Policies and Procedures

Government funding for all students is based upon an audit process that requires individual students to attend more than 90% of the school program. The program includes regular school days, compulsory sport carnivals, camps and excursions. Parents are required to inform the College of every absence and provide reasonable explanations for the absence. The following examples are not accepted by the government as a reasonable excuse for absence:

• Participating in a holiday the duration of which will be more than one whole week of the school term.
• Undertaking leisure/recreational activities during school hours (ie. Shopping, camping, fishing, visiting friends).

Please keep in mind that this applies to a total of 10% or more absences which might be accumulated throughout the year. Parents are required to formally apply to the Principal in writing, in order to take students out of the school program during term time. Requests should be made with due consideration of time required for the supply of educational programs to the student should permission be granted.

If a student does not receive funding due to unreasonable absences, parents may be liable to the College for the lost funding which equates to the same fees

Risk minimisation for onsite school sporting events:

• Staff must know where the adrenaline autoinjector is located and how to access if it required.
• For sporting events, it is appropriate to take the student’s adrenaline autoinjector to the oval. If the weather is warm, the autoinjector should be stored in a cooler to protect it from the heat
• Staff should avoid using food in activities or games, including rewards.

Risk minimisation for excursions:

• The student’s adrenaline autoinjector, ASCIA Action Plan and means of contacting emergency assistance must be taken on all field trips/excursions.
• One or more staff members who have been trained in the recognition of anaphylaxis and the administration of the adrenaline autoinjector should accompany the student on field trips or excursions.  All staff present during the field trip or excursion need to be aware if there is a student at risk of anaphylaxis.

Risk minimisation for camps, tours and trips:

• The student’s adrenaline autoinjector and ASCIA Action Plan and a mobile phone must be taken on camp.
• A team of staff who have been trained in the recognition of anaphylaxis and the administration of the adrenaline autoinjector should accompany the student on camp.  However, all staff present need to be aware if there is a student at risk of anaphylaxis.
• The camp/tour/trip leader must be aware of what local emergency services are in the area and how to access them.
• The adrenaline autoinjector should remain close to the student at risk of anaphylaxis and staff must be aware of its location at all times

Reference

Adapted from: Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy

The assessment policy has been developed to provide guidelines to staff and students when faced with issues such as late assignments, student absence from tests, late entry into a course etc. The Policy cannot cover every possible circumstance and the classroom teacher, Head of Learning Area, Head of Senior School, and Dean of Studies may need to rule on such cases.

In all cases it is important that students and parents are clearly aware of the issue and the action taken. It is too late at report time to be sorting out assessment matters if the problems were not clearly communicated during the term.

The following guidelines have been developed so that students, parents, and teachers are aware of their responsibilities in the assessment process. Students are to complete the prescribed work requirements of each subject by the due date. Teachers are to ensure that the assessment process is fair, comprehensive, valid and explicit.

Transferring Subjects
Transferring into a course after the year has commenced will only be permitted after approval from the Dean of Studies. The teacher will make the student aware of any assessment(s) that have been missed and make plans to meet all requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that required assessment(s) are completed.

Missing Assessments
If a student misses an assessment due to a verifiable illness the assessment will be administered as soon as practical upon the student’s return to classes.

A student who misses an assessment due to illness (especially in Years 11 and 12) may be required to provide a doctor’s certificate to verify this illness. When a student returns to the College following any absence, it is the student’s responsibility to find out about missed work, assessments etc. It is not acceptable for a student to use the excuse that they were absent when a piece of work was assigned.

Overdue Assignments
The day and date on which an assignment is due is clearly communicated by the teacher to the students at the time of setting the assignment and should be recorded in the Student Diary.

A student who submits an assignment after the due date, without a valid excuse, will not be marked on the same basis as a student who has submitted the assignment on time; in fairness to the latter. Overdue assignments will only be accepted two days after the due date with 20% of the mark received deducted as a penalty for late submission.

Non-submission of an assignment is not satisfactory and will not be tolerated unless there are exceptional circumstances. After the grace period students will be required to attend in-school suspension with the Head of Learning Area (HOLA) until the set work is complete. There may be a further mark’s penalty as decided by the HOLA depending on the type and extent of the task in question.

Cheating
Cheating in assessments is very serious and, at the discretion of the Head of Learning Area, the student will be penalised with a lower mark.

Plagiarism
Assignments or other work that is not the student’s own work, but is presented as such, will not be accepted. The student will be required to resubmit the work or complete an alternative assignment which may incur a marks penalty.

Students with Special Needs
It is recognised that some students may have temporary or permanent special needs when it comes to assessments, especially tests and exams.

For example, tests may need to be printed on coloured paper to assist some visual problems. Such requests for consideration should be given in writing to the Dean of Studies. Extra working time for tests and exams may be given to students with documented special needs.

Asthma affects 1:4 primary school children, 1:7 teenagers and 1:10 adults in Australia and the symptoms of an asthma attack can range from coughing, a soft wheeze and minor difficulty in breathing through to gasping for breath and being pale and sweaty with blue lips.

Asthma is a common cause of school absenteeism amongst children. It is essential that the College has knowledge of all children in the school with asthma and health care procedures in place to deal with an asthma attack.

Where to go for further information: The Asthma Foundation of WA can be contacted on (08) 9481 1234 or on their website www.asthmawa.org.au.

Student Asthma Records The parent/guardian of every student in the College with asthma will be asked to fill out a Student Asthma Record Form obtainable from Student Services each year. Parents are responsible for updating this documentation each year or sooner if their child’s asthma changes significantly. Parents should ensure their child has an adequate supply of the appropriate asthma medication at school.

The Student Asthma Record needs to include information on the student’s usual asthma medical procedure (medication taken on a regular basis when the student is ‘well’ or as pre-medication prior to exercise). The plan should provide details of the student’s symptoms, triggers and medication requirements, i.e. name of medication/s, method (e.g., puffer and spacer, turbohaler, tablets, syrup, discs), when and how much to take.

Asthma Medical Emergency Plan In the event of an attack, the Student’s Asthma Record Plan will be followed.

If there is little or no improvement, an ambulance will be called. If the attack is severe, the student’s parents will be contacted.

The College adheres to an explicit discipline policy in order to provide consistency, clarity and safety for all members of the community, including students, parents and teachers. 

The policy aims to reflect the realities that:

• There are natural and legal consequences for misbehaviour.
• Authority and discipline exist for the good of all those in the community, Romans 13:1-8.
• Discipline applied is a form of justice, desired by God, Proverbs 21:3, not only to correct those who misbehave, but also to justify those who do what is right and also to warn others, 1 Timothy 5:20.
• Discipline aims to restore relationships.

There are times when the behaviour of individuals is not only harmful to themselves but to others in the community and in some cases the community itself.  If behaviour remains persistently uncorrected, a removal from the community may be necessary, 1Corinthians 5; Matthew 18:17.

 3.      Restore the Individual

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

God, creates, knows and saves individuals.  The College Discipline Policy acknowledges the complexity and nuances of individual contexts.  Discipline at SCC recognises that:

• The purpose of discipline is restoration, Luke 17:3,4.
• Discipline is not pleasant at the time, but painful, later producing a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it, Hebrews 12:1.
• Discipline should be flexible, distinguishing between circumstances and motivations, Luke 12:48.
• An explicit policy with firm consequences provides teachers with the opportunity to bless and be blessed by being merciful, Matthew 5:7.

Discipline is not opposed to love, but an expression of love, Proverbs 13:24, necessary for the health of the individual and the community as a whole, and necessary if God is to be honoured.

Behaviour Management 

The Biblical Framework developed by core members of staff and based on the College’s Seven Pillars, underpin the Behaviour Management document. 

Consequences will be determined by the classroom teacher and overseen by the Deputy Head of Middle School (DHoMS) and the Deans of Year. All consequences will be determined on a case-by-case basis underpinned by relationship and rapport. Most disciplinary issues will be handled by the classroom teacher and referred to the Head of Learning Area (HOLA) and/or the Deans, followed by the DHoMS when required or noted on SEQTA. If issues continue to remain unresolved, then the Executive team will assist. The College Principal will oversee permanent exclusion. 

Classroom discipline 

The classroom discipline is based on a modified Canter method framed with the Dr Kevin Knight (New Zealand Graduate School of Education) 8 People: A Model for Appraisal and Mentoring (Captain and Relationship Builder) document. Please note that a teacher may send a student out of class immediately, depending on the situation. 

1st Disruption: The individual staff member makes the student aware of poor behaviour, providing a warning and a reminder of College rules. 

2nd Disruption: Teacher makes the student aware of second warning and teaching strategies are modified by the teacher 

3rd Disruption: Student is given time to ‘cool off’. Teacher to talk with student within five minutes of the respite period and welcome the student to take part back in the classroom. 

4th Disruption: Student is exited to either an arranged buddy class (if buddy class is unavailable then student can be sent to Student Services). Students are required to fill in reflection worksheet when exited and before entering the next lesson find time to speak with the teacher to be welcomed back into that teacher’s classroom. 

Exit 

When a student reaches the 4th disruption and is exited from the classroom for the entire period they are required to fill in the Reflection Worksheet online (https://form.jotform.co/simonbergin/reflections-worksheet). To be accepted back into the classroom students must make time before school, recess time, lunchtime or after school to find the teacher and discuss the issue. The teacher will at that stage welcome the student back to class. If a student comes back to class without the discussion with the teacher, the teacher can send that student to Student Services. Students will be required to catch up on missed work in their own time. 

Levels 

The following levels will be issued by the DHoMS and based on discussion with the teacher, the student, HOLA and the parents. 

Affirming: 

A1 Teacher Affirmation - Entered on SEQTA and email to parents 

A2 Community Affirmation - Entered on SEQTA and Parent formal letter to parents 

A3 Team Affirmation - Award presented at assembly 

A4 Executive Affirmation - Award presented by principal at College formal assembly 

A5 College Colour Affirmation - College Colour presented at assembly 

Rebuilding: 

R1 In Class Rebuilding Reflection - Worksheet to be completed, parent contact 

R2 Teacher Rebuilding - Teacher to implement consequence, parent contacted 

R3 Dean of Year/HOLA - Dean/HOLA to implement consequence, support the teacher, parent contacted 

R4 DHOMS Rebuilding - DHOM to implement plan, support teacher and Dean, parents contacted 

R5 Executive Rebuilding - Executive discretion 

Parent involvement 

Parents will be made aware at each level of the affirming and rebuilding stages. Parent support and discussion is vital and encouraged. Behavioural issues can be dealt with most effectively when students, staff and parents work together on the resolution. Phone calls, letters or interviews are a key part of the College’s early intervention approach to behaviour management. 

College Colours 

College Colours are awarded to students who consistently achieve excellence underpinned by the College values in one of the following areas: 

• Cultural 
• Sporting 
• Academic 
• Service 

College Colours are awarded at the discretion of the College team members responsible via the Deputy Principal. 

Infringements 

Classroom teachers are given the freedom to manage their classrooms with their own professional judgment. However, the steps of the classroom discipline model will be followed. Movement through the levels can automatically occur based on the severity of the incident. 

Middle School Protocol 

At the start of lessons: 

1. Students line up outside the room after a break or when changing classrooms 

2. Informal check of uniform as students line up. 

3. Students enter the classroom when invited to do so by the teacher. 

4. Students stand behind their desks or learning spaces and place their equipment on their desk (or similar for practical subjects). 

5. The teacher formally greets the class and they return the greeting. 

6. The teacher invites the students to sit. 

7. The teacher writes the learning outcomes on the board for that particular lesson and draws the students’ attention to them. The learning outcome is student driven rather than teacher driven. 

8. The teacher marks the roll and students prepare their equipment. 

At the end of lessons: 

1. The teacher writes the homework on the board or electronically, and students record it in their organisers. The teacher checks that students have recorded homework and the due date. 

2. Some reference to the learning outcome is made as a form of formative assessment – this may be as simple as thumbs up/down for achieving the outcome. 

3. At the teacher’s invitation the students pack up and stand behind their desks. 

4. The teacher greets class and dismisses them. As students leave the class, s/he may wish to check entries in organisers as they leave the class, express gratitude for contributions, or effort, shake hands or other way of building rapport with students. 

Other: Learning should be the focus of all activity in Middle School. Thus, except in emergencies, students should not be outside the room/designated learning space without direct adult supervision. This means: 

• Students may not get a drink in class time; they are to bring a water bottle (individual teachers can manage this as appropriate to their class). The bottles may not be refilled during class time. 
• Students who need to go to sickbay or the toilets should be accompanied by another student. Time absent should be monitored closely. 
• Students should bring all required equipment for each block of two lessons; therefore access to their bags in class time or between lessons is not necessary. Having spare equipment, textbooks, and electronic version of texts etc. with them will help alleviate the need for students to exit the room/learning space. 
• When a class occurs in the same room and the next teacher is not there at the beginning of a class, the students are to exit the classroom. 

The main responsibilities of a Mentor Group teacher 

Knowing the Student 

Our primary role is to know our students and build positive relationships. To enable us to do this we need to know about each student, including his or her life journey, goals, family, interests, spiritual development, academic results and reports. 

Responsibilities include: 

• reading students’ IEPs 
• writing individualised report comments in Semester 2 
• recognising/rewarding participation in House Carnivals, co-curricular events and other activities 
• acknowledging student achievements to leadership. 

Assemblies 

Students will sit in their MG group during assembly. As assemblies are formal occasions student presentation and behaviour must reflect this. Students are expected to listen attentively to presenters, performers and notices. 

The MG teacher is required to: 

• ensure student uniforms are correct 
• ensure students are seated in their designated area 
• actively supervise students in their MG class, intervening when required 
• sit with/alongside their MG class 
• ensure that chairs are returned to their MG room. 

Communication 

To achieve our aims of developing excellence in pastoral care, regular and effective communication is required. Further to this, it is vital that all necessary correspondence be documented on the College database, SEQTA. The MG teacher should be the primary point of contact for parents, guardians and their MG students. 

Mentoring 

Through mentoring, teachers have the opportunity to inspire, motivate, challenge, encourage and educate our youth on their journey of transition to adulthood. Our hope and passion should be to see the potential of each and every young man and woman and acknowledge that they have the ability to make a positive contribution within our communities, and one day make their mark upon our world. 

Young people need significant others in their lives to guide, support and inspire them. Through mentorship we can impact our students to become life long learners. Mentoring requires teachers to know the student and take an interest in their lives. It provides for teachers the opportunity to model behaviour and to teach strategies, emotional intelligence, resilience and socialisation that students can take into their classes throughout the day. 

MG Class Program 

We are developing a program, but with flexible delivery. The attendance, checking of uniform and reading of Daily Notices are requirements of daily MG practices. 

During MG time, the teacher should: 

• build strong, positive relationships with students through class based activities 
• deliver regular devotions and equip students with the confidence and skills to also deliver devotions 
• make relevant entries on SEQTA 
• positively engage, train, challenge, inspire, discipline and love the students 
• provide interactive activities, games, debates and discussions, especially to foster relationships between year groups 
• build House spirit lead by the House Coordinator 
• provide a safe environment that encourages students to be able to express and discuss their views within a Christian context. 

Roll Marking 

Rolls are a legal requirement that must be completed during MG time. It is vital that the roll is marked accurately. Patterns of lateness and absences should be noted by the MG teachers and action taken. 

If patterns of lateness or absence occur, actions can include: 

• discussion with the student 
• email or phone call home to the primary caregiver 
• involve Dean of Year or Deputy Head of Middle School if the pattern continues 
• review students IEP’s where appropriate. All data is to be recorded on SEQTA. 

Uniform 

Students are required to be in full College uniform each day. College uniform is outlined on the College website. 

If a students uniform cannot be rectified on the spot, the student is to be sent to the Dean of Year or DHOMS. 

Click here to download our Bullying and Harassment Policy

Swan Christian College is committed to providing a safe environment for all our students, staff and broader community. When concerns about drugs use arise in the College community, we will follow the steps set out in the Policy to determine what actions are appropriate to maintain a safe environment. The Drug Policy reflects the desire for a learning environment for all students that is free of prohibited, non-medical drugs and upholds our commitment to Spirituality, Respect, Integrity and Excellence, and in the way that we treat each other and ourselves.

This policy seeks to support and maintain a health promoting school environment in which the welfare of all school community members is paramount, identify the role of Swan Christian College in the prevention of drug related problems and document the College's agreed position on, and accepted procedures for dealing with, drug related incidents and problems. The full policy can be downloaded here.

Rationale

At Swan Christian College we encourage all students to participate fully in the College’s academic, co-curricular, spiritual and pastoral programs. These programs are designed to explore God’s world in its many dimensions. In the process, students will have the opportunity to recognise and develop their gifts so that they will be equipped for lives of faithful service under the Lordship of Christ. We believe that it is a privilege to participate fully in the College’s programs and with this privilege comes responsibilities. A student who fulfils these responsibilities will maintain their enrolment at Swan Christian College in ‘Good Standing’.

Student responsibilities to remain in good standing:

Attendance - students are expected to attend school every day unless they are sick or have the Principal’s permission to be absent. This includes all timetabled classes, camps. sports carnivals and Awards Night. Any student with greater than ten day’s absence in a calendar year is considered at risk.

Attitude - students are expected to support the values and ethos of the College.

Behaviour - students are expected to exhibit the College’s Code of Behaviour at all times.

Punctuality - students are expected to arrive on time to school and for each of their classes

Uniform - a student’s uniform is expected to be exemplary.

Work ethic - students are expected to regularly complete homework, submit assignments on time, revise work for tests and catch up on work missed during an absence.

Consequences of not being in good standing:

If a student is not in Good Standing, parents will be informed and discussions held between the parents, the student, and the relevant College staff so that the problem can be rectified as quickly as possible. Following these discussions a student who is not in Good Standing will be placed on a Behavioural Contract for a specific period of time. The correct fulfilment of this contact is essential for the student to be restored to Good Standing.

Ultimately, if the problem cannot be rectified the student may not be able to progress to the next year level, may be placed on Provisional Enrolment or may have their enrolment at the College withdrawn.

Swan Christian College encourages the responsible use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology). Access to computer facilities and the internet is conditional on staff and students complying with this policy. The following agreement applies to each student’s desktop every login:

ICT Users Agreement (Students)

• If I bring my own device to school I recognise that the same conditions of use apply as if I was using a College supplied device.
• I recognise that in order to use my own device at school I need to provide a MAC address to gain access to the College network.
• I will only store data that is educational and directly related to my school work on the network.
• I will only access the internet under the direction of a teacher.
• I will not access or bring inappropriate material into the College. Inappropriate’ means does not comply with the College’s standards (moral, ethical or others).
• I will not send abusive, threatening or clearly unwanted messages to others.
• I will not access MP3, iPods,email, chat or other services without permission from my teacher.
• I will not break laws by copying and/or sending someone else’s work.
• All internet research submitted must be accompanied by a reference list showing sources used (URL’s, books, articles etc).
• All removable or portable media storage devices must be submitted for inspection by a teacher, when requested.
• I will not disclose personal information about myself or anyone else, over the internet or other social networking sites.
• I will not upload any material at any time to the internet (e.g. My Space, YouTube, Facebook etc) that contains the Swan Christian College name, logo or student uniform or identifies Swan Christian College in any way, unless signed approval has been given directly by the Principal.
• Electronic mail is monitored and must be used for educational purposes.
• Swan Christian College will not accept responsibility for data loss or damage when connected to the College network.
• Students will take responsibility for cost of photocopying personal documents when required.

Actions not in accordance with ‘Swan Christian College Guidelines and Acceptable Use Policy’ may result in serious consequences including:

• Confiscation of storage media (e.g. memory stick, external hard drives, iPod, MP3 player or any other device) which may be returned after deletion or be impounded.
• Cancellation of user access account for a period of time.
• Repayment of costs incurred to the College for materials, services or equipment required to rectify damage, through misuse of systems.
• Jeopardise enrolment with Swan Christian College.
• Notifying police authorities where appropriate.

The Information Privacy and Security Policy requires schools to gain parental/ guardian permission before using visual images of students outside the school environment.

Swan Christian College frequently uses images/names of students to recognise Swan Christian College excellent achievements, inform parents and the local community of College matters, publicise events and promote the College. Throughout the year students’ photographs, digital images and names are used in a number of different publications for various reasons, such as:

• student portfolios
• College E-news
• College promotional material
• College website
• external educational/promotional websites
• College publications e.g. Year Book
• local newspapers/magazines
• media publications e.g. videos/DVDs.
NB: This list is not exhaustive.

Parents are, of course, at liberty to withdraw their consent by informing the College in writing. Reasons why parents may choose to withdraw permission include cultural sensitivities or perhaps custody related issues. Please contact the College if you wish to withdraw consent.

Please ensure you are familiar with the Uniform Guide and refer to it whenever purchasing uniform items. The Uniform Guide can be downloaded here.

All parents and students should be aware of our Mobile Phone Policy and we request that parents reinforce it with their children. 

The College recognises that mobile phones are a valid and important communication tool and a part of contemporary society. The College accepts that parents give their children phones to protect them from everyday risks involving personal security and safety. There is also an increasing concern about children travelling alone on public transport or commuting long distances to school. It is acknowledged that providing a child with a mobile phone gives parents reassurance that they can contact their child if they need to speak to them urgently. While at school students can be contacted through student services, likewise a phone is available in Student Services if a student needs to contact their parents/guardian.

To download the full mobile phone policy for Middle and Senior School, the Trade Training Centre and Junior School please click here. 

The STTC (Swan Trade Training Centre) provides an authentic industry learning experience. Many workplaces have developed an alcohol and drugs in the workplace policy, which is a recommendation of WorkSafe WA. Increasingly, employers are screening their employees for the use of illicit drugs and alcohol.

STTC believes that the use of illicit drugs and alcohol can:
• be detrimental to the physical and mental health of students
• seriously interfere with the academic, social and competitive performance of students
• be extremely dangerous to the student’s classmates and themselves through the unsafe operation of complex, heavy and hazardous equipment
• create an unfair and damaging stigma for those students who do not use and abuse drugs.

As a result of the STTC’s genuine concern for the safety and welfare of each student all students enrolled in a STTC course will participate in a drug and alcohol screening program.