Our District and school teams are taking advantage of this new beginning to emphasize with students and staff the importance of setting — and meeting — high expectations for behavior. We strive to create an enriching academic environment that enables all students to feel safe, respected, and heard while at school. 

Every Minute Matters

We ask parents to ensure children arrive on time to school and that they are in school every day. Daily attendance matters and helps build the foundation for a child’s academic success. Extended absences and/or vacations during the school year are discouraged and considered unexcused absences. When unexcused absences reach more than nine days a school year, or five percent, it is considered chronic truancy and significantly negatively impacts a child’s learning. While we want students to stay home if they are ill, we really want all students in school to optimize learning time. Parents can track students’ attendance at the secondary level via Infinite Campus.

Maintain Good Behavior 

Remember that our schools implement a proactive approach to teaching and supporting good behavior through our PBIS program which stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. To watch a short U-46 video about PBIS in action, click here.

PBIS supports the good behavior that we expect and that is outlined in U-46’s Student Code of Conduct. We ask that families take some time and review these expectations with their children who attend U-46 schools. The Student Code of Conduct clarifies the rights and responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, and other staff. It also explains the disciplinary responses and how they help to create a stable learning environment conducive to all students and their learning styles.

The Student Code of Conduct can be found on the District website here and on all school websites under School Safety and Culture. It is also available as a hard copy in the main office of each school. 

Some of the most important pages to review in the student handbook includes the following but it is recommended that families take the time to become familiar with the entire publication:

• Rights and Responsibilities
• Where and when does this apply to students?
• Bullying and How to Report
• District U-46 Does Not … 
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
• Discipline Framework
• Considerations After an Incident
• Glossary 

Wear student IDs 

Our schools are reminding students how easy it is - and important - for them to wear their school IDs on their upper torso, displayed on the outermost garment. It is expected that a student ID be attached to a lanyard and worn around the neck. The IDs lets everyone know that the student belongs in the building. Students will be checked for IDs when they arrive for school, at the lunch hour, and before they leave the PE areas. At its best, this process also encourages relationship building between students and staff.

Administrators, staff, parents, and students can make a difference by working together on this important topic as we continue to build a school culture focused on learning across all 57 schools and programs that make up U-46.