Dr. Nelson’s Blog

The new school year is running smoothly and we would like to take this opportunity to help our students keep their experiences as smooth and positive as possible. St. John’s School promotes, reinforces and encourages the growth of student self-discipline, respect and responsible behavior in order to foster a safe and caring learning environment and enhance student achievement.

We believe in the Four Expectations at St. John’s, which are the core values of our school.  These expectations, which all students must meet, are:

1. Respect for ourselves
2. Respect for others
3. Respect for our and others’ property
4. Responsible for work and behavior

At SJS, we also believe that the following practices contribute to the development of each student’s responsibility for their own behavior:

The positive recognition of students who make good choices about their own behavior,

The use of positive interventions which reaffirm a belief in the student’s ability to make the correct choice,

The teamwork, including advocacy and mentorship, which results from student, parent and staff cooperation and mutual support,

An emphasis on respect, responsibility and the rights of every student,

The clear, consistent explanation and implementation of rules and logical consequences,

The emphasis on appropriate academic and behavior programs for each student,

The involvement of our school within the SJS community,

The use of positive and timely communication, and

The use of counseling intervention as required.

Because of these practices are so important in the development of the students at SJS, we have published a behavior code on page 15 in the student handbook. The code is broad enough to be applied to the entire school population.  It is applicable whether students are on campus or on any school-sponsored activity (e.g., field trips, sports events, cultural exchanges, etc.).

We also recognize that appropriate behavior is the respective and collective responsibility of students, staff and parents. Students have the responsibility to respect the rights and dignity of others and to become actively and productively involved in learning.  Students are expected to follow the behavior code.

Staff is also responsible for establishing a positive school climate which encourages and supports students in developing self-discipline and in growing as caring citizens.  Staff is expected to model the behavior code and implement the code fairly and consistently.

Parents also have the responsibility to ensure that their children are ready to learn and to help them make good academic and social decisions.  Parents are expected to help their children follow the code and are encouraged to work with the school in promoting self-discipline in their children.

We ask for your understanding of, and commitment to, our Four Expectations as well as reinforcing the responsibilities from students, staff and parents. Thanking you in advance for your continued support at SJS.