Discipline & Behavior

The Day School’s philosophy regarding discipline is derived from its Mission Statement, Statement of Philosophy, and School Creed. The Mission Statement recognizes the infinite value of every participant as a child of God, thus encouraging all of us to embrace the infinite value that each member of the community—parent, teacher, and child— brings to St. Patrick’s. The Statement of Philosophy sets forth our commitment to creating an “atmosphere of trust and cooperation in which to nourish each child’s growth” and closes with the assertion that we fulfill our sense of purpose “in the acceptance, the care, and the nurture of God’s children.” Implicit in these guiding documents is a philosophy of discipline rooted in respect for the individual; in a nurturing approach to helping children become cooperative, caring, responsible members of an inclusive learning community; and in a commitment to each child’s moral and spiritual growth. 

While adult understanding of the Day School’s philosophy of discipline flows primarily from the Mission Statement and Statement of Philosophy, the children’s starting point is the School Creed. Our School Creed embraces four principles we believe are “essential to caring for ourselves, other people, and the world around us.” These four principles—Honesty, Responsibility, Kindness, and Respect—direct and guide students’ interactions with each other and with their teachers, teachers’ interactions with their students, and teachers’ interactions with each other and with parents. Together with the children, each teacher develops classroom rules that are founded on the principles of the School Creed and that shape and build caring and effective classroom communities in which learning can thrive. In keeping with our developmental approach to educating young children, teachers recognize and accept that children need varying levels of support in learning to follow rules, to learn in a group setting, and to take responsibility for their behavior. 

Teachers implement appropriate, logical consequences—such as time out or loss of privileges—when children do not follow established classroom or wider school rules. Teachers may also involve the appropriate Division Head, a School Counselor, and parents of those students whose behavior warrants closer guidance and more frequent monitoring through individual contracts, behavior plans, or daily or other periodic reporting to parents. Working closely with parents in a collaborative and trusting manner is particularly important when young people are having difficulty following established rules. If, after a series of positive interventions have taken place, the student’s behavior does not change and remains disruptive to the learning environment, it may be necessary to consider excluding the child from the classroom or other activities until different strategies are implemented. In the case of persistent problems, a student may be counseled out. Such decisions are rare and involve the Head of School, the Division Head, the teacher, and the parents.