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COMMUNITY STANDARDS POLICY and CODE OF CONDUCT
Northgate Christian Education Society

At Northgate Christian Education Society (NCES) the faculty and Board are called to promote and advance the vision and mission of Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Academy (the “School”) to the people of the Comox Valley. In order to do so, the faculty and Board are expected to adhere to the standards of conduct that NCES holds for itself.

The School standards of conduct are found in various documents, policies, employment contracts and handbooks. This policy is not intended to replace those standards but to restate and add to them. NCES Faculty must, as a term and condition of their employment, support and adhere to the standards of conduct held by the School, wherever such requirements are found. Likewise, board members shall only hold office if they support and adhere to the same standards of conduct. As these people occupy positions of leadership within the School, these standards must be adhered to in their public and private life and in school-related and non-school related activities.

The code of conduct for our school is rooted in the great command of Jesus to love God and love your neighbour (Matthew 22:37-40). Our school is a community. We demonstrate our love for one another in our school community by being willing to conduct our lives – through speech and behaviour – in a way that honours God and gives dignity, acceptance and respect to others.

Faculty and Board members can demonstrate that they love the students and all others in the school community by promoting a safe and accepting school culture where students are protected from harassment and bullying, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or belief system.

Faculty are called to:

  • love and respect all students; not just the ones easy to like.
  • Be kind, helpful, and encourage students.
  • Stop all bullying behaviour in hallways, classrooms and grounds including teasing, verbal “digs”, cyber-stalking, gossiping among peers, and physically harming another.
  • Be inclusive, considerate, and help students respect the diversity of others regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or belief system.
  • Do not judge one another.
  • Never cause anyone harm whether it be emotional with your words or physical with your fists; don’t fight, bully, harass or tease each other.

The following particular standards of conduct of NCES are important non-exhaustive examples of how Faculty and the School Board are to live as members of the School.

  • Demonstrate clear and active support for Christian education, but not excluding other forms of education.
  • Active membership in a Christian church.
  • Respect for the sanctity of life; and opposition to abortion.
  • Refrain from the activities such as homosexuality (Rm. 1:26-28, Lev. 20:13, 1Cor. 6:9), sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage, and the use of pornography, or other sexually explicit material.
  • Refrain from the abuse of alcohol, drugs, and any illegal substance.
  • Refrain from criminal activity or serious civil wrongdoing

NCES is also a place of diversity and the potential exists for there to be differences in the school regarding whether certain conduct breaches the standards of conduct of NCES. In the case of such differences that remain unresolved, the board of NCES shall make the final determination around such matters.

Where this policy is a condition of a contract of employment, the consequences of a breach of a standard of conduct and the dispute resolution procedure will be governed by the contract of employment as stated therein.

In cases where this is not the case, then the consequences of breach will be determined on a case-by-case basis in view of the relevant circumstances. The consequences of breach may involve a letter of reprimand, suspension from duties and termination, again depending on the nature and seriousness of the breach. For some single instances of breach, such as serious sexual misconduct, immediate termination may be the consequence. In cases of less serious breach, some form of progressive discipline may be imposed. In all cases of breach, discernment will be exercised to recognize the difference between a single and deeply regretted mistake and a flagrantly disobedient lifestyle, which is not open to correction.

In these cases, all disputes pertaining to community standards will be resolved directly between the involved parties; failing which the dispute will then be resolved by the School Board in accordance with its policies and procedures.

This is a policy of the Board of the NCES and is also incorporated into and subject to the terms and conditions of the School employment contracts. This policy is also a vital contractual agreement that:

  1. in cases of doubt as to the meaning, it is to be interpreted and determined by the Board; appeals can be made as stated in Teacher Contract in Section 21 (b)
  2. Any changes to this Community Standards Policy must only be made by the Board.

 

Development and Implementation of a Community Standards Policy - © SCSBC 09/00, Approved for NCES 05/05, revised December 31, 2016.