Policies

School Rules & Consequences
Assemblies
Attendance Procedures
Co-Curricular Activity Code
Course Evaluations
Early Dismissal & Lengthy Absences
In-school Computer Use
Lockers
Plagerism
Remedial Summer School
Timetable Requirements
School Dances
Student Parking
Visitors & Guests

School Rules

Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, in conjunction with the School Council, has established rules that students must follow and teachers must enforce.

The rules of the school are as follows:

Students must, upon entering the building, remove their hats, bandannas or any other non-religious head covering. Outerwear and hats or other non-religious head coverings are to be left in their lockers.
Electronic devices including radios, walkmans, MP3 players, etc are not to be visible or audible during class time.
The use of cellphones and all other communication devices is strongly prohibited in the school building. They are not to be visible on their person or audible.
Gambling of any kind is prohibited on school property.
Students must not ride bicycles, scooters, skateboards, or wear in-line skates on school property.
Clothing and jewellery with offensive language or design, chains and spikes are prohibited. Student clothing must be appropriate for a serious learning environment. Students may be sent home if clothing is deemed to be inappropriate.
Students must give their first and last name in a respectful manner when asked to do so by any staff member.
Students must go directly to the main office of the school upon being directed by a staff member to do so.
Fighting of any kind, including pushing, pulling, shoving and play-fighting is prohibited. Encouraging or promoting confrontation between or among others is prohibited.
Students must always use language and gestures that are respectful of others and appropriate to the school as a place of learning.
Harassment or intimidation of any form – including, but not limited to physical, racial, sexual, verbal or emotional – is prohibited.
Students must attend regularly and be punctual for all classes and assemblies.
If students have a spare, they must be in the cafeteria or library.
Students must remain standing still and quiet during the National Anthem and the morning reading. Students must remain silent during the morning announcements.
Food and drinks (except for bottled water) are not permitted in instructional areas.
Students must treat the property of both the Toronto District School Board and that of others, with respect. Students must show our neighbours respect by staying off their property.
Students who remain in the school outside of class time must be in a teacher supervised activity
All students are expected to follow the TDSB Code of Conduct policy.
Students may not smoke on school property, Ontario Act 2005
Students may not be in the possession of, or under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs

(Students contravening #1 – #5 above will have the prohibited item confiscated for one week and their parent/guardian will be notified. Repeated offenses will result in escalated consequences.)

(Students contravening #6 – #11 above will be referred to the office)

Consequences for Inappropriate Behaviour

The consequences imposed as a result of infractions of these rules are at the discretion of the Principal or her designate, but will vary according to the seriousness of the infraction. Consequences may include any combination of the following:

parental involvement
withdrawal from class(es)
interview with Principal or Vice-principal
loss of privileges
in-school suspension
suspension
performing services at the school
police involvement
recommendation for expulsion from the school

This Code of Conduct applies:

on school premises;
on field trips and other out-of-school activities that are part of the school program;
while traveling in a school bus that is owned by the board or that is under contract to the board; and
off school premises where the conduct has an impact on the safety, security or physical and mental well-being of any member of the school community.

Please review the Consequences of Inappropriate Student Behavior Charts elsewhere in your agenda.

Attendance Procedures

Notes for Absences

Absences must be explained. A dated note, signed by a parent or guardian, stating the period of time absent, must be shown to all subject section teachers. Leave the note with your last teacher for the day. In certain instances, parental phone calls to the school may substitute for the notes. Students 18 years or older may write their own notes and them directly to each teacher.

Sign-outs

To leave school before your classes are finished for the day, you must sign out at the Main Office. Under normal circumstances, a note is required. However, with office permission, signing out will be permitted and a note required upon your return.

Sign-ins

If you arrive at school after your first scheduled class or are returning from being excused earlier the same day, you must bring in a signed note explaining your lateness and then sign in at the main office.

School Policies and Regulations

Minimum Timetable Requirements

All students must take 4 courses each semester until they have accumulated a total of 22 credits. No student will be allowed to have fewer than 3 credits per semester on their timetable. Course changes will only be considered if a student has:

failed or does not have the pre-requisite
attended summer school
an incomplete timetable
changed post-secondary destination

Authorized changes will be completed by a guidance counselor, only if space in a class permits. Students may drop any course after the Marks Maintain date, which is five days after the mid-term report has been issued.

Assemblies

Assemblies are held so that students may experience important events: presentation of information and awards, recognition, promotion of school spirit and various student performances. Often, many hours of preparation go into producing an assembly. Students lean that audience behavior varies with the nature of the presentation; nonetheless, appropriate behavior is expected at all assemblies. Students attend assemblies under the supervision of their classroom teachers. School bags cannot be brought into assemblies.

In-school Computer Use

The Toronto District School Board is pleased to offer Internet and e-mail access to our students and teachers as educational tools. All network users are required to adhere to the Board’s policy, some of the key points being:

Students will show respect for other internet users – be polite – use appropriate language – insults, profanity, angry responses and disputes are not permitted,
Students will not display, print or save text or graphics which may be constructed to be obscene,
Students will not use the computer for non-educational purposes, such as “chatting” or playing games, and degrading or vandalizing the data of another user or the school’s equipment and resources, are also prohibited,
Students must respect copyright laws, (see staff for details)
Students will not reveal any personal information or that of friends or staff on the Internet. Notify the staff supervisor of any security or equipment problems immediately.
Students will notify a teacher of any security or equipment problems immediately

Visitors and Guests

All visitors must identify themselves and sign in at the office. Visitors who do not follow this procedure will be subject to prosecution under the Trespass to Property Act. Students must not invite non-Victoria Park students to meet them at school. Students are expected to report any suspicious individuals or activities on school property to the Office

Student Parking

Students are permitted to park their cars only on the south parking lot of the school property.

Lockers

Individual lockers have been assigned to students on a loan basis only for the purpose of storing textbooks, clothing, notebooks and other materials necessary and/or incidental to education. Each locker is to be used by one student only. Students are responsible for the appearance and maintenance of lockers. Unauthorized use of a locker will result in the lock being removed and the contents taken to the Main Office. Should the school have lawful concerns, the locker may be entered by an administrator, with or without the presence of the occupant. Students should report any locker problems to the Main Office. Students should leave valuables at home. The school is not responsible for thefts from lockers, change rooms, or other areas in the school.

School Dances

Please note the following policies with regard to school dances:

Students cannot have used or be in possession of alcohol or drugs.
No inappropriate revealing or suggestive clothing is permitted.
Dancing must not be sexual or violent.
Dance tickets will not be sold at the door.
Tickets for guests (if permitted) must be purchased, and emergency contact information provided, beforehand (one guest per host). Guests must be accompanied to the door by their host and are subject to the same rules as Victoria Park students.
Students and guests are subject to be searched prior to entry.
Anyone leaving the dance will not be permitted back in.
Coats and jackets must be removed and left in the coat check.
Students absent from school on the day of the dance will not be permitted into the dance.
All refreshments must be purchased at the dance; no outside food or drinks are allowed.
All students must leave the building immediately following the end of the dance.
Students are expected to arrange their own safe transportation home.
Assessment and Evaluation for Students Based on TDSB AER Policy

Course Evaluation

Students are evaluated in their courses according to the Ministry Assessment and Evaluation Policy as follows: 70% – Classroom Evaluation/Assessment 30% – Final Summative Evaluation 100% – Total Teachers will employ a wide range of formats to gather sufficient evidence based on the achievement charts provided by the Ministry. The charts indicate the weighting of marks for classroom and summative evaluation. Each department determines the specific value of each category within each range using the TDSB recommendations.

70% of Grade

The 70% grade will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course. Many students take time to internalize the required learning improving their performance over a period of time. Special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement.

30% Final Summative Evaluation

Students have an opportunity to demonstrate their learning of the overall expectations of the course in the 30% final evaluation. During the time taken for the final evaluation in the course, no new content and/or skills should be introduced. Rather, students demonstrate the knowledge and skills already learned.

Learning Skills

Student achievement in Learning Skills (organization, independent work, taking responsibilities, collaboration, self-regulation, and initiative) is evaluated and reported separately from academic achievement on the Provincial Report Card.

Missed End-of-Course (Summative Evaluations)

All students must take part in the culminating course evaluations. Leaving early for a family vacation or summer job will not be considered a legitimate excuse for missing these evaluations.

Should a student be too sick to complete an end-of-course evaluation, the student must provide documentation of the illness, completed and signed by a physician.The documentation must clearly state that the student was too ill to participate in the evaluation for a specific medical reason. The note must be submitted to the office within one school day of the missed evaluation.

Late or Missing Assignments

Students are expected to submit all assignments on due dates set by teachers.

In the event an assignments is not submitted on its due date, students have additional opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in the expectations, in keeping with the spirit and intent of the provincial assessment policy. However, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the teachers of the need for an extension prior to the due date. If agreed upon, the teacher in consultation with the student can set a new deadline. Extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If a student and teacher set a new deadline for an assignment or if a new assignment is given to “replace” a missed/incomplete assignment in order to assess the student’s proficiency in the course expectations, it will be marked without penalty.

When all other strategies have been tried (see the Growing Success Document.)

Work that is not completed, or is not handed in, or not accepted cannot be evaluated, In this a case, a “0″ will be assigned to indicate no evaluation occurred.

Missed evaluations, including culminating/exams, will result in a mark of “0″

Absence From Classroom Evaluations

It is expected that all students at Victoria Park complete class evaluations (test, seminars, labs etc) as given by teachers.
If a student is away for a recognized school activity such as a team game, it is the responsibility of the student to advise the teacher ahead of time, so that alternate arrangements can be made
Students who are suspended, denied access, or expelled are responsible for missed work Teachers are responsible fore submitting work to the Main Office. Alternative arrangements need to be made.
Students who are consistently absent from classroom evaluations will be referred to the Guidance Department for counselling
If a student is unable to attend on the day of a scheduled in-class evaluation (illness etc), s/he must inform the teacher of the absence before or on the day of the absence. The teacher will determine if a make-up evaluation is needed.
If a teacher is not made aware of the absence prior to the evaluation or on the day of the scheduled evaluation, this will be reflected in the Learning Skills grade on the report card
Missed evaluations, including culminating and exams, will result in a mark of “0″

Student’s Early Dismissal and Lengthy Absences

We strongly discourage students from missing school for any length of time due to the negative impact of missed classes and missed evaluations.
A student planning an absence of a week or more must speak with an administrator, regardless of the reason for the absence
The student must speak with an administrator before the absence
Students and their parent/guardians must submit a signed letter and/or complete theParent/Guardian Authorized Excusal Form outlining the length of the absence and reason, at least 3 weeks prior to the student leaving to allow teachers and administration to consult and if needed prepare class work and evaluations
Each student’s situation will be handled individually to take into consideration of the student’s circumstances
Students are responsible for missed work and evaluations
Missed evaluation, including culminating and exams will result in “0″

Summer School

Students wishing to attend Remedial Summer School for a specific course must have completed the requirements for that course, including satisfactory attendance and writing the final exam. A mark of 35% or greater must have been achieved in the course.

Academic Honesty

Students are expected to be academically honest by submitting their own original work, and the marks they receive are intended to reflect the student’s own academic achievement. Academic dishonesty in any form is a serious offence.

Plagiarism

One form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism. Plagiarism is usually defined as presenting someone else’s words and ideas as one’s own. It can take different forms, including but not limited to the following:

Submitting an essay/assignment written by someone else, e.g. buying an essay online, copying or using work done by another student(including homework).
Piecing together (cutting and pasting) material from one or several sources and adding linking sentences
Quoting or paraphrasing material without citing the source of that material including books, magazines, journals, websites, newspapers, television and radio programs, movies, DVDs, photographs and drawings in print or electronic form
Copying and pasting from the internet or other electronic sites without citing the source
Not providing quotation marks for direct quotations- even if the sources have been cited
Plagiarism applies to all assignments including lab reports, diagrams, essays and computer projects
Submitting work online for feedback must be documented

How will your teacher help prevent plagiarism?

Define plagiarism
Make students aware of the consequences and reinforce the definition and consequences at the beginning of each course, in the student agenda book and at regular points throughout the semester.
Teach students research skills including: point-form note-taking in a way that will prevent copying or regurgitation, paraphrasing, evaluating sources and proper citing of sources so that students increase skills and confidence in submitting their own work to be evaluated.
Teach how to transform notes into polished text.
Make clear the necessity of original ideas or students’ own reflections.
Make sure that process plays a substantial part: perhaps, monitor steps and mark in stages or have you hand in works cited lists, thesis statements, rough notes (hand or typed on computer), photocopied, highlighted and annotated secondary sources, outline, and drafts.
Create research assignments and tests that involve higher-order critical thinking. Avoid creating assignments that require students to simply gather facts on a topic and do not involve making choices, problemsolving or reflecting. Avoid using the same tests/assignments over semesters.
Give students time to work on the assignment occasionally in class so that the teacher can assess on an on-going basis, the research skills that students are developing, and can provide support as needed.

Why do students plagiarize?

Students are overloaded and need to develop time management skills.
Students are not aware of, or choose to disregard the ethics of plagiarism.
Students are feeling insecure or embarrassed about their ability.
The environment is competitive and expectations from school and/or home are high.
Students want to do well but are confused by the assignments.

What can students do to avoid academic dishonesty?

Ask for help from teachers, peers, teacher-librarians if their research skills are weak.
Understand the consequences for academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Make sure that all their work is original and that they cite sources accurately and consistently.
Do not share essays or assignments with other students. Do not allow other students to copy their work including tests and homework.

Consequences of Academic Dishonesty

When plagiarism is found, teachers will:

Investigate Speak with individual student privately by asking you to explain the contents of the text under question or to ask you to explain the meaning of specific words.
Communicate If the teacher confirms that plagiarism has occured, the teacher will inform a vice-principal with specific details regarding the plagiarism and the teacher will complete the form “Plagiarism Incident Report”.
Consequences for Plagiarism and/or Academic Dishonesty The severity of the offence and the number and nature of previous offences will be taken into account when determining the consequences of second and subsequent, offences. Possible consequences may include:
Using the incident as a teaching/learning opportunity.
Giving a mark of zero for the assignment/essay/test in question, as the student has not demonstrated the expectations.
Splitting the mark between the students involved in the incident or by determining who did the work and assigning a zero to the student who copied and possibly a reduced mark to the student who is the original writer.
At the discretion of the teacher, there may be an opportunity for the student to demonstrate evidence of proper research skills and the course expectations.
Depending on the nature of the offence, the student’s other teachers will be informed.

All students accused of plagiarism have the right to appeal to the teacher’s decision to the vice-principal. Students may appeal their case to the vice-principal only after they have first discussed the matter with their teacher.

The Research Process

For every research-based assignment, students will be expected to use the TDSB student research guide. Research Success@Your Library with the 4-stage model of the research process incorporated into these assignments either in part or in whole. Students will receive instructions and be assessed/evaluated on various aspects of the research process by either their teacher or one of the teacher-librarians. These lessons may include, but will not be limited to, the development of research questions, note-taking, adherence to a specific documentation style, and facility with a variety of resources.

A Code of Student Participation in Co-Curricular Activities

Throughout our school’s history, student members of our school teams, clubs and organizations have developed an outstanding tradition of success. In order to maintain this high standard, students who wish to participate in co-curricular activities must comply with the following code:

Being a member of a school team, club or organization is a privilege not a right.
A student’s first priority is his/her academic program. It is the responsibility of each student to catch up on work missed due to co-curricular program activities
Eligibility requirements: A student who wishes to participate in co-curricular activities must:
be a full-time student, which means he/she is registered in a minimum of 3 courses per semester
maintain passing grades in a minimum of 2 out of 3, or 3 out of 4 courses
have passed at least two courses on the most recent ministry report card(Grade 9 & 10 students must have achieved at least 6 grade 9 equivalents in the previous year.)
attend all scheduled classes daily, arrive punctually and ready to work
attend all classes until dismissal time on all school days including those when games, meeting and performances are scheduled
present her/his S.L.C Card.
Students who quit a team after the first league game/competition will lose their eligibility for all teams for the current and two consecutive seasons
Students who exhibit inappropriate behavior or verbal abuse towards teacher, coaches, fellow players or officials may lose their eligibility for the current season. Exceptional circumstances will be examined on a case-by-case basis by the administration
During any activity, wherever it takes place, student behavior must be at the highest level. Failure to meet any of the above requirements will result in the temporary or permanent loss of eligibility to participate in co-curricular activities. In order for a student to be reinstated with full athletic privileges, or if a student feels there are special circumstance that should be considered in their probation or suspension, the shall be granted a timely Board of Appeal. A guardian, the coach of the team, ACL for Athletics and an administrator. The result of the meeting will be final.
SCHOOL TEAMS: Age requirements for each Division: Bantam – born in 1997… Junior – born in 1996… Senior- born in 1992 or later
You are required to accept full responsibility for school athletic equipment issued to you. Failure ot return equipment or uniforms will result in the student having to reimburse the school and/or place a deposit for any future equipment and uniforms.+

Code of Conduct for Spectators

Students are expected to exhibit exemplary behavior while attending games.

Students will:

cheer for all athletes – rude, disrespectful or disparaging comments will not be tolerated
be respectful of the officials
be respectful of all coaches and teachers
use appropriate language at all times
not play fight and distract players
show student ID cards before being admitted