Bullying

The spirit of St. Matthew School calls each student to a life of prayer, love, service, courtesy, and hospitality.  In St. Matthew School Jesus is the Center and Mary, the Model.  St. Matthew School offers all students positive, safe learning environments in which everyone behaves responsibly and respectfully toward others.  All Children are entitled to learn in a physically and emotionally safe environment that is free from threat, harassment and any type of bullying behavior.  In accordance with this philosophy, it is the policy of St. Matthew School that bullying of a student by another student is prohibited.

“Bullying” is defined as any overt acts by a student or groups of students directed against another student with the intent to ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate the other student while on school grounds or at a school sponsored activity, which acts are repeated against the same student over time.

Examples of bullying include, but are not limited to:

• Physical violence
• Verbal taunts, harassment, name-calling and put downs
• Threats and intimidation
• Exclusion from peer groups within the school

Students who engage in any act of bullying, while at school, at any school function, or in connection to or with any school sponsored activity or event are subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including suspensions, expulsion and/or referral to law enforcement officials.