Discipline Procedure

Taking Responsibility: Perspective on Behavior

The staff of LCS has worked hard to develop a discipline procedure based on the following rationale and the work we’ve done over the last few years. We have drawn on work with the Responsive Classroom model which emphasizes discipline as learning, the creation of community, problem-solving, and logical consequences. From the book Restitution by Diane Chelsom Gossen we borrowed the idea of restitution, paying back for a wrong committed by asking “How can I make it better?” “What will I do to fix it?” We also drew on the work we’ve begun with Vicki Hemenway of Shared Ventures. Her work emphasizes ultimate responsibility for one’s own choices and actions. We are indebted to the Robinson School in Starksboro for providing the detailed model on which we based our new discipline procedure.

We want the Lincoln Community School to be a special place where everyone, young and old, comes together to work and learn in an atmosphere of mutual respect. We believe that everyone learns best in a safe environment. We believe that a climate of dignity and respect encourages everyone to work hard, take positive risks, support others, and function as productive citizens.

We understand that the “rules” for behavior in the larger society are changing rapidly and that these changes sometimes do not support the kind of climate that we want to maintain at the Lincoln Community School . One of our tasks is to help our students understand time and place; that a certain behavior may be appropriate in one setting and not appropriate in another. It is particularly important that all of us work hard to ensure that the atmosphere at our school is one of respect, personal responsibility, and dignity. Furthermore, we understand that it is adults who have the inherent responsibility to model these essential attributes.

Our students continue to take more responsibility for their actions and behaviors and develop greater internal motivation. As adults, we continue to have a vital role in this process. We offer children opportunities for growth and self-determination as well as boundaries and guidance for their participation within our school community.

We want our school to be a safe and respectful place in which we insist that all of our students learn to use their minds well. One critical piece in achieving this goal is for us to provide clear steps when a misbehavior or serious infraction occurs so that students may recognize and take responsibility for their actions and be available to fully engage in their learning.

Lincoln Community School’s New Discipline Procedure

Teachers spent much time reviewing and modeling the new discipline procedure. It will be fully implemented on Monday, October 6. It has been the experience of the Robinson School that many kids moved through these steps quickly when the system was first implemented. This seems a natural response to a more structured procedure as students discover new boundaries. As students become familiar with the process, most tend to not pass steps one and two.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to talk with a teacher or with Tory Riley, co-principal.

Step One

1^st misbehavior within block (math, music, lunch, recess, reading, etc.):

One Reminder

An adult will remind the child about the misbehavior.

Step Two

2^nd misbehavior within block:

Thinking Chair for up to 5 minutes

Every room in the building has a thinking chair where a child is encouraged to reflect on their actions and return to the activity when ready.

Step Three

3^rd misbehavior within block:

Buddy Room for up to 5 minutes

Each room has a buddy room, a neutral place where the student can reflect further away from the site of the misbehavior.

Step Four

4^th misbehavior within learning block:

Student meets with principal

The child and principal write a specific plan for next steps, including restitution.

Step Five

2^nd time to office for misbehaviors in same week

Physical aggression with intent to harm; verbal abuse toward adults; leaving the building or property.

Meeting with student, parent(s) or guardian, teacher, principal

The student will stay in the office until a parent can come or the end of the day, which ever comes first.

A re-entry meeting will be held before the student may participate in class again.