School Policies
Attendance
The Board of Directors recognizes the importance of collaborating in order to help students have good attendance at school. Therefore, school employees and volunteers, community members and local juvenile court judges, as well as any other stakeholders, are invited to attend the June meeting of the board of directors to collaborate in developing the academy's Attendance, Truancy, and Automatic Withdrawal Policy.
Students enrolled in Discovery Academy must attend school regularly in accordance with the laws of the state of Ohio. School is in session from 9:00 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. A parent or guardian must contact the school in accordance with policy whenever a student is absent. Upon return to Discovery Academy after any absence, the student must provide to the school, a written statement from a parent or guardian stating the dates of absence and the reason for the absence, in addition to the parent or guardian's signature and phone number, or the absence will be considered unexcused.
Students must also be on time for school each day. If a student comes in after the designated start of the school day, they must sign in at the main office, and they will be issued a tardy slip. Three instances of being tardy will equal one unexcused absence. Too many unexcused absences may result in your student being habitually truant.
To see the Attendance Policy in its entirety, please reference the Parent/Student Handbook.
_edited.jpg)
Bullying
The Discovery Academy staff and board of directors recognizes that a school that is physically and emotionally safe and secure for all students promotes good citizenship, increases student attendance and engagement, and supports academic achievement. To protect the rights of all students and staff for a safe and secure learning environment, Discovery Academy prohibits acts of bullying, harassment, and other forms of aggression and violence. Bullying or harassment, like other forms of aggressive and violent behaviors, interferes with both a school’s ability to educate its students and a student’s ability to learn.
All administrators, faculty, staff, parents, volunteers, and students are expected to refuse to tolerate bullying and harassment and to demonstrate behavior that is respectful and civil. It is especially important for adults, including teachers and parents, to model these behaviors (even when disciplining) in order to provide positive examples for student behavior.
“Bullying” or “harassment” is any gesture or written, verbal, graphic, or physical act (including electronically transmitted acts – i.e., cyber-bullying, through the use of internet, cell phone, computer, or wireless handheld device that is reasonably perceived as being dehumanizing, intimidating, hostile, humiliating, threatening, or otherwise likely to evoke fear of physical harm or emotional distress and may be motivated either by bias or prejudice based upon any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression; or a mental, physical, or sensory disability or impairment; or by any other distinguishing characteristic, or is based upon association with another person who has or is perceived to have any distinguishing characteristic. Bullying and harassment also include forms of retaliation against individuals who report or cooperate in an investigation under this policy. Such behaviors are considered to be bullying or harassment whether they take place on or off school property, at any school-sponsored function, or in a school vehicle or at any time or place where a student's or staff's imminent safety or over-all well being may be at issue.
Discovery Academy believes that standards for student behavior must be set through interaction among the students, parents and guardians, staff, and community members of the school district, producing an atmosphere that encourages students to grow in self-discipline and their ability to respect the rights of others. The development of this atmosphere requires respect for self and others, as well as for district and community property on the part of students, staff, parents, and community members. We believe that the best discipline for aggressive behavior is designed to (1) support students in taking responsibility for their actions, (2) develop empathy, and (3) teach alternative ways to achieve the goals and the solve problems that motivated the aggressive behavior. Staff members who interact with students shall apply best practices designed to prevent discipline problems and encourage students’ abilities to develop self-discipline and make better choices in the future.
Bullying in all its forms is considered a very serious offense at Discovery Academy, and it will be at the digression of the school leader to determine the appropriate consequences for each instance, as no two situations are alike. Possible consequences for each offense include:
• Participation in a guided reflection process designed to teach alternative behavior
• Temporary removal from the classroom
• Loss of privileges
• Classroom or administrative detention
• Phone call home
• Referral to school leader
• In-school suspension
• Out-of-school suspension
• Expulsion or termination
• Legal action
Local Wellness Policy
Federal Public Law (PL 108.265 Section 204) states that by the first day of the 2006 school year beginning after June 30, 2006, all schools must develop a local wellness policy. The Local Education Authority (LEA) will establish a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy. Each Public School Academy is its own district (LEA). The Discovery Academy School District is committed to the goals of nutrition education, promoting adequate physical activity and having healthy school-based activities by providing a school environment that enhances learning and development of lifelong wellness practices. For the full policy, please click below to download.