Every student is entitled to a safe school environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying. The District’s policies on bullying can be accessed by clicking on the attached documents. You may request hard copies in the school office.

As it relates to school activity, “bullying” means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act, and including one or more acts, committed by a pupil or group of pupils as defined in Education Code § 48900.2, 48900.3, or 48900.4, directed toward one or more pupils that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

• Placing a reasonable pupil or pupils in fear of harm to that pupil’s or those pupils’ person or property.
• Causing a reasonable pupil to experience a substantially detrimental effect on his or her physical or mental health.
• Causing a reasonable pupil to experience a substantial interference with his or her academic performance.
• Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with his or her ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

What to do if someone you know is being bullied:

• Tell someone
• Talk to your teacher or parents
• Please, speak up.

Bullies do what they do because acts of bullying, intimidation, and harassment often go unreported.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District supports a strong Ethics Policy, which deals with students who cheat on tests or plagiarize on assignments. All tests, quizzes, reports, assignments and any school related test are subject to this policy. Cheating includes looking at or copying another student’s paper, talking during an exam, plagiarism, and using electronics to transmit images or information included on a test. Helping another student cheat on an exam or assignment is also a violation of the Ethics Policy if it has been made clear by the instructor that students are to work on their own. Violators of this policy are subject to the following consequences:

1st Offense

1. Automatic “0” (failure) on the assignment or test.
2. Teacher contacts parent with details of offense and explains consequences.
3. Student sent to the assistant principal and referral placed in student file.
4. Citizenship grade may be lowered for this term on report card.

2nd Offense (same year as first offense)

1. Academic grade may be lowered in the subject of the violation.
2. Student citizenship and work habits grade lowered again.
3. Referral placed in student discipline file.
4. Parent conference with administrator, student, and teacher.
5. Student removed from elected or appointed positions.
6. Student will be assigned to one day of in-school suspension.

3rd Offense (same year)

1. Academic grade of “F” and a “U” in citizenship and work habits are assigned.
2. Referral placed in student discipline file.
3. Student suspended at home for 1 day.
4. Parent conference with administrator, student, and teacher. Additional consequences as deemed appropriate at the meeting.

Are you planning to go on vacation for 5 or more school days? If so, you may be eligible for an Independent Study Contract.

Independent Study Contracts provide both the schoolwork and homework your student would miss and EXCUSES THE ABSENCES.

You must apply for an Independent Study Contract 2 weeks prior to the absence date.

Please contact the attendance office or email Julie Coppes (Julie.Coppes@svusd.org) for more information or to apply for an Independent Study Contract.

The Melinda Heights School Rules, which are posted in every classroom, are based on our core values of respect, responsibility, and integrity, as well as safety.

Our Mountain Lions ROAR. We are

Responsible

Own Our Choices

Act with Integrity

Show Respect

*Respect for others includes refraining from the use of profane or vulgar language.

Types of conduct which are prohibited at school and which may constitute harassment or bullying include, but are not limited to:

• Direct physical contact, such as hitting or shoving.
• Threats to harm another person.
• Oral or written assaults, such as teasing or name-calling.
• Social isolation or manipulation.
• Posting harassing messages, direct threats, social cruelty or other harmful texts, sounds or images on the Internet, including social networking sites.
• Posting or sharing information about another person that is private.
• Pretending to be another person on a social networking site or other electronic communication in order to damage that person’s reputation or friendships.
• Posting or sharing photographs of other people without their permission.
• Spreading hurtful or demeaning materials created by another person (e.g. forwarding offensive emails or text messages).
• Retaliating against someone for complaining that they have been bullied.

Possible consequences for infractions of these Melinda Heights School Rules may include a verbal warning, recess restriction, loss of privileges, alternative service, parent contact, parent conference, suspension from class and/or suspension from school.

The Melinda Heights staff wants to publicly affirm appropriate student behavior and positive character development. Each teacher has his or her own method for encouraging positive student behavior within the classroom. In addition, students are recognized at awards assemblies for outstanding academic achievement, effort, citizenship, and as models of Respect, Responsibility, and Integrity. We welcome the opportunity to assist our parents in helping our students become happy, responsible, and productive citizens.

The Melinda Heights staff believes that all children, with proper guidance and reinforcement, can behave appropriately at school. Thus, we have implemented some simple school rules to accomplish this. These rules are based on the following beliefs we hold regarding discipline and character development:

• Character development is as important as intellectual development.
• There are three universal character traits that form the core of the values we teach: Respect, Responsibility, and Integrity.
• Self control and self discipline are learned behaviors. Thus, if a child violates a rule out of ignorance, it is our responsibility to teach the appropriate behavior. If a child violates a rule out of defiance, then it is our responsibility to discipline.
• Disciplining students should be done privately, whenever possible. We do not practice public humiliation.
• The primary responsibility for teaching children strong character and positive behavior lies with the parent. It is the school’s responsibility to reinforce those positive traits and behaviors that parents work so diligently to teach.