Community Guidelines

Our community values prioritize respectful communication, mutual understanding, and empathy. The health of our community is dependent on all members committing to the practice of these values and respecting the rights of all Firefly students, families, instructors, and other Firefly community members as outlined below.

Violations of the code of conduct will be addressed as outlined in our behavior support and intervention policy in our Family Handbook.

Code of Conduct

• The right to have their culture, beliefs, and lifestyle respected even by those whose culture, beliefs or lifestyles differ.
• The right to personal expression.
• The right to define and express their personal boundaries and preferences and have those boundaries and preferences respected.
• The right to have their sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression affirmed and respected.
• The right to receive equitable treatment and be included and respected regardless of disability status.
• The right to feel safe from unwanted physical contact, sexual harassment, violence, bullying, intimidation, and ridicule.
• The right to have their personal privacy respected.

• Respect the rights of other community members as outlined above.
• Understand and comply with the Firefly code of conduct and all policies outlined in the Family Handbook; parents are expected to discuss the code of conduct and electronics policies with their children and make sure they understand expectations.
• Conduct themselves with respect, responsibility, and accountability to themselves, others, and the spaces we occupy. 
• Work with instructors, Firefly leadership, and/or other students to resolve conflict or concerns as they arise.
• Respect Firefly’s no-peanut policy. Please do not bring items containing peanuts or peanut butter on class days or to events.

• Violence or aggression, either physical or verbal 
• Bullying, including cyber bullying (Bullying is when an individual or a group of people perceived to have more power repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people.)
• Discrimination 
• Intentional damage to property or facilities 
• Intentional behavior that is consistently disrespectful to fellow students, parents, instructors, or other members of the Firefly community
• Refusal to follow safety rules and directions as expressed by directors and instructors
• Possession of a weapon at Firefly on class days or at special events (onsite or offsite)

• No electronic devices, electronic games, digital music players, cell phones, toys, or stuffed animals may be used in the classroom, unless given express permission by the instructor. 
• The use of these devices and/or toys in the classroom during instructional time without the permission of the instructor, or in a disruptive manner is prohibited. 
• If a student brings a cell phone to Firefly, they must completely silence their device and use it only before and after classes in common areas outside the classroom. 

• Private information includes, but is not limited to, disability status, LGBTQ+ status, medical and mental health diagnoses, particulars of the student’s home life, details about student behavior in the classroom, behavior supports and interventions implemented for a student, and specifics regarding accommodations for a disability.
• Information provided by families on the FHC Student Medical Information and Consent to Treat form will be shared with instructors and adults supervising students during other times such as lunch. Other information may be shared at the director’s discretion, but only in cases where it is necessary for student success or safety and well-being.
• A student’s private information should never be shared, discussed, or confirmed with other Firefly students or parents.
• Conversations regarding a student’s private information will be held in private with every effort being made to prevent others from overhearing.
• Instructors will always attempt to reach out to a parent prior to sharing private information with other instructors. However, in certain situations, information may be shared prior to contacting a parent if the instructor needs immediate assistance to address a risk to student safety or well-being. If such a situation arises, the instructor will reveal only the information required to address the immediate risk.
• If an instructor uses a substitute during the year, they may share information necessary for the substitute to support the child in class. This information may include accommodations, sensory triggers, successful redirection strategies, allergies, etc. In those cases, instructors will carefully consider what information they share to ensure student privacy is respected.
• Volunteers must keep confidential any private information they may become aware of while fulfilling their volunteer duties. This applies whether volunteering onsite or at an offsite event.