SJI International Elementary School Behavior Policy
The Virtues Project is the cornerstone of the Behavior Policy at SJI International Elementary School.
The Virtues Project provides us with the tools necessary to foster desired behaviors and attitudes and
to manage negative ones. It has been shown that in most settings, preventive programs are more
effective in achieving the desired behaviors. We believe that promoting positive behaviours has better
short term and long term results than more traditional punitive approaches.
The Mission of the Virtues Project
“The Virtues Project is based on the beliefs and virtues valued by diverse cultures and world
religions. The mission is to provide empowering strategies that inspire the practice of virtues in
everyday life. The virtues are the building blocks of character and include qualities such as integrity,
kindness, responsibility and other elements of good character that exist within each child in
potential.“ The Virtues Project Educator’s Guide
How do we work to implement these strategies at SJI International Elementary School
(SJII ES)?
1st. By Speaking the Language of the Virtues
A) Teachers seize every opportunity to notice and complement the children for practicing their
virtues. Complements given at SJII ES are very specific in nature since effective praise and
compliments bring out the best in everyone.
You may be amazed to know that children, on the average, receive 460 negative or critical comments
and 75 positive or supportive comments each day. SJII ES’ aim is to reverse this ratio. We challenge
parents to adopt the same practice.
B) Teachers acknowledge children’s positive behaviors through complements and through “Wow
cards”. “Wow cards” are given to children during the school day when teachers see them practicing
their virtues. The “Wow cards” are collected during each week with a grand draw during assembly on
Fridays. One card is drawn and that child’s class receives a special positive consequence negotiated
with their teacher. Teachers also have class based initiatives for reinforcing the understanding, the
practice and the acknowledgement of virtues, such as a virtues ceremony at the end of the week.
C) When children show negative behaviors, teachers use the virtues language to call them to the
missing virtue. The aim is to develop that virtue within the child by highlighting the desired behavior.
For example, if a child lacks focus during class a teacher may say, “Be self disciplined and finish
your work before lunch time”. Instead of using coercion and force, teachers express clear and firm
expectations based on the virtues.
2nd. By Setting Clear Boundaries
The Virtues Project offers a positive approach to discipline, emphasizing educative and restorative
justice to create a respectful climate of trust in the classroom and in the school environment as a
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whole. Clear codes of behavior are communicated often to the children and children are acknowledged
and receive positive consequences when they demonstrate the required behaviors based on the
development of the virtues. There are also negative consequences when these codes of behavior are not
adhered to.
What are the main codes of behavior at SJII ES?
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Self-discipline: to be self-disciplined at the end of morning assembly, break and lunch
Courtesy: to be courteous moving around the school
Responsibility: to be responsible on the playground
Respect: to be respectful of yourself, others and the environment at all times
Each “code” includes clear expectations of behaviors which are fully discussed with the children
regularly through class morning meetings and assembly times. For example, “Be responsible”
includes expectations from being responsible for keeping everyone happy and safe on the playground
to the expectation that hats be worn or the “no hat, no play” rule is enforced. The children fully
understand the consequences, both positive and negative, related to the codes of behavior.
What happens in the case of negative behaviors?
There are a number of ‘levels’ of action to be taken when misbehavior occurs depending on the
seriousness of the behavior. “Oops cards” may be presented to children for behaviors which go against
the Codes of Behavior, e.g. running on the corridor. If a child receives an Oops card, the child will
serve 10 minutes of “time out” during play time the following day. If a child receives 3 “Oops cards”,
the child will be required to complete a Behavior Reflection form which will be sent home to parents
for their signature and input.
Additionally, in the case of a more serious incident, e.g. someone is hurt by words or actions or
property is damaged, the child will be asked to complete a Behavior Reflection form right away. In this
form, the child is asked to relate the incident, identify the ‘missing’ virtue in his behavior and think
what can be done to ‘make it right’, e.g. an apology or a specific action that brings restoration.
The Behavior Reflection forms may be completed with teachers, Deputy Principals, Principal or
School Counselor. In order to ensure effective monitoring and to facilitate coordinated action, teachers
will forward completed forms to the office where a record of all incidents will be kept. When an
individual child completes 3 Behavior Reflection forms, the Principal and parents will be informed.
Sometimes this notification will happen sooner, depending on the severity of the incident.
There are times when a child will find himself/herself in a conflict situation with another child.
Teachers are encouraged and trained to use a range of strategies to assist the children with conflict
resolution processes such as, “The Talking Corner” where children have the chance to speak calmly
with each other about the problem and work in a peaceful way to reach a solution. Teachers will
employ a range of strategies to explore how conflicts can be resolved, such as role-play and drama
techniques and the Weekly Virtues ceremony.
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There may be times when teachers and parents may decide that a “Behavior Contract” is required to
support the child in developing the desired virtue/s. This contract will include the desired behavior,
the means through which this behavior will be achieved as well as a commitment to work towards this
behavior. Additional consequences may also be included in this contract.
There are 3 areas for which there is zero tolerance at SJII ES: offensive language, physical aggression
and bullying. Should an act of intended physical aggression occur, parents will be contacted to collect
their child from school for the remainder of the school day. In the case of bullying by a child, parents
will be immediately informed and may be asked to collect their child from school for the remainder of
the day. Depending on the severity of these cases, Parents will be invited to meet with the Principal,
Vice-Principals and/or School Counselor to discuss appropriate measures. In any of these instances,
the Behavior Reflection process will be triggered. It may be a requirement, if a child has exhibited such
behavior, that he/she meets with the School Counselor on a regular basis or engage in outside
professional support to work on the development of positive social skills. In the case of support
occurring outside of school, the school is to be in contact with the agency and be given regular
progress updates.
SJII ES includes students from 4 – 12 years of age, therefore it is necessary for age-appropriate
procedures to be in place for the different range of developmental stages. The Grade 6 students work in
collaboration with the teachers to create behavior guidelines appropriate to their needs, reflecting the
fact that they are soon to enter High School where a higher degree of self-monitoring of behavior is an
expectation.
How is bullying approached at SJII ES?
SJII ES is committed to providing a safe, caring and secure environment for all of its members and we
will not tolerate any action that undermines a person’s rights in relation to this.
Bullying is a deliberate hurtful behavior that is repeated over a period of time, making it
difficult for the person concerned to defend themselves. It can be physical, verbal, emotional
or racist and can take the form of name-calling, violence, threatened violence, isolation,
ridicule or indirect action such as spreading unpleasant stories about someone.
Some concrete examples of bullying include:
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Any form of physical violence such as hitting, pushing or spitting on others;
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Interfering with another’s property by stealing, hiding, damaging or destroying it;
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Using offensive names, teasing or spreading rumors about others or their families;
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Using put-downs, belittling others’ abilities and achievements;
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Writing offensive notes or graffiti about others;
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Making degrading comments about another’s culture, religious or social background;
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Hurtfully excluding others from a group;
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Making suggestive comments or other form of sexual abuse;
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Ridiculing another’s appearance;
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Forcing others to act against their will;
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The use of computers and or internet or mobile-phones to accomplish any of the above are
included in the definition of bullying.
What we do to prevent and address bullying at SJII ES?
Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our School and action will be taken when it is evident that
someone is being bullied. The actions taken may involve the Principal, vice principals, ES School
Counselor, parents, teachers and will range from the “Behavior Reflection form” exercise to
measurable consequences in accordance with the gravity and extent of the behavior.
We believe that we have a strong preventive program in place in the School with The Virtues
Project. Additionally, activities that promote friendship, empathy, teamwork and collaborative group
work, mutual appreciation and support abound in the curriculum.
We constantly encourage children at SJII ES to report cases of bullying to parents, teachers, school
counselor and trusted adults and hope that victims of bullying will feel confident to activate the antibullying systems within the school to address the bullying. It is our aim to challenge attitudes about
bullying behavior, increase understanding for bullied pupils and help build an anti-bullying ethos in
the school. It is important to understand that actions taken by the school are mainly done so in a spirit
of resolution and restitution.
The staff at SJII ES is required to be role models in word and actions at all times; to be observant of
signs of distress or suspected incidents of bullying; to make efforts to remove occasions for bullying
by active monitoring during supervision duty; to take steps to help victims and remove sources of
distress without placing the victim at further risk; and to report suspected incidents to the VicePrincipal, Vice-Principals or School Counselor.
The 4th Code of Behavior, “Be respectful of yourself, others and the environment at all times”
provides us with further opportunities to explore the concept of bullying with the children. All
children Grade 2 – 6 at SJI International regularly review the “Bystander Code” outlined below:
A “Bystander” Code of Behavior
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Don’t join the bullying incident.
Don’t smile to show that you agree with the bully’s behavior.
Tell others you don’t like the bullying behavior.
Inform an adult in the school community of the incident.
Accompany the target to report the incident.
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Show care for the target by standing near to him/her.
Ask the bullied student to join your group.
Ask the bullied student if he/she feels alright.
Distract the student who is bullying.
Be prepared to explain what happened to staff members.
Please note that if required, a more simplified version is in place for the EY children.
For a detailed explanation of the School’s anti-bullying policy, please refer to the SJII
International School wide Anti-Bullying Policy.
In conclusion
It is our aim to provide a positive, respectful and caring environment at SJII ES at all times and we
are committed to helping each child to live by their highest values. The fostering of virtues is
integrated into the curriculum, programmes and the daily life of the School. Children learn within the
context of what they experience in daily interactions.
Parents are expected to fully support the Behavior Programme. We encourage parents to bring the
spirit of the Virtues Project to their family life too and SJII ES provides materials and parents
workshops to support this process.
** SJII ES’ Behavior Policy maybe revised at any time deemed necessary by School
management to increase its effectiveness.
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