Student Rights and Responsibilities
| Rights | Responsibilities |
| I have a right to feel safe and secure both physically and emotionally. | I am responsible for ensuring that other people do not feel threatened, intimidated, or hurt. |
| I have the right to be treated with respect and dignity and to be free from discrimination. | I am responsible for treating others with respect and dignity and for respecting the race, religion and customs of others |
| I have a right to learn. | I am responsible for listening to others, working cooperatively, and completing assignments to the best of my ability. |
| I have the right to have my personal property treated with respect. | I am responsible for treating all property with respect. |
| I have the right to a clean and tidy environment. | I am responsible for doing my share to keep our environment clean. |
School Policies
Accidents and Illness
If you become ill or get injured during class time, notify the classroom teacher who will assist you. If illness or injury occurs outside of the classroom, report to the office, or have someone notify a staff member or the office. If your condition is serious, your parents will be notified. If your parents cannot be contacted, the school administration will arrange for medical attention. Students are not permitted to leave for home when ill until their parents have been contacted by the office.
Parents may purchase voluntary accident insurance, which covers participants in both curricular and extra-curricular activities sponsored by the school. Insurance forms will be available online in September.
Attendance and Punctuality
Regular and punctual attendance is fundamental to success at school. Students should always be in class, on time, unless there is a justifiable reason for absence. Occasionally, students must miss classes for unavoidable reasons such as illness or emergencies. If a student is to be absent from school, a parent must contact the school by telephone (604-946-4194) or email: (delta.sec@deltaschools.ca) to advise us of the absence. The excused absence will be recorded on our attendance system.
Appointments
- It is recommended that medical, dental and other appointments be made outside of school time. Students who request dismissal for an appointment must present a written note to their teacher, if they are going to miss more than the end of the class they are in, they must present the note again at the office to the receptionist in order to sign out. When returning from the appointment students must sign in at the office
- Attendance Reporting
Attendance is taken in each class. Parents can view their child’s attendance on Parent Connect/MyEd Parent Portal. Parents will also receive an email if their child is absent from a class throughout the day. Parents are encouraged to contact the subject teacher if there is a discrepancy in the attendance reporting. - Lates
Students who are late must report directly to their class. Any student who arrives late to school after period one with a note from home or whose parent has called to excuse the late must sign in at the office for an admission slip to class.
Automobiles
Students are reminded that special care must be exercised in driving near the school and in the parking lots. New drivers should display the appropriate decal and observe all traffic laws.
Please do not park in the staff parking lot at the front of the school or in spaces that are designated as “handicapped parking”. Students are also asked to avoid parking in the stalls reserved for our automotive program at the back of the school. Please avoid the bus loading zone and fire lanes. Students who disregard parking regulations may have their vehicles towed away. These regulations also apply to the Genesis Theatre area.
Conduct and Discipline
At Delta Secondary we believe that common sense, courtesy, respect and safety should guide our actions. If you get into some sort of difficulty, we will make every effort to understand the situation, and where necessary, administer discipline fairly and consistently. We have been successful in keeping serious discipline problems to a minimum by working closely with students and parents.
Any person who jeopardizes the safety, health or well-being of an individual or group in the school or demonstrates a lack of respect for school or personal property will be subject to appropriate consequences. For more specific information, refer to the District Code of Conduct in this book.
Dress Code
Students are expected to come to school dressed in a manner which is acceptable and shows respect for others. Footwear must be worn at all times. Students dressed in a manner that is not appropriate for school may be sent home for a change of clothes.
Personal Digital Devices (PDD’s):
Personal Digital Devices (cell phones, tablets, personal computers) have the potential for positive communication and enhanced student learning. Conversely, there are also associated risks and concerns regarding personal safety, privacy and a disruption to instructional time and learning. As a result the following policy will be in place in ALL Delta Schools.
Personal Digital Devices (PDD’s) are NOT to be operated during instructional time, unless permitted by the teacher for learning purposes. During instructional time, PDD’s must be securely stored in a designated area, separate from the owner, to ensure an environment conducive to learning. PDD’s are not to be used in settings such as washrooms, changing rooms, private counselling rooms, that have the potential to violate a person’s privacy. Non-compliance with this policy will initiate a process for student discipline as per Procedure 350 – Student Conduct and Discipline.
The school assumes no responsibility for the loss, recovery, repair, or replacement of any device brought onto school property.
Facilities
Custodians best fulfill their duties when they have the cooperation and respect of members of the school community. Our custodial staff works hard to keep our facilities clean and safe, occasionally having to clean up accidental spills and messes. However, anyone willfully creating a mess or causing damage to the school or its grounds will be asked to take responsibility for its clean-up or repair.
All staff and students should assist in keeping our school and its grounds clean and litter-free.
Fire Alarms
Whenever a fire alarm sounds and classes are in session, the teacher will lead students to the nearest exit (locations are posted on the classroom wall). Students are expected to exit in single file, without talking or running. Students are led well away from the buildings, keeping access roadways open for entry by the fire department. Students are to remain with their teacher. If a fire alarm sounds and classes are not in session (lunch, after school, in between periods), you are to proceed to the nearest exit without talking or running as per the procedure above and return to the meeting spot of your last class. Students who have a study period should check in with their counsellors at the oval. Students will return to the classrooms upon the “all clear” signal of three sets of rings on the school bell.
Reminder – all fire alarms are to be taken seriously and evacuation procedures followed! It should be noted that tampering with fire equipment is an offence under federal law. There will be serious consequences for students found to be tampering with fire alarms or firefighting equipment.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another’s ideas or words and passing them off as one’s own. This is a form of cheating and will result in work not being accepted. Additional consequences will be assessed on an individual basis. Students should check with their teachers for the correct way to use and attribute other’s material.
Smoking, Vaping, Alcohol and Drugs
Vaping and smoking by students on the school premises, school bus, or at school functions is prohibited. Consuming, possessing, distributing, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol is prohibited.
Violations of any of these regulations will result in consequences that may include suspension and exclusion from school activities.
Student Threats to Safety – Fair Notice
The safety of our students is a top priority for all of us in the Delta School District. When a threat or violent incident occurs it is taken very seriously and a student threat assessment is started.
As partners in educating our youth, everyone in the community has a duty to report all threat-related behaviours. These threats include expressing an intent of harm to themselves, another person or property, or acting out violently against them. Whether the threat is spoken, drawn, made with gestures or on social media, they must all be taken seriously. We will investigate and respond to all harmful threats to our students.
Study Blocks
Study Blocks are intended primarily for students in Grade 12 that have a heavy academic load (5 or more academic courses) for post-secondary education. Students who wish to obtain a study block need to complete an application form with the school Principal. Students who choose to be at school during a study period are expected to not disturb students or teachers in other classes. During a study period, students should:
- Confine study block activities to the Library, Cafeteria, or some other reasonable study area inside the school for the entire period; and
- Refrain from spending time at lockers, in hallways, or outside on the school grounds.
Textbooks
The cost of texts continues to rise (up to and more than $150). As students are responsible for lost or damaged texts, be sure to be careful in the care and handling of them.