Philosophy

Deering High School (DHS) believes that people make mistakes and that error can be the catalyst for learning and growth. Further, we believe that people are capable of self-regulation, and that having everyone understand the disciplinary consequences for behavior before, during, and after an event occurs increases the likelihood of being able to self-regulate.

It is Deering High School’s responsibility to provide consistent and appropriate responses to student behavior in a manner that encourages growth and offers both process and support to that end. Further, we believe any two people in equivalent circumstances should be treated the same when it comes to disciplinary consequences and access to restorative justice.

At DHS, we recognize the importance of community building through relationships with students, their teachers, and their families. When appropriate, the school’s response to negative, anti-social behavior should involve key community stakeholders. Students are always afforded due process, with school district representatives hearing their perspective as well as being committed to gathering information and evidence from all relevant parties.

All Deering High School community members are expected to maintain the following:

• mutual respect along with physical and emotional safety among all DHS community members
• respectful treatment of school property and the property of DHS community members
• regular, timely attendance to school and classes; work completion; and cooperation in the school and classroom

Essential Agreements

At Deering High School, we maintain a safe school environment.

• We tell an adult if we are worried about someone.
• We make informed decisions about our safety and the wellbeing of others.
• We respect one another’s personal space.
• We communicate important information with each other.
• We move away from conflicts or distractions and encourage others to do the same.
• We use technology, including phones, responsibly.

We treat each other with respect.

• We treat others as we wish to be treated.
• We hear all voices.
• We support one another.
• We recognize each person’s strengths and point them out.
• We are aware of our power and privilege and apologize when we make mistakes.
• We strive to find common ground.
• We find ways to say things that are helpful, not harmful.
• We appreciate each other’s similarities and differences.
• We are All One School.

We take responsibility for our learning and actions.

• We come to school prepared to learn.
• We get involved in clubs, activities, sports, outside organizations, and more.
• We promote an inclusive culture.
• We never stop trying to improve.
• We plan ahead and get where we are going on time.
• We hold ourselves to high expectations.
• We keep our campus clean.
• We appreciate the power of learning and value our education.
• Teachers and students know that attendance matters and we show up.
• We question our assumptions.
• We find opportunities for students to be teachers and teachers to be learners.

Board Policy

The Portland Public Schools Board of Education has adopted a number of policies that relate to safety and behavior. They can be found at https://www.portlandschools.org/about/board-of-education/board-policies, primarily in Book J. In case of contradiction between this handbook and board policy, board policy will prevail. If you want help understanding a policy, contact Assistant Principal Jake Giessman at giessj@portlandschools.org. Below are some highlights from selected policies:

JIC-SYSTEM-WIDE Student Code of Conduct

Schools should be safe, nurturing, participatory, and productive learning environments. This requires both clear expectations for student conduct and positive, multi-tiered systems of support and interventions to meet students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs....

All students are expected to conduct themselves... in a manner that maintains the safety and productiveness of the learning environment, both for themselves and for the other members of their school community. This includes adhering to all federal, state, and local laws, as well as adhering to all other Board policies and building-level expectations. This expectation applies to students

• on school or district property,
• while in attendance at school or at any school-sponsored activity, or
• at any time or place that such conduct directly interferes with the operations, discipline or general welfare of the school, including but not limited to cyber-communications.

Below are some general examples of expectations the Board considers fundamental to a safe learning environment in our schools. While these expectations are for students, adults in schools should also be modeling these expectations. Building leaders are expected to adapt and elaborate on these expectations in a manner appropriate to their context and responsive to their full community’s needs, values, and cultural backgrounds.

• Respect the rights and dignity of all school community members.
• Interrupt discrimination and inequity.
• Refrain from verbal, emotional, or physical violence.
• Follow reasonable requests.
• Arrive on time, attend all classes, and complete assigned work.
• Refrain from cheating or plagiarizing the work of others.
• Respect the property of others, including school property and facilities.
• Refrain from vulgarity, profanity, obscenity, lewdness and indecency.
• Adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

JICA-R-Student Dress Code Policy

It is not the policy of Deering High School to control individual student expression; however, students are expected to follow board policy when it comes to articles of clothing. Namely:

• Underwear should not be exposed. Footwear is required.
• Genitalia, nipples, and buttocks are to be covered at all times.
• No clothing that conflicts with other board policies and behavior standards (namely drug/alcohol use, violence, offensive language, pornographic material) is allowed.

Students violating these policies may be asked to avoid wearing the item of clothing again, or to change immediately depending on the infraction. Please read the full board policy for more information.

JKD-Suspension of Students

Definitions

In-school suspension is the temporary removal of a student for disciplinary purposes from their regular classroom to the direct supervision of school personnel for at least half of a school day. Out-of-school suspension is the temporary removal of a student from their regular school for disciplinary reasons for at least half of a school day.

Application

The school board delegates to principals the authority to suspend. Alternatives to suspension should be preferred whenever possible. Alternatives to suspension could include, but are not limited to problem-solving, restitution and restoration, skills instruction, counseling, and behavior planning.

When applied, suspension should be a stop-gap only long enough in duration to allow the development of a re-entry plan that supports the safety, health, and academic and social-emotional wellbeing of the student and the school community. Out-of-school suspension, in particular, should only be used when unavoidable as a safety measure, such as in the case of imminent likelihood of harm.

Suspensions longer than five (5) days, inclusive of both in-school and out-of-school suspension, may only be imposed with approval of the Superintendent. Suspensions longer than ten (10) days, inclusive of both in-school and out-of-school suspension, may only be imposed by the Board.

Procedures

Prior to a suspension, except as hereinafter provided:

1. The student shall be given verbal or written notice of the reason for suspension;
2. The student shall be given an explanation of the evidence forming the reason for suspension; and
3. The student shall be given an opportunity to present their version of the incident.

However, students whose presence poses an immediate and serious safety threat may be immediately removed from school. In such cases, the notice of reason for suspension, explanation of evidence and the student’s opportunity to present their version of the incident shall be arranged as soon as practicable after removal of the student from school.

The student’s guardians shall be notified of any in-school or out-of-school suspension as soon as practicable by telephone (if possible) and by written notice sent by mail. Email and other forms of communication may be used in addition in order to make the process as accessible as possible to families. Interpretation and translation will be provided as needed. A copy of the written notice shall also be sent to the Superintendent. The family shall be given an opportunity to have input on the plans for re-entry and for subsequent supports.

Students are not allowed on school property during any out-of-school suspension except with the prior authorization of the principal or Superintendent, which could be necessary for access to services such as an in-school health clinic.

Administration will coordinate between faculty, student, and family to ensure that the student has information about and access to schoolwork and assessments that take place during the suspension and are essential to meeting content standards.

School administration, faculty, and student support staff shall collaborate with the student and family to create a re-entry plan that helps address underlying problems, restore relationships, prevent recurrence, and maintain the safety, health, and academic and social-emotional wellbeing of the student and the school community.

JICH-Student Drug and Alcohol Use

Students are prohibited from consuming, possessing, furnishing, selling, receiving, buying, manufacturing or being under the influence of prohibited substances before, during and after school hours, at school, in any school building, on any school premises, in any school-owned vehicle or in any other school-approved vehicle used to transport students to and from school or school activities, off school property at any school-sponsored or school-approved activity, event or function (such as a field trip or athletic event) where students are under the jurisdiction of the school unit, or at any time or place if the conduct directly interferes with the operation, discipline or welfare of the schools.

The term “prohibited substance” shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Alcohol;
2. Scheduled drugs (as defined in 17-A MRS § 1101);
3. Controlled substances (as defined in the federal Controlled Substance Act, 21 USC § 812);
4. Prescription drugs not prescribed for the student and/or not in compliance with the Board’s policy on administering medications to students (see Board Policy JLCD);
5. Any substance which can affect or change a student’s mental, physical or behavior pattern, including but not limited to volatile materials such as glue, paint or aerosols (when possessed for the purpose of inhalation) or steroids;
6. Paraphernalia – implements used for distribution or consumption of a prohibited substance; or
7. Any look-alike drug or substance that is described as or is purported to be a prohibited substance defined in this section.

JICIA-Weapons, Violence and School Safety

Students, volunteers and visitors are prohibited from engaging in the following conduct on school property, while in attendance at school, at any other school-sponsored activity, or at any time or place that such conduct directly interferes with the operations, discipline or general welfare of the school:

• Possession and/or use of articles commonly used or designed to inflict bodily harm and/or to threaten, intimidate, coerce or harass another person. Examples of such articles include but are not limited to firearms, BB guns, air guns, pellet guns, any other kind of gun, ammunition, explosives, cross-bows, brass knuckles, switchblades, knives, chains, clubs, Kung Fu stars, and nunchucks;
• Discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of school property. "Firearm" means any instrument used in the propulsion of pellets, shot, shells or bullets by action of gunpowder, compressed air or gas exploded or released within it;
• Use of an object, although not necessarily designed to be a weapon, to inflict bodily harm and/or to threaten, intimidate, coerce or harass another person. Examples of such objects could include but are not limited to bats, belts, picks, pencils, compasses, articles capable of ignition (e.g., matches, lighters), files, tools of any sort, and replicas of weapons (including toys);
• Violent, threatening or menacing behavior, including but not limited to fighting, assault and/or battery, taking hostages, threats to commit violence against persons or property (e.g., verbal or written death threats, threats of bodily harm, bomb threats), stalking, or blocking access to school property or facilities;
• Verbal or written statements (including those made on or through a computer or other electronic device) which threaten, intimidate, or harass others; verbal or written statements which tend to incite violence and/or disrupt the school program; blackmail; extortion; or demands for money or property;
• Intentional damage to school or personal property;
• Retaliation for reporting or giving evidence of violation of this policy; and
• Any other conduct that may be harmful to persons or property.

Interventions and Supports

The following interventions and supports are available to all students. Additional resources may be available to additional students with demonstrated exceptional need.

Advisors 

Each student is assigned an advisory group that meets regularly. The advisor serves as a first-stop for questions, answers, support, and guidance for students and families. Students and families can reach out directly to the advisor on any topic, and the advisor will either answer the need or direct the student or family to the appropriate resource. The advisor also delivers curriculum designed to support the school’s essential agreements and the basic social-emotional growth of students. Read more information about Advisory as a course later in the handbook.

Student Support Team

Deering’s student support team (SST) is composed of school counselors, social workers, administrators, and the school nurse. Not only do these individuals provide individual and small group support for students, they also meet weekly to review student data and to initiate specific support plans for students whose attendance, behavior, academic performance show a need for additional support or who ask for or are referred for such a plan.

Liaisons

Margaret Callaghan is a staff member designated as a liaison, specifically to field initial reports or complaints of discrimination or harassment. She is trained to activate necessary procedures while also respecting the privacy and safety of the reporter or complainant.

Teachers

Teachers’ primary role is to facilitate teaching and learning. However, they are also responsible for maintaining a safe and productive classroom environment and may at times explicitly provide behavioral interventions or supports. They are authorized to maintain and enforce behavioral expectations and to assign consequences. They should be in contact with families about any behaviors that require substantial intervention.

Community Lunch and Community Service

Students may be assigned community lunch or community service to address problem behaviors. Community lunch happens during the lunch period and involves reflection and goal-setting. Community service takes place during Learning Center. Both are supervised by administrators or culture and climate coordinators.

Referral to Administration

Administrators will support when behavioral issues are either impractical for or too serious for teaching staff to handle. Below are some examples of administrative supports and interventions.

Office Reset

A student may request or be sent for a 5 to 10 minute office reset, during which they will have a chance to de-escalate, discuss underlying issues, and get ready to re-engage with the learning environment. A Dean or administrator can also then return to class with student and verify that the student has successfully and appropriately re-engaged with learning. This intervention is meant to be low-level, and does not trigger family contact. If an individual student has a recurring need for office resets, further interventions and supports will be put in place.

Family Meeting

At times, an administrator will request a meeting with a student and family to better understand an issue and to collaborate on a solution. Interpretation is provided for multilingual families as needed.

Making Up Missed Learning Time

For issues that require a student to miss a significant portion of a class period to resolve, administrators may require the student to make up the missed learning time after school. If possible, that will happen with the teacher whose class was missed. Families will be notified.

Removal From Community

If a student’s presence in class or in common areas makes those spaces unsafe or unproductive, the student may be removed to an administrative space until the issues can be resolved. If this takes place for half a day or more, it constitutes in-school-suspension. In extreme circumstances, a student may be removed from school altogether, constituting an out-of-school suspension. Suspension is intended as an intervention of last resort. Out-of-school suspension, in particular, is used to give staff and families just the time necessary to create a plan for safe return to the school. In cases of removal from the community exceeding a simple office reset, families will be notified and engaged.

Involvement of Superintendent

The superintendent oversees the most extreme cases of intervention, including suspensions exceeding five days, the involvement of law enforcement, and the rare cases in which expulsion is a possible outcome.