Student behavior

The School believes that the environment most conducive to learning and growth is one in which all students feel confident, secure and safe. The School has devised certain rules and regulations to ensure this atmosphere is maintained. A sense of responsibility for one's own conduct as well as for the general wellbeing of the community is expected of students.

Students are expected to exhibit sensitivity to the feelings, rights and property of all members of the school community. They are expected to respect the school's rules and regulations, property and reputation. The School requires students to behave in an honest and truthful manner which includes doing their own work and acknowledging ideas and work which are not their own.

Within the spirit of the school's general expectations of behavior, the Lower, Middle and High schools have established their own rules and regulations appropriate to the age and development of students in the three School divisions. Expectations are modified, refined or added to throughout the year as deemed necessary and good for the community. Any changes are explained in class or divisional meetings.

Safe School Policy

We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our students so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our school. If bullying does occur, all students should be able to talk to an adult they trust and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.

ASL defines bullying as any type of verbal or physical abuse against another student, which is repeated and purposeful with the intention to humiliate or hurt. A bullied person is one who is repeatedly exposed to negative action by one or more persons.

Bullying can include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following categories and specific behaviors, whether in person, online, or by phone or text message: verbal bullying, threatening, social exclusion, physical bullying, vandalism, extortion/theft.

We expect anyone who knows that bullying is happening to tell a trusted adult in the School. This adult will, in turn, seek solutions from the assistant principals, school counselors or principal. Each division will determine individual responses and consequences of bullying.

A complete copy of the Safe School Policy is available here.

Personal appearance

Students are expected to exercise good judgment in their choice of clothing, especially given the school's multicultural community. Clothes that are revealing, tattered, marked with inappropriate language, marked with reference to drugs or alcohol, or in any other way unsuitable, are not for school. If students come to school wearing inappropriate clothing, they may be required to cover it with other clothing or to return home and change.

Lower and Middle school students may not wear shorts during winter months.

Drugs and alcohol policy

The use, possession or sale of potentially harmful substances by students on campus or at any school-related function is prohibited.

The School endeavors to provide substance abuse prevention education at every level and to disseminate age-appropriate information to students by trained faculty and staff. ASL employs a broad-based approach to substance abuse prevention education, including a variety of guest speakers, resource materials, outside agencies and school counselors. All drug and alcohol policies are explicitly stated and publicly communicated at regular intervals throughout the school year.

ASL recognizes that a variety of responses may be necessary to deal with incidents. The administration believes that each case of drug or alcohol abuse has a unique set of causes and circumstances; therefore, each incident is dealt with individually, considering a wide variety of counseling and/or disciplinary responses.

Administrative teams within each division create an appropriate plan of action in consultation with the School, student and family, and in light of British law and professional ethical obligations. These action plans are treated confidentially.

Students are held accountable for their actions at an appropriate level. Students in each division are made aware of expectations for behavior and their responsibilities for their own health and the health of the school community. In any disciplinary action, the School seeks to balance the best interests of the individual student with those of the community as a whole. We expect that all members of the School community understand and abide by the policies regarding substance-abuse prevention.