Code of Conduct & Honor Code
The Cooper Code of Conduct
Courteous
- We show empathy and are kind to one another
- We use appropriate language
- We cooperate and have a positive attitude
On Time
- For school
- For class
- For lunch
On Task
- We focus
- We participate in class activities
- We follow procedures
Prepared
- We advocate for ourselves
- We bring supplies to class
- We complete assignments in a timely manner
Excellence
- We follow the Cooper Honor Code
- We give our best effort
- We take responsibility for our actions and learning
Respectful
- To staff
- To students
- To property
Honor Code
Caring, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect form the basis for good moral character. At Cooper, we are committed to a school that promotes and embraces these qualities. We provide a school environment that enhances character-building experiences, so the students can gain a full understanding of the Honor Code. Students are encouraged to demonstrate the personal qualities associated with character building and good citizenship while doing their best and behaving in an honorable manner. We believe the effort each student makes in meeting academic challenges is more important than achieving high academic marks.
The Honor Code at Cooper addresses cheating, plagiarizing, lying, and stealing.
Cheating is…
- copying someone else’s work.
- allowing someone else to copy your work.
- using notes, aids, or written materials in any form during a test.
- talking, copying from someone else’s paper, giving or receiving information by signs, gestures, or deception during a testing period.
- sharing information from a previously taken test.
- accessing unauthorized digital information for assessments and assignments.
Plagiarizing is…
- presenting someone else’s work as your own without proper citations or acknowledgment.
- copying word for word, without using quotation marks or giving credit to the source of the material.
- failing to use proper documentation and bibliography.
- having your parent or friend do an assignment which is then submitted as one’s own work.
Lying is…
- making an untrue statement with intent to deceive.
- creating false or misleading impressions.
Stealing is…
- taking or appropriating without the right or permission to do so and with the intent to keep or make use of wrongfully.
Course of Action
Below is Cooper’s course of action if an Honor Code violation should occur. The administration has the right to decide which of the following actions will be taken.
- A meeting will be held with an administrator, teacher, counselor and student. At this meeting, the incident will be presented by the teacher who reported the violation. The student will have an opportunity to respond and explain. The parent will be notified of the violation by the teacher when the referral is made to the administrator and the administrator will follow up with the parent after the honor code violation meeting. The record of this meeting will be sealed and destroyed at the end of 8th grade if no further infractions occur. The student will be issued an administrative consequence.
- A parent conference will be conducted with the counselor, administrator, and teacher. The student will be issued an administrative consequence, and a letter will be placed in the student’s file that will be forwarded to the high school.
- The administrator will enforce appropriate disciplinary actions in accordance with the Fairfax County Public School’s Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook guidelines.
Student Handbook
This is a PDF copy of the student handbook that is found in the front of the student planners. Additional information about the dress code, QST, and the tardy policy can be found here.