Behavior Expectations & Protocols

Cambridge-Isanti Schools believes in effective partnerships between students, staff, families and community members to create a climate that is inclusive, safe, and caring. In order to support our school climate initiatives, our schools and programs use evidence-based strategies to support positive student development. Some of these strategies include Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (K-12th grade), Pyramid Model (preschool), Social Emotional Learning, CASEL Framework, and Restorative Practices.

Our mission at Adventure Center is to focus on providing safe, quality, educational, nurturing experiences for children aged three years to fifth grade. Staff members establish and implement clear and consistent limits and expectations for appropriate behavior. Staff members will foster positive relationships with all students by making connections, creating a positive environment, and role modeling. In order to ensure the safety and health of all students, we will provide all reasonable and appropriate accommodations for any child within our programs.

Adventure Center follows all Cambridge-Isanti School District approved policies including those outlined in the “Code of Conduct”. Reasonable effort will be made to adapt supplemental aids and services to accommodate the unique needs of each child. Our students are most successful when we all work together to support them. The following are program expectations for all important roles.

Staff Expectations

Review and model expectations frequently, , implement school PBIS strategies
Provide positive feedback for expected behaviors
Be a resource for students to process and create “fix-it” plans for unexpected behaviors
Provide reasonable accommodations to engage all students during programming time
Communicate respectfully with families
Staff will supervise children at all times. Staff are responsible for the ongoing activity of each student, appropriate visual or auditory awareness, physical proximity, and knowledge of activity requirements and each child’s needs. Staff must intervene when necessary to ensure a child’s safety. In determining the appropriate level of supervision of a child, staff must consider: (1) the age of the child, (2)individual differences and abilities, (3) indoor and outdoor layout of the child care program; and (4) environmental circumstances, hazards and risks.
Staff and volunteers use positive behavior guidance and do not subject children to:
- Corporal punishment, including but not limited to rough handling, shoving, hair pulling, ear pulling, shaking, slapping, kicking, biting, pinching, hitting and spanking
- Humiliation
- Abusive language
- The use of mechanical restraints, including tying
- The use of physical restraints other than to physically hold a child when containment is necessary to protect a child or others from harm or
- The withholding or forcing of food and other basic needs.

Parent Expectations

Inform staff of any needs their child has
Discuss any accommodations that are important for their child’s success with staff
Work with staff to create and implement ideas for correction of behavior concerns
Communicate respectfully with staff and students

Student Expectations

Follow the Bluejacket way: Compassion, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Self-Discipline
Refrain from engaging in harmful or inappropriate behavior concerns listed below
Have fun!

Behavior Considered Harmful or Inappropriate

When conflicts over the rights of other people and property arise, we work with students to actively listen to each account and aid in the resolution of the conflict to develop social skills for the future. Behavior having a high frequency duration or intensity may result in immediate parents pick-up and /or suspension and from the program. These behaviors include, but are not limited to:

Behavior which directly or indirectly threatens a person’s right to be safe (aggression, threats, disrespectful language, harassing behavior, inappropriate touching of a person’s bodies or belongings, inappropriate gestures).
Behavior that inhibits the staff from fulfilling their ability to be available for all the children. Leaving the group without permission, remaining in spaces that are not part of the programming space for more than 51% of the time, demonstrating a lack of self-control, blatant disrespect or absolute refusal to comply, intentional destruction of property.

Behavior Support Process

Staff provide positive behavior redirection and process ways to handle the situation safely.
Staff inform parents/guardians of ongoing behaviors and document using appropriate forms. Staff will then review any related situations, work collaboratively with staff and parent/guardian, and implement a strategy for support to address the behavior.
If behaviors continue, staff will meet with parent/guardian to discuss current accommodations in place and plans for additional accommodations within redirection, adjusting the environment, natural and logical consequences, cooperative problem solving, and removal from the activity/area.
If the harmful or inappropriate behavior continues a behavior contract will be written with clear expectations of behavior and consequences if the behavior continues. A conference between the site lead, coordinator, parents and child will be scheduled to discuss the contract.
If corrective techniques are still unsuccessful in eliminating unsafe, harmful, or inappropriate behaviors, care may be on hold, terminated, or suspended indefinitely.

Runaway Protocol

If a child leaves the designated child care area without permission from the staff members, the following procedures will be followed:

A staff member will alert the rest of the staff members and will look for the child and bring the child back to the area.
- If the child cannot be located, the police will be contacted immediately.
A parent will be notified and asked to pick up the child immediately.
The event will be documented.
A meeting will be arranged between the parent, child and site lead/coordinator before the child may return to the program.

Accident / Incident Reports

These reports help us to track behavior to better help the child with managing their choices and serve as a record for parents and staff. An Accident/Incident report will be completed if a child displays a behavior or action that is harmful or inappropriate in our setting. Staff will discuss the behavior with the child to help correct the behavior. The parent will be informed by either a phone call or staff discussion at the end of the day.

Pyramid Model—Preschool Age

Adventure Center is a Pyramid Model site. The Pyramid Model is a research-based framework, or approach, for intentionally teaching social-emotional skills to young children to help them be successful at school. Staff and students utilize this framework in theri daily conversations and routines.

The base of the pyramid consists of creating positive relationships between the child and the teaching staff within a consistent, predictable environment. The second section of the pyramid includes using targeted teaching strategies, such as visual schedules, picture cues and social stories to help children learn problem solving skills, emotional regulation and impulse control. The top of the pyramid consists of individualized interventions for the children who need additional support in the classroom.