BULLYING & HARASSMENT POLICY

The Learning Circle Montessori Elementary School is committed to providing a safe

and constructive learning environment that honors the dignity and worth of every
individual.

It is the responsibility of The Learning Circle Montessori Elementary School to

address bullying and harassment issues that occur. The Learning Circle Montessori
Elementary School staff will create an orderly environment within the school
through training, monitoring and intervening when bullying and harassment occur.

Bullying and harassment are forms of dangerous and disrespectful behavior that will
not be permitted or tolerated. Bullying and harassment may involve a range of
misconduct which, based on the severity, will warrant a measured response of
corrective action and/or discipline. Behaviors that do not rise to the level of bullying
and harassment, as defined below, still may be subject to intervention and/or
discipline under another section of the discipline plan or a discipline policy.

DEFINITIONS
Bullying

Bullying means any overt act or combination of such acts directed against a student
by another student or group of students and which:

1) is repeated over time;

2) is intended to ridicule, humiliate, or harm the student(s)
3) occurs during the school day on school property, on a school bus, or at
a school-sponsored activity, or before or after the school day on a
school bus or at a school-sponsored activity.

Harassment

Harassment means any gesture, written, verbal, or physical act that is reasonably
perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such
as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory handicap, or by any other
distinguishing characteristic, that occurs during the school day on school property,
on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity, or before or after the school day
on a school bus or at a school-sponsored activity and which:

1) a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have

the effect of harming a student or damaging the student’s property, or
 placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to his person or damage
to his property; or
2) has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of
students in such a way as to cause substantial disruption with a
student’s education, or substantial interference with the orderly
operation of the school.

Bullying and harassment can take various forms:

1) Physical (including, but not limited to, hitting, kicking, spitting,

pushing, taking or damaging personal belongings);
2) Verbal (including, but not limited to, spreading rumors, manipulating
social relationships, engaging in social exclusion, extortion or
intimidation);
3) Psychological (including, but not limited to, spreading rumors;
manipulating social relationships, engaging in social exclusion,
extortion or intimidation);
4) Internet or cyber-bullying (including, but not limited to, the use of
instant messaging [IM], e-mail, web sites, chat rooms, and text
messaging that is used to bully or harass another student or
employee, and when such use interferes with the operation of the
school, or infringes upon the general health, safety and well being of
The Learning Circle Montessori Elementary School students or
employees);
5) Hazing (including, but not limited to, various forms of bullying and
harassment of students by other students in regard to pledging and/or
a student’s initiation into or affiliation with a school or student related
organization or team).

It is important to note that a single negative act as enumerated above may also
constitute bulling (if more serious misconduct) based upon the particular
circumstances such as the seriousness of the act and/or the intent of the alleged
perpetrator.

Conduct that might otherwise be considered bullying and harassment but does not
occur during the school day on school property, on a school bus or at a school-
sponsored activity, or before or after the school day on a school bus or at a school-
sponsored activity event may still be subject to disciplinary action.

Rules against bullying and harassment shall be publicized school-wide and shall be
disseminated as appropriate to staff, students and parents. Discipline sanctions for
violation of this policy shall be outlined in the The Learning Circle Montessori
Elementary School’s Code of Conduct and may also be incorporated in the staff and
student handbooks.

Prevention and intervention techniques within The Learning Circle Montessori

Elementary School to prevent bullying and harassing behavior and to support and
protect victims shall include building-level and classroom-level strategies to and
activities as determined by the administration.
Staff training shall be provided to raise awareness of the problem of bullying and
harassment within the schools and to facilitate staff identification of and response
to such bullying or harassing behavior to their immediate supervisor.

Personnel at all levels are responsible for taking corrective action to prevent
bullying or harassing behavior of which they have been made aware, through direct
action and/or reporting such behavior to their immediate supervisor.

Individual intervention will be provided by appropriate staff members to bullies,

harassers, victims, bystanders and their parents to help ensure that the bulling or
harassing stops.

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