CODE OF BEHAVIOUR, CONDUCT & EXPECTATIONS
Dear Student,
MAC Niagara Islamic School’s code of conduct outlines your rights, your duties and the different rules to be applied in the school.
This code of conduct was written with the pronoun I so that you can read it as if you would have
written it yourself. Therefore, you should respect it and put it into practice.
MY RIGHTS
I have the right to:
– Receive a good quality education
– Receive an education taking into consideration my own rhythm of learning and my interests
– Be respected
– Live in an enriching environment
– Live in a clean and healthy environment
– Express myself, in a courteous manner, about what is disturbing me.
Those are my rights, which are fundamental and essential. No one can deprive me of those
rights. However, they are restricted because I am not alone on earth and because I need the
others to help me to flourish as well as the others need me to flourish and be enlightened.
Consequently, my rights are limited by the others’ rights who also deserve respect. Respect in
general assists me in my duties as a member of the community.
MY DUTIES
entrance. If I am late, I enter the school through the main door and I stop at the secretary’s office to get a
late slip that I have to give to my teacher. After three late slips, a letter will be sent to my parents to find a
solution to the problem.
After the second absence in the same month without a valid reason, a letter will be sent to
my parents or a phone call will be placed and particular measures will be taken to change the
situation.
change of clothes (for KG students). If I forget my things too often, I could be sent back home to
get the missing things. All the students must permanently have a pair of school shoes especially
in winter. Boots are always to be kept outside the classrooms. Girls should have a hijab permanently
at school for the prayer.
I should not forget to clearly identify all my personal things: school material (each notebook, pencil
case etc., physical education clothes, uniform, shoes, running shoes, coat, scarf, mittens, etc. If,
however, I lose something, I may find it in the lost and found box.
« Allah (Subhana wa ta’la) likes that you perfect each work that you start ».
(Reported by Elbayhaqi)
I do my work and assignments with tidiness according to my teacher’s directions and on time.
If my work is not complete or if my teacher asks me to do so, I must redo it. If I experience some
difficulties, I should always ask for help. If I fail to complete my homework, I will have to do them
during the recess or during the lunch hour.
adapted to the temperature and the different seasons and to the school’s activities. If I’m not
wearing it, I could be sent back home to get my uniform.
«Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him ; and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans,
those in need, neighbours who are of kin, neignbours who are strangers, the companion by your
side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: for Allah loveth not the
arrogant, the vainglorious ».
(Sura An-nissa, verse 36)I should always speak in a polite manner to people (adults and children) in the school or
outside the school. I should not swear or say bad words or insults. I should not make fun
of anyone. In case of a conflict, I do not lose my temper and raise my voice. I try not my
best not to be involved in any fight, altercation, bullying or backbiting.
Physical or verbal violence, thefts and lies will be appropriately punished.
My textbooks must be taken care of and I should not write inside it. If I experience problems
with the school’s material, I should first inform my teacher. I must always keep my books in a
proper backpack when I take them home.
school clean including classrooms, corridors, gym, lockers, changing rooms, schoolyard and
washrooms. I must always keep my desk clean and well organized. I do not throw anything on
the floor. I should keep all my things in the appropriate place and not leave them lying around (books,
clothes, etc.). I should pick up and put in the garbage all the wastes that I see even if I did not
throw it myself on the floor.
RULES I SHOULD OBSERVE
go to the gym and leave my school bag at the appropriate place. I am not allowed to leave the
gym without permission. When the bell rings, I stop playing and then come to line up in silence.
I recite al-Fatiha with all my classmates and the morning invocation. Still in line, calmly and
silently, I enter the classroom with my teacher.
needlessly or making noise, and I raise my hand to ask a question or make a comment. I must
also follow all the particular rules elaborated and established by my teacher.
yard or in the gym, I play and stay in my group’s area and I do not hang around in the corridors
or classrooms without any authorization. If I bring a little snack, I should choose healthy food
like fruits and vegetables.
« O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and
drink: but waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters».
(Sura El Araf, verse 31)During lunch hour, I should stay seated while eating. When I eat, I should respect
Islamic manners (wash my hands, say bismillah and A;hamdulillah, eat with the right hand, etc.). I
must eat slowly and not throw any food in the garbage. When I am finished, I pick up all the
wastes, peelings, scraps and trash on my desk and return them to my lunch bag to dispose of at
home. It is better not to share anything from my meal with my friends because we never know who
may be allergic to a certain type of food. I cannot leave my area until my desk is all cleaned up and
Ive tidied any crumbs or spills.
« When the child of Adam dies, none of his deeds will be taken into consideration for him except
three things: his acts of permanent charity, science and education useful for humanity and a
good (Muslim) child who prays for him ».
At the appropriate time, I should line up with my friends to perform wudu in the
washroom. Then, I should go in the prayer room and recite verses from the Quran until all my
friends are ready to perform the salat. When I hear the adhan, I repeat it in a low voice and after
that I remain silent and prepare myself to start the salat. I must always follow the imam during
the prayer and never get ahead of him. If I do not respect the salat, I will be excluded from the
prayer and face the consequences determined by my teacher. After the prayer, I must go
back class quickly and quietly, accompanied by my teacher.
When I am outside the school, I should act properly and in a good, responsible and respectful
manner. I should behave carefully near cars, and be careful not to disturb neighbours by being
noisy, the people in their cars or on the bus.
exchange any of my personal belongings (toy, clothes, books, etc.). I should not bring to school any
dangerous objects, cell phones or other electronic gadgets.
requirements:
– I respect and follow the safety rules given by staff. I move calmly, speak quietly and
I must always be at the appropriate place).
For my safety and the safety of the others, it is unacceptable:
– to push, hit, wrestle, kick, bite or touch each other in any way
– to climb on the trees or on any other elevated object (net of soccer, posts of soccer,
fence)
– to throw objects inside or outside the school (ie, pencils, erasers, snowballs or stones)
– to bring an object which is considered dangerous (penknife, knife, matches,
lighter, etc. Any such item will be confiscated.
DISCIPLINARY INTERVENTION IF RULES ARE NOT RESPECTED
Consequences will be determined by the nature and frequency of the incident. All the staff
members of the school have the right to intervene. Depending on the infraction, five levels of
intervention are possible. If a student continues to offend, or if no change is noticed, we pass to
the next level.
I am asked verbally to change my behavior. After 3 warnings in the same week we apply the
second level of intervention.
I must write or draw a reflection on the nature of my infraction and on the method to correct,
improve and change the situation.
I am deprived of recess. At the third reflection in the same week, we apply the third level.
PARENTS (by class teacher)
I take my reflection home, show it to my parents and ask them to sign it. The day after, I bring it
back to school. My teacher can also ask me to contact my parents to explain to them what I did
wrong. In one way or another, the objective is to let me express myself, in my own words, about
the offense or wrong behaviour. My parents must commit to supporting the school staff in its
interventions.
My parents are invited to a meeting to discuss the problem. This meeting is to help the parents
understand and support the school’s decisions and intervention. According to the gravity of the
offense, different interventions may be applied.
For example:
– The signing of a behavioural contract
– Apologizing to whoever was wronged
– Suspension for a certain period of time
– Compensation for the problem caused.
Depending on the problem, the school may ask for financial compensation or replacement of the
broken object or may ask me to clean what was defaced).
applied. I may be asked to stay home for a certain period of time. In this situation, my parents
have to ensure that my studies and homework are maintained.
In cases where unacceptable behaviour can no longer be tolerated and the student does not show any desire
to change the behaviour, I may be expelled (upon the school’s recommendation to the school board).
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PARENTS
At MAC school we are fortunate to have a very dedicated and supportive school community. At our school the staff, parents and volunteers all recognize that the education of our children is a partnership. We expect our school community to respect our school ethos, keep our school tidy, set a good example of their own behavior both on school premises and when accompanying classes on school visits. In addition, we also expect our parents and visitors to keep our children safe by adhering to the school’s policies, procedures and practices. As a partnership we are all aware of the importance of good working relationships and we all recognize the importance of these relationships to equip our children with the necessary skills for their education. For these reasons we will continue to welcome and encourage parents to participate fully in the life of our school.
The purpose of this code of conduct is to provide the expectations around the conduct of all parents and visitors connected to our school.
We are committed to resolving difficulties in a constructive manner, through an open and positive dialogue. However, we understand that everyday misunderstandings can cause frustrations and have a negative impact on our relationships. Where issues arise or misconceptions take place, please contact your child’s teacher, who will be available to meet with you and go through the issue to resolve it. Where issues remain unresolved, please contact the school administration.
This code aims to clarify the types of behavior that will not be tolerated all parents must adhere to these expectations. The code of conduct also sets out the actions the school can take should this code be ignored or where breaches occur.
Behavior that will not be tolerated:
- Disruptive behavior which interferes or threatens to interfere with any of the school’s normal operation or activities anywhere on the school premises or during school activities.
- Any inappropriate behavior on the school premises.
- Using loud or offensive language or displaying a temper.
- Threatening in any way to a member of staff, visitor, fellow parent or child.
- Damaging or destroying school property.
- Sending excessive emails when the issue has been resolved to the extent possible by the school.
- Sending abusive or threatening emails or text/voicemail/phone messages or other written communications (including social media or chat groups) to anyone within the school community.
- Defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments regarding the school or any of the pupils/parents/staff/governors at the school on social media, chat groups or otherwise.
- The use of physical, verbal or written aggression towards another adult or child. This includes physical punishment of your own child on school premises.
- Approaching someone else’s child in order to discuss or chastise them because of the actions of this child towards their own child. (Such an approach to a child may be seen to be an assault on that child and may have legal consequences)
- Smoking, taking illegal drugs or the consumption of unislamic substances on school premises.
Should any of the above occur on school premises or in connection with school the school may feel it is necessary to take action by contacting the appropriate authorities or consider banning the offending adult from entering the school premises.
In the event of any parent or visitor of the school breaking this code then proportionate actions will be taken as follows:
In cases where the unacceptable behavior is considered to be a serious and potentially criminal matter, the concerns will in the first instance be referred to the Police. This will include any or all cases of threats or violence and actual violence to any child or staff in the school; this will also include anything that could be seen as a sign of harassment of any member of the school community, such as any form of insulting social media, chat post or any form of social media cyber bullying. In cases where evidence suggests that behavior would be tantamount to libel or slander, then the school may take further action. In cases where the code of conduct has been broken but the breach was not libelous, slanderous or a criminal matter, then the school will send out a formal letter to the parent with an invite to a meeting.
If the parent refuses to attend the meeting, then the school will write to the parent and ask them to stop the behavior causing the concern and warn that if they do not they may be banned from the school premises. If after this behavior continues, the parent will again be written to and informed that a ban is now in place. A ban from the school can be introduced without having to go through all the steps offered above in more serious cases.
Issues of conduct with the use of Social Media
The school has social media pages which allows parents to receive and respond to messages about school events. We encourage you to positively participate if you wish.
Parents are not permitted to create private chat groups with other school parents to discuss the school. If a parent chooses to create such a group, they must receive express written permission by the school Principal and the school Principal will designate a staff administrator for the group. The principal is under no obligation to grant permission.
Within these spaces however we ask that you use common sense when discussing school life online. Social media, whether public or private, should not be used to fuel campaigns and voice complaints against the school, school staff, parents or children.
We take very seriously inappropriate use of social media by a parent to publicly humiliate or criticize another parent, member of staff or child.
If parents have any concerns about their child in relation to the school, they should speak to the class teacher to resolve the issue and if the issue remains unresolved, approach the school administration. They should not use social media as a medium to air any concerns or grievances.
Online activity which we consider inappropriate:
- Identifying or posting images/videos of children, even your own
- Abusive or personal comments about staff, MAC, children or other parents
- Bringing the school in disrepute
- Posting defamatory or libelous comments
- Private emails or communications rom the school staff to you
- Emails circulated or sent directly with abusive or personal comments about staff or children
- Using social media to publicly challenge school policies or discuss issues about individual children or members of staff
- Threatening behavior, such as verbally intimidating staff, or using bad language
- Breaching school security procedures
At our school we take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously and we will deal with any reported incidents appropriately in line with the actions outlined above.