Code of Conduct
CODE OF CONDUCT
Queen Elizabeth Continuing Education is a unique educational site within the Surrey School District. The student population is a combination of high school students (ages 16-18) as well as adult learners. In essence, the school is a senior secondary, offering Ministry-approved courses in grades 11 and 12. Having a student body that is comprised of senior adolescents and adults changes the maturity factor at the site. While the school does not have to manage maturational issues associated with younger adolescents at a typical high school, there are age-related life factors that are present across the student population. To assist all stakeholders to cooperate, collaborate, and co-exist, there is a code of conduct that informs and guides our behaviours.
Our code of conduct represents a collaborative commitment by our stakeholders to our school community. These stakeholder—teachers, administration, and students—are best positioned for success when each of us can use and strengthen our interpersonal skills. This commitment entails the maintenance of healthy, meaningful relationships as well as the establishment of a positive and inclusive learning environment. The code of conduct provides for a tapestry of voice, diversity, and culture, which fosters the development of responsible citizens.
Our code of conduct rests on the following pillars:
- Acceptance
- Humanity
- Integrity
- Respect
- Safety
Also known by the acronym S.H.A.I.R. We believe the interconnectedness of these pillars both informs and creates responsible citizens.
With the pillar of Acceptance, we promote and expect people to live in harmony at our site. We welcome and encourage diversity in thought, voice, opinion, religion, culture, gender. We believe it is through the breadth and depth of this diversity that our community is stronger and healthier.
Through Humanity, we value the importance of regularly reflecting on who we are and why we are who we are. We encourage our stakeholders to regularly reflect on their behaviour, as well as the behaviour of others, to better understand ourselves and others. In scenarios of poor expressions of behaviour, we expect our stakeholders to accept responsibility for these actions, and where possible, address the incident to repair any harm or hurt or misunderstanding that has occurred.
An oversimplified but surprisingly accurate definition of Integrity is: doing the right thing when no one is watching. What does this look like, especially if no one is watching? We believe strongly in intellectual honesty, that is, the work you complete for your courses is your work, not a family member’s work, or a friend’s efforts, or an AI-generated submission. Also, this means electronic devices, specifically cell phones and/or smart watches, are not used during assessments being conducted in class or in the Academic Support classroom.
Respect for self and others is paramount at our school. When people are together, such as in a course, there will be differences in ideas, opinions, and lived experiences, and these differences should be heard, seen, welcomed, and explored in the spirit of learning. When we embrace what makes each of us unique, we are embracing ourselves, and we are embracing humanity.
At our site, all stakeholders have the right to feel safe for self, culture, and religion. Safety enables free expression, curiosity, and risk-taking in learning as well as in life. Our learning community will be free of violence, racism, threats, harassment, and discrimination. While we know there is value in learning what drives unsafe behaviours, we will seek to understand them, but we will not tolerate their existence. Report concerns for physical, emotional, or cultural safety for self or others.
Ultimately, we believe the code of conduct will reinforce in every stakeholder the key qualities of Citizenship. Being citizens of our school and community, as we SHAIR the qualities embedded in our code of conduct on a daily basis, this modelling of respectful citizenship will be a lighthouse of behaviour for others to witness and follow.
Queen Elizabeth Continuing Education
“an all-ages education”
