Policies

While a complete list of policies may be found in the Cornerstone Academy Parent/Student Handbook for the Lower School, several polices are especially important and worth emphasizing here.

Discipline
Students are expected to obey the school rules, pursue the prescribed course of study, respect and respond to the authority of school personnel, and be courteous to all members of the school community.

Teachers initiate disciplinary measures and dialogue with students. Disciplinary matters not resolved in this manner are referred to administrators and parents. The school seeks to teach love and respect to students throughout such measures. If the student is not responsive, the school reserves the right to impose probation, suspension, and expulsion of the student.

Harassment
Every member of the school community must strive to maintain an environment free from harassment. Harassment of or by any student, teacher, or staff member is prohibited and will not be tolerated. This includes harassment directed toward members of the same or of the opposite gender. The school considers harassment to be a major offense which will result in an immediate investigation and, if necessary, disciplinary action including possible dismissal of the offending person(s).

Harassment is unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors, and other written, verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a tormenting nature. Sexual harassment includes visual conduct such as leering, making sexual gestures, displaying of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons, or posters; verbal conduct such as making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, and jokes, verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal commentaries about an individual’s body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations; or physical conduct such as touching, assaulting, impeding, or blocking movement. Such conduct has a negative impact upon an individual’s performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Any student, teacher, or staff member who believes that he/she is being harassed is encouraged to report such an incident. A prompt, thorough, and fair investigation will be conducted and every reasonable effort will be made to maintain the confidentiality and protect the privacy of all parties, consistent with the school’s responsibility to investigate and address such complaints.