Camden County PTA

Reflections Program

Sustainable Cherry Hill

Use of School Facilities

CHERRY HILL ZONE PTA

STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF DISTRICT POLICIES

PROMOTING POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE

PTA's mission is to support and speak on behalf of children in the schools and before entities that make decisions affecting children.  Cherry Hill Zone PTA is pleased to make this public statement to the Cherry Hill Public School's Board of Education and Administration in support of our schools' consistent implementation and enforcement of all district policies, procedures and practices governing student conduct, discipline, dress code, and attendance.**  Consistently applied, these policies support effective character education in the standards of respect and responsibility, support the instructional process by fostering a positive learning environment in our schools, and generally afford our students the highest advantages in education.

In addition to the foregoing statement of support, Zone PTA offers the following comments concerning specific district policies which, in the opinion of Zone PTA, students attempt to violate most frequently.  It is the concerns stated herein which have prompted Zone PTA's desire to make this public statement of support of policy at this time.

Dress Code:  Students are expected to arrive at school prepared to learn and to allow others to learn.  Students who arrive at school wearing the following types of clothing violate the provisions of Policy 5132:

Furthermore, these students detract from the instructional process by distracting other students from the task of learning and teachers from the task of teaching.  Thus, these students demonstrate a lack of respect for other students and for faculty.  For these reasons, Zone PTA supports the consistent enforcement of Policy 5132 and agrees that it is appropriate and necessary to require students whose attire is not compliant to change and/or cover the offending items of clothing.  Zone PTA further believes that it is appropriate to ask students who wear hats in the high school to remove them.  Finally, Zone PTA supports the consistent enforcement of Policy 4119.22, which requires that all staff members model appropriate attire for students.   

Late Arrivals:  Late-arriving students disrupt lessons in progress and interfere with the learning process of both the tardy student and other students in the class.  Although lateness is, on rare occasion, an unavoidable and necessary occurrence, chronic lateness is inexcusable and demonstrates a lack of respect for others and the learning climate.  Zone PTA supports the consistent enforcement of Policy 5113, which requires that students arrive at school on time, except for justifiable reasons stated therein, and which imposes serious consequences for unexcused absences, including the conversion of late arrivals into absences potentially affecting course credit.  

Wireless Technology and Cellular Telephones:  Cell phones and palm pilots with text messaging and imaging capabilities prompt serious parental concerns about privacy in restrooms and locker rooms, cheating on tests, and distractions during class time.  Zone PTA supports the consistent enforcement of current Policy 5131.72 governing student use of wireless technology and cellular telephones in the schools; however, Zone PTA also believes that this is an appropriate time for the Board of Education and District Administration to review existing policy and procedure in light of new and emerging technologies, and to make revisions where necessary and appropriate.     

Athletics/Sportsmanship:  District Policy 6142.3 recognizes that teaching sportsmanship is a primary goal of the Cherry Hill Public Schools’ Athletic Programs.  Zone PTA supports the consistent enforcement of Policy 6142.3 in general.  Zone PTA further supports the implementation of procedures establishing clear behavioral expectations for students, parents, coaches and administrators at school-sponsored sports events, and consequences for noncompliance with those expectations, at the beginning of each sports season.  

Inappropriate Language:  Zone PTA supports the consistent enforcement of Policy 5131 and its related practices and procedures concerning student conduct and discipline.  In particular, Zone PTA supports the schools’ consistent correction of students who use profane, obscene, sexually suggestive, or other inappropriate language.     

Teachers in Hallways and Lunchroom:  Zone PTA supports the implementation of procedures advocating the strategic placement of teachers in hallways and lunchrooms in order to encourage positive behaviors in those areas.     

Consistency and Uniformity of Enforcement:  Consistency and immediacy in enforcement allows students to accurately predict the consequences of their actions and make choices accordingly.  District Policy 5131 requires that disciplinary action be applied consistently and uniformly.  Zone PTA supports the enforcement of Policy 5131 and supports the timely, consistent and uniform enforcement of all other policies and procedures governing student conduct, discipline, dress code and attendance.  In addition, Zone PTA recognizes that schools are, at times, pressured and/or threatened by parents when their children are subjected to established consequences for violations of school policy.  Zone PTA offers its support to schools in resisting this type of pressure, which would otherwise result in inconsistent enforcement of policy and procedure and eliminate the learning that results from holding students accountable for their actions.     

Notification of Parents about Discipline:  Zone PTA supports the implementation of Policies 1240 (endorsing parent involvement) and 5124 (reporting to parents).  In particular, Zone PTA supports the timely notification of parents in all cases of formal student discipline pursuant to these policies.  Such notification allows parents to partner with the school in helping students to learn from the consequences of their actions.    

**This document was unanimously adopted by the Zone PTA Table on September 13, 2005, following discussion between PTA Presidents and Principals at the individual school level.