top of page

Substance Use Prevention Policy

​

CCLCS Substance Use Prevention Policy

 

Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School recognizes that the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is a significant health problem for students, resulting in negative effects on behavior, learning and overall development. Students who bring alcohol or drugs to school or who come to school under the influence of alcohol or drugs have violated the trust of the school community and impaired the ability of the school to carry out its mission. In order to insure the safety and well being of individual students and the school community, CCLCS takes the following steps:

 

  1. Establish a strong, comprehensive, prevention based program which focuses not only on drug use, but on life skills designed to help students develop good decision making abilities, critical thinking, a healthy sense of self, school attachment and achievement and positive family and social relationships.

  2. Adopt a zero tolerance policy in terms of illegal drug use (including tobacco) and related activity (e.g. selling, being under the influence, conversations that glorify use, etc.). Note that this does not necessarily mean expulsion, but it does mean mandatory treatment/counseling/possible testing. Students shall not knowingly buy, sell, possess, use, distribute, be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, non prescribed drug or controlled substance or misuse an over the counter drug of any kind while on school grounds, at school sponsored activities and while representing CCLCS.

  3. Has a well articulated set of guidelines and applied uniformity to address incidents of drug/alcohol use that affect the school environment and the safety of our students.

  4. Has a staff thoroughly educated in the causes, risk factors, signs and progressive nature of teen drug/alcohol use so that they are able to detect problems and help with appropriate interventions.

  5. Attends to the mental/emotional health of the student body through group work, peer leadership and parent communication.

 

CCLCS’s policy and range of disciplinary and guidance actions take a very strong and clear stand against the use of illegal drugs, alcohols and tobacco. A series of actions has been developed that the school may offer to the family and to the student who has violated the above policy. The actions are designed to educate and change the behavior of the student. They are also intended to provide a climate at CCLCS that will enable students and adults to discuss more openly the actual, or potential use of drugs, alcohols and tobacco. A policy that allows students to learn from their mistakes and to be reintegrated into the school community will enable students to discuss more candidly the actual situation.

 

Disciplinary & Guidance Actions

 

When a student is found to have possessed, used, or sold alcohol, marijuana or other illegal narcotic substances, or any paraphernalia associated with the use of these substances, on school grounds or during a school sponsored event off campus, the Director will implement a series of steps to include:

  1. Appropriate disciplinary consequences

  2. Therapeutic interventions (medical care and/or counseling

 

The director will work closely with the student and parents in the development of an overall plan. The involvement and cooperation of parents is absolutely essential in developing a plan which will result in safe and healthy behavior. Aspects of the overall plan will include:

  1. Assessment and Evaluation - It is extremely important for the school and parents to discover the truth about suspected drug use. Sometimes, the evidence will be very clear. Other times, there may be only very strong staff or parent suspicion. In all cases, of totally clear or very strong suspicion in order to discover to the fullest possible truth, the student will undergo a medical evaluation and an interview by a counselor to determine the extent of involvement in alcohol, tobacco or drug use. The confidential information from the evaluation will be shared with the school. In cases of parent suspicion, the school stands ready to assist in every possible way, including referral to professional help.

  2. Suspension from School - After a determination has been made that the student has violated the policy against the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, he/she will be suspended from school for an appropriate period of time. If the student at the time of the suspension is a member of an athletic team, he/she will not be permitted to play in an interscholastic game for the remainder of the season.

  3. Counseling - The student will voluntarily enter a course of counseling appropriate to the findings of the evaluation. The appropriate course of counseling will be mutually determined by the student, parents and Director. The willingness of the student and parents in fully participating in the assessment and counseling process will be an important factor in finalizing the disciplinary consequences. There may be situations where students voluntarily seek help for themselves. In such cases, there will be no disciplinary consequences and every effort will be made to provide support and professional assistance.

  4. Community Support - The student will participate in a program of community services most often during recess or other free time.

  5. Loss of School Privileges - The student may not be able to attend school sponsored activities or trips.

bottom of page