The BLS 5

 

The purpose of the BLS 5 is to provide students, families and staff with a framework for building a successful school community.  We will use these 5 simple principles to guide our words and our actions.  By adhering to them we will be able to foster a common language of respect, accountability, preparedness, risk taking and support.

 

Bronx Lab 5

-Be Prepared-

-Be Respectful-

-Be Accountable-

-Challenge Yourself-

-Support your Community-

Ways to Use the BLS 5 everyday at Bronx Lab School

Be Respectful

Staff

1. Use and refer to the 100% Respect Guidelines

2. Have students pick guidelines they are good at and guidelines they need to work at

3. Have clear expectations in class

4. Treat every student and fellow staff member with respect

5. Ensure that you Advisory participate in all 100% Respect Lessons

6. Model respectful behavior

 

Be Respectful

Students

1. Follow the 100% Respect Guidelines

2. Pick guidelines that you are good at and guidelines that you need to work at

3. Treat every staff member and fellow student with respect

5. Participate fully in all 100% Respect Lessons during Advisory

6. Follow the steps to respectfully give feedback to another adult

 

Be Prepared

Staff

1. Make copies, printouts day before

2. Collect materials needed for lesson the day before

3. Go over using the planner and checking that tasks are completed and keep in mind the due dates

4. Making a resource list for projects, what students need? (ex. Construction paper, etc)

5. At beginning of class do a check to see that students have their supplies or do it in advisory

6. Post assignments for students ahead of time

7. Have outlines and clearly defined expectations

8. Be prepared the day before, not morning of

 

Be Prepared

Students

1. Make a class poster reminding students of needed supplies

2. Give students time to fill out planner/ to-do list

3. To Do list in Advisory on Monday

4. Study skills lessons in advisory

5. Make sure that kids eat breakfast

6. Teach about impact of GPA instead of credits

7. Teach credits and graduation requirements

8. Give students weekly plan in advance

9. Start your week off right on Monday’s Advisory

10. Create graduation plan with students

 

Be Accountable

Staff

1. Bi-weekly Progress Reports

2. Be more attentive to students cutting at end of day (logging it)

3. Contact families

4. Create plans with other teachers to hold students accountable

 

Be Accountable

Students

1. Explore with students impact on themselves and everyone else when not accountable

2. Having conversations with students to make them realize they can and should be accountable

3. Reinforce hold students accountable for bad behavior without punishment

4. Reward those that do well

5. Reflection on what students did or didn’t do well

 

Challenge Yourself

Staff

1. Have conversation with students instead of ignoring the issues

2. Not pick favorites

3. Get my grades ‘on time” even early

4. To complete the IEPs in a timely manner

5. Not to talk all period

6. Be more active I IEP cases

7. Don’t hold past against students

8. Give kids more roles/responsibilities in the classroom (ie mentor, HW collector)

9. Set goals for students

10. Get involved in BLS Outdoors Program

 

Challenge Yourself

Students

1. Push students to take risks; to try something new; to make an honest effort by giving them a “Challenge of the Week”
2. Make a sign to remind me and the students to respect personal space (ie My desk is not a dumping ground, keep desk organized)

3. Offer more application opportunities for all students

4. Offer challenging topics as part of the Honors Options

 5. Try everything first

6. Help other students who are struggling

7. Be patient with yourself and others

8. Set goals with students

 

Support Your Community

Staff

1. Be aware of events and support each others’ activities

2. Two builder statements for every killer statement

3. Look out for needs of all students to make sure all are recognized

4. Utilize the skills of all students

5. Not leaving large copies in machine

6. Add school events to student planners

7. Get kids involved in PSAL

8. Meet the needs of every student

9. Follow through with roles

10.  Teach constructive criticism

 

Support Your Community

Students

1. Ask your neighbor if they need help

2. Volunteer to take on a role

3. We only use builder statement

4. Three before me

5. Work together to keep room organize

6. Support your friends/ classmates  in PGL

7. Use constructive criticism

8. Peer leaders or peer groups to hold each other accountable

 

Bronx Lab HS’ 100% RESPECT! Guidelines

Starting in August 2010, staff and students worked together with Consultant Matthew Guldin to create the lists below, in order to create a positive and respectful climate at Bronx Lab School. Each Advisory also appoints two Respect Reps, students who help Advisors roll the guidelines, plan lessons, and implement them in class. Below is the fruit of their work.

 

In order to ensure the success of this positive cultural change, we ask for:

1. Commitment – each phase is planned and we all must be resolved to make it happen
2. Sensitivity – everyone must keep in mind that changes in behavior will be asked of all and that this is hard
3. Patience –all must remember that real change is made over time, that many steps must be taken before a big leap forward occurs
4. Strong Leadership – this must be provided by keeping all on task, with our eyes on prize and by setting good examples

 

Student to Student RESPECT!

 

1. Treat others as you’d like to be treated
2. Encourage and help each other
3. Respect everyone’s education; let the lessons move forward!
4. Follow the One Mic Rule
5. Speak positively to each other (no cursing!)
6. Respect each other’s personal space and property
7. NO BULLYING! – physical, emotional or cyber
8. No gossiping or spreading of rumors
9. No fighting or play fighting
10. No instigating
11. No sexual harassment –verbal or physical
12. Be accountable/ take responsibility for your words and actions
13. Respect everyone regardless of their color, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or individual characteristics.

 

Student to Teacher RESPECT!

 

1. Treat staff as well as you’d like them to treat you
2. Come to class prepared with all materials. No excuses!!
3. Follow all school rules/BL5
4. Be open to learning/let the lesson move forward/no disruptions
5. Use One Mic Rule
6. Respect staff’s and school’s property and space
7. Use positive body language and tone of voice (no slouching, eye rolling, sucking of teeth,etc)
8. Groom yourself at home
9. Work with your teachers/try to compromise
10. Don’t stereotype adults
11. Respect everyone regardless of their color, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or individual characteristics

 

Teacher to Student RESPECT!

 

1. Listen to your students. Hear us!
2. Make lessons exciting and interesting
3. Teach to all students in the class
4. Be organized as a professional (Don’t lose our work!)
5. Give us encouragement; don’t make us feel stupid when we ask questions.
6. Be fair and consistent in grading and enforcing the rules
7. Don’t play favorites among students
8. Listen to both sides of a story
9. Don’t shout out students about personal or academic issues
10. Give us critical feedback privately
11. Don’t yell or curse at us, even when you’re frustrated
12. Be a role model, not a hypocrite > Follow all school rules
13. Respect students’ personal space and property
14. Remember to take care of your personal hygiene
15. Respect everyone regardless of their color, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or individual characteristics.

Cutting Protocol               

 

Bronx Lab School Cutting Protocol

1. When a teacher suspects a student is cutting class he or she should email Student Affairs.  Staff should also log the cut as an infraction on Salesforce.com.   Teachers should do this IMMEDIATELY.

 

2. Once the Student Affairs department confirms the cut, Student Affairs will call home to let family know that the student will be issued a detention (see detention policy below). If a student has been cutting your class on a regular basis it’s the teacher’s responsibility to call the family and set up a PSC ( advisor, guidance counselor and a staff member of student affairs should be present if possible)

 

3. During advisory, the advisor has an individual conversation with student about cutting and develops intervention strategies to prevent future episodes.

 

4. The issuing teacher should speak with the student about ways of making up the time/ work as well as why the student cut the class in the first place. 

 

Range of Possible Disciplinary Responses (as per the Chancellor’s Regulations):

1. Student/teacher conference with or without guidance support
2. Counseling
3. Parent Solving Conference
4. In-school disciplinary action such as community service, detention. 

 

Relevant City-Wide Standards:

1. B01      Unexcused absence from school
2. B02      Cutting classes (reporting to school and failing to attend one or more programmed classes)
3. B06      Failing to be in one’s assigned place on school premises

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detention Guidelines

Detention is intended to immediately address an issue or problem that a student is having within the Bronx Lab community. It is part of a process that will require communication between parent/guardian and Bronx Lab. This communication will take place over the phone and or a Problem Solving Conference (PSC)

 

Infractions that will merit issuing detention to a student:

 

1. Cutting (reporting to school and failing to attend one or more programmed classes.

 

2. Tagging (writing and vandalizing on school grounds and school property).

 

3. Abusive language used towards any school staff member

 

4. Wrong Place Wrong Time(Cutting), students found to be in location where they are not suppose to. Failing to be in one’s assigned place on school premises.

 

Note: If there is an issue other than these four infractions that you feel merit a detention please reach out to the Dean of Students to assess whether or not detention is the correct intervention.

 

Student affairs will contact parents regarding incidents 1-4 to inform them that their child will be receiving a detention; any other infractions that we decide warrants a detention, the teacher that is assigning the detention will call and notify the parent of the specific incident that has occurred.

 

If a student is a chronic cutter, cutting more than 1x per week, Student Affairs is asking teachers to reach out to parents to discuss how cutting affects their academic standing.

Students will serve detention in room 304 from 3:20PM to 4:20PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

 What Happens at Detention?

1. Students are to sign in upon arrival.

2. Talking is not permitted.

3. No sleeping will be permitted.

4.  Absence from detention, without prior approval from the Student Affairs Department will result in being assigned a detention the following day. If a student misses 2 detentions they will be suspended for 1 day.