OES is a cooperative community which encourages selfdiscipline, sound moral judgment, pride in the School, and respect for self and others. The goal is to help students grow and learn from all of their experiences in and out of the classroom.

OES is a multicultural school committed to diversity, and continues to seek and welcome students of different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Students are expected to respect and celebrate multicultural and individual differences.

The School expects students to become citizens who are ready and willing to assume their share of responsibility for the good of the entire community.

The Middle School uses the two concepts of respect and responsibility as its guiding principles for setting standards of behavior. In order to protect the rights of all individuals within the OES Community, we expect that each individual will behave with:

Respect…

FOR SELF

FOR OTHERS

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Responsibility…

• Contribute to a positive learning
  atmosphere.
  
• Act to solve School problems.
  
• Be on time and be where you should be.
  
• Come prepared for classes and activities.
  
• Take responsibility for your own actions.

When a student considers whether an action is acceptable, she or he should decide if the action in question shows respect and/or responsibility. If she or he has any doubt, then consultation with an adult is important.

Students will respect the rights of others to quiet and privacy. They will help keep hallways, classrooms, Commons, dining hall, Great Hall, and Library quiet, orderly and free from disruption during the school day and during any School function. Students will use appropriate language at all times.

Students will respect School property and the property of others, and are responsible for securing their personal property. Any loss of personal property should be reported immediately to the Head of Middle School. Students should not bring valuables to school, even if they are placed in a locked locker. Theft or intentional damage to property belonging to others may be considered cause for dismissal.

Any damage to School buildings, furnishings, or equipment, including jeopardizing the security of School buildings, will be charged directly to the student involved. Students shall be liable for damage to or loss of School property whether they have been directly or indirectly involved. A billing for such damage or loss of property will be made from the Business Office. In addition, students responsible for willful destruction or damage to School or others’ property face disciplinary actions ranging from community work assignments to probation and dismissal.

Student lockers are provided, but it is up to each individual to provide her or his own lock. A duplicate key or the combination must be given to the student’s Advisor. This may eliminate the need to clip off locks when keys or combinations are lost, or entry to lockers is required due to illness or for emergency reasons.

Students are expected to keep their belongings in their lockers when not in use. The four minute passing period gives students ample time to go to their lockers between classes. Any items found in the halls will be confiscated and put in the lost and found. If a student has a chronic problem in this area, we will work with parents to find a workable solution.

Students are expected to be prepared and on time for all commitments.

Dress

Students are expected to be dressed in good taste; clothing should be neat, clean, not torn, and appropriate to a classroom situation. We recognize that today’s styles for young adolescents do not always meet that standard so we ask that boys not wear baggy shorts which expose either underwear or midriff skin or shirts which are normally accepted as undershirts. We ask that girls not wear very short skirts or shorts, thin-strapped or strapless tops or any items which expose underwear, midriff skin, or cleavage. Clothing and/or jewelry which supports alcohol, nicotine, or other drug consumption or which supports violence, racism, or sexism is considered unacceptable. Shoes are to be worn at all times.

Generally, dress and grooming that attract negative or undue attention or infringe upon the values of other individuals are not considered to be in good taste. All violations of dress and grooming guidelines will be handled on an individual basis. Any faculty member has the right and responsibility to require that students adhere to the guidelines.

All personal belongings, including coats, jackets, P.E. uniforms, and tennis shoes, should be labeled with last names. The confusion and loss caused by lack of labeling is considerable. Please comply to save your clothes.

There may be days when students are expected to be more formally dressed: collared shirts and long pants for boys and nicer clothes for girls., Students will be notified in advance when dress-up days will occur.

Major Rules

The following rules are considered major rules at OES and constitute fundamental expectations of behavior in our community. Breaking these rules is a very serious offense; a single infraction may be cause for dismissal from OES. Unless otherwise stated, these rules apply to conduct at all school-related events both on and off the OES campus.

• Students have a responsibility to excuse themselves from situations where major school rules are being violated (unless a peer is in danger), at school activities or in all situations where the school is represented.
  
  
• There will be no hazing, verbal abuse, physical abuse, or antisocial harassment of a student by peers.
  
  
• There will be no exploitive or inappropriate sexual behavior; this includes sexual harassment.
  
  
• There will be no lying, deceit, or any other dishonest conduct.
  
  
• There will be no willful destruction of property belonging to the School, its personnel, or another student. Students will be held financially responsible for any damage to School facilities.
  
  
• There will be no stealing. Out of respect for each other’s privacy, students may not go into another person’s locker without permission. Nothing may be borrowed or taken without permission of the owner. To do so is regarded as an act of stealing. Missing items should be reported to the MS Office as soon as a loss is discovered.
  
  
• There will be no open flame, including smoking, incense or candle burning, in any building on campus.
  
  
• There will be no possession or use of firearms, other weapons, any object which is used in a threatening manner, or explosives.
  
  
• There will be no possession, use, or display of alcohol, beverages containing alcohol (or the containers), nicotine, drug paraphernalia, marijuana, and/or other illicit or dangerous drugs of any kind. All prescription drugs used by a student must be registered with the School Nurse. Any drugs not registered will be considered illicit.
  
  
• There will be no cheating. Cheating is the theft of information from another student with or without that other person’s knowledge or from a master answer source or the use of a calculator when its use is not permitted. Cheating includes copying someone else’s work or answers, presenting someone else’s work as your own, knowingly providing without a teacher’s permission work for someone else to copy or use for credit, getting answers from someone orally for “help” on a test or quiz, asking about a test before it is administered to one’s own section, asking what problems or concepts were on a test or quiz, or bringing some kind of unauthorized “cheat” sheet to a quiz or test (such as writing on your hand, a sheet of notes, something on or in your calculator).
  
  
• There will be no plagiarism. Plagiarism is literary theft, or using another person or source’s ideas or language without clear attribution. Plagiarism includes getting someone else to do your writing, copying someone else’s work, including printing out data from electronic encyclopedias or resources, presenting someone else’s language or ideas as if they were your own, or borrowing the order of an argument or someone else’s selection of details or examples without attribution.

Cheating and plagiarism can have serious consequences in academic spheres and in the real world, including failing grades, expulsion from institutions, loss of jobs and reputations, and lawsuits. To protect yourself against charges of cheating, do your own work. Clarify the expectations of your teacher regarding homework, group work and projects. Don’t allow peers to collaborate unless you are sure it is acceptable.

To protect yourself against charges of plagiarism, it is important to observe good research practices, keeping others’ ideas and information separate from your own ideas. Order your thoughts yourself and choose your own examples from a text; indicate to your reader when you are borrowing exact language from a source; paraphrase legitimately, putting ideas into your own language; acknowledge other people’s ideas and work from your own thesis and supporting ideas.

• There will be no inappropriate use of computers as outlined in the OES Computer Policy.
  
  
• There will be no willful disobedience, open defiance, or insubordination of adult personnel, repeated use of profane or obscene language or gestures, or any other behavior that disrupts the campus environment.
  
  
• Students will not be present in an unauthorized place or refuse to leave when asked to do so.

As members of the community, students are expected to report violations of school rules to the appropriate authorities so that matters may be resolved as quickly as possible without escalation. Students are required to observe all Federal and State laws while on the OES campus or at a school-related event.

Any behavior which may be deemed detrimental to Oregon Episcopal School, to the OES community, to any member of that community (self or others), or to the spirit of that community is subject to disciplinary action. The action taken will necessarily reflect the seriousness of the violation.

Young adolescence is a time when children are ready and desirous of taking more and more responsibility for their own behavior. The OES Middle School encourages the development of that sense of responsibility. It is also a time when children need more and more latitude as they begin to learn how to solve problems on their own.

For these reasons, parents of Middle Schoolers are not necessarily called every time there is a problem at School. Efforts are made to help children solve their own problems first before adults get involved. Obviously there are times when intervention by adults is necessary and immediate. Parents are called immediately in cases such as these: alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs, fighting, or anything which is potentially harmful to the health, safety, or welfare of the child or others. Parents will also be contacted if it appears a trend toward undesirable behavior is developing. We hope to balance your child’s need to grow and your need for information. If anyone has questions about this policy or would like to be called each time a child experiences difficulty, please call the Head of Middle School so we can accommodate you.

Please know that each of us is most concerned about the growth of your individual child. Please keep us informed if there are changes at home which might affect behavior at school. We are hopeful that this team effort will enable your child to make the journey through young adolescence in the most growthful way.

Return to Top of Page