Discipline Policy

All of the following information is directed toward the common good of Paisano Tutoring and its maintenance as a place of learning and moral development. At Paisano Tutoring, it is the belief that habits of behavior play a significant part in forming habits of mind. The teachers at Paisano Tutoring will make every effort to enforce the rules below consistently, informatively, and with a heart of mercy for the student’s overall well-being. Students at Paisano Tutoring strive to make the most of their educational opportunities. No less than their parents/guardians and the faculty, all students appreciate the overall environment that they help maintain for the good of the entire Paisano Tutoring community. It does not take long for students to recognize the benefits of mutual encouragement, respect, courtesy, and helpfulness. As many students and parents/guardians will gratefully attest, Paisano Tutoring is a very good place to be. Nevertheless, students are young and human, and they will make mistakes in speech or behavior— they are still learning how appropriately to comport themselves. Many such behavioral mistakes, while requiring correction, need not be punished. Sometimes, however, their mistakes can be disruptive to other students and to our teachers. Therefore, for the sake of orderly and productive community life, it is necessary to discuss class expectations and sanctions so that students and families can have a blueprint for conduct that contributes to a wholesome academic environment and to each student’s self-esteem and success. The philosophy of Paisano Tutoring is that students are young adults in the making who will learn civil, polite, and respectful conduct by the example of their parents, teachers, and other adults.

Consequently, students will be treated with respect and courtesy by the Paisano Tutoring staff and will be expected to treat not only all adults on campus with such respect, but one another as well. Several very obvious signs of such respect are a student's willingness to refrain from talking in class when others have the floor; a respect for the property of the classroom and of other students; a willingness to refrain from sarcastic or critical comments towards others; and a willingness to ask (and give) forgiveness when someone has been wronged. In conjunction with parents/guardians, Paisano Tutoring has the goal of developing not only habits of good scholarship and critical inquiry, but the character traits of courtesy, promptness, forgiveness, self-control, responsibility, diligence, courage, generosity, and magnanimity. Good behavior is expected of all students and will not be specially rewarded in class. It is its own reward in the esteem the student earns from their teachers and fellow students. Paisano Tutoring’s guiding policy is to be fair, firm, and consistent in the application of discipline for inappropriate behavior. However, the following guidelines for discipline are not intended to be exhaustive. Paisano Tutoring reserves the right to exercise reasonable judgment as an individual circumstance might dictate.

Food and Drink

NO GUM, CANDY, FOOD, OR DRINKS in the classroom. Hunger can be a great distraction for students in class if they have not eaten prior to coming to class. Parents, please make sure that your child has eaten a meal before coming to class, but do not send them with snacks.

WATER: Paisano Tutoring provides water for students.

Tardiness

TARDINESS: If students arrive late, they should not announce themselves, make a public apology, or ask “what time is it?” upon entering, but rather should enter silently and move directly to their seat with as little commotion as possible. When a student arrives late, the other students in the class should NOT say “you’re late” or “don’t forget to sign-in.” There should be silence among all students as someone enters late so that class may continue with as little disruption as possible. Students who enter late should not seek to find out during the class session (from the teacher or other students) what they missed by being tardy. Missed information can be discussed with the teacher in the scheduled “Open Office” on Saturdays from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Quizzes are often given at the beginning of class. Quizzes missed due to being tardy will receive a zero.

General Behavior in Class

TALKING: There should not be any talking in class without permission to speak. There should not be any talking that is unrelated to the class. Students should not discuss in class what they do outside of class or what they heard or saw outside of class. Any questions related to the class during class should be directed to the teacher and not to other students. If students raise their hand to interrupt the class by asking a question, this should be done only for clarification about what is being discussed at that moment and not to ask something unrelated to the current topic being discussed by the instructor. The teacher will answer questions related to the class and homework during the last five minutes of class. If a student uses profanity or blasphemy in their speech, or inappropriate hand gestures in class, or if they treat the instructor with an unacceptable level of disrespect, they will be immediately dismissed from class for the day. Students are not permitted to correct other students in class, nor are they permitted to correct the instructor for failure to correct students in the manner or timing that the student desires. Students are not permitted to linger in the building after their class is dismissed, nor are students (or parents) permitted to detain the teacher after class to discuss things. If a student or parent has questions or concerns, or if they are not comfortable with anything that took place in class, the administration of Paisano Tutoring absolutely wants to have a conversation with the parents or student about it, but this conversation must take place in the appropriate way and at the appropriate time. Parents or students should contact the instructor by text or email, and make an appointment to discuss their questions or concerns by phone or in person.

GENERAL BEHAVIOR & CONDUCT: Students should not jump over the couch, sit on the back of the couch, lay down on the couch, put their feet or shoes on the couch or other furniture, or poke pens or pencils into the couch or other furniture as this destroys the property of Paisano Tutoring. Students should not sit on any of the tables or desks. Students should behave in a way that is not destructive to any of the furniture, walls, floor coverings, books, or property of Paisano Tutoring. If the instructor corrects a student for behavior that the instructor believes could be potentially damaging to the property, the students should accept it, not argue, and correct their behavior.

Students should not bring anything to class from home that is not a requirement of the class. Students should not bring any books, magazines, or printed material to class that is not required for the class. Students should not bring calculators, computers, tablets, smart phones, MP3 players, or electronic devices of any kind to class. Students should not bring games, toys, gadgets, or anything to class without prior permission in writing from the instructor.

Dress Code

DRESS CODE REGARDING SOCKS AND SHOES – FOR BOYS AND GIRLS: If students are arriving to class in shoes that have treads that collect dirt and gravel, students should take off their shoes upon entering. If students prefer to keep their shoes on, they must wear shoes that have smooth soles which do not collect dirt and gravel, and do not leave a deposit of gravel in the classroom. Students must wear socks, and the socks must be clean. If a student comes to class in socks only, without arriving in shoes, then the student must put on a clean pair of socks upon arrival. The instructor may ask a student to remove their shoes if the shoes are too dirty. The instructor may also give the student socks to wear if the student’s socks are too dirty and create an odor in the classroom.

DRESS CODE FOR BOYS: No shorts. No sweat pants. No pajama pants. No sleeveless shirts. Boys are required to wear pants, and pants must not be tight. Athletic pants are acceptable only if they are loose-fitting. Jeans are acceptable as long as they are clean, unstained, and free of holes. Short sleeves are permitted, but shirts should not be tight. Students who have been doing animal chores at home before class must change into clean clothes before coming to class. Students who have been working outdoors at the monastery may come to class in their monastery work clothes as long as those clothes are being washed every day. If a student is wearing the same work clothes at the monastery every day without washing them, then the student must change clothes before coming to class. Students may not come to class with writing or drawing on their skin without it being covered, or with stickers or fake tattoos on their skin. The dress code is being implemented on Monday, September 15, 2025.

DRESS CODE FOR GIRLS: No shorts. No pants. No skirts above the knee. No 3HA uniform skirts. No sleeveless or tight shirts. No bare legs. No visible bra-straps including sports bras that are worn as a visible base layer. No make-up. No nail polish. No earrings (pierced or clip-on). No bracelets or anklets. No jewelry other than a cross around the neck. Girls may wear a simple watch on the wrist for telling time. Girls should wear skirts with the length being at least two inches below the knee when standing and long enough to cover the knees when sitting. If girls are opting to wear skirts that are two inches below the knee, they must have on tights, leggings, or knee-high socks that come higher than the length of the skirt. Regardless of the length of the skirt, socks or leggings should cover whatever part of the leg that is not covered by the skirt. Skirts should not be form-fitting on the pelvis, buttocks, or thighs. No skirts with slits. Girls should always wear a slip or base layer under their skirt so that others cannot see through the skirt when the student enters the room and the light is shining in from behind them. If a skirt has a second layer sewn in under the skirt, this does not count as a slip because these kind of skirts are some of the most see-through. If a student will be attending ice-skating, horseback riding, swimming, or any sport following class, and must be in uniform for their sport, the student is still expected to wear the appropriate clothing for Paisano Tutoring on top of their uniform, and to not remove layers of clothing upon arriving in class. Girls may wear short sleeves, but not sleeveless shirts. Shirts must be loose-fitting. (If the student’s bra-line or underwear line is visible, the clothing is unacceptable.) Girls should not bring a personal hygiene bag to class, nor should they spend class time applying chap-stick, brushing their hair, fixing their hair, chewing on their hair, looking in a mirror, etc. Girl’s hair should be tied up in a pony-tail, braid, or bun when in class, and no hair should be hanging in their face or on their shoulders. Students may not come to class with writing or drawing on their skin without it being covered, or with stickers or fake tattoos on their skin. The dress code is being implemented on Monday, September 15, 2025.

Recording of Classes

Under Arizona law, it is legal for teachers of Paisano Tutoring to audio record classes; however, it is not legal for Paisano Tutoring to post or share with anyone audio recordings of classes that contain the voices of students without the consent of the parents of those students. Paisano Tutoring occasionally audio records classes, at the discretion of the school administrator, and follows Arizona law regarding the non-sharing of these recordings.

Penalties:

Paisano Tutoring staff reserves the right to dismiss a student from class for the day if that student is:

• disrespectful to the teacher or to another student to a degree that the teacher deems it necessary to dismiss the student, or

• disruptive to a degree that the student is interfering with the teacher’s ability to conduct class.

If a student is dismissed from class for the day, the instructor will text the parent notifying the parent that the student has been dismissed. If a student came to class with his own transportation, the student will be expected to leave the Paisano Tutoring property. If a student is dependent on a ride from someone else, the student will have the option to sit on the chairs outside of the building or start walking in the direction of the Paisano Drive. If a student says disrespectful things upon leaving, or knocks on the door after leaving, re-enters, or in any way disrupts the class after being dismissed for bad behavior, there will be an additional penalty. If a student refuses to leave the class after being dismissed for bad behavior, there will be an additional penalty. If a student is dismissed early from class for bad behavior three times within one quarter (one invoicing cycle), the student will not be allowed to remain in that class.

These guidelines for discipline are not intended to be exhaustive. Paisano Tutoring reserves the right to exercise reasonable judgment as an individual circumstance might dictate.