Disciplinary Practices & Consequences

Disciplinary Practices and Consequences

Discipline is a community responsibility, and all faculty and staff contribute to maintaining standards for student conduct. However, it is the classroom teacher who plays the most important role in school-wide discipline as students spend most of their time in the classroom.

Teachers make clear their academic and behavioral expectations for their students, and teachers hold students accountable for these expectations using the best practices of classroom management. The relationship the teacher develops with each student is critical for maintaining discipline in the classroom.

Teachers are expected to use their best judgment when working with students. Issues of classroom management for example, socializing in class, tardiness, and disrespect to peers or teachers, may be handled by teachers at their discretion. In such cases where the student has not responded to the teacher’s corrective measures, or the student differs upon the justifiability of those corrective measures, the teacher may refer the student to the Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head. If an Overlake student commits an infraction or is involved in a disciplinary matter, it is encouraged that they come forward and talk to an administrator, coach, teacher, or staff member. When a student comes forward, tells the truth, takes accountability, and engages in restorative plans, these actions are considered when deliberating the appropriate consequences. While a voluntary confession in accordance with the truth will not excuse a student from receiving consequences for their behavior, it is the responsible and appropriate course of action that is aligned with our mission and values.

Application of Disciplinary Policies to off-campus, non-school activities

Overlake’s disciplinary practices do not normally extend to off-campus, non-school sponsored activities*. However, the school does have a vested interest in the well-being of its students and community. The school reserves the right to inform parents or law enforcement authorities if the school has knowledge of illegal actions by an Overlake student. Should illegal behavior be deemed to have occurred, the school may make a rare decision to suspend its normal disciplinary process and apply consequences up to and including suspension or expulsion. Such exceptions are at the discretion of the Head of School. Overlake disciplinary practices do apply to on-campus activities or off-campus activities when part of an organized Overlake group. This includes transportation from Overlake to the event and back to campus.

*Off-campus, non-school sponsored activities refer to those activities that occur outside of school hours, not on the physical campus and/or occur without the presence of Overlake faculty/staff as supervisors.

Infractions

Any violation of the school’s expected behavior for students at school and during school activities is an infraction. Some infractions may be considered more or less significant than others . Yet all are still considered unacceptable by members of the school community. Examples of infractions include, but are not limited to, the following: ·

Disrespect toward persons or property
Inappropriate clothing
Leaving campus without permission
Cutting a class
Driving recklessly to, from, or on campus or at a school activity
Being disruptive in the classroom, library, assembly, or any other campus activity
Lying, deceit, or any other dishonest behavior
Poor sportsmanship
Profanity
Minor cheating or plagiarism

Significant Infractions

There are certain fundamental practices and expectations at Overlake that, when violated, are considered significant infractions. These infractions are very serious. and may trigger review processes that occur in steps outside our typical practices. For example, if a student is believed to have engaged in a significant infraction, they may be asked to take a leave of absence from school while the situation is reviewed. The following are examples of significant Infractions (the list is not all-inclusive):

Violation of the school’s Health & Safety policies.
Violation of the school’s Harmful Substances Policy
Harassment & bullying
Verbal, physical or sexual harassment or abuse of a student by a (or) peer(s). This includes interactions that are in person, online or via phone. Posting videos/photos of peers without their consent to do harm is considered harassment.
Threats or references to school violence, particularly school shootings.
Pervasive abusive language or abusive language that is aimed at another member of the community.
Major cheating or plagiarism
Willful destruction of property belonging to Overlake, its personnel or another student
Stealing
Possession or use of any kind of weapons on campus

All Title 9A RCW (Revised Code of Washington) Criminal Codes will be enforced and applied at The Overlake School.

If a student engages in an illegal activity, the school may report the activity to law enforcement.

Possible Consequences for Infractions

It is impossible to list all possible consequences for behavioral infractions. Below we provide a list of consequences that have been implemented in the past. In each individual case, the Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head in collaboration with the Student Review Board considers the individual student and the Overlake community. In all cases, Overlake strives to incorporate transparency, precedents that have been set, and principles of “Restorative Justice” into the decision-making process.

In Upper School, disciplinary reviews involve the Assistant Upper School Head, who will determine whether or not that situation will be referred to the Student Review Board. In the case of significant infractions, the Assistant Upper School Head will refer those cases to the Student Review Board in collaboration with administration that may include the Head of Upper School or Head of School.

For situations of alleged harassment, the Assistant Upper School Head will determine if this kind of infraction will be referred to the Student Review Board or will be handled by the administration, given the sensitive nature of the issues involved, including the potential reluctance for students to raise concerns about the conduct of fellow students.

For infractions that occur outside of the classroom, each faculty or staff member present is responsible for ensuring that the student is addressed and then refers their observations to the appropriate administrator.

Students who violate the behavioral expectations repeatedly will be subject to increasingly significant consequences. If a consequence for a school disciplinary issue conflicts with academics or co-curricular commitments including an athletic practice or game, the consequence takes priority.

The Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head may assign detentions or non-graduation-requirement service hours for various violations of classroom or school practices or expectations:

Mandatory Community Service

After-school community service – to be served when convenient for the school: students schedules are not considered when scheduling mandatory community service.

All-day mandatory community service may be given for more serious infractions. The student will spend the day at school under the auspices of an adult and will work on class assignments. Teachers may visit the student to give guidance in the work. The student will bring his or her own lunch and will not be allowed to socialize with other students for the duration of the detention. Unless approved, they will not be allowed the use of cell phones, computers, or any other electronic devices while serving all-day detention. In addition, the student may not participate in any co-curricular activities for the duration of the all-day detention, including the afternoon or evening of the day(s) of the detention.

If a student fails to appear for assigned mandatory community service, a second service assignment is expected.

Counseling

In some situations, the Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head may require an initial meeting with a school counselor. Further sessions, including goals, length, and frequency of these meetings are determined by the counselor, and administrators with a focus on what is best for the student.

Disciplinary Status

A student’s history of behavioral infractions determines their disciplinary status. There are two different disciplinary statuses that can be assigned when infractions occur, Disciplinary Warning or Disciplinary Probation.

Click on a disciplinary status to learn more:

Students will incur a Disciplinary Warning for committing a major infraction or a pattern of minor infractions. A Disciplinary Warning for minor infractions may be assigned by the Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head for a consistent pattern of poor behavior. If a student on Disciplinary Warning incurs an additional behavioral infraction, they will receive a second Disciplinary Warning. Students who receive a second Disciplinary Warning during their career in the upper school may be placed on Disciplinary Probation if their subsequent behavior does not improve. Students who have received their first Disciplinary Warning may be placed on Disciplinary Probation if their subsequent behavior is deemed egregious enough to supersede a second warning.

The school’s objective in any disciplinary action is to provide an opportunity for the student to experience growth, learning, and increased responsibility. Thus, the student who incurs a Disciplinary Warning may take steps to restore their good standing with the school.

Students who receive a Disciplinary Warning may expunge this status from their student file. This status may be expunged one-year after notification of The Disciplinary Warning if they file an “education plan” within 30 days after notification. (See procedure below.)

Procedure to have disciplinary warning expunged from record

A Disciplinary Warning can be expunged from the student’s record one calendar year after the date the warning was given if the student presents an educational plan to the Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head within 30 days of notification of the Disciplinary Warning; the plan consists of the following elements:

the student proposes an educational plan with a specific timeline that offers restitution for the infraction that was committed as well as tangible steps aimed at providing additional learning through experience;
the student takes full responsibility for their actions. Whether or not this occurs is at the sole discretion of the school.

Next Steps:

Student will submit the plan to the Middle School Head or Student Review Board for review, and if accepted move on to completing the items in the plan.

After Plan has been Completed:

In writing, the student reflects on how the experience has been a learning experience;
In writing, the student reflects on how he/she has responded to this challenging situation and how this response will bring about more positive outcomes.
In writing, the student comments on how they will be able to contribute to the community differently in the future.

Final Steps:

When the student has completed the above steps and has finished their written reflection, they will submit it to the Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head.
For upper school students, the Assistant Upper School Head will review the report and then bring it to the Student Review Board.
The Student Review Board will recommend that the disciplinary warning be expunged or not based off of the quality of the report and follow through on the educational plan, and the Assistant Upper School Head will make the final decision and communicate that decision to the student and parents.
If the warning is expunged, it will no longer be a part of a student’s behavioral record.

It should be noted that the decision made by the Middle School Head or Assistant Upper School Head at the end of this process is final and there is not an appeal process. If the student chooses not to address the Disciplinary Warning with such an educational plan, the Disciplinary Warning will remain in the student’s file for the remainder of their Overlake career. Only a first or second warning can be expunged. If an educational plan has been filed and further behavioral infractions occur, severe enough to warrant a second Disciplinary Warning, then the educational plan will be voided. At that time, if the student wishes to start the expunging process over again in relation to the second incident, they are free to do so following the same process.

Disciplinary Probation is the most serious disciplinary status that Overlake students can be placed on. This status represents a situation where any further behavioral incidents could result in expulsion from Overlake. Below are the ways that a student can be put on Disciplinary Probation:

A student commits an infraction after already having been assigned two disciplinary warnings.
A student commits one major infraction that is egregious in nature and warrants being put on Disciplinary Probation immediately.
A student incurs one disciplinary warning and then commits an infraction that is serious enough to warrant skipping a second warning and going straight to Disciplinary Probation status.

Procedure to have disciplinary probation expunged from record

A Disciplinary Probation may be expunged from a student’s record following the same procedure to expunge a Disciplinary Warning. If a student successfully expunges a Disciplinary Probation status, they are still considered to have two Disciplinary Warnings, so any future infraction would result in the student being placed once again on Disciplinary Probation.

In the Upper School, Disciplinary Probation is noted on the student’s permanent record and, depending on the nature of questions asked or information requested, may be disclosed to colleges on the School Report form on the student’s application. (See Disclosure Policy below). Students placed on Disciplinary Probation may be restricted from participation in co-curricular activities at the discretion of the Assistant Upper School Head.

Suspension is a possible consequence if a student commits a Major Infraction or exhibits a pattern of violating behavioral expectations. Suspension is also noted on the student’s permanent record and, depending on the nature of questions asked or information requested, may be disclosed to colleges on the School Report form on the student’s application. (See Disclosure Policy below).

In-house suspension: In-house suspension means that the student will spend the day in isolation at school under the auspices of an adult. The student will work on class assignments, and teachers may visit the student to give guidance in the work. The student will bring his or her own lunch and will not be allowed to socialize with other students for the duration of the suspension. Unless approved s/he will not be allowed the use of cell phones, computers, or any other electronic devices while serving suspension. In addition, the student may not participate in any co-curricular activities for the duration of the suspension, including the afternoon or evening of the day(s) of the suspension.

Off-campus suspension: Off-campus suspension means that the student may not be on campus or attend any school-related events for the duration of the suspension. Off-campus suspension for students may have an impact on their academics. Class work missed during a suspension cannot be made up. This includes daily homework, daily quizzes, or tests missed during the suspension. Any work that was assigned before the suspension may be completed during the suspension. This includes long-term projects, research papers, and final exams. To prepare for assignments or tests that occur after the suspension has been served, students will be responsible for learning on their own any of the material they missed during the suspension.

Expulsion is a possible consequence for those situations in which a student exhibits a clear disregard for the behavioral expectations of The Overlake School community. This can be demonstrated by a continuous pattern of infractions, major or minor or it can be a single, egregious act that threatens or violates the community’s shared values, like bringing a weapon to school or distributing/selling drugs on campus. The Student Review Board may recommend expulsion to the Assistant Upper School Head, or the administration may determine without Student Review Board recommendation that a student no longer has the privilege of remaining within the community. The decision to expel a student rests solely with the Head of School.

Expulsion means the student will no longer be enrolled; they cannot complete coursework for the term but may receive partial credit for work completed up to the time of the expulsion, cannot attend or participate in any school activities, and cannot participate in commencement ceremonies or graduate from The Overlake School.

The notation “Expelled,” with the date of the expulsion, will be noted on the student’s transcript. Regardless of the timing of the expulsion, the family’s contractual obligation to complete tuition payments for the school year will remain in effect, according to the terms of the Enrollment Agreement.

A student who has been expelled from Overlake cannot reapply for admission.

Disclosure of Disciplinary Records to Colleges and Other Schools

Upon request, Overlake’s College Counseling Office submits student transcripts and Secondary School Reports directly to colleges for admission consideration. Letters of recommendation prepared for students by teachers and the college counselor are usually required as part of the student’s college application. The school submits these forms directly to the college. These recommendations are confidential and are not released to students or parents.

Colleges may consider a student’s disciplinary record as part of their admissions process. The Overlake School’s policy regarding disclosure of disciplinary records is that we will notify colleges that request such information only of infractions resulting in Disciplinary Probation, suspension, or expulsion from Overlake. This includes incidents that occur during the senior year after applications have been submitted. Students are advised to consult with the college counselor in such eventuality.

If a student withdraws from Overlake to avoid disciplinary action, we reserve the right to report the infraction to the colleges. We do not report disciplinary action that occurred at previous schools attended. We do not report academic warnings or probation to the colleges because that is an internal measure to assist students in improving their performance. That performance is reflected on their transcripts.

Communication

At the discretion of the Assistant Upper School Head/MS Head the community will be informed about the issues that come before the Student Review Board. The purpose of this communication is to educate the community about behavioral expectations and to be forthright about the processes with which these standards are upheld.

Teachers and advisors will be informed of any students who have received disciplinary consequences on a need-to-know basis.

Some colleges ask schools to disclose the criminal records of students. Overlake does not have access to these records; thus, the school will not report this kind of information to colleges.

Records Transfer from Middle School to Upper School

A student’s disciplinary status may follow a student from the Middle School to the Upper School for a specified period of time. This decision will be made by the Middle School Head in collaboration with the Assistant Upper School Head prior to the start of 9th grade. It should be noted that carrying discipline over from the Middle School to the Upper School is an exception. As a general rule, Middle School students that come into the Upper School start with a clean slate.