John Ross Nighthawks

              Stay Safe

            Own Your Own Behavior     

            Accept Responsibility

            Respect Relationships

A school community must have a safe orderly environment that protects learning opportunities for all children.  No student has the right to interfere with the learning of other students or the teacher’s ability to teach.  Students need a set of “boundaries” from which to operate.  We have implemented SOAR as our common vocabulary to communicate consistent behavior expectations.  The meaning of SOAR is as follows:

S – STAY SAFE – This includes physical safety as well as emotional safety.  Students are expected to keep hands and feet to themselves and use kind words when communicating with others. Bullying behaviors are considered safety issues because they are emotionally damaging to children.

O – OWN YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR – People of character acknowledge their mistakes and make a plan to implement different choices the next time the situation occurs.  We will continually encourage children to move beyond, “I didn’t do it…..it wasn’t me” and take ownership of their mistakes.

A – ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY – This means “being where you’re supposed to be” and “doing what you’re supposed to do”.  Examples given to students include:

Do the right thing, make good choices, do your work, bring homework and supplies, do your nightly reading, complete your agenda, study for tests and put forth your best effort.

R – RESPECT RELATIONSHIPS – The way we interact with other people can frequently determine a person’s ultimate success in life.  Positive and effective interpersonal skills are a critical component of a well-rounded child’s development. We emphasize friend to friend, student to teacher, teacher to student and teacher to teacher relationships that are kind, positive and respectful.

The goals of giving students behavioral expectations include: 

1) Maintain an orderly school operation

2) Maintain optimal learning opportunities

3) Help students develop skills and behaviors necessary for healthy living

4) Help students learn how their decisions affect the quality of lives of others

5) Help students develop responsibility and character.