Shearwater

Expectations

Shearwater is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for children, students, staff, parents and visitors. In accord with the high level of care provided by the staff of Shearwater, the School expects a high level of achievement, maturity and responsibility of its students.

Shearwater fosters a friendly social environment: there is no school uniform, staff and students relate to each other on a first name basis and students are encouraged and expected to regulate their own behaviour.

Bullying, harassment, abusive language, disruptive behaviour and unacceptable absence will not be tolerated.
It is the responsibility of all in the community not to participate in bullying, harassment or disruption. It is also a common responsibility to let Teachers and senior staff know about bullying situations of which you are aware, whether they be students bullying students, teachers bullying students, students bullying teachers or teachers bullying teachers.
When self-regulation and immediate correction by staff break down, discipline guidelines are implemented. There is no one simple approach to deal with bullying however, so the staff will investigate the problem and provide a strategy or a combination of approaches appropriate to the situation.

Classroom expectations

Students are expected to bring to Class all research material, textbooks, workbooks etc. necessary for full participation in the lesson. Failure to be prepared for a lesson may result in students not being able to participate in the lesson. Extenuating circumstances will be considered, e.g. a note from the sickroom or a teacher who may have been interviewing the student.

Punctuality

Shearwater aims to foster mature attitudes to work and study in order to prepare the students to pursue and take responsibility for the path that lies ahead of them in the workplace and the outside world.
Classes will be closed to students arriving five minutes after Class has commenced.
If a student arrives after that, the incident will be recorded in a late book. Should a second offence occur, a letter would be sent to the parents. A third offence will be referred to the Discipline Committee
It will be left up to students to catch up on any work missed due to their own lateness.

Areas and boundaries

No student may cross the School boundary and into neighbouring properties. (This includes Left Bank Road.)
No student is to leave the School grounds without express permission of the Class Teachers/Guardians.
No hitchhiking or requesting lifts from parents from the School premises is acceptable.

Drugs, alcohol and tobacco

The Schools grounds have been declared a smoke-free, alcohol-free area (with the exception of certain public events such as Open Day or the WAVE event). The School does not condone the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Such use undermines the student’s development on which the School’s education principles are based.
Use and/or supply of drugs on the School grounds or during excursions or field trips will result in immediate suspension. These offences are illegal and will be referred to the police.

Television viewing and & computer games for younger children

While accepting that television is an integral part of the world communication network of today, its impact on young people is of concern to us as educators. In the early years of the development of a child, everything he or she absorbs, bears an indelible impact on its being and its physical development and we believe exposure to television for under sevens is unnecessary and inappropriate.
In the early Primary School years over-exposure also conflicts with our teaching. Morning T.V. before school directly interferes with the children’s learning, as does their ‘off-loading’ of unwanted T.V. imagery and electronic and ugly sounds.
The same applies to computer games, the content of which is more often than not violent: killings, eliminations, and destructions.

For older Primary students, long hours of late-night viewing are not recommended either and content guidance strongly advised.

Sanctions

Corporal punishment
In accordance with the Education Reform Amendment (Corporal Punishment) Act 1995 and Shearwater’s, The Mullumbimby Steiner School Inc., Constitution and Rules, Part 1.2.e, Shearwater expressly prohibits corporal punishment. Nor does it condone implicitly or explicitly the administering of corporal punishment by non-school persons, including parents, to enforce discipline at the School.

Disruptive behaviour in the Classroom
Disruptive behaviour in Class will not be tolerated. Teachers reserve the right to remove disruptive students from the lesson. Misdemeanours will be attended to by the Class Teacher or Class Guardian. Continued offences will be referred to the Discipline Committee.

The Shearwater Discipline Committee consists of:
The Discipline Coordinator
The Educational Administrator Julie Lovett
The Course Coordinator  and the student’s Class Guardian.

– The outcome of the meeting will be reported to the parents.
– Should the matter at hand be deemed a serious one, the parents will be called in to meet with the Discipline Committee and the student.
– The Discipline Committee then reports to the College of Teachers who determine the appropriate sanction.
– Where the College considers the situation serious enough, a student may be suspended from School until further notice.
– On returning to School the student will be placed on probation. If problem behaviours persist, the College will consider expulsion. Expulsion is only expedited as a last resort but will be considered by the School when the student’s behaviour is undermining the welfare and safety of the School.

Damage to School property
If a problem involves damage to School property, the Administrator reserves the right to notify the Police and charge for replacement or repair of damaged goods.