Discipline, Bullying, and Conflict Resolution

Although we all hope to avoid conflicts, we know that they are bound to happen. We want you to know that the board prays for co-op cohesion and asks that you do the same. We also ask you to remind your children to listen to and respect their teachers and classmates.

Discipline Policy

In the event a child needs to be disciplined:

1. Give a verbal warning: Speak one on one in an attempt to re-direct the student. We know that sometimes it is not practical to pull the student aside, so if you must re-direct in front of other students, do it in a respectful and kind manner. Proper tone of voice goes a long way and please refrain from using the "mom voice" if at all possible.
2. If the behavior continues, please get the hall monitor. We will find the student's parent and ask them to remove their child from the class. The student is free to return to class the following period.

Bullying

Forging Paths has a zero tolerance for bullying. We want our kids to be in a fun and safe environment, therefore our bullying policy is stricter than our general discipline policy.

Bullying includes, but is not limited to, name calling, gossiping, teasing, unwanted physical touch, or anything that may make other students uncomfortable. We know that sometimes name calling can be as a joke or sarcastic comment among friends, especially as kids get older, but the line between okay and too far is different for each child. Because of this, we ask that students refrain from any name calling. If your child feels like a line has been crossed, please let the teacher or someone on leadership know so we can address the situation.

If bullying is observed before or after co-op, including during arrival or lunch, please first stop the bullying. Then, go either to the parent or someone on leadership. If you go directly to the parent, please notify someone on leadership after the fact.

Students who observe bullying are encouraged to let their teacher know if it is during class time. If it is not during class they should inform their own parent or someone on leadership.

• In the event there is verbal bullying, the student is given one (1) warning. If the student continues to bully they are immediately taken to the hall monitor who will then take them to their parent for the remainder of the period. The student is free to return to class the next period. If you have to give a student a bullying warning but they take re-direction and do not continue, please inform the hall monitor. We all interact with many kids throughout the morning and want to make sure the child exhibiting bullying behavior is not gaming the system and getting warnings from multiple moms.
• There are no (0) warnings for physical bullying. If you observe punching, hitting, pinching, slapping, scratching, biting, etc. the student is to immediately be removed from class and taken to the hall monitor. The hall monitor will then take the student to their parent for the remainder of the period. The student is free to return to class during the next period.

If someone is given a warning or removed from a class, the hall monitor will pass the info on to the next hall monitor so we can keep track and make sure it is not an ongoing problem.

If bullying continues through multiple periods or weeks, the student and parent will need to have a meeting with our Director or someone else on the Board to determine appropriate actions. We want all kids to be included and learn how to work out their disagreements in Biblical and appropriate ways.

Conflict among adults

While we all hope to have a conflict-free co-op, we know that disagreements do arise. Please refrain from gossip and trying to get others on your side; sometimes taking a few moments to calm down is all it takes. If the conflict continues, please deal with it in a Biblical manner according to Matthew 18:15-17. Please contact our Director or someone else on the Board if you need someone to talk to.