AP 350: Code Of Conduct
Organization & Culture
Background
The Superintendent is committed to providing a safe, caring, and respectful environment that reflects Parkland School Division’s vision, mission, and values.
Vision: Our students possess the confidence, resilience, insight and skills required to thrive in, and positively impact, the world.
Mission: We assure supportive learning environments, meaningful experiences, and healthy relationships that create opportunities to develop resilience, to gain diversity in perspectives and to achieve enduring success.
- We value learning opportunities that are purposeful, essential, relevant, authentic and responsive.
- We value excellence in achievement.
- We value trustworthy, respectful relationships.
- We value resilience with self-awareness.
The Code of Conduct applies to all members of our school community, including students, staff, parents, volunteers, and visitors. The Code of Conduct defines expectations for behavior in school or workplace related settings, including digital and extracurricular spaces, to promote, maintain, and ensure a culture of respect, integrity, and responsibility.
THE PARKLAND SCHOOL DIVISION CODE OF CONDUCT
Core Values and Principles
1. Respect for Rights and Dignity: All members of our school community shall treat others with dignity, fairness, and respect, ensuring that discrimination, harassment, and exclusion have no place in our schools or workplaces.
2. Human Rights and Equity: All members of our school community shall demonstrate, as defined in the Alberta Human Rights Act, an awareness and an appreciation of the diverse racial and cultural composition of society; notably,
2.1. As a matter of public policy within the Province of Alberta, all persons are equal in: dignity, rights and responsibilities without regard to race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical ability, mental ability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status or sexual orientation.
3. Cultural Awareness and Diversity: All members of our school community shall actively seek to understand and respect cultural perspectives and identities.
4. Privacy and Confidentiality: All members of our school community shall respect the privacy and confidentiality of all others, specifically avoiding language intended to cause harm, to gossip or to spread misinformation.
Interpersonal Respect and Conduct
5. Personal Space and Property: All members of our school community shall honor and demonstrate respect for the personal space and property of others.
6. Respectful and Civil Communication: All members of our school community shall use respectful, civil and appropriate language when communicating with all other members of our school community.
7. Discourse with Civility: All members of our school community shall engage in discourse, disagreement, debate, dialogue or conflict with civility and tolerance for the right of others to hold and express their unique opinions and perspectives, regardless of their background or beliefs.
Accountability and Responsibility
8. Integrity and Honesty: All members of our school community shall uphold principles of honesty, integrity, and fairness in academic, professional, and social interactions, ensuring that work, assessments, and contributions reflect genuine effort and ethical conduct.
9. Self-Responsibility: All members of our school community shall take responsibility for their own actions, uphold integrity when rules, regulations, or optimal conditions for school or work progress are violated, acknowledge harm caused, and take appropriate steps to repair relationships and restore trust.
Compliance and Safety
10. Compliance with Policies, Procedures, Regulations and Rules: All members of our school community shall follow all policies, administrative procedures and site-specific rules during school, work, or volunteer activities.
11. Respect for Authority: All members of our school community shall respect and comply with the decisions and directives given by those in a position of authority, and shall, respectfully, ask for clarification when the decisions or directives seem unclear.
12. Respect for Professionalism: All members of our school community shall respect the right of others to learn and/or advance, without disruption, by maintaining respectful behavior during school or work activities.
13. Respect for Safety: All members of our school community shall uphold and actively participate in safety protocols, including mandatory safety training where required.
Social Responsibility
14. Intolerance of Bullying or Mean Behaviour: All members of our school community shall treat others with kindness and respect, refraining from and not tolerating bullying or any form of harmful behavior—regardless of where, when, or how it occurs—and are encouraged to seek assistance and report incidents to the appropriate authority to ensure a safe and supportive school or workplace environment.
15. Community Responsibility: All members of our school community shall demonstrate care for shared spaces and the environment by contributing to sustainability efforts, respecting the cleanliness of communal spaces, and acting as responsible stewards of school and community resources.
16. Digital Responsibility: All members of our school community shall engage in responsible and respectful digital communication, including social media, email, and online interactions, ensuring that online conduct aligns with the same standards of respect, civility, and integrity expected in face-to-face interactions.
17. Respect for Time Commitments: All members of our school community shall demonstrate timeliness, punctuality and responsibility as a matter of respect for the time commitments of others.
18. Responsibility for Obligations: All members of our school community shall endeavour to maintain obligations accordingly, and shall appropriately attend to responsibilities that were overdue or missed for any reason.
19. Culture of Wellness: All members of our school community shall support a culture of well-being by promoting positive mental health practices, seeking support when needed, and by helping to create an environment where individuals feel safe to express concerns without fear of stigma or discrimination.
20. Duty to Report: All members of our school community share a responsibility to uphold The Code of Conduct by addressing and reporting violations in a manner that promotes accountability, integrity, and a respectful resolution of concerns: 20.1. Whenever appropriate and safe, individuals should first attempt to address inappropriate behavior directly with the person responsible in a constructive and respectful manner, in order to foster personal accountability and resolution before escalating concerns;
20.2. If direct resolution is not possible, ineffective, or inappropriate, individuals should report concerns to a trusted staff member, principal, assistant principal, or site supervisor. Reports should be made regarding any violations of The Code of Conduct, safety concerns, discrimination or harassment, bullying or mean behaviour, and/or unethical or unlawful conduct; and
20.3. No individual shall be subject to retaliation, intimidation, or negative consequences for reporting a concern in good faith, as these actions would, in themselves, be deemed as a violation of The Code of Conduct and, therefore, shall be addressed accordingly.
Approved:
