YEAH ABC's: Appearance & Behavior Code

Compiled by YEAH (Youth Educated At Home) Board of Directors, staff and tutors of The Academy:

Established in February 2004.

The following will apply to ALL YEAH-sponsored classes and events. 

The focus of all activities of YEAH is to serve the needs of home-educated teens in the following areas:

1) Preparation for success in their lives beyond high school as they move into college and the business world

2) Personal responsibility to prevent another from falling or being distracted because of their dress, behavior, or words

3) Participation in academic and social excellence

WHY is an Appearance and Behavior Code necessary?

Decades of educational research reveals that students with a school uniform or a dress code do better academically and socially. It is assumed that when the distractions that clothing can cause are minimized, the focus can be more on academics. Therefore, while allowing room for personal preferences, the goal of a dress code is to help teens learn to Dress for Success in Life. A Behavior/Conduct Code does the same thing.

Above and beyond - and behind - the various details of "thou shall nots" is the principle of responsibility to fellow citizens, neighbors, students, tutors, etc. - the responsibility of understanding the danger of placing temptations before brothers and sisters in Christ.

The contemporary culture we live in provides a relentless onslaught of irresponsible behavior - and especially irresponsible sexuality and sensuality. As Christians, we have a duty to stand for goodness and virtue and to stand against evil and tendencies toward evil. The board of YEAH expects the young men and women attending YEAH to learn and practice the bearing of this awareness and responsibility. Above and beyond any details or lists, YEAH expects its students to rise to standards that are higher rather than lower; godly rather than worldly; wholesome rather than questionable. Any list that tries to thoroughly describe every detail and nuance of conduct/dress will always be incomplete. Therefore the following outline of specific guidelines should be read with the above broad principles in mind.

PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS:

YEAH’s goal is to encourage and come alongside parents as they raise up young adults to be successful participants in life. The Appearance & Behavior Code Principles, when modeled at home will automatically occur in academic and social settings. Parents are encouraged to use the implementation of this Code to discuss its concepts and the reasons behind them with their children.

 OVERALL GOAL:

RESPECT for others and the world around them
Respect for peers, those in charge, and property is essential for success in life.

GOAL:

RESPECT for Classmates, Tutors and all in Leadership in Attire and Behavior

FOCUS:

To create the best possible atmosphere for learning, inside and outside of the classroom

and to establish a respect for members of the same and opposite sex of any age.

APPEARANCE & HYGIENE:

- Appropriate underclothing must be worn by both male and female students and not be showing.

- Tops and bottoms must overlap so midriff skin is not exposed.

- Necklines should not be revealing.

- Skirts and shorts must be modest.

- Shirts with spaghetti straps must be totally covered with an over-shirt and remain covered (exception: Prom formal attire—see Prom Dress Code).

- Caps or hats are not to be worn within class (exceptions for health or religious reasons will be discussed on a case-by-case basis).

- “Be kind to your neighbor” – Personal hygiene and the minimization of body odors by frequent bathing/showering and use of deodorant etc. is expected.

- Other distracting or disruptive attire/appearance will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

 BEHAVIOR:

 - Inappropriate language will not be tolerated. (Includes: swearing, vulgar/crude language, bathroom humor, sexual orientation jokes/comments, drugs/drug use jokes, name calling, individually belittling, etc.)

- P.D.A.'s (Public Displays of Affection) are not allowed.

- Rough housing, wrestling (including arm wrestling, lifting, punching, kicking, bumping, tickling, etc.) are prohibited.

- Other distracting or disruptive behavior will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

 OTHER:

 - Don't bring pets.

- Prohibited or illegal substances (tobacco, drugs, alcohol and inappropriate items construed as weapons) are not allowed on the grounds of any YEAH event. Possession of these will be grounds for immediate expulsion without refund.

- Cell phones must be turned off during classes and workshops even if it is being used as a timepiece.  This includes PLAN testing. Violation could result in cell phone being confiscated by the course tutor or The Academy staff.

CONSEQUENCES for Appearance and Behavior Infractions:

1) 1st Infraction: Student will be spoken to privately by the adult in charge of class/event and parent will be notified.

2) 2nd Infraction: Student will be dismissed from class/event immediately. Parent will be called to pick up student from class/event, or notified if students have driven themselves.

3) 3rd Infraction: Student will be expelled from class/event immediately for the remainder of the semester or event(s) with no refund. Return to future classes/events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and upon administration approval only.

NOTE: Depending on the infraction, the administrator/host in charge of a class/event may opt to go directly to Step # 2 or # 3, bypassing previous steps.

GOAL:

RESPECT for Property & Facilities:

 - Because they feel that the facility/grounds belong to the Lord and it should be used for His work, Bethany Church has opened their doors to YEAH for classes and workshops.

- Because they want to reach out to the home school community as an avenue of service to the Lord, Northwestern College has opened its doors/labs to YEAH Science classes, NET Ministries (Prom) and various churches have opened their doors to YEAH for book sales, graduation, dramatic productions and other events.

 - The attire, speech, actions, and attitude of YEAH students and parents will enable our continued use of these facilities.

 FOCUS:

Good Stewardship, Gratitude, Sensitivity and Appreciation for the facilities and its owners used by YEAH for classes and events.

RESPECT the Facilities and Grounds by doing the following:

 - Accept responsibility for your own personal possessions.

- Pick up after yourself - indoors and outdoors.

- Put your trash in the trashcans provided.

- Encourage conservation by recycling pop cans in the canisters provided.

- Always leave facilities cleaner and in better condition than when you arrived.

- Respect all property of others, as you would want your personal property respected.

- Respect others with whom we share facilities (church, college, etc) by not being too loud or in the way.

 CONSEQUENCES for Property & Facility Infractions:

 Students are responsible for any damage done to personal or facility property whether by accident or "on purpose" and replacement/repair costs will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as needed.

 This document may be copied as needed in its entirety for any YEAH sponsored classes and events.

© 2009 YEAH and The Academy