SCHOOL CALENDARS
Stay updated with the latest events and important dates for all three Connect Academy schools. Our comprehensive calendars include academic schedules, special events, and essential announcements to keep you informed and engaged.
CONNECT ACADEMY MAIN CALENDAR
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CONNECT ACADEMY EAST CALENDAR
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CONNECT ACADEMY EARLY CHILDHOOD CALENDAR
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CONNECT ACADEMY ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
Bullying is contrary to State law and the policy of Connect Academy. Bullying, intimidation, and sexual or physical harassment diminish a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate. Preventing students from engaging in these disruptive behaviors and providing all students equal access to a safe, non-hostile learning environment are fundamental to Connect Academy. The term “bullying” includes “cyber-bullying” and is defined, per 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7, as any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward student(s). Bullying has or can reasonably be predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:
No student shall be subjected to bullying:
HARASSMENT/BULLYING OF STUDENTS, in any form, IS PROHIBITED by State law and Connect Academy, which aligns with other school policies required by the State. No person including an employee or agent of the school, or student, shall harass or intimidate another student upon a student’s sex, color, race, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or other protected group status. The Academy will not tolerate harassing or intimidating conduct, whether verbal, non-verbal, physical, or visual, that affects tangible benefits of education, that unreasonably interferes with a student’s educational performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment.
Development, Notification, and Posting
Connect Academy will evaluate its bullying policy in accordance with state law and be based on the engagement of school stakeholders, including students and parents/guardians. The Academy will re-evaluate this Policy every two (2) years based on an assessment of its outcomes and effectiveness, including, but not limited to, factors such as the frequency of victimization; student, staff and family observations of safety at school; identification of areas of a school where bullying occurs; the types of bullying utilized; and bystander intervention or participation.
- Placing the student(s) in reasonable fear of harm to their person or property.
- Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student(s) physical or mental health.
- Substantially interfering with the student(s) ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by Connect Academy.
- Substantially disrupt the therapeutic process of an individual student or group of students.
- Substantially interfering with the student(s) academic performance.
No student shall be subjected to bullying:
- During any school sponsored educational event or activity.
- While in school, on school property, on school transportation, during field trips, or other Connect Academy provided transportation.
- Through transmission from a school computer, computer network, or other similar electronic school equipment.
- Through transmission from a computer that is accessed at a non-school-related location, activity, function, or program or from the use of technology if the bullying causes a substantial disruption to the educational process or orderly operation of the school.
- Through transmission on an electronic device that is not owned or used by Connect Academy if the bullying causes a substantial disruption to the educational process or orderly operation of the school.
HARASSMENT/BULLYING OF STUDENTS, in any form, IS PROHIBITED by State law and Connect Academy, which aligns with other school policies required by the State. No person including an employee or agent of the school, or student, shall harass or intimidate another student upon a student’s sex, color, race, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or other protected group status. The Academy will not tolerate harassing or intimidating conduct, whether verbal, non-verbal, physical, or visual, that affects tangible benefits of education, that unreasonably interferes with a student’s educational performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment.
- Bullying may take various forms, including but without limitation one or more of the following: harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction of property, or retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying. This list is illustrative and non-exhaustive.
- “Cyber-bullying” means bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, including and without limitation, any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sound, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic system, photoelectric system, or photo optical system, including without limitations electronic mail, internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications. “Cyber-bullying” includes the creation of a webpage or weblog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person or the knowing creation or impersonation creates any of the effects aforementioned in the definition of bullying. Cyber-bullying also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person of the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons if the distribution or posting creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of bullying in [105 ILCS 5/27-23.7(b)].
- Students are encouraged to immediately report bullying to a Connect Academy staff member. A report may be made orally or in writing to the principal or designee, or any staff member.
- All school employees are required to notify the principal or clinical director of the report of bullying as soon as possible after the report is received.
- Anonymous complaints may be directed to the principal or clinical director and investigated.
- Student’s and/or their parents/guardians may contact the following individuals to report a bullying incident:
- Name/Title: Amie Kaczmarek
- Mailing Address: 1514 S. Main Street Lombard, Illinois 60148
- Phone: 312-757-5432
- Email: [email protected]
- Name/Title: Will McDermott
- Mailing Address: 1514 Main Street Lombard, Illinois 60148
- Phone: 312-757-5432
- Email: [email protected]
- Once an alleged bullying incident is reported, complaint managers will determine whether the reported act is within the permissible scope of its jurisdiction according to 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7 and will promptly inform parents/guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident. Additionally, it will be discussed as appropriate, the implementation of therapeutic interventions, other interventions, and restorative measures.
- Any report of bullying will be submitted to the principal as soon as possible after the report is received. Connect Academy will make all reasonable efforts to complete the investigation within 10 (ten) school days after the date of the reported incident and will involve appropriate school personnel with training on bullying prevention in the investigation.
- Connect Academy will provide parents/guardians of the students who are parties to the investigation with information about the investigation and an opportunity to meet with the principal or clinical director, to discuss the investigation, the findings of the investigation, and the actions taken to address the incident.
- Student confidentiality policies, laws, and guidelines will be considered prior to any interventions or meeting with parents/guardians.
- Connect Academy will provide information to parents/guardians of family counseling services available to them in relation to any bullying incident.
- The Academy will provide students with interventions that may address bullying, such as social work/counseling services, social-emotional skill building, movement out of class with specific peers, and restorative measures. This list is intended to be illustrative and non-exhaustive. “Restorative measures” means a continuum of school-based alternatives to exclusionary discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions, that: (i) are adapted to the particular needs of the school community, (ii) contribute to maintaining school safety, (iii) protect the integrity of a positive and productive learning environment, (iv) teach students the personal and interpersonal skills they will need to be successful in school and society, (v) serve to build and restore relationships among student, families, schools, and communities; and, (vi) reduce the likelihood of future disruption by balancing accountability with an understanding of students’ behavioral health needs in order to keep student in school.
- A reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports an act of bullying is prohibited. A student’s act of reprisal or retaliation will be treated as bullying for the purposes of determining any consequences or other appropriate remedial actions.
- Student(s) will not be disciplined for reporting bullying or supplying information, even if the Academy’s investigation concludes that no bullying occurred. However, any person who has been found to have falsely accused another of bullying or knowingly provided false information will be treated as bullying for the purpose of determining discipline in accordance with Connect Academy’s policy and procedures.
- Any and all reports of bullying will be investigated and determined to either constitute bullying or not. In the event it is decided that a report constitutes a form of bullying the following but not limited to, will then be assessed to determine the actions of the school.
- The frequency of victimization.
- Student, staff, and family observations of safety at school.
- Identification of areas of a school where bullying occurs.
- The types of bullying that are common or occurring.
- Bystander intervention or participation
- After assessing the severity and occurrence of an event, administration will create an action plan to ensure the emotional and physical safety of the student. This plan includes, but is not limited to:
- Schedule change for the bullying party.
- Meditation guided by a therapist.
- Therapeutic assignment.
- Removal of bully from school.
- In-school suspension.
- Should it be determined that a person has falsely accused another of bullying, the severity and intention of the report will be assessed. The following are possible actions the school may take, but are not limited to:
- Therapeutic assignment.
- In-school suspension.
- Additional therapeutic minutes.
- Schedule change.
- Should a report be filed that is deemed to be outside of the permissible scope of the school’s jurisdiction as it pertains to policy 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7, the victim of the incident will be provided information about services that are available within the school and the students community such as counseling and support services.
Development, Notification, and Posting
Connect Academy will evaluate its bullying policy in accordance with state law and be based on the engagement of school stakeholders, including students and parents/guardians. The Academy will re-evaluate this Policy every two (2) years based on an assessment of its outcomes and effectiveness, including, but not limited to, factors such as the frequency of victimization; student, staff and family observations of safety at school; identification of areas of a school where bullying occurs; the types of bullying utilized; and bystander intervention or participation.
CONNECT ACADEMY CODE OF ETHICS
Connect Academy will conduct business honestly and ethically wherever operations are maintained. We strive to improve the quality of our services, products, and operations and will maintain a reputation for honesty, fairness, respect, responsibility, integrity, trust, and sound business judgment. Our managers and employees are expected to adhere to high standards of business and personal integrity as a representation of our business practices, at all times consistent with their duty of loyalty to the Company.
We expect that officers, directors, and employees will not knowingly misrepresent the Company and will not speak on behalf of the Company unless specifically authorized. The confidentiality of trade secrets, proprietary information, and similar confidential commercially-sensitive information (i.e. financial or sales records/reports, marketing or business strategies/plans, product development, customer lists, patents, trademarks, etc.) about the Company or operations, or that of our customers or partners, is to be treated with discretion and only disseminated on a need-to-know basis (see policies relating to privacy).
Violation of the Code of Ethics can result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment. The degree of discipline imposed may be influenced by the existence of voluntary disclosure of any ethical violation and whether or not the violator cooperated in any subsequent investigation.
We expect that officers, directors, and employees will not knowingly misrepresent the Company and will not speak on behalf of the Company unless specifically authorized. The confidentiality of trade secrets, proprietary information, and similar confidential commercially-sensitive information (i.e. financial or sales records/reports, marketing or business strategies/plans, product development, customer lists, patents, trademarks, etc.) about the Company or operations, or that of our customers or partners, is to be treated with discretion and only disseminated on a need-to-know basis (see policies relating to privacy).
Violation of the Code of Ethics can result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment. The degree of discipline imposed may be influenced by the existence of voluntary disclosure of any ethical violation and whether or not the violator cooperated in any subsequent investigation.
