Student Rights and Responsibilities

Revised Dec. 16, 2003.

The following Rights and Responsibilities were developed by the Merriam Staff:

Rights Responsibilities
Right to be heard Responsibility to listen
Right to be safe physically and emotionally Responsibility to behave in a safe way
Right to kindness/to respect Responsibility to treat other with kindness/respect
Right to learn Responsibility to help others learn
Right to work/participate in learning Responsibility to consider learning needs of others
Right to have property respected Responsibility to respect property of others
Right to a pleasant, organized environment Responsibility to contribute to a pleasant environment
Right to participate Responsibility to include

Most behavioral issues are handled directly and immediately by the classroom teacher or teacher assistant in charge at the time. When problems persist, teachers may consult with parents to devise a collaborative plan of action to best support a child's success. For more serious behavior difficulties, parents will be notified of the problem by the classroom teacher or the Principal.

In some instances, students may be sent home or kept out of school while parents and faculty confer and make appropriate arrangements to resolve the situation. Fighting or causing someone intentional harm are two examples of situations that may have this type of consequence. The expectations the faculty have for student behavior are founded, in part, on the strong belief that if adults model and expect responsible, appropriate behavior, children will act accordingly. The school's Core Values are the standards by which most behavioral expectations are set.

Return to the Merriam policies, procedures, and rules page.