Each student is responsible for being respectful to others within the school community. This is accomplished by following a simple system of school rules established through class discussion and the guidance of the teacher. The chief reason for these rules is to foster respect for self, others and the world. Teachers are expected to discuss natural consequences and to develop logical solutions with their homeroom classes. These may be shared and adopted across the school as part of building and living in a learning community. There are also particular school-wide practices that will be adopted. These include point outs, stop signs, and consequences for violations of school rules, which are explained below.

Behavior: Good behavior in school is a necessary ingredient for conducting school in a safe and orderly environment. The following are some of the examples of behavior which will help your child's success in school.

Be on time and absent only if necessary.
Show respect to your teachers and classmates and follow your class guidelines.
Have books, paper, pencil and other appropriate materials for each class.
Respect the rights of others.
Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
Be cooperative, concerned and caring.

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Classroom Management

"Stop" hand signal - Teachers and staff use the "stop" hand signal if a child interferes in any way with classroom instruction or disturbs another child's learning. A stop signal is not in response to a violation of a school rule but is simply a reminder to the student that the classroom is a learning environment and they are to discontinue the inappropriate behavior.

"Go" sign - A student who does not change his inappropriate behavior is given a "go" sign. This is a simple hand gesture which signifies that the student is to stop the inappropriate behavior and quietly go to a "designated area" within the classroom or just outside the door to consider his unacceptable behavior and then return quietly to his seat. S/he is then to resume learning. The student is expected to discuss the situation with the teacher at the next class break (recess, lunch, after school, etc) to decide what s/he needs to do to improve the situation. Written documentation will be made by the teacher.

"Point out" - If the student receives a second "go" sign, a "point out" will be given signifying s/he must then take their work, and go to the designated area inside or outside the classroom. They will need to sit quietly, continue their work, and wait for the teacher to counsel them at the next class break. The teacher and student will discuss the situation and determine what the solution should be for the behavior. These solutions/consequences will have been developed by the teacher and class with on-going discussions taking place for clear understanding and expectations. A parent/guardian will be contacted, and the situation will be documented in written form.

We thank Jane Nelson’s information for our staff’s trainings on Positive Discipline in the Classroom – which follows Adlerian Psychology.

Click here to view the "Mistaken Goal Chart" which was used in this training.

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The 5 R's

The culture of DaVinci Charter School (Garden City Community School) relates to the “5 R’s”:

Respect
Resourcefulness
Responsibility
Responsiveness
Resiliency

In brief, the educational approach built around these five principles provides a great deal of respect and flexibility to learners while at the same time expecting a high level of responsibility. The 5 R’s are goals for the children as well as for parents and all school personnel.

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Principles of Adlerian Psychology

We use the principles of Adlerian Psychology attributed to the studies of Alfred Adler

Our behavior plan includes the psychology of Alfred Adler. Adler emphasized preventing challenging behaviors by treating each other with mutual respect, encouraging and promoting social interest, fostering a sense of belonging, and by emphasizing the importance of supporting and nurturing creativity in children. He stressed the need to understand individuals within their social context – family, school, and community. Within DaVinci Charter School (Garden City Community School), the concept of community is brought to life as learners start at an early age to respect, to cooperate, and to create with others. This, combined with the encouragement of exploration and risk-taking in learning with teacher guidance, creates an environment safe for learning and development. Our counseling department has more in-depth information about this, so be sure to ask for more!

People are social beings. They need to belong and to contribute.
People are whole beings; all aspects of life are interrelated.
Work, friendship and intimacy are life-long tasks.
Every person is equally deserving of dignity and respect.
All behavior has a purpose.
Positive change comes from encouragement which focuses on our strengths.
Children make meaning of their early experiences and act within this framework throughout their lives.
Personal freedoms exist together with social responsibility.

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