Arrival and Departure

  Whenever possible, we encourage students to get exercise and reduce environmental pollution by walking, cycling, or bussing to school. 

  For those who do need to be driven to school, there are designated drop-off areas inside the Lansdowne Road parking lot and along the side of Richmond Road. 

  Please do not enter the Richmond Road parking lot (beside the Band Annex) because it is utilized as a student play area. 

  Parents and other visitors entering the school are expected to check in at the main office prior to going anywhere else inside the building. 

  While we are pleased to see students get to and from school using bicycles, scooters, skateboards and rollerblades, for safety reasons these items are not to be used on school property. 

  Students are expected to walk these items through the school-grounds, and lock their bikes up at our Lansdowne Road or Richmond Road bike racks.  Items such as skateboards and rollerblades should be carried into the building and put in lockers upon arrival at school.

Attendance and Punctuality

 Success at school is closely connected to consistent and timely attendance; therefore, attendance and punctuality are closely monitored.  Students are expected to be on time for class. 

 Those arriving late to school are required to report to the school office before going to class. 

 If a student is going to be late or absent for a legitimate reason, a parent/guardian is expected to contact the school at 250-598-3336 (a telephone answering machine is available 24 hours a day). 

 If a student is absent and no such call has been received, the school will try to contact the home or workplace of the parent/guardian to verify the absence. 

 In cases of chronic lateness and/or absenteeism, parents will be contacted by school personnel in an attempt to address and rectify the concerns. 

Closed Campus

 Like all middle schools in the Greater Victoria School District, Lansdowne has a closed campus. 

 This means that students are expected to stay at school from the time they arrive in the morning until they are dismissed at the end of the school day, unless participating in an off-campus activity specifically authorized by school personnel. 

 In the event that a student needs to depart prior to regular dismissal time (i.e. for a doctor’s appointment), the student needs a note from a parent/guardian and s/he is required to sign out at the office before leaving. 

 Please note that students will not be permitted to go off campus in order to purchase food at local restaurants or convenience stores.

Lockers, Electronics & Other Valuables

 We welcome personal electronic devices at Lansdowne only for authorized educational purposes supervised by a teacher. 

 Unauthorized use of electronic devices during class-time or during recesses (video games, cameras, music devices, cell phones and text messages, etc.) frequently poses a distraction, inhibits constructive social interaction, results in unauthorized digital recordings, and/or impedes students’ ability to hear supervisors. 

 Furthermore, although we believe that most people are honest and trustworthy, we also want everyone in our community to take appropriate precautions to protect ourselves from those who might steal from us if given the opportunity. 

 To that end we encourage students to keep their electronic devices (I-Pods, etc.) and other valuables at home, except when personal electronic devices are authorized by teachers for specific educational purposes. 

 If you must bring an electronic device to school for non educational purposes (i.e. a cell phone for before or after school use), it must remain turned off and in your locker throughout the school day (including during break-times).  The only exception is the use of electronic devices specifically authorized and supervised by a staff member. 

 You can purchase combination locks from the school office (or bring a combination lock from home). 

 Use your lock and do not give out the combination to others, even to your friends. 

 Also, we encourage students to purchase (or bring from home) a second combination lock for the lockers located in the change-rooms in order to lock up your clothing and other belongings during PE class. 

 Please be aware that these are temporary lockers, and your lock must be removed from change-room lockers at the end of each class.

 While we encourage preventative measures and follow-up on any credible leads should a theft occur, the school is not responsible for lost or stolen articles. 

 Moreover, lockers are the property of the school, not the individual student; a list of locker numbers and combinations is kept at the school office and locker contents may be subject to the scrutiny of school personnel or the police at any time.

Dress Code

 To help keep our focus on learning, those at school should be dressed appropriately for a place of work and learning.  While we encourage student diversity in terms of personal style choices, the following dress code applies:

• No underwear (including bra straps) showing

• No bare midriffs (skin showing)

• Shorts and skirts should be long (approaching the knees)

• No shoestring tops (3-fingers or wider) or visible cleavage

• Remove hats when indoors

• No words, slogans, or symbols that are obscene or related to the promotion of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sex, violence, or intolerance

 By adhering to the above dress code, you help us maintain a focused learning environment that is as comfortable as possible for all staff and students.

Lansdowne Code of Conduct

While we support the development of students’ personal and social responsibility (please see "Global Education" and “Personal and Social Responsibility” under our “Programs” page), we also have basic expectations in order to establish and maintain a safe environment, free from discrimination, harassment, drugs, and violence. 

 The following “Code of Conduct” exists to clarify these basic expectations as well as processes in place to address misconduct.

 Purpose:  To establish and maintain a school environment that is safe and conducive to learning.

 Expectations:  Students are expected to behave in a manner that respects oneself, others, and the environment. 

 Unacceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to:

•  Behaviors that disrupt the learning environment

•  Behaviors that jeopardize the safety of oneself or others

•  Violations of the school dress code

•  Theft or damage to property, including graffiti. (In this regard, gum is not permitted as it often ends up stuck to property.)

•  Possession of weapons, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs

•  Pop and caffeinated drinks (and other junk food) are discouraged, and if brought to school, must be of personal-portion size (i.e. max. 500 ml)

•  Acts of harassment, intimidation, or physical violence

•  Obscene or offensive language, gestures, symbols, or graphics

•  Using a personal electronic device is prohibited at all time during the school-day (unless authorized by staff for a specific purpose)

•  Acts of discrimination (In this regard, note that the BC Human Rights Code is designed to “promote a climate of understanding and mutual respect where all are equal in dignity and rights” and specifically prohibits discrimination based on such factors as ancestry, race, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.)

•  Acts or threats of retaliation toward anyone reporting a concern

 While the above list states a number of unacceptable behaviors, we expect our students not merely to comply with the “bottom line”, but rather to act in a socially responsible manner and contribute positively to the school environment and the community-at-large, with older students demonstrating increased maturity and providing a good example to younger students. 

 Consequences:  When addressing inappropriate behavior, we generally provide students with opportunities and guidance to take responsibility for their actions, fix and learn from their mistakes, and resolve issues in a constructive manner. 

 In determining the consequences for inappropriate behavior – ranging from mediation and problem-solving conversations, to behavioral goal-setting and tracking logs, to detentions and school suspensions – the nature, severity, and frequency of a student’s unacceptable conduct as well as individual factors relevant to that student (i.e. maturity, personal/family circumstances, special needs, etc.) and his/her level of constructive engagement in restorative processes, are all taken into consideration. 

Notification:  Depending on the nature, severity, and frequency of the behavioral concern(s), school personnel may notify a student’s parents/guardians of incidents of misconduct by telephone, email, or other means. 

 School administration will notify in writing a student’s parents/ guardians and the District’s Associate Superintendents of any out-of-school suspensions. 

 Police and/or other agencies will be notified of known or suspected misconduct as required by policy or law, or if their involvement is deemed by school personnel to be warranted in addressing an incident or concern.