Back to Student Handbook — Grades 4-8

Table of Contents

• Community Expectations
• Respect for Others
• Harassment
• Restroom Violations
• Public Displays of Affection
• Policy on Student Pregnancy
• Respect for the Learning Environment
• Respect for Property
• Acceptable Monetary Usage
• Zero-Tolerance Policy
• Illegal Drugs and Performance-Enhancing Drugs
• Drug Dog and Right to Search and Seize
• Drug and Alcohol Abuse at Non-School Activities
• Four-Step Restoration Process
• Consequences
• Behavioral Records

Community Expectations

Oaks Christian affirms the dignity of every person as a unique individual created in the image of God (See Statement of Faith in OCS: History and Mission). Everyone at OCS is expected to live into our 📒Culture Playbook, cultivating a community of Trust, Respect, and Growth. However, embracing the value of Growth means that members of our community will not always live up to these expectations. This page outlines what constitutes violations of expectations and the community’s response to any violations.

Respect for Others

In accordance with our 📒Culture Playbook absolute respect for the rights and dignity of others is expected of all members of the community.

• Rudeness, profanity, socially offensive language, or malicious behavior (physical or verbal) to faculty, staff, or peers is unacceptable.
• Students involved in fighting on or off campus are subject to suspension or dismissal from school, at the sole and absolute discretion of the school.
• Dishonesty, lying, insolence, profanity, verbal abuse, bullying, unlawful harassment (including sexual harassment, derogatory racial remarks, and any sort of harassment by phone, mail, email, internet, social media, etc.), hazing, physical abuse, or acts endangering the safety of others are regarded as serious breaches of conduct and may result in dismissal from the school.
• The possession, distribution, or acquisition of pornography or other inappropriate materials via the communications network at school and off-campus, or the production of hard copy is considered a serious offense and may result in dismissal from school.

Harassment

OCS will not tolerate unlawful harassment or bullying of any kind, whether of a general or specific manner. It is the policy of OCS that all employees, volunteers, parents, and students will deal with all persons in ways that convey respect and consideration for individuals regardless of race, color, marital status, national origin, creed, religion, gender, age, or disability. Harassment and/or bullying include derogatory racial remarks, cyberbullying (See ), easily identified acts of verbal, written, or physical abuse, and more subtle but equally damaging forms of harassment such as graffiti, epithets, and that which is targeted at an individual or group. The administration takes the issue of harassment seriously and will respond accordingly and with due diligence to any violations. Any member of the OCS community who falsely accuses another member of sexual or racial harassment is subject to disciplinary action.

Sexual harassment is not social or courting behavior. Instead, it is the use of sexuality to harass, including electronic communication, and is best seen as an assertion of power. Sexual harassment, for the purpose of this handbook, may include, but is not limited to:

• Physical assault — including rape — or any coerced sexual relations.
• Pressure exerted on either an adult or a student for sexual activity or for a relationship that takes on a sexual or romantic aspect which exceeds the limit of a friendly relationship; any demeaning or repeated unwanted sexual propositions; unwelcome touching; leering at a person’s body.
• Sexually explicit or suggestive remarks about a person’s physical attributes, clothing, or behavior; sexually stereotyped or sexually charged insults, humor, or verbal abuse; and inappropriate personal questions.

Members of the OCS community are encouraged to report any incident to a person of authority, such as a faculty member or administrator. All persons in the OCS community are obliged to take each instance seriously and inform the Principal or Head of School.

It is imperative that a school maintains an educational environment. In support of this imperative, all sexual activity is prohibited, including sexual horseplay, and violations will be subject to serious consequences, including but not limited to dismissal. Communication of one’s sexuality that is deemed a distraction to the educational environment is subject to discipline. Students are reminded that it is unlawful in the State of California for students of any age to have any sexual contact with any person under 18, and such contact could result in the filing of criminal charges against the perpetrator.

Restroom Violations

Restrooms at the school are sex-specific based on biological sex, and violations involving use by the opposite sex are subject to serious disciplinary consequences.

Public Displays of Affection

The public display of any sort of romantic affection, such as hand-holding or kissing, is not allowed. Side hugs are appropriate. Students are encouraged to develop healthy boundaries.

Policy on Student Pregnancy

In the event that a student becomes pregnant, please refer to the high school handbook for details on the OCS Policy on Student Pregnancy.

Respect for the Learning Environment

Academic disruption, which includes inappropriate behavior inside or outside any classroom in session, in any part of the library, or in the lunch area, will not be tolerated.

Over the course of the school year, there are various high school events that students in grades 4-8 like to attend and support including plays, concerts, and athletic competitions. Students attending these high school events must have an assigned adult chaperone present in the event of an incident regarding liability, safety, or misbehavior. Students showing up to an event without supervision may not be allowed to attend. Any inappropriate behavior may result in dismissal from the event and/or disciplinary action.

Respect for Property

Stealing or vandalism in any form will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal. These offenses include the following:

• The unauthorized "borrowing" of another's belongings, which includes entry into another's locker, purse, book bag, or other personal item
• Removing food from the café without permission
• Removing athletic equipment from the gym without permission
• Defacing school property; or removing materials from the library without checking them out.

In addition to respecting the property belonging to the school or to others on the campus, students must respect the property of homeowners and businesses in the community.

Acceptable Monetary Usage

For the security of all our students, carrying and exchanging currency on campus is strongly discouraged. The selling of any items is strictly monitored through the school administration. Gambling is prohibited, and violations will be subject to disciplinary action. OneCard is the only method to make purchases on campus.

Zero-Tolerance Policy

OCS has established a zero-tolerance policy for specific behaviors deemed harmful and contrary to community life and education. The following is OCS's zero-tolerance policy:

• Possession or use of firearms/weapons
• The sale or distribution of drugs, tobacco products, vaping pens, and alcohol on campus or at school activities

It is illegal and forbidden to use, sell, or possess firearms/weapons (including toy guns or toy weapons), illegal drugs, substances representing illegal drugs or believed to be illegal or dangerous substances, or any substance that can be harmful to the body if ingested on campus, traveling to or from campus, or at any school function, including school-sponsored trips and occasions when one is representing the school, even during vacation time. It is also forbidden to feign drug or alcohol use. This includes attending any school function when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Law enforcement officials shall be notified where deemed necessary.

The zero-tolerance policy regarding the possession or use of firearms/weapons, or the sale and distribution of illegal drugs, performance-enhancing drugs means automatic dismissal from OCS.

Illegal Drugs and Performance-Enhancing Drugs

The school reserves the right to drug test students at the school's sole discretion prior to parental permission or presence.

Drug Dog and Right to Search and Seize

The school reserves the right to search and seize any student's personal property (cars, bags, backpack, wallet, shoes, clothing, car, student lockers) or anything else the administration determines as suspicious.

The school reserves the right to utilize the services of companies providing the detection of illegal substances (drugs, alcohol, tobacco, vaping devices, and paraphernalia) including the use of a drug dog. The drug dog has the ability to detect the presence of drugs (illegal, prescription, etc.), alcohol, firearms, and ammunition.

The school reserves the right to perform random searches without notice. In the case that the drug dog detects anything suspicious, an administrator will perform a search, and if necessary, contact law enforcement.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse at Non-School Activities

It is not the responsibility of OCS to monitor student behavior at non-school activities. However, if an agent of the school becomes aware of alcohol and/or drug use involving OCS students, the information will be shared with parents and the appropriate authorities, and at the discretion of the head of school, action will be taken.

Four-Step Restoration Process

It is the desire of OCS to provide a Christian education to all of our students in a drug- and alcohol-free environment. We also realize that, at times, some of our students will make decisions that are not consistent with our desires and policies. Based on our desire to help students who have made wrong choices, we have a Four-Step Restoration Process to be utilized by students, if needed. The Four-Step Restoration Process may also be appropriate for other discipline issues when a student comes to a teacher or administrator, admits the infraction, and expresses a desire for help in correcting the problem. In the case of the use of alcohol, students are encouraged to come forward on another student's behalf who is unable to do so at that moment if the student is in danger of bringing harm to themselves or to others. In this case, the student who has violated a policy may still come forward under the Four-Step Restoration Process. In an effort to allow our students to be proactive in correcting problems or involvement with drugs or alcohol, we have adopted the following Four-Step Restoration Process:

1. A student may contact a teacher on campus with whom they are close and confide in that teacher the problem that they are planning to correct.
2. The student must then inform their parents of the problem. (Note: The student is welcome to have the teacher present.)
3. The teacher will inform the Head of School, the Principal, and the Dean of Student Life of the problem. This is not for the purpose of discipline but so that they are informed in case a problem were to occur on campus.
4. Finally, the student must agree to submit to a Restorative Plan agreed upon by the school, student, and the parents.

Consequences

Violations of OCS policies in personal conduct may result in the imposition of one or more of the sanctions listed below. Sanctions that may be imposed are not limited to those listed. In certain limited situations, OCS officials may impose a sanction but suspend or postpone its actual implementation. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed may result in further disciplinary action. Sanctions affecting the conduct of students are based on general principles of fair treatment. While attempting to be consistent in its disciplinary decisions, OCS also seeks to be fair and sensitive to the facts and circumstances of each individual case.

• Warning: Oral or written notice to the student that the student is violating or has violated the Code of Conduct and that continuation or repetition of misconduct may result in a more severe sanction.
• Loss of Privileges: Such loss may include, but is not limited to, financial aid, eligibility to represent OCS officially on athletic teams or performing groups, participation in student life activities, off-campus privileges, etc.
• Restitution: Payment of charges for violations that lead to property damage.
• Cleanup Duty: Students may be asked to clean up areas around campus that have been defaced or where a mess has been left.
• Reflection Time: Students who have detention are required to be on campus at the time specified. Students may be assigned to complete a Reflection. The assignment will be determined by the Dean of Student Life.
• Educational Sanctions: Mandatory reading/writing assignment, drug or alcohol assessment/treatment, seminar attendance, or other discretionary sanctions as deemed appropriate.
• Interim Suspension: A short-term suspension (usually 1-3 days) used to investigate further into the situation at hand, to de-escalate a situation, for safety purposes, or to serve as appropriate consequence. The student may not attend class or school events (unless otherwise stated by administration).
• Deferred Suspension: The student deserves a suspension, but because of their honest contrition and/or proactive action their suspension is deferred and not enacted unless a further offense is committed.
• Probation: Students whose behavior demonstrates a serious or recurring disregard for the spirit of the rules and expectations of the OCS community will be placed on a probationary contract. Students who commit a subsequent major rules violation while on probation are likely to be dismissed from the school. Probation carries with it an assumed loss of privileges and the student is in jeopardy of losing financial aid in the subsequent year.
• Suspension: Temporary separation of the student from OCS for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return to classes. The student may not attend class or school events (unless otherwise stated by administration). A suspension may be for up to the remainder of a school-year, in which case various educational options will be considered. A suspension assumes a reinstatement of the student in the future. Suspensions may occur inside or outside of school as determined by the administration.
• Dismissal: When a student is dismissed from the school and no longer part of the OCS community.

Behavioral Records

OCS reserves the right to note disciplinary actions on a student’s official transcript, which in the judgment of OCS warrant such notation. Examples include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, lying, theft, violence, etc.

OCS, as determined by the administration, reserves the right and authority to govern and rule regarding all other matters not listed here regarding improper behavior by students and discipline while representing the school.