Seycove Secondary
North Vancouver School District
School Code of Conduct

​​​​​​​​At Seycove, we align with the

North Vancouver School District Code of Conduct

NVSD Code of Conduct (sd44.ca)

North Vancouver School District's Code of Conduct has been established to maintain a safe, caring, accessible, and healthy learning environment.

It is the shared responsibility of students, staff, parents/guardians, and the broader community, to demonstrate positive conduct while attending any school or district related activity, at any location. 

 All members of the school community are expected to:

  • Support learning and attendance.
  • Demonstrate safety. 
  • Respect property, environment, personal space, and privacy.
  • Model courtesy, compassion, and respect.
  • Value diversity.
  • Treat self and all other members of the school and broader community respectfully.

All members of the school community must refrain from engaging in any in-person or digital communication or participating in behaviour that is considered to be:

  • Interfering with the learning and working of others.
  • Bullying, harassing, intimidating, retaliating, discriminating or violent.
  • Unsafe or illegal; including the possession, use, or distribution of illegal or restricted substances or the possession of weapons or replicas.

 All members of the school community are expected to:

Comply with the purpose and spirit of the BC Human Rights Code, including not engaging in discriminatory conduct based on Indigenous identity, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age of that person or that group or class of persons.

Wear clothing that does not promote or symbolize illegal substances or activities, hate or discrimination, profanity, pornography; or that incites violence, harassment, or threatens safety.

Leave personal digital devices at home, in their bag/backpack, and/or in their locker during instructional time. Allowances may be made by the staff for instructional purposes, digital literacy, appropriate use based on age and developmental stage, accommodations within a student's Individualized Education Plan, accessibility, medical and health needs, and/or equitable support for learning outcomes.

Every effort will be made to support individuals and to determine the root causes of behaviour. If the safety or educational program of others is compromised, or if there is an ongoing failure to meet the expectations of the Code of Conduct, a range of consequences will follow. Whenever possible, incidents will be resolved by discussion, community service, restorative processes, referral to counselling and/or support services, mediation, an​d restitution, but may involve loss of privileges, detention, suspension from school, and/or collaboration with community partners. Confidentiality will be maintained; however, school officials may have a responsibility to advise other parties of serious breaches of the Code of Conduct (e.g. school district officials, law enforcement, and/or other agencies, etc.).

The school will take all reasonable steps to prevent any form of retaliation against a student or staff member who has brought a complaint forward of a breach of the Code of Conduct.  

Factors such as the severity and frequency of the concerning behaviour(s), as well as the age, maturity, and ability of the person(s) involved, will be considered. In most cases, as people mature, there is the expectation of increased responsibility and self-discipline; therefore, progressively increasing consequences for concerning behaviour may apply.  

 Considerations apply to those who may not be able to adhere to the Code of Conduct due to having a disability of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional, or behavioural nature. 

All members of the North Vancouver School District community have the right to be treated fairly and consistently and should know and understand this Code of Conduct.​​

 

SEYCOVE'S EXPECTATIONS FOR POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Aligned with, and in addition to, the School District's Code of Conduct for students, staff, and community members, all members of the Seycove school community are expected to read, understand, and abide by our school specific expectations and guidelines as outlined in the agreement and expectations below. The Seycove community strives to live into our school's values, of being an inclusive, respectful, and creative community who cares about each other and about the land we are fortunate to be on. 

Seycove Secondary School is a kind, caring, and safe environment where students and staff experience freedom from harm and discrimination. The rich expression of diversity includes but is not limited to differences in physical, cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural abilities, socioeconomic status, race, religion and cultural, sexual orientation and gender. Our diversity is also richly enhanced by our students of Indigenous ancestry. Anti-bullying measures will ensure all students enjoy a safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environment. 

The NVSD Code of Conduct and School Expectations provide guidelines for student behaviour while under the jurisdiction of the school: during the school day, while travelling to and from school, and during any school-sponsored activity or event. It also extends to student behaviour off school property, outside of regular school hours, and online that may have a negative impact on the learning environment of the school, on the safety or learning of one or more students, or on the reputation of the school. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that brings credit to themselves and to Seycove at all times. Students are subject to all the same expectations as if they were at school. 

This agreement reflects the expectations of the school community and is reviewed annually to monitor emerging situations that may contribute to school safety. Students, staff, and parents/guardians are required to know and understand the school rules, acceptable behaviors and the consequences for any misconduct. There are rising expectations for student behaviour as students become older, more mature and move through the grades. Students are expected to take responsibility for their actions and can expect increasingly significant consequences for any inappropriate behaviours as they get older.

EACH STUDENT IS EXPECTED LIVE INTO OUR SCHOOL VALUES.

Seycove is a COMMUNITY who is RESPECTUL, INCLUSIVE, and CREATIVE. 

To the best of their ability, students must:

  • Demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviour. 
  • Participate actively and to the best of their ability in school programs. 
  • Follow the instructions of all staff members.
  • Attend school on a regular basis and be on time to classes. 
  • Be respectful to all others. 
  • Respect the property and personal space of others.
  • Participate in appropriate decision-making. 
  • Seek guidance and support from an adult when facing challenges.

PERSONAL DIGITAL DEVICE POLICY EXPECTATIONS:

Seycove Devices - Expectations Poster.png


DEVICES OFF, LEARNING ON  

The use of personal digital devices at schools is PROHIBITED during class time.

​(NVSD Community Agreement) 

Engagement 

  • Keep personal devices AWAY (​in the locker or at home) ​​and OFF during class time 
  • Come to class Ready to Learn 
  • Focus on Instruction without Distraction 
  • Follow the Directions of Staff 

Healthy Habits 

  • Be Present as a Learner 
  • Connect with your Community (not your device) 
  • Support your Mental Health by taking a Digital Break  
  • Keep yourself Safe Online 

Access Opportunities 

  • For instructional purposes as directed by your teacher 
  • When your Learning Plan indicates your need for access 
  • During school breaks and lunchtime

The school will not be held responsible for physical damage, loss or theft of personally-owned digital devices and/or cell phones.​


ATTENDANCE

Student attendance is the shared responsibility of parents, students and staff.  Parents/guardians have the responsibility to ensure their child's attendance at school and to communicate with the school regarding their child's absences or tardiness. 

Students are expected to report to classes on time - prepared to work and to participate. Regular attendance is essential for success in school. When students are away from school, we ask parents to notify the school by telephone or e-mail. When unexplained absences occur the school contacts the parents daily by telephone and e-mail through our synervoice system. Please ensure current e-mail addresses are on file at the school. Regardless of the reason for absence, it is the student's responsibility to catch up on missed work.

Being on Time

Students arriving late to class create an unnecessary disruption which affects the learning of all students in the classroom. Students who are late for class MUST report to the classroom immediately, knock on the classroom door, and wait for the teacher to admit them. A note explaining the student's lateness may be required. Students are responsible for all work missed. Habitual lateness will be dealt with in the same manner as absenteeism.

Why is attendance so important? See Attendance Matters at:

http://www.sd44.ca/school/seycove/About/attendanceprocedures/Documents/AttendanceMatters.pdf

Chronic Lateness and Absenteeism

Students absent from classes without a valid reason will be subject to progressive disciplinary steps. Excessive absences or lateness may lead to school support plan that includes the following actions:

  • An inquiry from a teacher; required attendance during tutorial time; a phone call home; an interim report sent home.
  • A meeting with the grade counsellor and/or the grade administrator.
  • A meeting with parent/guardian and the grade counsellor and/or administrator.
  • A School Based Resource Team and District Resource Team Referral and alternate educational placements may be found.

Extended Absences/Vacations During School Time 

Some families may choose to vacation while school is in session, Seycove reminds families that absences will have a significant impact on student learning. 

Removing your child from school for a family vacation is not in the best interest of their academic or social needs, even if they are successful learners. Students very quickly get behind, fall out of the pattern of attending and can feel stressed and anxious about getting caught up again. While it is understood that some families may choose to vacation while school is in session, the Seycove staff does not condone such absences due to their impact on student learning. Missed class time and learning opportunities cannot be replicated and some activities, ongoing assessments, and assignments may be impossible to “make-up.”

Students are responsible for all course Learning Standards including those missed during their time away; the student’s mark may be impacted. If a student is absent for family holidays or for other non-medical reasons, the school and teaching staff are not expected to make special arrangements for missed work and tests.

The responsibility for the decision to take a student out of school for vacation, and the consequences that result, rest solely with the student and their parent/guardian. While the school does not give approval for such absences, it is still necessary to communicate to the school and teachers about any planned absences. 

Ultimately, being absent may impact a student's grade or proficiency indicator. The School District publishes the school calendar in advance with the hope to avoid conflict around missing classes and to prioritize students' access to learning.​

Have your child book an appointment to meet with their teacher(s) upon return. Please note, teachers will not be able to provide one on one lessons for students who have missed classes.​ Missed class time and learning opportunities cannot be replicated. It may not be possible to make up activities and assignments missed, nor may it be possible to provide work ahead of time.


NON-COMPLIANCE

Students are expected to adhere to the direction of all staff members. In serious, ongoing cases, consequences for non-compliance or defiance to staff may include suspension or withdrawal from Seycove. 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Cheating is the use of unauthorized materials, items, or devices to gain an unfair advantage in schoolwork (especially tests), and includes copying another’s work, and allowing one’s work to be copied by another.

Plagiarism is a form of cheating that involves claiming another’s ideas or writing as one’s own without proper acknowledgement. The term applies equally to an entire assignment, or any part of it. Submitting assignments done by others, including assignments downloaded from the web without references will be seen as a form of academic dishonesty.

Generative AI: It is expected that Seycove students will demonstrate their own learning with authentic work because thinking, communication, research and self-management skills are essential core competencies. Students using any unacknowledged content generated by artificial intelligence within an assessment, assignment, or project as though it is their own work constitutes academic misconduct, unless explicitly stated by the teacher that AI can be used.​

At Seycove, we are committed to using AI technologies in an ethical, transparent and responsible manner. We promote clear and consistent expectations. Students are not allowed to use AI text, images, code or tools when completing their assignments, unless given explicit permission by a specific teacher in a particular course. Work that is generated by an AI program should be cited like any other reference material. This ensures that students practice and demonstrate their research skills. We reserve the right to use AI checking software to determine if students have submitted their own work. 

If a student submits work that is not their own, they will be subject to the terms of the academic integrity policy. 

Students involved in any form of cheating, plagiarism, or unsanctioned sharing of work may have a range of consequences:

  • No credit for the work or assignment with no opportunity for makeup;
  • A phone call home to inform parents/guardians;
  • A record of the incident in the student's discipline file;
  • Ineligibility to receive awards and scholarships;
  • Ineligibility to have a reference letter written by the administration.​

ILLEGAL and RESTRICTED SUBSTANCES

Each day Seycove welcomes students to campus and takes care to provide a safe and healthy environment focused on learning and personal development. To that end students found using, possessing, or being with others involved with drugs, vape/vape products, at school or at school-sponsored events, may be suspended. Such actions may also include police involvement. Subsequent involvement in drugs or alcohol will require a re-entry plan to return to school. Any student found supplying drugs or alcohol to others may be suspended and referred to an outside agency and/or the police. 

This is in accordance with Section 2.2 of the Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act, effective September 1, 2016, the use of tobacco and vapour products is banned on all public and private K-12 schools in British Columbia. A person must not smoke, nor be with others involved in smoking or using tobacco products or e-cigarettes, nor hold lighted tobacco or activated e-cigarettes, in or on school property.

This ban extends to all school property 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of whether school is in session. The ban also includes vehicles, parking lots, sports fields, driveways, courtyards, and private vehicles parked on school property. 

If vaping on school property, a range of consequences may apply:

Meeting with administration, contact with parent/guardian, and vapes and vaping substances will be confiscated, and students may work at home for the remainder of the day.

• For a first incident, students may have an in-school suspension for up to 3 days. A second incident of vaping may result in more severe consequences including suspension out of school.

• As with any incident contravening the school code of conduct, the opportunity to participate in athletics, extracurricular activities or participation on field trips may be restricted. 

• Bystanders may also be subject to these consequences.​


ESCALATING CONSEQUENCES FOR BEHAVIOUR:

The Seycove staff and administration consider misbehaviour to fall on a continuum of seriousness. The school’s responses to misbehaviour will be rational, consistent, and fair. Disciplinary action, whenever possible, will be preventative and restorative, rather than merely punitive. Considerations may apply to those who may not be able to adhere to the Seycove expectations due to having a disability of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional, or behavioural nature. 

Suspension and the Re-Entry Plan

When students are involved with serious conduct issues or repeated concerns with behaviour, students may face suspension from school. Suspensions are intended to be a clear warning to students and will provide​ time for a students to take a​ pause from school to reflect on their behaviour. ​

In the case of a suspension from school, a student’s continuance at Seycove is contingent upon the successful completion and commitment to the school Re-Entry Plan. The purpose of the Re-Entry Plan is to provide meaningful consequences in an educationally purposeful way that will impress upon the student the importance of taking responsibility, and being accountable for their actions. 

The hope is that an outcome of the successful completion and commitment to the Re-Entry Plan will be personal growth as a function of learning from one’s mistakes. Details of Re-Entry Plans are determined on a case-by-case-basis and will be communicated clearly to the students and parents involved.​

VISITING OTHER SCHOOLS OR INVITING VISITORS TO SEYCOVE

Students are not permitted to visit any other school while school is in session. Students are also not permitted to invite students from other schools to Seycove during the school day. Do not invite unauthorized visitors. 

For school related/organized visits, all visitors must report to the office upon arrival.

 

 



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Seycove Secondary

1204 Caledonia Ave, North Vancouver, BC, V7G 2A6 | 604.903.3666 604.903.3667 | seycove@sd44.ca