LIVING AND LEARNING TOGETHER

Reference texts frame the values and rules that structure social interactions at school.
These are regulated through individualised support and reference bodies. The aim of these different tools is to give each child a sense of responsibility in his/her relationship with others and in relation to his/her learning experience. They give meaning and an official framework to the continued challenge of “Living and working together”.

Individualised listening

Interpersonal listening between adult and pupil is privileged on a daily basis, whether or not the pupil wishes to express him/herself in class council. This help gives each person an additional, more confidential means of expressing their concerns and questions. He/she can be sure that he/she will be listened to attentively, without any judgement in return. It is a privileged time to help the child to reflect on his/her problems and put solutions in place.

Sponsorship: The pupils can also appeal to their sponsors. On arrival at Ecole Active, each new student is sponsored by one of his/her older peers. The sponsors commit themselves to the new pupil in order to facilitate his/her integration and his/her life in the school throughout the school year. The sponsorship ceremony is one of the highlights of the school camp in the autumn.

Mediation: older students can become mediators as soon as they reach 5P. Following a specific training course, they are recognised in the school as people who can help to resolve minor conflicts between children.

Reference bodies

  • The class council is a weekly time of social regulation. It is a place where each pupil has the opportunity to speak about his/her projects and difficulties at school. The peers are asked to propose ideas to help the problems presented evolve in a positive way. Thanks to its formal functioning, for which the teacher is the guarantor, the class council allows a regular follow-up of the proposals accepted by the protagonists.
  • The school council is a body which meets eight times a year, bringing together the elected delegates from each class and teacher delegates. Their responsibility is to transmit the proposals submitted by the classes, to debate them and to endorse them, or not. Here projects and problems concern the life of the school as a whole.

The reference texts

Basic rules

  1. I physically respect others.
  2. I morally respect others.
  3. I respect the rules of the group I am learning with.

Other rules

  1. I do not leave the school yard without an adult’s permission.
  2. I do not eat candy or gum when I am at school.
  3. In school, I wear my slippers.
  4. I respect the equipment and the school.
  5. I move calmly within the school.
  6. If I have a phone or an electronic game, I turn it off and I leave it in the office as soon as I enter the school. I take it back when I leave.
  7. I do not throw any object in the school or in the yard.
  8. I do not climb on the banister.
  9. When I am registered for after-school care, I am there at 3:55 p.m.
  10. I put my bicycle (or other) in the parking lot until I leave school.
  11. During breaks, I use the restroom on the first floor.
  12. I do not walk on the vegetable or flower patches.
  13. When it rains, I take my shoes off on the mat and I store them on the stairs.

Nota Bene: All the adults who work at Ecole Active are responsible for ensuring respect of these rules.

AT LEVEL ZERO

  • When an adult notices that a rule has been broken, he/she gives the student a written warning indicating the broken rule, the date, the time, the student’s name and signs the note.
  • The student gives then note to the teacher(s) of his/her class.
  • The information is discussed in the classroom.
  • Depending on the grade, the classroom teacher will adapt the procedure to change the level of sanction and make the information public.

AT LEVEL ONE

When an adult observes a breach of a rule:

  • The student is given an assignment as decided by the teacher.
  • Parents are notified by the teacher of the change of level.
  • While in Level One, the teacher is required to give the student a task for each new warning.
  • After three assignments, the change to level two is decided by the educational team.
  • The student has the opportunity to ask for help from an adult to confide in if he/she feels the need.

AT LEVEL TWO

  • When an adult notices a rule being broken:
  • The student is given a task.
  • The student must choose an adult other than the teacher to talk to, if there is a problem.
  • Parents are notified of the change in level by the principal.
  • After three assignments, the change to level three is decided by the educational team.

AT LEVEL THREE

  • When an adult notices a rule being broken:
  • The student is given a larger assignment.
  • Parents are called to the school for a joint meeting with the principal and the teacher.
  • The student is present.
  • The student and parents are notified that the next time a rule is broken, the student will be expelled for a period of time to be determined.

LEVEL FOUR

  • Parents are called and informed of the reason and the duration of the student’s dismissal.
  • The dismissal is enforced.
  • The student is given work to do on the day(s) of dismissal.

All adults who work at Ecole Active are responsible for the implementation of the levels of sanctions.

Nota Bene: Regardless of the student’s level of sanction, in case of non-compliance involving endangerment to oneself or others, an emergency sanction will be applied. Parents may be notified.
At the beginning of each school year, the students (re)acquaint themselves with the documents which form the explicit framework of social regulation at Ecole Active. The content and implications of these texts are presented and discussed in class, but also within the family where they are read and signed by the child and his/her parents.

REGULATORY BODIES

  • The class council is a weekly session set up in each class. It is a place for each student to talk about his or her positive and more challenging experiences at school, his or her projects and any relationship problems.
  • The school council is a body that meets eight times a year and includes elected class representative and a staff delegate.

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT
If the student does not wish to express him/herself temporarily in a class council meeting, one-on-one listening between adults and students is prioritised. This one-time assistance gives the student an additional, more confidential way to express his or her concerns and questions. They can be sure that they will be listened to without judgment.
Students can also ask for help from their sponsors. Indeed, upon arrival at Ecole Active, each new student is sponsored by an older peer. The mentors are committed to helping the sponsored student integrate into the school.