The Board of Education expects all students to conduct themselves in an appropriate and civil manner, with proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students, district personnel, and other members of the school community, and for the care of school facilities and equipment. The best discipline is self-imposed, and students must learn to assume and accept responsibility for their own behavior, as well as the consequences of their misbehavior. District personnel who interact with students are expected to use disciplinary action only when necessary and to place emphasis on the students’ ability to grow in self-discipline. The Board recognizes the need to make its expectations for student conduct while on school property or engaged in a school function specific and clear. The rules of conduct listed below are intended to do that and focus on safety and respect for the rights and property of others. Students who will not accept responsibility for their own behavior and who violate these school rules will be required to accept the penalties for their conduct. Students may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension from school, when they: 

1. Engage in conduct that is disorderly or disruptive as an individual or member of a group. Examples of disorderly conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. running in hallways; 
   2. making unreasonable noise;
   3. using language or gestures that are profane, lewd, vulgar, provoking, abusive or discriminating.
   4. obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic;
   5. engaging in any willful act that disrupts the normal operation of the school community;
   6. trespassing (students are not permitted in any school building, other than the one they regularly attend, without permission from the administrator in charge of the building);
   7. computer/electronic communications misuse, including any unauthorized use of computers, software, or Internet/intranet account, accessing inappropriate websites, or any other violation of the district’s acceptable use policy (also see District Policy #7315 Student Use of Computerized Information Resources); 
   8. cell phones and/or other wireless devices visible and/or in use as per grade level regulations specified by the building principal; 
   9. failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators, or other school personnel in charge of students;
   10. disrupting learning in virtual classrooms;
   11. intentional or reckless damage and/or misuse of district devices (i.e. Chromebooks) as outlined in the Pine Bush CSD 1:1 Device Hanbook.
2. Engage in conduct that is insubordinate as an individual or member of a group. Examples of insubordinate conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators, or other school employees in charge of students or otherwise demonstrating disrespect;
   2.  lateness for, missing, or leaving school or class without permission or excuse; 
   3. skipping detention or ignoring penalties imposed by district staff; 
   4. refusing to do assignments or tasks assigned by district staff.
3.  Engage in conduct that is violent as an individual or member of a group. Examples of violent conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. threatening, planning, attempting to commit or committing an act of violence, such as hitting, shoving, pushing, pinching, kicking, punching, scratching or spitting, upon a teacher, administrator, or other school employee, or attempting to do so; 
   2. threatening, planning, attempting to commit or committing an act of violence, such as hitting, shoving, pushing, pinching, kicking, punching, or scratching upon another student or any other person lawfully on school property, or attempting to do so;
   3. possessing a weapon (authorized law enforcement officials are the only persons permitted to have a weapon in their possession while on school property or at a school function);
   4. displaying what appears to be a weapon or facsimile weapon;
   5. threatening to use any weapon;
   6. intentionally damaging or destroying the personal property of a student, teacher, administrator, other district employee, or any person lawfully on school property;
   7. intentionally damaging or destroying school district property.
4. Engage in any conduct that endangers the safety, morals, health, or welfare of self or any other person as an individual or member of a group. Examples of such conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. bullying or cyber bullying; 
   2. stealing the property of other students, school personnel, or any other person lawfully on school property or attending a school function;
   3. defamation, which includes making false or unprivileged statements or representations about an individual or identifiable group of individuals that harm the reputation of the person or the identifiable group by demeaning them; 
   4. discrimination, which includes the use of race, color, weight, religion, religious practice, creed, national origin, ethnic group, gender (identity and expression), sex, sexual orientation or disability as a basis for treating another in a negative manner;
   5. Anti-Semitism and/or hostility or prejudice toward any religious group;
   6. harassment, which includes a sufficiently severe action or a persistent, pervasive pattern of actions or statements directed at an identifiable individual or group that are intended to be or that a reasonable person would perceive as ridiculing or demeaning;
   7. intimidation, which includes engaging in actions or statements that put an individual in fear of bodily harm, and/or emotional harm;
   8. sending mean, vulgar or threatening messages or images.
   9. intimidating, threatening, or causing bodily harm to another because that individual was asked to provide testimony or provided testimony to a school official;
   10. hazing, which includes any intentional or reckless act directed against another for the purpose of initiation into, affiliating with, or maintaining membership in any school sponsored activity, organization, club, or team;
   11. selling, using, possessing, exhibiting or distributing obscene material;
   12. use of camera phones or wireless communication devices to capture, store or distribute images without a person’s permission (refer to District Policy #7315 Student Use of Computerized Information Resources (Acceptable Use Policy);
   13. using vulgar or abusive language, cursing or swearing;
   14. smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, or using chewing or smokeless tobacco; e-cigarettes, vape pens or synthetic cannabis;
   15. possessing, consuming, selling, distributing, or exchanging alcoholic beverages or illegal substances and drug paraphernalia, or being under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or an illegal substance. “Illegal substances” include, but are not limited to, inhalants, cocaine, lsd, pcp, amphetamines, heroin, steroids, look-alike drugs, and any substance commonly referred to as a “designer drug”;
   16. inappropriately using, sharing or selling prescription or over-the-counter drugs; 
   17. gambling; 
   18. indecent exposure, that is, exposure to the sight of the private parts of the body in a lewd or indecent manner, or using an electronic device to send, receive or forward sexually suggestive photos or comment; 
   19. initiating a report warning of fire or other catastrophe without valid cause, misuse of 911, or discharging a fire extinguisher; 
   20. lying to school personnel;
   21. making audio or video recording or screenshots of teachers or classmates in virtual classrooms.  
5. Engage in misconduct while on a school bus. It is crucial for students to behave appropriately while riding on district buses to ensure their safety and that of other passengers and to avoid distracting the bus driver. Students are required to conduct themselves on the bus in a manner consistent with established standards for classroom/virtual learning behavior. Any distraction to the driver such as: excessive noise, pushing, shoving, throwing objects, fighting, or being out of one’s seat while the bus is in motion, will not be tolerated.
   1. No bullying or cyber bullying
   2. No discrimination or harassment
6. Engage in any form of academic misconduct as an individual or member of a group. Examples of academic misconduct include but are not limited to:
   1. plagiarism; 
   2. cheating, including, but not limited to, copying, using unauthorized help sheets and the like, illegally obtaining test information in advance, substituting for a test taker, and other forms of unauthorized collusion; 
   3. altering records; 
   4. assisting another student in any of the above actions; 
   5. the use of wireless communication, e.g., text messages, camera phones, smart watches, etc., for the purposes of cheating. 
7. Students may also be disciplined for conduct occurring off school premises (including where actions were precipitated by actions on school premises) which negatively impacts the health, safety, and/or welfare of students or staff in the Pine Bush Central School District. This would include, but not be limited to, for example, threatening or assaulting another student or staff member off school premises.