STUDENT CONDUCT AND EXPECTATIONS

    As God’s image bearers, students at CCA are expected to pursue their vocation as scholars with their whole body, heart, mind, and strength, enthusiastically urging themselves and their peers to grow more like Christ.  Throughout the school day and at all school sponsored events, students will be expected to:

    1. Obey promptly and cheerfully. (Heb. 13:17; I Thess. 5:18).

    It is expected that students will obey immediately without reminder. Students should have a respectful attitude and make attentive eye contact with the person giving direction. It is expected that students will obey with a thankful attitude. Grumbling, grimacing expressions, sighing, eye rolling, and non-verbal complaining will be addressed.

     2. Exercise joy and diligence in work and play. (Eph. 6:6,7).

    It is expected that students will be hard workers. Their work should give evidence of neatness, precision, and strong effort. They should be focused on, attending to, and engaged in the task given. Assignments should be completed. We also expect students to be diligent in their play when it is the appropriate activity.  Apathy, at work or play, is not acceptable. 

    3. Speak with honesty and edification. (Eph. 4:25, Ps. 19:14).

    It is expected that students will speak honestly without rationalization and excuse. Gossip, slander, and “tattle tales” will be addressed. Students will be encouraged to speak directly with the person with whom they have a concern and to model the biblical principle in Matt. 18:15-17.

     4. Display consideration, kindness, and compassion. (Eph. 4:25, 32).

    It is expected that students will treat others with kindness in action and in speech. Harsh words and harmful behavior will be addressed and will result in appropriate discipline.

     5. Display self-control in attitude and action (Prov. 25:28, I Cor. 14:40).

    It is expected that students will control their tongues and actions. They will be encouraged to speak at appropriate times and to control their bodies. It is expected that students will take an active part in maintaining their personal belongings and the school’s appearance. It is expected that they will demonstrate orderly behavior when in groups.

     

     

     SCHOOL DISCIPLINE EXPECTATIONS AND PROCEDURES


    The purpose of the Covenant Christian Academy Expectations and Procedures is to shepherd all students in grades Pre-School thru 12th grade, holding them consistently accountable to godly conduct.  We maintain Scripture as the center of our school and as the standard by which we educate and train our students.  These expectations and procedures apply to our students during school hours as well as at all school sponsored events before and/or after normal school hours.

     

    Expectations:

     

    Covenant Christian Academy expects every student to demonstrate the biblical characteristics described in the Student Conduct and Expectations section of this handbook.  We value and preserve the warm and orderly environment that characterizes our school and that makes it possible for each student, teacher and coach to pursue our mission.

     

    Procedures:

     

    Students who do not demonstrate these biblical characteristics will require discipline and restoration.  CCA handles each on a case-by-case basis, maintaining equitable standards while walking the student through a process of full restoration.  Responsibility starts with the school appointed supervisor.  As needed, the Dean of Community Life and the Headmaster will work with and support all parties involved.  Parents are informed at each stage (see Communications Guidelines in this handbook) and their supportive involvement is integral to the process.  Although we strive to communicate regularly, these electronic communications will not remain in the student’s permanent record.  Only those incidents deemed worthy of a formal office visit will be filed and done so with the parents’ knowledge. 

     

    The following consequences are used in the course of the discipline and restoration process: warnings, student conferences, parent meetings, opportunities for seeking and granting forgiveness, restitution, silent lunch or recess detention, after school detentions, suspensions, corporal punishment, and expulsion.  Additional disciplinary measures may be added as deemed necessary by the CCA Administration.


    PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING

    As is clear from the definition of plagiarism below, Covenant Christian Academy includes under the more narrow term “plagiarism” most, if not all, academic misbehavior usually designated by the word “cheating”—that is, the giving or receiving of illegitimate assistance, especially under circumstances when not collaboration but one’s own individual work is expected and when a student presents material as his or her own individual work.

    • Plagiarism is inconsistent with good scholarship. Covenant Christian Academy considers plagiarism a moral matter as well as a legal matter. It does this on the assumption that the function of a Christian school is not only to impart knowledge but also to nurture moral character.
    • Plagiarism is a deception—of the instructor, obviously, but no less of the student writer. Cheating hides individuals from the encounter with who they really are, what they really can do, or what they can be.
    • Plagiarism is a theft—of the materials themselves, but no less of the right of the cheater’s fellow students to equal consideration, for in effect, the plagiarized paper throws all other papers in competition with work that likely has already been judged superior.
    • Plagiarism breeds a moral atmosphere which denies all students the dignity and freedom due them as human beings. Inevitably, one cheater throws the taint of suspicion upon all, the entire climate is poisoned, and mutual respect is endangered.
    • Plagiarism prevents the values of humane education when the instructor is forced to give extraordinary attention to the integrity of the grade and can no longer assume the integrity of the student.
    • Plagiarism is a sin, a violation of the Eighth Commandment. It is inimical to the values and ideals of a Christian educational institution.

    Plagiarism Definition

    Plagiarism in student papers and assignments involves quoting, paraphrasing, or in other ways using sources without proper acknowledgement. Proper acknowledgement includes indentifying the author and source of a quoted or paraphrased passage or other medium, and indicating clearly (by the appropriate use or omission of quotations marks) whether the passage is a quotation or merely a paraphrase.

    • Student plagiarize if they submit as their own work, without appropriate documentation or quotation marks:
      • part or all of a written or spoken assignment copied from another person’s manuscript;
      • part or all of an assignment copied or paraphrased from a source, such as books, magazines, pamphlets, charts, maps, graphs, music scores or computer programs;
      • the sequence of ideas, arrangement of material, and pattern of thought of someone else, even though they express them in their own words.
    • Students are accomplices in plagiarism and are equally guilty if:
      • they allow their paper, in outline or finished form, to be copied and submitted as the work of another;
      • they prepare a written assignment for another student and allow him/her to submit it as his/her work;
      • they keep or contribute to a file of papers or speeches with the intent that these papers or speeches be copied and submitted as the work of someone other than the author.

    To Avoid Plagiarism

    • Any quotation must be enclosed in quotation marks or, if lengthy, indented. Acknowledgement must be given to the correct author and source.
    • In any paraphrase, the wording must be distinctly different from the original source. If the writer of the paper maintains any word order, distinctive phrasing and/or grammatical structure original with the author of the source, the student will have plagiarized unless he/she uses quotation marks. Also, acknowledgement must be given to the correct author and source when paraphrasing.

    Penalties for Plagiarism

    Covenant Christian Academy assumes the honor and integrity of its students. If some should abuse this confidence, the school is prepared to act as follows:

    • Teachers who find proof of plagiarism will first of all discuss with the student the facts of the case and its moral implications.
    • Teachers will report the facts and their recommendation for any additional consequences to both the Academic Dean and the Dean of Community Life.
    • Plagiarism will result in a mark of zero for the plagiarized work. Because plagiarism is an offence against classmates (as discussed above), offenders will need to confess and apologize to the other students in that class before they may be considered fully restored within the learning community. Teachers or deans may assign additional academic or disciplinary consequences on a case-by-case basis.
    • One of the deans will then schedule a parent conference to include the student and teacher, at which time all academic and disciplinary consequences will be explained.
    • Students have the right to appeal of their case before the Headmaster who may also choose not to hear the appeal.

    Source: These definitions and policies were adapted in 2011 from the policy of Covenant College (with minor changes in names and processes). Used gratefully with the permission of Covenant College. [Note: Covenant College, in turn, provided the following attribution: “The previous definition and discussion are based in part on the ‘English Department Policy on Plagiarism’ in the 1963 edition of the Memorandum to the Instructors in Freshman English published by the Department of English at the University of Minnesota.”]