McLean School of Maryland

Honor Code

(Adopted by the Honor Committee 6/02)

The Honor Code at McLean reflects a school spirit built on trust and respect.
The Honor Code forbids any form of lying, cheating (including plagiarism) or stealing.

When students sign the Honor Code, they do so with the understanding that their signature is their word, and thereby, signify that they will abide by the pledge that they have made. Demonstrating the Upper School’s commitment to the spirit which such a code represents, the Honor Committee counsels students who violate the spirit of the Honor Code, whether they have signed the pledge or not. The intangible yet powerful sense of pride and loyalty afforded by our community-run Honor Code provides Upper School with a sense of freedom, which forces students and teachers to trust one another, both in and out of the classroom.

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES
Our community thrives when every member respects the boundaries as set forth in our Honor Code. Any attitude or behavior that disrupts or destroys the learning process in Upper School is unacceptable.

Students who do not support in spirit the accepted community guidelines can expect to meet with faculty, the Honor Committee, the Discipline Committee, and/or the Head of Upper School. The Upper School faculty is the first line of discipline for problems in the classroom.

The Discipline Committee’s responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

The following serious breaches of discipline may be dealt with by suspension or expulsion:

K-12 Technology Guidelines
McLean School of Maryland expects all community members to act with a high degree of individual integrity in the ethical and responsible use of technology throughout our building.

To maintain our safe and respectful environment, community members agree to use all technology equipment — including school-issued computer hardware and software, internet access, personal laptops and electronic devices - in a safe, respectful and appropriate manner for academic purposes only.

The use of McLean’s electronic equipment is a privilege, which may be revoked at any time. Abusive or inappropriate behavior will be addressed based on a continuum of consequences that may include revocation of this privilege. Although the Lower School, Middle School, and the Library computers have filtering software, it is impossible for McLean to make a guarantee of absolute security. To this end, we depend on faculty and students to monitor access and use.

The use of social networking websites, personal student email accounts, instant messaging, web journals, peer-to-peer networks, blogs, and chat rooms must be specifically permitted by a faculty member for academic purposes only. Use of these electronic resources is never permitted on school grounds for nonacademic use. This policy applies to all student electronic devices such as PDAs, cell phones, laptops, tablet PCs, watches, etc. that allow personal communication with others while in school.

Additionally, students are not allowed to use any electronic device to transmit or engage in any activities that are in violation of any local, state or federal law or regulation, including piracy, tracking, extortion, blackmail, unauthorized access to any computers on the Internet, or purchase, sale or distribution of contraband materials.

In all of our relationships, we encourage honesty, civil communication, and respect for others. All community members are expected to act with consideration toward others and to behave in a responsible manner at all times. Bullying behavior through the use of student electronic communication (cyberbullying), including communications sent from off-campus devices, to or about any member of the school community, will be treated as if the behavior it had occurred at school. Deleting or tampering with someone else’s files, as well as any unauthorized, deliberate action that damages or disrupts our equipment including the network, is prohibited.

Bullying, Teasing, and Social Aggression
In our common understanding, the definition of bullying involves behaviors that can be direct or indirect, blatant or subtle. It involves an imbalance of power, repeated actions, intentional actions, and unequal levels of feelings. Bullying is any behavior considered physical aggression, social aggression, verbal aggression, intimidation, written aggression, sexual harassment, or racial, ethnic, religious, or gender-related harassment.

Any bullying behavior demonstrated at school or outside of school that impacts our school community will be addressed by the school. Bullying behaviors will be responded to, as all negative behaviors are, through a continuum of consequences and interventions up to and including suspension and/or social probation, depending on the severity and frequency of the behavior. Any student who is suspended will not be permitted to return to school without a re-entry meeting with parents and an administrator.

Definition of Consequences

No Cut/No Quit Policy
Students are expected to honor their commitment to participating on an athletic team or in a dramatic production. Simply stated, if a student begins an activity, he/she cannot quit after the first seven practices. Knowing there are no exceptions, students understand that they must persevere for the greater good of an athletic team or dramatic play, regardless of circumstance.

Safe Environment
McLean remains committed to providing a safe environment for all students. Any observed or reported concern about a behavior or statement exhibited by a student indicating a threat or actual harm towards self or others will result in immediate action by the school. All concerns will be reported to a school counselor for consultation and a school administrator. Parents will be notified as appropriate. Other action may include removal of the student from the school community, requirement of an emergency risk assessment, and contact with outside health or mental health providers. Any student asked to leave the school community for medical leave or any other reason will require a re-entry meeting prior to his or her return to school. Re-entry plans are designed to facilitate a smooth transition back into the school community.