Discipline

BEHAVIOUR ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

1. Learners go directly to their classes as soon as they enter the school premises.
2. Ensure you have everything with you as no deliveries will be accepted.    
3. All learners will receive two breaks of 20 minutes to eat, talk and socialize outside if the weather permits.
4. Learners are not allowed to remove their shoes during break.
5. Learners may not play games where they can get hurt or where school clothes can get ripped.
6. No ball games may be played.
7. No tackling during break times.
8. Running may only take place in the designated active areas and no bottles or lunch boxes are allowed in these areas to avoid damage.
9. Only girls who play defender and goal scorer are allowed to practice netball goals at break. Their coach must give permission for them to do so from 07:15 07:45. Boys are not allowed to play netball with the girls.
10. Every grade must spend break in their designated area.
11. No glass bottles allowed at school. 
12. No learner may come closer than 1 meter of the school boundaries or fences.  This rule is for the safety of the children.
13. As soon as the bell rings at the end of break, all learners must line up.
14. The learners are not allowed to speak, eat or drink in their lines.
15. The teachers on duty will walk with learners from and to class.  
16. No learner is allowed to leave the school premises without permission during school hours.  Permission may only be given by the Principal in compliance with the rules and regulations.
17. Learners are not allowed to receive any item, e.g. sweets, juice etc. from any person outside the school grounds or over the school fence.
18. Learners are not allowed to sell items like sweets etc. at school, unless they have permission from the Principal.
19. If a learner is absent from school, it must be reported to the secretary via e-mail, before 08:30.
20. When a learner returns to school after being absent, he/she must hand an explanation letter from their parents or a medical certificate to the appropriate teacher.
21. No learner may ride a bicycle, rollerblades, skateboard or any other similar items on the school grounds.
22. Learners may not damage any property of a fellow learner. They may not hide a school bag or property of another person, even if it is meant as a joke.
23. Learners are forbidden to play with or misuse elastic bands, because they may shoot and hurt each other. When a learner brings a poster to school, the poster must be tied with a piece of string instead of using an elastic band.  Learners are not allowed to use “pea shooters”, throw stones, acorns or any other object, or play and hit each other with sticks.
24. No valuable items or toys are allowed at school. The school does not accept responsibility for the loss of any valuable items or toys.
25. Any item that gets picked up must be handed in to the teacher on duty.
26. If, at any time, a learner has a complaint about another learner, or sees that a learner is breaking a school rule, it must be reported to the class teacher or the teachers who is on break duty. No learner is allowed to take another learner to the Principal.
27. No learner is allowed to have cigarettes, matches or any other smoking items in his/her possession or bring it to school for any reason. Any addictive substances are strictly forbidden.
28. No learner is allowed to bring pornography, alcohol or any illegal / addictive substances to school. Any learner who breaks this rule will be severely punished.
29. Fighting, swearing, stealing, harassment or any other similar behaviour is forbidden.
30. The following behaviour is strictly forbidden: littering, breaking of plants, damaging of any bathrooms or     

            any form of vandalism.

31. Learners may not climb over the fences or into trees.
32. It is the duty of every learner to help keep our school grounds neat.
33. Provoking any learner is forbidden and firm action will be taken against such a learner.
34. No form of bullying will be tolerated; learners must report any bullying immediately to any teacher. 
35. A learner is not allowed to commit any criminal offences.

BEHAVIOUR AND ACTIONS INSIDE THE SCHOOL BUILDING

1. During assembly, good behaviour is expected. It is forbidden to speak or whisper during assembly. During assembly, no learner is allowed to whistle or boo any speaker.
2. Learners are not allowed to run in the hall or school building. We always walk in orderly fashion, quietly and in line in the passages. 
3. Learners walk on the left side in the passages. They must move quickly and enter the classrooms immediately. School bags must be carried in the right hand.
4. No suitcases may be left in the passages during breaks.  
5. Learners may not be inside the classroom or school building after school or during breaks. If a learner needs to stay in the classroom during break/after school for any reason, the teacher must be present.
6. Learners may not play, be noisy, throw water at each other or misbehave in any classroom.
7. On rainy days, learners must stay inside their classrooms. Learners may only go to the tuck shop during break and toilet with permission. Learners are not allowed to visit other classrooms or be in the passages.
8. Learners may only go to the tuck shop during break or to order before school.   
9. Learners may not enter a classroom without permission of the teacher present.
10.  If learners damage school property Eg. a window, even if it is an accident, his/her parents will be notified and repairs will be at the cost of the parents. Learners may not scratch, draw or write on the school desks, furniture, floor, walls or school property. If a learner sees another learner doing it, he/she must report it immediately.
11.  No bubblegum/chewing gum is permitted on the school grounds.
12. Learners must not leave money in the classrooms. Valuable items must be left at home. If any learner disobeys this rule and brings these items to school, he/she does so at their own risk and it will be confiscated.
13.  CD-players, MP3-players or any other electronic games/equipment must be left at home.
14.     At the beginning of the year, all books must be covered with plastic.
15.  Learners who leave the school during the year must return all school property, like textbooks, to the school before they do so.
16.  Sick learners to stay at home.
17. No dangerous objects, like knives or sharp pointed scissors, may be brought to school. Only blunt pointed scissors are acceptable. 

APPEARANCE

1. No jewellery, such as rings, bangles, bracelets, armbands, chains, belly rings, toe rings, tongue rings etc. will be allowed. 
2.    Girls may wear one golden or silver stud in each earlobe.
3.    No learner is allowed to colour his/her hair.
4. Boys’ hair may not touch their ears, eyebrows or the collar of their school shirt. They may only cut their hair in standard trim. No other hair styles are allowed.
5. Girls’ hair must be tied neatly with a navy ribbon or elastic stretcher. If the fringe of a girl’s hair touches the eyebrow, it must be tied back and not tucked in behind the ear. All hair accessories must be navy blue.
6. Learners may not have any tattoos or any form of writing on their bodies.
7. Nails must be cut neatly and no ‘cutex’ (on nails or toenails) or make-up will be allowed. (Remember that your feet and toenails are visible during PT).

CLOTHING 

1. Clothes must be neat and tidy at all times.
2. Inspection of nails, hair and shoes will be done on a regular basis.
3. The official School Uniform list is attached to these rules and it must be adhered to at all times.
4.  No untidy appearances will be tolerated.
5. All learners must attend school in the appropriate uniform of Sunridge Primary School.
6. New learners need to acquire the Sunridge Primary School uniform.
7. Girls’ school dresses may not be shorter than +/- 8cm from the ground when kneeling. 
8. The sleeves of blazers, tracksuits and jerseys may not be rolled up or pushed up. Shirts must be tucked in at all times. Shoes must be clean and neat. Shoelaces must be tied at all times.
9. All clothing and property must be marked clearly and neatly.
10. Learners going on educational field trips must be dressed in their full school uniform, except if arranged differently. Seniors must wear their blazers.
11. Only the Sunridge blanket may be used on very cold days.
12. Sport tracksuits are only worn during the winter if it is very cold and only on the day they have PT(Grade 1-3 only)
13. Pupils must wear their uniforms proudly and must look neat and presentable at all times at school and away from school.
14. Name badge is compulsory to wear.

SPORT ACTIVITIES         

1. It is compulsory for our learners to take part in one winter school sport and one summer school sport.
2. School sport must be given priority.
3.     Learners must attend all their sports practices. Written excuses from their parents must be handed in to the coach if a learner is not able to attend a practice or match.
4.  Learners must always be dressed in their correct sports uniform as stipulated by the coach in consultation with the Head of Sport and the Principal.
5.     Learners may not wear their school jerseys or school blazers with their sports uniform. Only approved team apparel will be allowed.
6. All learners, teachers, parents and spectators associated with Sunridge must behave themselves, on or next to the sports field, in a respectable and orderly manner. No unacceptable behaviour on or next to the sports field will be tolerated.
7. Right of admission will apply – learners, teachers, parents and supporters who behave inappropriately will be reprimanded, asked to leave the premises and could possibly be banned from our school premises and from extra-mural activities.

CELL PHONES

           The use of cell phones is forbidden on our school premises as well as in any school vehicle or on school outings.  All visible cell phones will be confiscated and the parent will have to fetch that cell phone from the office.  The parent must make an appointment with the Principal to retrieve the cell phone.

We have installed telephones at critical points in the school and in an emergency we (a staff member) can make the call to a parent or the parent can call the school and we will inform the child. We have a very effective SMS-system by which all the parents are notified of any sport cancellations and changes. We are also in radio contact with staff on our premises.

Our staff have team lists/class lists with the contact numbers of parents and parents will have the contact number of the specific staff member. This is for emergencies only and any inappropriate calls will be reported. Please note that most staff use true caller and call recording.  

OTHER RULES

1. It is expected of all the learners to keep our school’s name high outside the school grounds.
2. The school banner, school flag and national flag must be treated with the necessary respect.
3. Parents who are visiting the school must enter through the main front gate and report to the secretary. No parents are allowed to talk to a teacher during class time. Please make an appointment.
4. Learners must always show the necessary respect towards teachers and parents. If a learner fails to do so, it will be recorded and parents and teachers will be informed of the incident.
5. Close communication between parents and teachers must take place at all times. Parents will be notified immediately when a learner is misbehaving in the class, on the sports field or at any school activity.
6. No learner is allowed to open an outside door, which is locked, for any person.
7. Learners who are late for school in the morning must report to the secretary. Our gates close at 08:00.  Learners who are regularly late will be reported to the Department of Education.
8. Sunridge learners who use public transport must behave themselves at all times. They are not allowed to stand or run around, use bad language or fight while waiting for their transport to arrive. They must keep our school’s name high.

BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL UNIFORM AFTER HOURS

1. When in school uniform after school we expect of learners to behave appropriately and within our code of conduct.
2. You are not allowed to wear other clothes with or over school uniform nor are you allowed to wear a portion of school clothing.
3. Changing school shoes for slip-ons or walking barefoot while in full school uniform is not allowed.
4. When in school uniform after school hours you are representing Sunridge and need to comply with applicable school rules and the code of conduct.

DISCIPLINARY STEPS

The principal may ask a child to stay home or suspend a child for up to five days due to serious misconduct and transgressions of the school rules. Corrective measures will be implemented and if needed a disciplinary hearing will be held as last option. This will be added to the child’s personal file and the Department of Education will be informed. 

As it’s our last resort and not our preferred solution, we recommend that parents work with us to implement corrective sanctions to prevent this serious form of disciplinary measures. The school will not be dictated to reach an outcome nor communicate any specific information on any disciplinary steps taken with any person other than the specific child, class, group and/or parents. This is private and confidential.

EXEMPTIONS

The School Governing Body reserves the right to exempt compliance with any provision of the school rules “code of conduct” in appropriate circumstances. Due consideration will be given to all relevant facts in the event that a request for an exemption is made, after which the School Governing Body will consider the matter in collaboration with the Principal and rule accordingly in accordance with tenets of fairness, reasonableness and the best interest of the school.