender identity/expression, body type, race, ability, and socio-economic status
Articles of clothing with words or text that depict or imply hate, violence, profanity, drugs/drug use, alcohol/alcohol use, sexual activity, or criminal activity.
Articles of clothing that do not meet the standards of dress.
Students who have not met the standard, as outlined above, will be addressed in the following manner:
At the first possible opportunity for a private conversation, the staff member who has identified the issue will speak to the student about the concern in a manner that respects their privacy and dignity. Care will be taken to avoid “shaming” or statements of bias.
The student will be presented with options to bring them into closer alignment with the standard for the remainder of the school day such as:
Wearing another article of their own clothing which they have at school that is in alignment with the standard
Contacting a parent or guardian to bring in an article of clothing that is in alignment with the standard.
Borrowing an article of clothing from a friend that is in alignment with the standard.
Where possible, students should not be required to wear school owned replacement garments and should never be required to wear specific garments as a disciplinary measure.