When bullying or harassment is reported, the staff member who was informed of the incident will assist the student to complete a Harassment Report. Staff should inform an appropriate supervisor when they receive complaints of harassment or bullying and provide them with a completed copy of the Harassment Report. Complaints of bullying shall be investigated promptly, and corrective action shall be taken when allegations are verified. 

Each student shall be responsible for respecting the rights of others and to ensure an atmosphere free from bullying or harassment. 

The Staff at The Anderson School are trained using the Safety Care model to provide for the care, safety and security of all students. The Staff are certified annually to respond using nonviolent crisis intervention. Staff will intervene to manage disruptive student behavior using “physical intervention only as a last resort – when an individual presents an imminent danger to self or others”. This program is “non-harmful, non-invasive”, and designed to maintain the individual’s dignity emphasizing respectful communication and student well-being. 

Before leaving the classroom for any reason students must have staff permission. It may be necessary to check the availability of the location the student is requesting. Often, a staff member will accompany the student to the new location. If this is not possible, the student must have a written pass. If a student is in the hall without permission, then the student will be asked to return to the classroom. No student is permitted to be in hallways, offices, or classrooms unsupervised unless they have a pass completed by a staff member. Refusal to comply will be a minor or major infraction at the discretion of the staff involved. 

It is the practice of The Anderson School to respond to a student attempting to leave campus as follows: 

1. Use Safety Care Training which includes non-physical strategies such as offering a neutral area, physical proximity, active listening, peer mediation, or individual counseling with a preferred staff member. 

2. If the above strategies are not successful, staff is to make phone contact with a parent/guardian, probation officer (if applicable), and Lower Providence Police Department. 

3. Physical restraint is utilized to prevent the student from leaving campus as a last resort and only if the student is displaying one of the following three criteria: continuous high magnitude disruption, continuous aggression, or continuous self-injurious behavior. 

4. Leaving the school building/grounds is a major infraction.

Fighting and physical aggression, even if horseplay, are NOT permitted at the Anderson School and are taken extremely seriously as a major infraction. Suspensions will be given to participants in physical aggression. The police will be contacted in the case of a fight between students. Video footage and staff accounts will help determine appropriate consequences. 

Students/parents/guardians are reminded of the following: Any distribution of, delivering, selling, passing, sharing, or giving of any alcohol, drugs, narcotics, marijuana, counterfeit chemical, anabolic steroid, look-alike substance, mood altering substance, or drug paraphernalia from one person to another is an offense that will be referred to law enforcement. If a student is suspected of having an illegal substance on them, the school has the right to search them. A student who possesses and/or uses any of the above named substances will incur a major infraction and referral to the local law enforcement authority. 

Under Pennsylvania Statute it is unlawful for any student (including those who are 18 years or older) to use tobacco or vape products in school buildings, school buses, and on school property. Students possessing lit or unlit tobacco in any form, smoke-like products, and non-prescribed smoking-related products will be required to turn the product over to school faculty to be discarded. Upon confiscation, administration has the authority to test vape devices for illegal substances. Examples include, but not limited to: tobacco, smokeless cigarettes, vaping devices, e-cigarettes, non-prescription Nicorette, lighters, and matches. It will be a major infraction, appropriate consequences will be applied and law enforcement agencies may be notified. 

A student who damages the property of The Anderson School, school personnel, or other persons authorized to be on school property may be penalized as follows: 

• Major infraction 

• Required to make full and complete restitution for all damages 

• Referral to local law enforcement authority 

The Anderson School recognizes the importance of a safe school environment relative to the educational process. Possession of weapons in the school setting is a threat to the safety of students and staff and is prohibited by law. A weapon includes but is not limited to any knife, cutting instrument, firearm, replica of a weapon, or any tool capable of inflicting serious bodily injury. The student in violation of the weapons policy will be referred to the local law enforcement agency and it is considered a major infraction. 

Students are expected to demonstrate their own work so that they can progress towards their goals. Cheating or plagiarism will be addressed at the discretion of the teacher. Plagiarism means taking credit for someone else’s work. Students will be taught how to compose and format all academic writing appropriately. If a student continues to plagiarize after learning correct formatting and receiving repeated support from his/her teacher, the teacher reserves the right to penalize that student’s grade and/or institute other intervention.

Cell phones, wireless headphones and all other electronics will not be permitted in the classroom. All electronics including cell phones and wireless headphones will be collected at the front entry way door as students enter the building and then given back at dismissal before students exit the building. If the student is found with a cell phone in the classroom they will have disciplinary consequences to serve. Bringing your cell phone to school is at the discretion of the parent/student; however, The Anderson School will not be responsible for lost or stolen cell phones. No student is to videotape (using their phone or any other device) another student on the bus going to school or leaving school. To do so will be considered a major infraction. Bringing a cell phone to school is a privilege not a right!!! 

Procedure for Violation of Cell Phone Policy: 

• The student’s cell phone will be confiscated. 

• For the second offense, the student will receive a major infraction in their file. 

• Parent or guardian must pick up the phone. The phone will be held in the office until a parent/guardian picks it up, even if the parent/guardian cannot make it in until another day. 

Our office phone is available to those students who need to make necessary phone calls during their lunch time only. In case of an emergency, please call Mrs. Fortune at the front desk and we will contact your child. The office number is 610-635-2400. Students will not be permitted to leave class or therapy just to “chat” with a parent or guardian. The school staff reserves the right to determine what is necessary. 

The Anderson School supports the use of computers, networks, and internet to facilitate learning and teaching. Each student will have a chromebook assigned to them when they enroll, but it must stay at Anderson. Students will be given a bag to carry the chromebook around the school and are responsible to charge it in the classrooms. It is the student’s responsibility to use the computers, network resources, and internet according to the directions of the teacher. Students are expected to act in a responsible, ethical and legal manner in accordance with the Anderson School computer procedures and federal and State Laws. Students will be provided with an MCIU student email upon enrollment. This email is utilized for educational or career/college purposes only. 

The following are prohibited usages: non-educational purposes; modify, harm, or destroy hardware, software, network, and another user’s data; accessing confidential information; harassing others; obscene or pornographic material; and loading any unauthorized media. Accessing prohibited sites = Major infraction and loss of computer privileges. 

Please note: a student must have a signed computer usage form or they will not be permitted to use school computers. 

Conduct on the bus is expected to adhere to ABLE expectations, same as in the school building. Bus drivers are consulted on a regular basis by school staff. Bus discipline referrals will be treated seriously with consequences and could be a major or minor infraction based on administrative determination.

The Anderson School holds the firm opinion that school is not the appropriate place for displays of affection between students. Such displays are in poor taste and do not reflect proper respect for the individuals involved. Public displays of affection are prohibited and will trigger a major infraction. 

Students are prohibited from gambling, extorting money, betting and/or selling anything to other students. Students are not to bring large amounts of money into school. If a student brings a large amount of money into school, the principal or secretary will hold the money until dismissal. Anything over twenty dollars could be considered a large amount at the discretion of the principal. 

Administration reserves the right to deem an article of clothing distracting to the educational environment and to ask it to be covered, replaced or removed. Students will be asked to change or cover their clothing if it is inappropriate. Violations of this policy may result in exclusion from classroom activities on that day and communication to parents/guardians. Refusals to abide by the dress code will be an infraction.

A suspension is a consequence that could be given when a student commits a more serious offense or has repeated the same offense multiple times. When a student is suspended from school a mandatory reinstatement meeting needs to be scheduled through the main office. It is important for us to discuss the reason of the suspension and how we can help the student make appropriate choices. If the parent/guardian needs to attend via phone or zoom, that may be arranged, however, if a student has been suspended multiple times it will be mandatory for the parent to come in for the reinstatement meeting. The case manager, parent, and principal will all be a part of the reinstatement meeting. The district will be notified of the suspension and will have the option of attending the reinstatement meeting. IEP meetings may also be called when suspensions are given.