Student/Parent Handbook

2025-2026

This Handbook explains the policies that The Banff School uses on a day-to-day basis. While it is impossible to write policies that will cover all situations, this document includes policies that will apply to most school-related issues. The Banff School reserves the right to make exceptions to the policies in this handbook as needed. This handbook supersedes all previous handbooks. While every effort is made to keep the contents of this handbook current, The Banff School reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate any of the policies, and/or procedures described, at any time, without notice to parents and students.

The Banff School

13726 Cutten Road

Houston, Texas 77069

281-444-9326

www.banffschool.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Academic Probation

Accidents & Emergencies

Accommodations

Allergies

Arrivals

Attendance

Authorized Pick-Ups

Bullying

Calculators

Carpool

Cell Phones

Class Ranking (Upper School)

Communicable Disease Policy

Commencement Exercises

Community Service Requirement (Upper School)

Course Enrollment (Upper School)

Delinquent Account Policy

Disciplinary Probation

Discipline

Dismissals

Drug Testing Policy

Earbuds/Headphones

Early Departures

Early Graduation

Expulsion

Extra Credit

Fees

Field Trips

Fine Arts Course Requirement

Food

Grading Periods

Grading Scales

Hallways

Homework

Honor Code

Honor Code Violations

Honor Roll

Honors & Dual Credit Courses (Upper School)

Hours

Houses

Illness

Immunizations and Screening

In-School Suspension (ISS)

International Thespian Society

Kitchen

Library

Late Arrival/Early Release Privilege

Lice

Lockers

Lunchtime

Make-Up Work/Tests

Medical Leave of Absence

Medications

National Honor Society / National Junior Honor Society

Network Acceptable Use

New Student Probation

Online Billing Payments

Parent Code of Conduct

Personal Technology

Physical Fitness

Potty Training

Preschool Behavior

Progress Reports

Problem Solving

Promotion

Report cards

School Closures

Smartwatches

Social Networks

Sports Eligibility

Student Council

Summer School & Online Courses (Upper School)

Supplies

Suspension

Tardies

Tax Documentation

Technology

Testing

Texas Education Agency Scholarship (Upper School)

Textbooks

Uniform & Dress Code

Visitors

Valuables

Introduction

This Handbook was prepared to introduce students and their family to the school’s operational procedures, guidelines and rules.

The Banff School is accredited through Cognia.

The administrators, teachers and students who make up the Banff community come from a broad spectrum of differing cultural, social and religious backgrounds. With this diversity as a foundation of the school, Banff’s official policy of no discrimination on the basis of color, physical handicap, national origin, race, religion or sex is realized inherently as a daily reality. Respect for all people is a basic tenet of everyday life as well as a key component of the philosophy of Banff.

MISSION STATEMENT

To educate the “whole child” by providing a safe, nurturing and academically challenging environment for each student to realize their fullest potential.

PHILOSOPHY & OBJECTIVES

The Banff School distinguishes itself by devotion to academic excellence, emphasis on positive values, and commitment to increasing students’ self-esteem. Education and the application of knowledge coupled with positive values enrich the quality of life for all people. Banff students demonstrate these values during the Banff school day, in activities in the local community, and as they travel and work throughout the world. Teachers and staff strive to exhibit exemplary conduct, through words and actions, which students will emulate as a model of constructive behavior.

The school’s objectives are:

• Spark and nurture a thirst for knowledge;
• Develop individual talents, self-esteem and academic confidence to the utmost;
• Provide a foundation for the academic “fast track” and develop a winning attitude;
• Develop a sense of the potential for fulfillment and happiness in life;
• Encourage open minds and understanding hearts;
• Emphasize positive values;
• Develop social skills, good citizenship, cooperation, appreciation for the role of discipline, and individual responsibility;
• Inculcate an exemplary code of conduct, which, if universally adopted, will result in a better, kinder, healthier, happier world.

Realizing these objectives, during the Upper School years when the demands on students, teachers and parents are continually changing, is an ambitious goal.  Physical, social and educational developments accompanying these dynamic and transitory years present a genuine challenge that the Banff community accepts, endorses, and understands. The Banff curriculum is designed to meet these challenges and stimulate students with sound and rigorous instruction in all fundamental academic areas while concurrently promoting growth.  Although the school workload is somewhat heavier than at elementary levels, students are required to complete all assignments.  Regular school attendance and appropriate behavior are mandatory.  

Communication between parents and teachers is crucial to a student’s ability to perform at school.  Since both parents and teachers have the welfare of the student foremost in their minds, it is imperative upon both parties to trust each other.  Students need the security of knowing that their days will be somewhat predictable, and teachers need to be able to understand behavior that varies from the norm.  Communication needs to go both ways.  A few examples of items that are helpful for teachers to know are: when parents are traveling and there is a sitter at home; when illnesses and death in the family are experienced; when a parent is changing jobs; if a transfer of schools is being considered for the student; if a health issue for the student is serious, etc.  Demonstrations of insecurity and inability to concentrate can be successfully coped with in the classroom when there is understanding among the adults involved.  Banff teachers and administrators strive to give each student a professional and personal relationship that fosters growth and excellence.  With constructive parent involvement this goal is realized.  

The Banff Administrative Staff for the 2024-2025 school year consists of:

Heidi Swan, Head of School

Marissa Binyon, Admissions Director

Dana Sauls, Lower School Director

Josh Harbour, Upper School Director

Laila Harbour, Communications Director & Business Office

The list of support staff and teachers for a particular academic year is available on our website.

The school is divided into two divisions:

Lower School: PreSchool, Kindergarten and 1st through 5th grade classes

Upper School: 6th through 12th grade classes

Academic Probation

Students placed on Academic Probation for violating the Honor Code will remain on Academic Probation for the remainder of the nine-week grading period. Any additional violations of the Honor Code while on Academic Probation, will result in an in-school suspension. If violations still continue after this, the student may be suspended or expelled. Parents will be notified in writing if a student is placed on Academic Probation. Students may also lose their eligibility to remain a member of the National Honor Society, if applicable.

Accidents & Emergencies

Emergency Contact numbers must be filled in on the student Application Form (these can be updated by the parent in their Alma Parent Portal). This information is for the health and safety of the student in the event of any accident. Many teachers have CPR training, and all teachers promptly treat minor accidents occurring during class. In case of emergency, the school will try to reach a parent by phone. If neither parent can be reached, the student’s doctor will be called. All injuries and accidents on campus will have an “Accident Report” completed by the teacher or staff member present in the student’s Alma account.

Accommodations

The Banff School provides a college-preparatory education and strives to make this curriculum equitably provided to all of its students. It is The Banff School’s policy to provide accommodations for a student’s minor needs in circumstances in which the administration determines, at its sole discretion, that doing so is within the reasonable ability of the school and/or its staff and will not result in an unacceptable impairment to the rights of other students (or employees) or a fundamental change to our educational environment or mission. We also ask parents to realize that, given the size of our school and the available resources, we may not be able to provide all requested accommodations. To the extent we agree to provide accommodations, we may require a sharing of financial responsibility for the accommodation.

The school will provide reasonable accommodations in the classroom for students with learning disabilities and will work with parents to determine how this may best be accomplished. However, The Banff School is not equipped to serve those students who require formal academic, emotional, or psychological assessment and/or diagnosis, or to serve students with significant learning, intellectual, or physical disabilities. Additionally, The Banff School does not allow support specialists, tutors, therapists or other educational support providers, that are not employees of The Banff School, on campus to work with students. Any visits with these support providers must occur outside of school hours and off campus. This policy does not apply to infrequent classroom observations, which are allowed, but must be scheduled in advance with the director of the student’s division.

• Accommodations will not be provided to a student who has not received an official diagnosis of a learning disability from a medical professional.
• Diagnostic documentation and recommended classroom accommodations are reviewed at the time of new student enrollment or at the beginning of each school year. Documentation must remain current and updated every three years.
• The Banff School may not be able to provide all accommodations recommended for a student. The administration will consider the impact on the classroom and available resources of the school in determining what accommodations are considered reasonable to implement for that student.
• In alignment with the school’s mission and its college preparatory curriculum, The Banff School will not approve accommodations for a student that change the content and/or learning objectives, nor altering the school’s graduation requirements as stated in the published degree plan. All students must meet the learning objectives of a course to receive credit for that course.
• Modifications of curriculum are not allowed.
• The Banff School does not provide educational testing services for the purposes of diagnosing a learning disability.

If a student without an Educational Support Plan is suspected by teachers or parents of having a learning disability based on academic difficulties the student is experiencing, the division director will consult with the teachers and the parents to discuss the nature of the difficulty and the ways the teachers and parents are currently addressing the difficulty. The division director may recommend further action on the part of the parents and/or teachers within the context of standard teaching or tutoring practices.

If it is determined that the combination of standard practices of good teaching and tutoring support is insufficient to address the learning difficulties of the student, it is the parents’ responsibility to consult with an outside medical professional to obtain an official diagnosis and recommended accommodations:

• Educational testing is available free of charge through local school districts.
• If parents prefer to use a private provider for educational testing, The Banff School can provide information on local providers that other Banff families have used.

Once an outside evaluation and/or testing have been conducted, parents are to share the results with the Division Director to determine which, if any, accommodations will be able to be reasonably provided for the student in the classroom. The Division Director will draft an Educational Support Plan for the student detailing the approved accommodations and meet with the parents to review and sign the formal plan for the student. The Division Director will also communicate the details of the formal plan with the student’s teachers (who will also sign the plan), and the available accommodations will begin being applied in the classroom. The Division Director and teachers will continue to monitor the student’s progress and will communicate with one another regarding the frequency of use of the allowed accommodations and their efficacy.

Accommodations available to a student will be reviewed for efficacy and necessity at the beginning of each school year or at the time that new testing/diagnostic results become available. All information about a student’s medical, emotional, and/or psychological condition (including learning disabilities) is confidential. Information about a student’s diagnosis of a learning disability will only be shared and discussed with those teachers and administrators working directly with the student and only to the extent that this information is necessary for the effective education of the student.

Allergies

A student with severe food allergies is required to provide the school with the appropriate medicine to treat a reaction. The Banff School employees cannot be held responsible for any complications resulting from an allergic reaction

The Banff School will attempt to assist with food allergies. However, students must be able to be mainstreamed in a normal classroom. The Banff School cannot be held responsible for the contents of student lunches.

Any student enrolled who has a severe food allergy will be required to meet with his or her parents and a member of the administration to discuss what the school can do to accommodate the student and what expectations or requirements the school has for the parents. A specific form will be provided that is signed by the parents to indicate that they understand the risks and they acknowledge that the school has not assumed a duty to protect the student from all exposure to the particular food allergen. A copy of this form will be provided to each of the student’s teachers.

Common action items include:

• The ineligibility to purchase from the outside lunch program.
• Parents provide all meals/snacks and special “treats” for special celebrations.
• Parents or a designee must attend all off campus travel at school sponsored activities.

Arrivals

Carpool begins at 8:00 a.m. Students who arrive before 8:00 a.m., and are not part of the extended day program, will be charged $15.00 for supervised care prior to the start of the school day. Charges for early drop-offs will be added to the student’s next monthly tuition payment through the school's online billing system.

Once students have arrived on campus, they are not allowed to leave campus again until dismissal time. This includes students dropped off during morning extended care hours who wish to leave to get breakfast. Additionally, students who drive may not leave campus unless their class schedule has ended or the school receives written permission from the student’s parents.

Attendance

In order to receive credit for their classes, students may not have more than 20 absences per year (for Lower School), or 10 absences per semester (for Upper School). Absences due to sickness (accompanied by a note from a medical professional), chronic illnesses (with medical documentation), school trips, athletics/fine arts events, observance of religious holidays, funerals or up to three college visits for 11th/12th graders, will not count towards these limits.

Authorized Pick-Ups

During the enrollment process, parents have a chance to list “Authorized Pick-Ups” for the student. These are individuals, 18 years of age or older, who are authorized to pick-up the student from school. If a parent needs to designate additional individuals to be added to the “Authorized Pick-Up” list, they may do so at any time by logging into their Alma portal account. It is the parents’ responsibility to update changes to the student’s “Authorized Pick-Up” list in their Alma Parent Portal.

Students in 6th-12th grades are allowed to ride home after school hours with students or other individuals who are not on the “Authorized Pick-Up” list unless the front office is notified in writing to the contrary. Students can only be picked up during school hours by an individual on the “Authorized Pick-Up” list.

Bullying

Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behavior that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening. Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time (for example, through sharing of digital records). Bullying of any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders.

The Banff School has zero-tolerance for bullying of any kind. Disciplinary actions for violations of the bullying policy shall balance the need for accountability with the need to teach appropriate behavior. The severity of the disciplinary action shall be aligned to the severity of the bullying behavior. The range of disciplinary actions that may be taken against a student for bullying, cyberbullying or retaliation shall include, but not be limited to:  

• Administrative conference and warnings
• Parent/Guardian notification and conference
• Detention
• In‐school suspension
• School suspension
• Police contact
• Expulsion

Calculators

Teachers will specify calculators for use in class. If these items are misused, they will be confiscated and held in the front office until a parent or guardian retrieves them.

Carpool

Parents must utilize the carpool line for picking up their students. When parents do not use the carpool line and instead park their cars (having their students come to them or the parent walks to the carpool line to get their student), a dangerous safety situation is created with students and parents walking through a moving carpool line. Additionally, parents who park their cars may inadvertently block traffic for those parents utilizing the carpool line.

Cell phone use is prohibited while in the carpool line. All drivers must maintain a slow speed on the entire campus at all times. Parents must ensure their car is in the “Park” position for loading/unloading. Students may only exit the car on the right side. To facilitate a speedy carpool process for all involved, make sure your student is ready to exit the car prior to arriving at the unloading zone.

Cell Phones

Student cell phones may be brought to school, but must stay in the student’s backpack or locker at all times and have their ringers/sounds silenced. Cell phones will be confiscated if out and/or being used during school hours for any reason. After the first offense, additional confiscations will incur a $25 fee to be paid prior to the release of the cell phone. Only a parent or guardian is allowed to retrieve a confiscated cell phone from the front office. In addition to having their cell phone confiscated, any student caught taking a cell phone into a locker/dressing room area or restroom will have additional Level III disciplinary consequences instituted. If photos or videos were taken while in the locker/dressing room or restroom, disciplinary consequences will increase to a Level IV offense.

If students must contact a parent or guardian during school hours, they are not allowed to use their cell phone and must visit the front office where phones are available for emergencies.

Class Ranking (Upper School)

All high school-level courses taken after the completion of 8th grade are averaged in the students’ overall high school GPA. High school credit courses taken during the 7th and 8th grade years are not averaged into the students’ GPA with the exceptions of Geometry, Biology and Foreign Language Level 3 or higher. Rank is determined by the students’ cumulative high school GPA. Transfer students from an accredited high school with numeric grades 70-100 will be awarded grade points on the basis of the numeric grade from the sending school based on The Banff School’s current grading scale and grade point values. For numeric grades below 70 that were considered passing by the sending school, the lowest Banff grade points will be awarded.

The cumulative GPA is weighted with an additional grade point awarded to honors, Advanced Placement and dual credit classes.

Grade Points:

H/AP/DC                     On Level                Below Level (modified curriculum)

A=7                        A=6                        A=5

B=6                        B=5                        B=4

C=5                        C=4                        C=3        

D=4                        D=3                        D=2

F=0                        F=0                        F=0

Estimated class rankings are determined at the end of the junior year and the first semester of the senior year for college admissions purposes only. A student must have earned grade point values in a minimum of 38 semester courses by the end of the junior year in order to be included in the 12th grade class ranking. The top ranking student as determined at the end of the senior year is also eligible for a TEA scholarship. No valedictorian or salutatorian will be recognized at graduation, but it is the tradition of the school to have the top-ranking senior deliver the senior address.

The TEA scholarship will be awarded to the student who:

1. Has the highest GPA of the 12th grade class of graduating seniors
2. Has fulfilled the requirements for a Recommended or Distinguished diploma
3. Has been a student at The Banff School for at least 11th and 12th grade
4. Whose speech and actions indicate a good moral standing.

The Banff School provides a numerical rank for the top 10% of the class and a quartile rank for all other students. Quartiles are determined by grade average as follows:

• 1st Quartile: Grade Average of 90.000-100.0
• 2nd Quartile: Grade Average of 85.000-89.999
• 3rd Quartile: Grade Average of 80.000-84.999        
• 4th Quartile: Grade Average of 79.999 & below

Communicable Disease Policy

If a student, teacher, or staff member contracts a contagious disease, the school must be notified so parties in the Banff community may be made aware. In the event of a communicable disease diagnosis, Banff endeavors to follow the most current recommendations of the United States Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Exclusion from school activities may be necessary. If this is the case, exclusion will continue until a doctor’s written release certificate is presented to the school office.

Commencement Exercises

Participation in commencement exercises is based on successfully meeting graduation requirements

(see the “Degree Plan” on the school’s website for specific requirements for graduation). These requirements

include a minimum of 20 hours per year (minimum 80) of community service.

Community Service Requirement (Upper School)

To instill a sense of social responsibility and an understanding of the world around them, all high school students must complete a minimum of 80 hours of community service for a Recommended Diploma and 100 hours of community service for a Distinguished Diploma (more information on the different diploma plans available can be found on the school’s website). Students are encouraged to seek out opportunities that align with their interests and passions. All community service hours applied to this graduation requirement must be completed with a registered nonprofit organization.

Course Enrollment (Upper School)

A student may not add a class to his/her schedule after the 10th day of an academic semester. A student may not drop a class from his/her schedule after the end of the first 3-week grading period of an academic semester. The transcript of a student who withdraws from a class after this point will show a WD for the class for the semester in which the withdrawal is made. The course will count as one attempted with no credit or grade points allowed. This course will be calculated in the grade point average and affect class rank.

Delinquent Account Policy

An account is considered delinquent when an approved payment plan is not in place, not followed and/or an account is 15 days past due. The following guidelines and procedures are implemented for all delinquent accounts: 

• Students are ineligible to participate in any activities outside of attending classes (including after-school classes or extracurricular sports) until the past due balance is paid.
• The student/parent portal account will be disabled until the past due balance is paid.
• Records will be sealed until the past due balance is paid.
• Eligibility for continued enrollment will be determined by the administrative team.

If a student's account is 30 days or more past due, the student will not be allowed to attend classes until the past due balance is paid.

Students whose billing accounts are continuously delinquent will not have enrollment offered for future school years unless tuition is paid in full prior to the student attending classes.

Disciplinary Probation

A student placed on disciplinary probation may lose the privilege of enrollment at The Banff School. Students on disciplinary probation forfeit any class office or official position held in any school-related organization. A student placed on probation may not represent the school in any contest, public program or Experiential Education Trip. Financial responsibility remains with the family for any charges that have already been incurred for contest fees or reserved travel. Parents will be notified in writing and, depending on the situation, a parent conference may be required. Further disciplinary actions while a student is on disciplinary probation can result in suspension, the elimination of an offer of re-enrollment for the next school year and/or dismissal from The Banff School. Disciplinary Probation can be assigned for the remainder of a grading period, semester or for the remainder of the school year. Students who were previously on Disciplinary Probation that expired at the end of a stated period that are put on Disciplinary Probation again in the same academic school year, will face immediate dismissal from the school if further disciplinary actions become necessary while on probation.

Discipline

The Banff School believes in a set of basic rules of conduct for all students, staff and visitors to campus:

• Treat others with respect and strive to earn their respect. This includes following teachers’ directions at all times. Kindness, honesty, and concern benefit us all and serve as a positive example for others to follow.
• When angry, attempt to understand.  If still angry, attempt to make the situation better. Words are either weapons or tools. Think before speaking. Fighting with words or objects is not allowed.  Discuss differences and listen to the other person. If necessary, walk away to avoid a fight.
• Accept responsibilities for actions. Admit mistakes and make amends. Forgive and understand.  People all make mistakes. Mistakes are learning opportunities for growth not occasions for punishment and belittlement.
• Cooperate to enhance learning opportunities and the academic environment.
• Threats of any kind to another student, teacher or staff member are prohibited. Lying, cheating, and stealing are serious offenses. They are not accepted. The entire Banff community loses if these actions occur.

Disciplinary Guidelines

Disciplinary actions are based on careful assessment of the circumstances in each case.  The factors used in this evaluation are the seriousness of the offense, the age of the student, the frequency of misconduct, the student’s attitude, and the potential effect of the misconduct upon the community.

Policies and procedures concerning school conduct apply to all students (1) on school property during and after school hours including all school sponsored events, and (2) off campus when the student is representing Banff School as part of a planned activity.  If a student does not follow the school’s disciplinary guidelines, the first step in the discipline process rests with the teacher. When at all possible, the teacher should attempt to redirect and/or correct the inappropriate behavior in the moment. If the behavior persists or is of a more serious nature, an Incident Report must be completed. In these circumstances, the administration will then decide the correct course of action.

While The Banff School expects its students to behave appropriately and abide by the same discipline guidelines when at home in the evenings or on the weekend, school personnel cannot institute disciplinary consequences for any action taken by a Banff student off-campus (with the exception of actions taken by a student on a field trip or other school sponsored event that is off-campus). The Banff School will notify any parents involved of the circumstances, if requested, but it is the sole responsibility of the parents of the students involved to handle any disciplinary consequences.

Inappropriate student behaviors that are detrimental to the Banff educational process and can incur a range of consequences. The behaviors listed below are only representative of the most frequent types of disruptions. They are not intended to be inclusive. Acts of misconduct that are not listed are subject to the discretionary authority of The Banff School.

Level I – Offenses
These acts of misconduct include those student misbehaviors that interfere with the orderly educational process. These include but are not limited to:

• Being tardy to class;
• Running and/or making excessive noise in the halls, buildings, classrooms;
• Horseplay;
• Failure to follow classroom rules or participate in classroom activities;
• Eating or drinking in an undesignated area;
• Lunchroom misconduct (misuse of food, interfering with other students eating, inappropriate manners);
• Chewing gum;
• Possessing and/or using nuisance items;
• Failing to bring required materials and/or assigned work to class;
• Violation of dress code;
• Cell phone visible during school hours;
• Bringing non-approved technology devices to campus;
• Using another student’s technology device or allowing another student to use their own device;
• Utilizing technology devices for something other than school-related activities.

Disciplinary Options that may be used (one or more):

• In-class disciplinary action (verbal reprimand, isolation, etc.);
• Behavior contract (Lower School), Signing Discipline Log (Upper School);
• Confiscation of items that are then held for parent to pick up;
• Withdrawal of privileges;
• Parent notification;
• Incident Report added to student files;
• Detention (lunch or after-school);
• Supervised campus service assignment.

Level II – Offenses

These acts of misconduct include student infractions that are somewhat more serious than the possibilities addressed in Level I:

• Repeated Level I offenses;
• Refusal to comply with classroom rules or requests of school staff;
• Profane, obscene or offensive language, gestures or acts towards other students;
• Violating the Honor Code;
• Harassment, to include physical, oral, or written acts to taunt, intimidate, put down, or ridicule;
• Violating rules and regulations during field trips;
• Defacing school property, including lockers;
• Engaging in acts of familiarity;
• Unwanted touching of others;
• Horseplay that results in injury to another student;
• Capturing still, audio or video images of a student or staff member without their consent;
• Using another student’s technology password/s to access files, content or for any other reason;
• Attempting to bypass supervision/management of technology devices;
• Using VPNs or Proxy Servers while on the school’s network;
• Connecting a non-approved technology device to school networks;
• Viewing offensive or inappropriate content on technology devices.

Disciplinary Options that may be used (one or more):

• All options from Level I Offenses;
• Parent conference;
• Grade penalty/loss of exam exemptions;
• Exclusion from extracurricular activities;
• Student placed on Disciplinary Probation;
• Restoration and/or restitution;
• In-School Suspension

Level III – Offenses

These acts of misconduct SERIOUSLY disrupt the orderly educational process at Banff. This list is not exclusive of unspecified behaviors:

• Repeated Level II offenses;
• Profane, obscene or offensive language, gestures or acts towards school personnel;
• Disrespecting school personnel;
• Leaving the school grounds without permission;
• Failing to report to a teacher or administrator the knowledge of an event, device, object or substance that could cause harm to person or persons;
• Verbal threats (oral or in writing) of damage to property;
• Vaping (of any type), smoking, using or possessing tobacco products, smokeless cigarettes, e-cigarettes, any component or accessory for a nicotine delivery device or any substance for consumption containing nicotine, matches or lighters;
• Altering school documents or forging another person’s signature;
• Possession and/or discharging of fireworks on school property;
• Stealing;
• Possessing, and/or distributing prescription medicines, chemicals or substances.

Disciplinary Options that may be used (one or more):

• All options from Level II Offenses;
• Suspension 1-3 days;
• Expulsion.

Level IV - Offenses

Level IV acts of misconduct are not only student behavior that seriously disrupts the orderly educational process; they may be grounds for civil and criminal charges:

• Repeated Level III offenses;
• Verbal threats (oral or in writing) of bodily harm;
• Arson;
• Possession of alcohol or a controlled substance while on school grounds;
• Presence at school under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance;
• Attempting to sell, give or deliver to another alcohol or controlled substance on school grounds;
• Fighting – defined as a physical conflict involving two or more individuals;
• Assault and/or battery on school grounds;
• Vandalism;
• Other behaviors that are illegal;
• Attempting to disrupt school technology through the use of hacking or other techniques;
• Possession of any weapon (including martial arts equipment), that may be used to injure persons or property.

Disciplinary Options that may be used (one or more):

• Restitution or restoration;
• Suspension;
• Expulsion.

Dismissals

Dismissal times are as follows:

• PreSchool, Kindergarten & 1st Grade -- 3:00pm.
• 2nd through 5th grade -- 3:15pm.
• 6th through 12th grade -- 3:30 p.m.

There is an automatic late fee assessed of $15 per hour (or part thereof) for students who are not picked up within 15 minutes of their carpool time. The Banff School closes at 6:00pm. Students not picked up by 6:00pm will incur late fees of $15.00 per quarter hour, or part thereof. Charges for late pick-ups will be added to the student’s next monthly tuition payment through the school's online billing system.

Certain school days will be designated as “Early Release” days (such as House Games or the end of each semester). These dates are listed in the Alma calendar and reminders will be communicated to families. On early release dates at the start of holiday breaks (the Friday before Thanksgiving or the end of each semester), extended care services are not offered and all students must be picked up at the designated early dismissal time.

Drug Testing Policy

If it comes to the attention of teachers and administrators that a student is under the influence of illegal drugs while on campus, that student’s parents will be informed and the school will require that the student be immediately tested at a local drug-testing facility. The results of the testing will be shared with an administrator who will maintain strict confidentiality. A positive drug test will result in immediate expulsion from school.

Earbuds/Headphones

Students are only allowed to wear earbuds, headphones or other personal listening devices when specifically permitted by a teacher. Students are not to wear the devices at any other times, regardless of whether or not they are listening to any content.

Early Departures

Any student who leaves campus outside of normal dismissal times must sign-out at the front office and leave campus through the front office door. This includes students in Upper School who have permission to depart school early due to their course schedules.

Early Graduation

Early graduation for students may occur when an “Intent to Graduate Early” form has been filed with the Upper School Director by December of the sophomore (2nd) year of high school and the graduation requirements of The Banff School are fulfilled.

Expulsion

Expelled students are prohibited from ever being on Banff property or at a Banff-sponsored event; students who violate this policy will be considered as trespassing and the appropriate authorities will be contacted.

Extra Credit

Extra credit work is at the discretion option of each teacher.

Fees

Enrollment Fee
Enrollment Fee is due annually for new and returning students. Payment of this fee and a signed Enrollment Contract with approved payment schedule is required to hold the student’s place in class. The Enrollment Fee is non-refundable.

Tuition
The Banff School is a not-for-profit Texas corporation. As such, it is dedicated to providing the best education possible in a private school environment while maintaining a quality business structure and reputation in the community. Timely tuition payment is a significant component of this picture. Tuition payment for the year is a contract between the student’s family and the school.

All tuition accounts must be paid in full by April 1st, regardless of payment schedule start date. No payments are refundable once made. Payments are to be paid through the school's online billing system by the first day of each month. If a family’s the school's online billing system account does not have a valid AutoPay payment account set, or is not able to add one, annual tuition must be paid in full. 

Early Arrivals & Late Pickups

Early Arrivals: Official arrival time is at 8:00 a.m. Students who arrive before 8:00 a.m., and are not part of the extended day program, will be charged $15.00 for supervised care prior to the start of the school day. Charges for early arrivals will be added to the student’s the school's online billing system billing account.

Late Pick-Ups: There is an automatic late fee assessed of $15 per hour (or part thereof) for students who are not picked up by 3:30pm. Charges for late pick-ups will be added to the student’s the school's online billing system billing account.

Late Pick-Ups After Closing: The Banff School closes at 6:00pm. Students not picked up by 6:00pm will incur late fees of $15.00 per quarter hour. Charges for late pick-ups will be added to the student’s next monthly tuition payment through the school's online billing system.

Late Pickups for After-School Events: Students who attend campus events that end after 6pm should be picked up by their parents in a timely manner. Any students who are picked up later than 15 minutes after the end of an evening event will be assessed $25 per quarter hour. Charges for late pick-ups will be added to the student’s the school's online billing system account.

Optional Fees

Optional fees may include, but are not limited to:

• Experiential Education Trip costs (grades 3-12)
• Competition Enrollment/Participation fees
• Advanced Placement (AP) or Dual Credit (DC) courses
• PSAT Testing
• Extracurricular Activity/Class fees
• Membership Dues for student organizations
• Sports Team fees

Returned Check Fee

A $35 fee will be assessed for any checks given to the school that are returned for insufficient funds. After receiving 2 returned checks, all future payments must be made in cash, money order or by cashier’s check.

Late Payment Fee

A $25 fee will be assessed for any balances owed that are not paid by the due date of the current billing cycle.

Field Trips

Field trips are planned for educational purposes to meet classroom objectives. These objectives might include specific curricular activities and/or celebrations of accomplishments. Field trips are a privilege with participation based on grades, behavior, attendance or combination thereof.  

Students accept full responsibility for their actions while on the trip. Students must adhere to school rules of conduct during the outing. Attendance on field trips is mandatory. If for any reason, a student cannot attend the planned field trip, they will be asked to stay home, as there is no supervisor available for only one student. For students in the Upper School, a report may be required the next class day on a topic related to the field trip.  

Information about specific field trips, cost, dress code and transportation will be sent home once confirmed. A field trip permission form is signed as part of your enrollment process. Accepting and signing this form releases The Banff School from liability and grants the students permission to participate.

All members of a school group must travel in the transportation provided by the school. No student may drive another student on any school function or outing.

Parent volunteers may be required to drive students on Lower School field trips and all students will be in car seats or seat-belts (depending on their weight per the Department of Transportation safety guidelines and rules). All parents will receive notice and a list of parent drivers prior to the field trip.

All parent driver volunteers will:

• Undergo a driver background check (results kept in confidence of administration)
• Provide proof of current insurance

The Banff School requires that if parents are driving as volunteers, they are responsible for the students put in their care. It is very important that no other children attend the field trip (such as a baby or toddler) so your full attention is devoted to the students in your care.

Fine Arts Course Requirement

all students, PreK-12th grade, are required to take a Fine Arts class each year while enrolled at The Banff School. Lower School students participate in these classes as part of their daily “Specials” period, while Upper School students have various Fine Arts classes to choose from during the afternoon “Fine Arts Elective” period.

Food

Gum is never allowed on campus. Water is allowed in the classroom, but only when contained within a bottle with lid or cap (max 32 oz). Food or beverages may not be consumed in the classrooms without prior approval.

Grading Periods

Semesters are divided into two nine-week grading periods.  The teacher will contact parents during the reporting periods if there is clear indication the student is doing unsatisfactory work. Likewise, parents should contact teachers if they have questions or information that will help a teacher work with their student.

Grading Scales

For Kindergarten students, the following marks are used for grading purposes:

M = Mastered

P = Progressing

N = Needs Improvement

For 1st through 12th grade students, the grading system is on a scale of 0 – 100. Numerical grade/letter categories are:

90 – 100              A

80 –   89              B

75 –   79              C

70 –   74              D

69 –   below         F

Hallways

Hallways are for accessing classrooms. Students should only be in the halls at the beginning and end of the school day, while moving from one class to another or when using the restroom. Loitering is not allowed. Students must be courteous at all times and running, shouting, and physical roughhousing in the halls is cause for disciplinary actions.

Homework

LOWER SCHOOL: As part of The Banff School’s commitment to “Educating the Whole Child,” we believe that after-school hours should be reserved for learning experiences and opportunities at home and through extra-curricular activities. For this reason, we do not assign traditional homework assignments on a daily basis.

Lower School students will be asked to read three times per week for at least 20 minutes. Spelling words will be given at the beginning of each week, and families will be asked to help their students prepare for the Spelling Test through different study activities. For other tests, students will complete a study guide in class and then bring home to review for the test. At-home projects will have a minimum of one week for completion.

Any work that is to be completed at home, as well as any upcoming tests, will be posted on the Alma Parent/Student Portal. Any work that is to be completed at home will never be assigned to be worked on over a weekend or holiday break.

UPPER SCHOOL: The Banff School believes that students have the right to extracurricular activities, downtime, and adequate sleep and that parents have the right to control their child’s time outside of school without being judged. As part of The Banff School’s commitment to “Educating the Whole Child,” it is the school’s goal that after-school hours should allow ample time for learning experiences and opportunities at home and through extracurricular activities. With this in mind, the following policies have been implemented for Upper School homework assignments:

• For students in 6th-8th grade, only 1 homework assignment per subject will be assigned each week.
• For students in 9th-12th grade, only 2 homework assignments per subject will be assigned each week.

• Students enrolled in a Dual Credit, AP or Honors course may have more than 2 homework assignments per week, depending on the specific course requirements.

Teachers will assign homework with a clear sense of why it is being given. The purpose of the homework assignment will be articulated to the students, including the fact that a certain task might be a challenge. Research shows that when students know why they are doing the homework, they are more engaged and inspired. Tasks will be personally relevant to students and allow for choices. Students are motivated when they have ownership in their learning.

For tests, students will complete a study guide in class and then bring home to review for the test. At-home projects will have a minimum of one week for completion.

Any work that is to be completed at home, as well as any upcoming tests, will be posted on the Alma Parent/Student Portal at least one week in advance and will never be assigned to be worked on over a weekend or holiday break.

Honor Code

The Banff School is committed to supporting the tradition of honest excellence, involvement, challenge, and respect of school property that empowers all students to be productive members of society. Through this commitment, students and faculty achieve their fullest potential in the areas of academic excellence and personal character. Violations of the honor code in the academic realm cast doubt upon the character and the honor of the student involved.

Cheating is the act of gaining or providing an unfair advantage or misrepresenting one’s knowledge. It includes, but is not limited to, wrongfully using or taking the ideas or work of another person or an AI content generator. For example:

• Receiving unauthorized aid from another source (person, print, digital, etc) on any type of assignment, graded or otherwise.
• Giving unauthorized aid or providing work to another student for the purposes of copying content on any type of assignment, graded or otherwise, whether intentional or not.

• For this reason, students are never to share their work with another student, for any reason. Both the student who copied/cheated, as well as the student who provided the source material, will receive disciplinary actions for breaking the Honor Code.

• Plagiarizing.
• Utilizing an AI utility or service to generate work that is represented as the student’s own.
• Getting unauthorized, advanced information about quizzes, tests, or examinations.

Other violations of The Banff School Code of Honor would include:

• Using or consulting unauthorized materials or using unauthorized devices on papers, quizzes, tests or examinations.
• Using any portion of an existing paper or project, which was submitted for a previous assignment, to fulfill the requirements of a new assignment, regardless of the course the assignment was originally submitted for, unless the student has received prior, explicit permission to do so.
• Intentionally misrepresenting the need for extra time on any assignments, papers, quizzes, tests or examinations, in order to gain more information.
• Choosing to be absent on the due date of a paper, project, quiz or test.
• Lying about any of the above.

Honor Code Violations

• First Violation

• The student will receive a grade of “0” (zero) for the work in question.

• Second & Third Violations

• The student will receive a grade of “0” (zero) for the work in question.
• Loss of admission eligibility or continued membership in the National Honor Society.
• For technology-assisted violations (online plagiarism, use of AI, etc.), the student will lose the privilege of laptop use for one week in the class the work in question was assigned. All work in that class will be handwritten on paper during this time.
• For Honor Code violations that were not assisted by technology, the student will be assigned 3 hours of community service to be completed on campus within two weeks. Some projects may be assigned outside of the regular classroom hours of 8:30am-3:30pm.

• Repeated violations (4 or more)

• The student will receive a grade of “0” (zero) for the work in question.
• The student will be placed in Academic Probation. Students who continue to violate the Honor Code while in Academic Probation may be suspended or expelled.

Honor Roll

Academic achievement is recognized through Distinguished Honor Roll (in Lower and Upper School) and Honor Roll (in Upper School).  Students receiving Distinguished Honor Roll have earned an A on all report card grades. Students receiving Honor Roll have earned an A or a B on all report cards.

Honors & Dual Credit Courses (Upper School)

The Banff School offers a number of honors and dual credit courses designed to challenge students. Students benefit from both the pace and breadth of these courses as well as from improved consideration from highly selective colleges interested in evidence of a rigorous course of study. Programs for earning additional high school credits may be structured on an individual basis. Students must pass the TSI test and obtain the Upper School Director’s approval before enrollment in a Dual Credit Course. Enrollment in these courses is determined after consultation with the Upper School Director.

Hours

The school buildings and grounds are open from 7:00am-6:00pm, Monday through Friday. Observing the scheduled drop off and pick up times of students is critical, as staff needs to leave promptly at 6:00pm. No Banff student may enter a Banff school building outside of the regular school day for any purpose. Supervision by a staff or faculty member is required for any variances. A student violating this rule risks dismissal from school as well as prosecution for illegal trespass.

Houses

All students are placed in a House upon enrollment, and will remain in this house until they graduate from Banff. The houses are named after four different sub-species of the mighty bear (our mascot): Atlas, Grizzly, Kodiak, and Spirit. Houses compete in a monthly “House Games” event, with points awarded to the winning house. The House with the highest point tally at the end of the year is the “House Champion” for that school year. Students can also earn additional points for their house by being awarded “Student of the Month,” completing certain tasks or as a reward for outstanding citizenship.

Illness

The Banff School defines “ill” as having symptoms that are indicative of a contagious condition. These can include:

• COVID-19, flu, bronchitis, strep, common cold or other respiratory illness: Students will be required to stay home until the student is symptom-free for 24 hours without the aid of medication.
• Fever (100 degrees or above). Students will be required to stay home until the student is fever free for a full 24 hours without fever reducing medication.
• Vomiting or diarrhea. Students will be required to stay home until the student is free of symptoms for a full 24 hours.
• Any unexplained rash or skin infection. Students will be required to stay home until a doctor’s release is submitted.
• Pink eye or other infection. Students will be required to stay home until a doctor’s release is submitted, and medication needs to be dispensed for a full 24 hours prior to returning to school.

Teachers will work with parents to make sure work does not suffer if a student’s illness is extended. Following normal absences of a day or two, it is the responsibility of the parent to contact the teacher for his/her makeup work.

Immunizations and Screening

Within the first 10 days of each school year, an official Immunization Record, obtained from the student’s physician, must be on file in the office. Immunizations must be current per the Texas Health and Human Services website. Vision and hearing screening must be performed, according to Texas State requirements, for all first-time entrants four years of age or older (by September 1st), as well as for all four-year olds (by September 1st), Kindergarten, first, third, fifth and seventh grade students.

In-School Suspension (ISS)

ISS can be assigned by an administrator as a disciplinary action. The student will be placed in a designated, supervised area, separate from their classes. The student will remain in this area for the full school day. Teachers will provide in-class assignments and all daily work or tests assigned that day may be made up for full credit. The student will not be allowed to exempt midterms/finals.

International Thespian Society

Membership Requirements

• Any student in grades 6-12 who is either enrolled in that year’s Theatre Production class or has accrued 10 or more “Thespian Points” (visit SchoolTheatre.org for ways students can earn points) is eligible for membership.
• Students who do not follow school rules will lose membership privileges.
• Members may not miss more than two meetings throughout the school year. Missing three or more meetings will result in the student’s membership being revoked.
  

Officer Positions

• Students running for an officer or representative position must maintain high standards for grades and behavior.
• Students with a grade point average lower than 3.0 or with multiple discipline referrals of a serious nature from the previous year will not be allowed to run for a position of responsibility.
• A list of students will be submitted to the Head of School for review in advance of elections.

Kitchen

Students are not allowed in the staff kitchen. Students are not allowed to store lunch items in the refrigerator and cannot use the microwave to heat their lunch items.

Library

Use of the Banff library is a privilege extended to students and faculty. Specific required procedures are:

• Books must be properly checked out.
• The library is a place for study, research, or recreational reading.  Students will be quiet.
• Reference books must be used in the library. They are non- circulating items.
• Teachers and students are to return items to the bin for the librarian to shelve.
• Proper handling of magazines and papers to avoid damage is appreciated.
• The librarian is available to help students and teachers – ask for assistance.

All library books must be returned to the library by the last day of classes.  Upper School students may not sit for exams until all materials are turned in.

Late Arrival/Early Release Privilege

The privilege of leaving school early or delaying the start of the school day on a regular basis is available only to 12th grade students whose schedules allow for this privilege.

Lice

Head lice continues to be an ongoing nuisance, especially for students in Lower School. The Banff School attends to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the treatment and eradication of head lice. We also consider community standards and impact in developing this protocol.

The goals of the school are to:

• Decrease school absenteeism.
• Support families in their efforts to control and eliminate head lice.
• Maintain student privacy.

At any time during the school year, the school administration may inspect any student for head lice. When a student is found to have either live lice or nits (no live lice):

• The parent is notified, and the student immediately sent home. They will not be allowed to attend classes, school activities or school trips.
• Other parents in the student’s class will also be notified that lice have been found on campus and prevention literature will be provided.
• Once the treatment has been completed an administrator must inspect the student’s hair prior to the student being allowed readmission to the classroom.

Lockers

Students in Upper School are assigned built-in lockers for the keeping of books, coats and other personal items. The lockers are the property of the school and subject to inspection at any time as determined necessary and appropriate. Lockers should be kept clean and organized and food may never be kept in a locker overnight. Defacing a locker with stickers, graffiti or writing is cause for disciplinary action.

Lunchtime

Students may bring their lunch or purchase lunch from the school’s hot lunch program, which is catered and ordered through an independent contractor. Students may not receive food delivery orders (i.e. DoorDash, UberEats, etc).

For students ordering lunch from the hot lunch program, the school is not responsible for this service and any questions or issues dealing with lunch orders must go through the contractor. The school will not place same-day hot lunch orders on behalf of the student – this is the responsibility of the parent and contact information is provided on the monthly lunch menu. Students may not order outside food to be delivered for lunch. Whether students bring their lunch from home or buy it, they must eat in the cafeteria or other designated areas. Students must be mannerly and courteous while eating.

• Good eating manners are required.
• Waiting in line is expected. Cutting in line is unacceptable.
• Students must walk while in the cafeteria; running is not allowed.
• Cooperation with catering personnel is expected.
• Courtesy is standard behavior.
• Throwing of food or drink will result in disciplinary action.
• After eating, students are responsible for cleaning their area when directed by a teacher.
• Students place all trash in the garbage containers.
• Student food items are not allowed to be stored in the staff kitchen.
• Student food items may not be heated in the microwave in the staff kitchen.
• Student lunches must be sent with the student to school in the morning or purchased through the hot lunch program. Students are not allowed to receive food delivery orders (i.e. DoorDash, UberEats, etc).
• Students may use the vending machines before school, during lunch, R&R (for Upper School) and after school only.

Make-Up Work/Tests

If absent from school, students will be given the opportunity to make up missed work or tests, equal to the number of days the student was absent.

Medical Leave of Absence

Students requiring an extended leave of absence for medical reasons (two consecutive weeks or longer) will be required to provide documentation from a medical professional stating the reason and estimated timeframe for the medical leave of absence. Students will be allowed to complete assignments from home that ensure mastery of the curriculum missed while absent. Assignments completed at home are required to be turned in using the same due dates and late work policies as those students studying on campus. Additionally, students on a medical leave of absence will still be bound to the same policies and rules as those students studying on campus.

Medications

Teachers are prohibited from administering any type of medication.

Students who require prescription medications during the school day must submit a “Prescription Medication Authorization” form, which can be found on the school’s website.

• All prescription medications must be in their original container. The container must state the patient’s name, the name of the medication, the dose to be administered, and the name of the prescribing physician
• Medications prescribed or requested to be given three times a day or less will not be given at school unless the physician prescribes a specific time that falls during school hours.

Parents who wish to have over-the-counter (OTC) medication available for their student to take as needed, must submit an “Over the Counter Medication Authorization” form, which can be found on the school’s website.

• The OTC medication must be given to the school in a new, unwrapped, sealed original container. The container/package must be labeled with the child’s name. Dosage amounts will be determined by manufacturer’s recommendations based on the child’s weight, unless otherwise noted by the parent. Banff staff may not “borrow” medicine from someone else’s supply for your student at any time.

The Banff School will not administer herbal medications, home remedies, or dietary supplements unless accompanied by a doctor’s note. Such medications must also come to school in labeled, original containers.

A student with asthma is required to have a backup inhaler provided to the school’s front office.

No school employee may be held responsible if the child does not receive his scheduled dose of medicine or if the child takes an overdose of medicine. If the daily dose of medicine is lost, stolen, spilled, or if the child refuses to take it or spits it out, a reasonable attempt shall be made to reach the parents. If the parents cannot be reached, the school personnel shall not be held responsible. These particular situations shall be documented and signed by the staff member involved.

All medication and medical equipment is kept in the school office and must be picked up by the parent / legal guardian before the last day of the school year. All remaining medications will be discarded after this date.

National Honor Society / National Junior Honor Society

Membership Requirements

• Eligible students must have a 3.0 GPA, which is an overall B (85) average.  The only grades considered in the calculation of honor roll GPA are math, science, social studies, English/language arts and, for 6th-12th grade, foreign language. However, grades are not the only requirement for admission.  
• Leadership, character and community service are considered as well by the committee that makes a decision by majority vote.
• Students may apply for membership after they have completed one semester at Banff.
• Students who do not follow school rules will lose membership privileges.
• Members inducted into the NJHS will automatically be awarded membership in the NHS, as long as they uphold the standards of membership.
• 9th graders cannot be inducted into the NHS. They may participate in Banff Honor Society in 9th grade under the same admission and conduct standards as NHS and be automatically admitted to NHS in 10th grade if they uphold the requirements.  

Officer Positions

• Students running for an officer or representative position must maintain high standards for grades and behavior.
• Students with multiple discipline referrals of a serious nature will not be allowed to run for a position of responsibility.
• A list of students will be submitted to the Head of School for review in advance of elections.
• One student will not serve as president of both the Student Council and National Honor Society, due to the amount of work required in leading both organizations.

Network Acceptable Use

All students must abide by the policies and procedures set forth in the Student Technology Acceptable Use Policy, which must be digitally signed by the parent/student each year. While on the school’s network, students are never allowed to run Virtual Private Networks (VPN) or utilize Proxy servers for any reason. Use of these or similar services are cause for immediate loss of network/technology privileges.

New Student Probation

All new students begin their time at The Banff School on a probationary basis through the first report card. Students must perform at or above established academic and disciplinary standards in order to continue enrollment at The Banff School.

Online Billing Payments

All accounts, including tuition payments and charges for late pickup days will be paid through the school’s online billing system. Accounts can be paid via credit card (processing fee applies) or electronic check (no fee).

Parent Code of Conduct

The purpose of the Parent Code of Conduct is to provide a mutual understanding to all parents and visitors to our school about conduct expectations while on school property, at school events and when interacting with Banff staff and/or students. A positive and constructive relationship between the school and the student’s parents is essential to the mission of the school and the school’s responsibility to its students.

Parents agree that they will:

• Be responsive to teacher and administration communication and expectations.
• Be responsible for getting students to school on time (8:30 am).
• Provide time and space for the completion of homework as needed.
• Be familiar with the Parent Code of Conduct and abide by it at all times.
• Support the school with financial contributions and volunteer time to the best of their ability.

We expect parents/guardians and visitors to have a fundamental understanding and commitment to the following general propositions:

• Teachers, administrators and parents want all children to learn in a safe environment.
• Teachers, administrators and parents must work together for the benefit of all students.
• All parents and visitors, as well as members of the school community, deserve to be treated with respect.
• The school should be provided an opportunity to resolve issues of concern before public criticism.

When On Campus

Parents are required to:

• comply with all safety policies and procedures;
• only enter a classroom or attend a school event, such as a field trip, with permission from a staff member;
• listen respectfully when attending any kind of school assembly, activity, presentation, class event, or public meeting;
• treat others with courtesy and respect.

Parents must not:

• use verbal or physical violence of any kind at any time.
• use language that could be deemed as offensive or inappropriate
• interrupt or disrupt a teacher while classroom instructions or learning activities are taking place.
• bully or harass other people.
• take a photo or video recording of a child if that child is not their own child, unless the parent of the child is present at the time and consents to the photo or video recording being taken.
• be present on campus while intoxicated or under the influence of illicit drugs.

When Communicating/Meeting with Staff

Twice each year, the school conducts Parent/Teacher Conferences at which the student’s progress can be discussed. There may be other times when a parent or staff member requests a meeting to discuss particular issues that may arise during the course of a student’s schooling. If a parent wishes to meet with a staff member, they should make an appointment so that a mutually convenient time can be arranged (dropping in without a prior appointment is not allowed). Parents should avoid contacting staff members at home or outside of school hours, as staff members are not obligated to respond to contact by parents (emails, text messages, phone calls etc.) outside of school hours.

Parents are required to:

• Treat staff with courtesy and respect at all times.
• Ensure that all communication is conducted in a courteous and acceptable manner.
• Raise all concerns using the correct procedure (listed below under “Complaints or Concerns”), channels and personnel.
• Use constructive feedback rather than negative.
• Respect the privacy of staff.

Parents must not:

• Approach a member of staff in a confrontational manner or act in a violent, aggressive or threatening manner.
• Use verbal or physical violence of any kind at any time.
• Raise their voice when speaking to staff.
• Speak to staff in a derogatory or offensive manner.
• Intimidate, undermine, threaten, bully or harass staff.

Complaints or Concerns

If parents have a complaint or need to address an issue concerning their student, they should follow this procedure:

1. Schedule a conference with the teacher or staff member involved to address the issue.
2. If the issue has not been resolved after meeting with the teacher or staff member involved, then a conference may be scheduled with an administrator.

Parents must not:

• use rude or abusive language in addressing an issue.
• harass staff, parents, students or any other member of the school community.
• reveal confidential information relating to the school, staff members, contractors, volunteers, other parents, and students.
• post a photo or video recording of a child who is not their own on social media without obtaining prior consent from that child’s parent.
• post on social media defamatory, offensive or inappropriate material.

Student Disciplinary Action

• The school expects students to comply with its rules and not engage in behavior which is harmful to others or contrary to the student handbook. Parents are expected to support the school in relation to its discipline policy and not do anything which undermines its authority.
• It must be understood that in the case of disciplinary matters, the school will be the arbiter of what took place and what is a fair punishment. School administrators will not engage in debate with parents about the details of the conduct or the appropriateness of the punishment. Additionally, administrators are never allowed to discuss another student’s disciplinary action or consequences.

Violations of the Parent Code of Conduct

Violation of the Parent Code of Conduct will result in the student being expelled (without the possibility of future re-enrollment) and/or the parent or family member involved being banned from campus or participating in school activities and events.

Personal Technology

Other than required classroom technology devices in the Upper School (MacBooks for 6th-12th grade), no other personal technology devices are allowed on campus at any time. This includes personal gaming devices, e-readers, etc.

Physical Fitness

Physical education during the school day is stipulated by the State of Texas.  This requirement is met by various activities such as playground play, outdoor activities, etc. for Preschool to Kindergarten students and by daily PE classes for Lower and Upper School students.  

Potty Training

All Banff School students, regardless of age, are expected to be fully potty-trained. Fully potty-trained means students should be out of diapers/pull-ups prior to their first day of attending class. Students should be able to wipe themselves and they should not have frequent potty accidents.

Since this is a difficult transition for many students, parents should always have a complete change of clothes inside of a sealable plastic bag in the student’s backpack at all times. In the event of a potty accident, teachers will put the student into the dry change of clothes and put soiled clothes into the plastic bag. Parents will be notified of the accident and teachers will work with the student and parents to develop a plan to prevent future potty accidents. After three accidents, students will not be able to continue enrollment until they are fully potty trained.

Preschool Behavior

Teachers will use praise and encouragement of good behavior instead of focusing only upon unacceptable behavior; reminding a child of behavior expectations daily by using clear, positive statements; redirecting behavior using positive statements; and using brief supervised separation time out from the group, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child’s age. At no time will a child be physically punished, threatened or intimidated.

Discipline will be individualized and consistent for each child, appropriate to the child’s level of understanding and directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control. For children with persistent or challenging behavior teachers, families and administrators will work as a team to develop and implement an individualized plan that supports the child’s inclusion and success.

Progress Reports

1st-12th grade students receive a progress report every 3 weeks. Progress Reports will be available on the Alma Parent Portal.

Problem Solving

The Banff School seeks to prevent behavioral issues with students through positive reinforcement and setting clear expectations. It is our goal to acknowledge and reinforce desired behaviors. Discipline is viewed as a teaching moment and teachers are responsible for helping students understand why a behavior is inappropriate, what the appropriate behavior is, and how it can be accomplished. Our teachers and staff use positive guidance to respond to behavior challenges.

Most discipline issues are remedied in the classroom by the teacher. Discipline issues will only escalate to involving the administration if the student’s behaviors do not improve.

When there is a discipline incident at school that involves two or more students, please know that the safety and privacy of all of our students is our priority. Because of this, specific student names will not be used or given. However, know that our school administration is working with all families involved to resolve the issue with appropriate consequences given.

Promotion

Promotion for all classes shall be based upon accomplishing the required essential curriculum elements as well as considerations of social, developmental and emotional growth. Students in 1st-12th grade must earn a final average of 70 or above in each subject to be promoted.

Failure in a subject will require one of the following:

• Lower School: the student will be required to repeat the grade-level the following year.
• Upper School: the student will be required to repeat the failed subject the following year or take a Summer School/online course for recovery credit.

With the publication of the third report card, the parents of students who are failing will be notified in writing of the potential for their student not to pass. At this time a conference will be held to explore options with the parent and the administrator or counselor.

Report cards

Preschool and Kindergarten students receive a report card at the end of each semester, while 1st-12th grade students receive a report card every nine weeks. Report Cards will be available on the Alma Parent Portal.

School Closures

In case of inclement weather such as hurricanes, flooding, or icy streets, never attempt to reach Banff in dangerous weather conditions.The Banff School will announce a school closure or delayed start via the following communication methods:

• The Banff School website
• Alma Parent Portal
• The Banff School Social Media accounts
• The Banff School’s “Parent Alert” system, which will text your cell phone (parents must “opt in” to receive text messages in their Alma Parent Portal account).
• A school-wide e-mail

Smartwatches

Students may wear smartwatches, but these are to be used for time-telling purposes only. Students who use a smartwatch for communicating, accessing the Internet or other activities will have the smartwatch confiscated. Only a parent or guardian is allowed to retrieve a confiscated smartwatch from the front office.

Social Networks

Although many students believe that personal information they share on social networking sites is not viewed by others, they need to be aware that adults do access these sites (including College Admission offices and recruiters).

School personnel may share information with parents that students post on social networking sites and may request drug or alcohol testing of students based upon comments posted.  Banff students should adhere to the following guidelines in order to avoid conduct that adversely affects the school community:

• No offensive or inappropriate pictures are posted.
• No offensive or inappropriate comments are posted.
• No violations of the Code of Conduct in the school handbook are posted.

The Banff School advises students to use extreme caution in their use of social networking websites and to remember that content they post may become more public then they intended.

Sports Eligibility

Quarterly report card grades determine the eligibility of students to play in extracurricular sport activities. A 70 is considered the lowest possible grade to meet this qualification. A Progress Report that takes a student from a failing quarterly report card grade to a passing grade will result in reinstated eligibility. There is no negative impact on sports’ eligibility based on progress reports, as these reports are mainly intended to keep students on course and inform parents of areas that need attention.

Student Council

Membership Requirements

• Students must have attended The Banff School for two semesters prior to running for an office on the Banff Student Council.
• An officer must maintain a 3.0 GPA during the period of his/her service and must have maintained a 3.0 GPA for the preceding two semesters.
• A candidate or officeholder must possess and maintain an exemplary record of good conduct both on and off campus for the previous two years. (e.g., no incidents involving the legal authorities).
• A candidate or officeholder must consistently exhibit leadership traits, as well as cultivate the same in other students.
• A candidate or officeholder must agree to learn and abide by all requirements related to the office sought or held.
• A candidate or officeholder must accept the rulings of the administration of Banff School as final and binding.
• A candidate or officeholder must obey all school rules.
• One or more violations of one or more of the aforementioned rules may constitute proper grounds for prohibiting a student from serving on the Student Council or for expelling a student from the Student Council.
• Officers are directly responsible for all student council sponsored activities. They must prepare for events and solicit help from parents and other members of the school community to ensure the events go as planned. (Events must be scheduled and planned well in advance.)
• The student council president is ultimately responsible, with the advice of designated faculty members, for all student council sponsored events.

Officer Positions

• Students running for an officer or representative position in the Student Council must maintain high standards for grades and behavior.
• A list of students will be submitted to the Head of School for review in advance of elections.
• Students with a grade point average lower than 3.0 or with multiple discipline referrals of a serious nature from the previous year will not be allowed to run for a position of responsibility.
• One student will not serve as president of both the Student Council and National Honor Society, due to the amount of work required in leading both organizations.

Summer School & Online Courses (Upper School)

Summer school classes and correspondence courses taken for credit off campus will be accepted for credit toward graduation only with the prior approval of the Upper School Director.

Supplies

Lower School students will be provided a link to purchase school supply packs, which will be shipped directly to the student’s house. School supply packs provide an initial set of supplies for classroom use. Additional supplies may be needed later in the year and these needs will be communicated to parents.

Upper School students will be provided a supply list with items that need to be purchased. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure they continue to have the needed supplies throughout the school year, replenishing as needed.

Suspension

Suspension can be assigned by an administrator as a disciplinary action and requires a parent conference with school administration. If assigned during school hours, the parent will be notified to take the student home. If the parent cannot be notified immediately, the student will be kept in a designated area until the close of the school day. The student will be removed from any office or leadership position for the remainder of the school year. Students assigned suspension may be made ineligible for any extracurricular activities. Teachers will provide in-class assignments and all daily work or tests assigned during suspension may be made up for full credit (tests will be administered upon the students return). The student will not be allowed to exempt midterms/finals.

Tardies

Classes begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. for all grade levels. Any student who is not in their classroom by 8:35 a.m. will be considered tardy. Three unexcused tardies equal one absence, which counts against the total number of absences allowed for a student to receive credit.

After three tardies, the following consequences will apply:

• Lower School parents will be contacted by the Lower School Director;
• Upper School students will be given a lunch detention for each subsequent tardy during that 9-week grading period. After three lunch detentions, a parent conference will be required.

Tax Documentation

Proof of tuition payments for tax records can be downloaded by parents directly from the online billing system.

Technology

Devices are used in the classroom for learning, enrichment, educational and assessment purposes. At no times will students simply be allowed “free time” to just play on devices. Use of technology will be planned, as part of the curriculum, and will always be teacher-led.

LOWER SCHOOL

Students in Preschool-3rd grade may use an iPad from the school’s Technology Cart in their classroom. Students will be instructed on the proper use and care of the iPads and specific classroom protocols will be in use to ensure students are always seated while using the devices. If a student causes damage to an iPad that necessitates a repair or replacement, a fee will be assessed to the student’s account using the following schedule:

• 1st and 2nd Incident: $50 repair fee
• 3rd incident: Full replacement cost of iPad ($400)

Students in 4th-5th grade will be issued a school-owned iPad for use throughout the year. This iPad will be used daily in the classroom but will remain on campus and cannot be taken home. Students will be instructed on the proper use and care of the iPads and specific classroom protocols will be in place when iPads are in use. If a student causes damage to an iPad that necessitates a repair or replacement, a fee will be assessed to the student’s account using the following schedule:

• 1st and 2nd Incident: $50 repair fee
• 3rd incident: Full replacement cost of iPad ($400)

All students in 3rd-5th grade, and those 6th-8th grade students enrolled in the STEM elective, will also be responsible for purchasing additional supplies for their STEM class.

UPPER SCHOOL

Students in 6th-12th grade are responsible for providing their own Apple MacBook, which can be purchased new from the school’s Apple Store, or a previously owned device can be used as long as it meets and/or exceeds the same specifications as the devices listed on the school’s Apple Store.

Families must agree to the school’s “Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Agreement” prior to the first day of school. This agreement gives The Banff School permission to place digital “management certificates'' on the student’s device, allowing for control and supervision of the device during school hours. Outside of school hours, the management and supervision of the student’s device is up to the parent.

Students must maintain their device in a good, working condition at all times. Any damages or repairs must be handled in a timely fashion as the device is a required component of the student’s school supplies that must be on campus each and every day.

If a student’s device must be repaired, a replacement device must be provided by the family for use until the original device is once again operable. Device repairs or replacements must happen within five school days. Repairs/replacements that take longer than 5 school days may require the family to show proof of repair delays by the company. A damaged or inoperable device is never an excuse for late or missing work.

For more information on the school’s BYOD program, please visit: www.banffschool.org/technology-requirements

Testing

Students take classroom tests on a scheduled basis so that students have no more than one test on a given day.

Upper School teachers will adhere to the following test schedule:

Tuesday: History/Science

Wednesday: English/Math

Thursday: STEM/Foreign Language

If a teacher chooses to give students the opportunity to take a test a second time, all students in the class must be offered the opportunity, and no more than half of the points missed the first time should be awarded. The exception to this policy would be if the teacher feels that the objectives were not adequately taught, and the fault was in the instruction rather than the students’ lack of preparation.

In addition to regular unit-based tests administered in each subject area, The Banff School administers the Measurements of Academic Progress (MAP) test in fall, winter and spring to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. This test provides teachers with accurate, actionable evidence to help inform instructional strategies regardless of how far students are above or below grade level. MAP measures what a student knows and how they are growing academically, allowing parents and teachers to track a student’s progress throughout the school year and across multiple years.

Unlike standardized tests that ask all students the same questions, the MAP test is adaptive and adjusts to each student’s performance - giving a more accurate measure of what they know. This test is never used to determine grade-level advancement or for teacher accountability purposes.

A copy of a student’s skills analysis showing specific areas of strengths and weaknesses, including a goal for the student to achieve by the next testing session, is made available to parents at twice yearly conferences with their student’s teacher/s.

Texas Education Agency Scholarship (Upper School)

The TEA scholarship will be awarded to the student who:

1. Has the highest GPA of the 12th grade class of graduating seniors;
2. Has fulfilled the requirements for a Recommended or Distinguished diploma;
3. Has been a student at The Banff School for at least 11th and 12th grade;
4. Whose speech and actions indicate a good moral standing.

Textbooks

Some Lower School grade-levels may have additional workbooks or classroom materials that are charged to the family's billing account at the beginning of the year. These charges will be communicated to families prior to charges being applied.

Upper School students are required to purchase textbooks for their classes. The textbook list for the year will note whether each textbook must be purchased as a “digital” book to be read and viewed on the student’s technology device or a physical textbook. For those classes where a physical textbook is listed, teachers will require that students have the physical textbooks in class each day - online versions of textbooks are not allowed for these classes, unless the students wish to purchase a digital copy in addition to their physical copy to be used only at home. Additionally, some classes may issue a textbook to students from a classroom set and these textbooks are on loan to the students. There is no fee charged as long as the books are returned in good condition. However, students must pay for damaged or lost textbooks and library books prior to receiving their final report cards.

Uniform & Dress Code

Banff’s uniform reflects a neat, clean, and complete appearance at all times. A focus on learning, respect for others, and pride in the school is indicated and helped with the prescribed dress code.

Full Uniform & Dress Code Guidelines

The full uniform and dress code policy can be found on the school’s website at: www.banffschool.org/uniforms.

Dress Code

• All regular uniform tops must have the Banff logo embroidered on them - and must be purchased from Dennis Uniform. Tops purchased from other clothing stores are not allowed.
• Students may only wear rubber-soled shoes while on campus. Students are not allowed to wear unmatched shoes, shoes without backs, sandals, rain boots, cowboy boots, Ugg-style or Crocs-style footwear.
• Shoes should be laced, tied, buckled, or fastened as designed.
• Socks (or tights for girls) must be either red, white or blue solid colors.
• Leggings are not allowed unless worn under a skirt (and must be red, white or blue solid colors).
• Shirts must be tucked in at all times (all grades).
• Pants must always be belted (1st-12th grade).
• The only style of pants/shorts allowed are navy or khaki slacks, chino-style or pleated trousers (or when allowed, jean pants). Cargo-style, sweatpants or corduroy pants/shorts are not allowed.
• Hats, caps or sweatshirt hoods of any kind are not allowed to be worn while on campus.
• All skirts, shorts, jumpers and gym shorts must be an appropriate length. Appropriate length is determined when the garment parallels the ends of the fingertips when the student’s arms are extended straight down at the side and the length is not greater than 6 inches from the floor when the student is kneeling. Additional length is acceptable.
• Hair should be neatly groomed, should not cover the eyes and should be natural in color and not styled in any way that is distracting to the learning environment.
• Any form of dress or personal grooming styles which are considered distracting or disruptive to the purpose or conduct of the school, will not be permitted.
• Students may wear jewelry only in piercings on the lower ear lobe and any student with ear piercings/jewelry deemed excessive by the administration will be asked to remove them.
• Visible tattoos are not allowed.
• Beards and facial hair are not allowed.
• All articles of clothing usually removed on campus should be labeled with student’s first and last names. Unclaimed articles of clothing left at school over the winter break or summer will be given to a charitable organization.
• Students who are uncertain about uniform requirements should consult in advance with the office. Final determination of appropriate dress rests completely with the faculty and administration. If a student is not dressed appropriately for class or field trips, parents will be called and the student will be denied participation until the dress conforms.

Weekly Uniform Schedule

Monday: Formal Uniform

Tuesday-Thursday: Regular Uniform

Friday: Spirit Uniform

Visitors

All visitors must sign in and receive a visitor’s pass at the front office. Failing to complete this step may result in sending the school into a “Lockdown” scenario. School-aged visitors are not allowed on campus during school hours unless accompanied by a parent/guardian. Additionally, The Banff School does not allow support specialists, tutors, therapists or other educational support providers that are not employees of The Banff School on campus to work with students. Any visits with these support providers must occur outside of school hours and off-campus. This policy does not apply to infrequent classroom observations, which are allowed, but must be scheduled in advance with the director of the student’s division.

Valuables

Students are not to bring large amounts of money or valuables to school. The school is not insured or liable for items brought in violation of this guideline.