Excelsior High School School Rules

The School rules are intended to establish a disciplined and purposeful environment to facilitate effective teaching and learning at the School. Nothing shall exempt a learner from complying with the School rules. Ignorance of School rules is, therefore, not an acceptable excuse.

General Principles

1. Learners are expected at all times to behave in a courteous and considerate manner towards each other, the Learner Representative Council (LRC), all members of staff and visitors to the School.
2. Learners are expected to abide by the School rules with regard to appearance and behaviour when representing the School both during School hours and after School hours, at School and away from School. Learners may not say or do anything that will discredit themselves or the School.
3. No learner has the right at any time to behave in a manner that will disrupt the learning activity of other learners, or will cause another learner physical or emotional harm.
4. The School will contact parents/guardians when a learner’s behaviour becomes a cause of concern and will endeavour, in a spirit of constructive partnership, to resolve the problem.

School and Class Attendance
Parents/guardians, learners, teachers and School Governing Body (SGB) members are jointly responsible for ensuring that all learners attend School.

1. If a learner does not attend School regularly, the relevant register teacher will report the absence of the learner to the parent and the Principal in writing. The register teacher must keep an accurate register of learner attendance and must keep copies of all communication to parents when absence from the classroom is reported.
2. All learners are to arrive at School before the official starting time which is 8h00. Learners who are late for School will be marked absent as registers are completed at the beginning of each School day.
3. Absence from a class, without the permission of the relevant register or subject teacher, is prohibited.
4. Any absence from School must be covered by an absentee note from a parent/guardian.
5. Should a learner be absent from School for a period of two (2) days or longer, this leave of absence must be supported by a letter from a medical doctor.
6. Any absence from a formal examination, test or task must be supported by a letter from a medical doctor.
7. No learner may leave the School during School hours without a letter from a parent/guardian requesting the release of their child and the permission of the Principal/Deputy Principal/ from whom an exit note must be obtained.
8. Truancy from School is prohibited.
9. All learners will attend assembly for the full duration thereof.

Excelsior High  School Uniform and General Appearance

Learners are expected to wear the official School uniform and appear neat and tidy at all times.

1. No additions to the uniform that are not in accordance with the regulations will be allowed (e.g. beanies).
2. No earrings, jewellery, accessories, coloured contact lenses or visible tattoos are allowed.
3. No colouring of hair or wearing of exotic hairstyles is allowed.
4. Fingernails must be kept trimmed short and clean at all times.
5. During events that allow the wearing of casual wear, learners should wear neat, presentable clothes. Beachwear, tight-fitting clothes, clothes that are seethrough and/or too revealing are not allowed. Hair, shoes and accessories should be neat at all times.

Valuables and Personal Belongings

The School will not be held responsible for theft of or damage to personal belongings on School premises (e.g. cell phones, bags, books and clothing).

1. Learners will not be allowed to bring cell phones to school. If the learner brings a cell phone to school a fine of R50 will be levied before the released of the phone.
2. If a parent requests a learner to pay School fees on his/her behalf, such School fees should be paid before the start of the School day.
3. Arrangements should be made with the teacher in charge for safekeeping of valuables, etc. during sports practices.
4. Learners may not bring computer games, iPods or similar electronic devices to School.

General Rules

1. Loitering and/or playing in and around the corridors, stairwells and toilets is forbidden.
2. All litter must be placed in refuse bins or wastepaper baskets.
3. Wilful damaging, vandalising or neglect of School property and the property of others, either by writing or by a physical act, is prohibited. Theft of School and private property is also prohibited.
4. Any act of cheating in class work, homework, informal and formal tests or internal or external examination is prohibited. Furthermore, copying of and/or borrowing another learner’s work is forbidden.
5. Disruptive, unruly, rude and/or offensive behaviour will not be tolerated.
6. The timeous handing in of work is the responsibility of each learner.
7. Learners who fail to produce a medical certificate on absenteeism during formal examinations/tests/assessment tasks will obtain a mark of “0” (nought) for the particular examination/test/assessment task.
8. The learner will respect the beliefs, culture, dignity and rights of other learners, as well as their right to privacy and confidentiality.
9. Language that is seen as pejorative, discriminatory or racist is prohibited.
10. Any act that belittles, demeans or humiliates another learner’s culture, race or religion is prohibited.
11. All learners have the right to an education free of interference, intimidation and/or physical abuse. The learner will respect the property and safety of other learners.
12. Fighting or threatening of other learners is forbidden.
13. The learner will respect those learners in positions of authority. A learner who is in a position of authority will conduct him/herself in a manner befitting someone in authority. S/he will respect the rights of other learners and will not abuse such authority bestowed upon him/her through his/her position.
14. The carrying, copying and/or reading of offensive material are prohibited.
15. Learners must keep clear of areas that are indicated as out of bounds. These include:
    1. Electrical mains distribution boxes, fire extinguishers and hoses.
    2. Parking lots, except while accessing their own vehicles.

Rules Governing Public Places

The School is a place of safety where laws pertaining to public spaces are applicable.

1. No dangerous objects or illegal drugs as defined in the SA Schools Act or the Safety Regulations will be brought onto and/or used on the School property unless authorised by the Principal for educational purposes. Dangerous objects include knives, firearms or any item that could harm a person.
2. The carrying and/or smoking of cigarettes is prohibited.
3. Alcohol is not permitted on School premises or during any School activity.
4. The carrying of and/or consumption of illegal chemical substances and drugs is prohibited.

Transport

Learners wishing to park motor cycles/motor vehicles on the School grounds must first obtain permission from the School to do so and make use of the areas specifically demarcated for this purpose.

1. All learners park their vehicles and bikes (pedal or motorised) on the School premises at their own risk.
2. Learners may ride or drive a vehicle on the School grounds provided the learner has a license to drive such vehicle and provided extreme caution is exercised. Reckless behaviour is forbidden.
3. The Code of Conduct is applicable when making use of public transport to and from School.
4. Learners may not hitchhike while in School uniform, whether formal or sports dress.

School Enrichment Programme

Involvement in activities making up the School Enrichment Programme forms a valuable and integral part of the holistic education of every learner. All learners are, therefore, expected to become actively involved in at least one (1) sport, cultural and/or service activity per term.

1. The learner is expected to adopt the correct etiquette pertaining to the specific activity at all times.
2. Once a learner has committed him/herself to an activity, s/he will be bound to meet the rules and obligations related to that activity.
3. Involvement in a particular activity will span the entire season/duration in which that activity takes place.
4. Attendance of all practices is compulsory. Missing a practice without a valid excuse in writing from the learner’s parents may result in the learner being suspended from participation in one (1) inter-school league fixture.
5. Appropriate kit/uniform will be worn to practices.
6. The correct match kit/uniform will be worn to inter-school league fixtures.
7. Learners travelling to an away fixture will travel in full School uniform, unless other arrangements have been made.
8. Sports and other kit must be carried in an appropriate bag.
9. Learners playing in home league fixtures may arrive at the venue in their appropriate sports kit/uniform with their School blazer.

Accommodation of Religious or Cultural Rights

Religious practices, conduct or obligations that relate to the core values and beliefs of a recognised religion and that are in conflict with any rule contained in this Code of Conduct will be accommodated by a deviation from this Code of Conduct by the Governing Body under the following conditions:

1. The learner, assisted by the parent, must apply for a deviation from the standard School rules if such rules are in conflict with or infringe on any religious right of the learner.
2. This application must be in writing and must identify the specific rule/s that is/are offensive to the learner’s religious right/s as contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
3. This application must include a reasonable interpretation of the religious rights that the learner feels are offended and a suggestion on how the rules may be supplemented by the Governing Body to accommodate such religious rights.
4. The learner must provide proof that s/he belongs to that specific religion and that the religious practices, rules and obligations that are in conflict with the School’s Code of Conduct are his/her true beliefs and commitments.
5. The religious conduct or practice must be lawful.
6. The Governing Body must consider the application and, if it is satisfied that the application is justified in terms of Constitutional principles, the application will be granted in writing.
7. When the Governing Body allows for deviations from the standard rules, such deviations must be based on core religious beliefs inherent to the religion, and it must be compulsory for the learner to comply with such beliefs.
8. The deviation must specify the extent of the exemption from the normal rules and must clearly identify the conduct that will be allowed – e.g. the wearing of a head scarf, including colours and details of design; the growing of a beard; or the wearing of a specific hairstyle or jewellery – and the conditions under which such deviation will be applicable to the learner.
9. Cultural rights will be considered in the event that they do not relate to a religion, if such cultural rights manifest in conduct of a permanent nature that is compulsory for the cultural group. This refers to cases where the removal of the cultural jewellery or mark will cause considerable pain to the learner. Normally, cultural rights are exercised through marks and expressions of a temporary nature that are justified for a specific cultural gathering. The learner must convince the Governing Body that his/her cultural rights can be exercised only through a permanent intervention.
10. Any request for a deviation from the Code of Conduct based on cultural rights must be in writing and must be based on a process similar to that contained in subparagraphs 1 to 8 above.