Honor Code
accordance with the mission of the school, The Lawson Academy students will not participate in lying, cheating, stealing or harassing, and they will not tolerate those actions in others.
The Lawson Academy students will conclude an orientation annually by promising, in writing, to uphold the Honor Code:
I pledge to uphold The Lawson Academy Honor Code in letter and in spirit throughout this school year.
The Lawson Academy students will also use a pledge on all tests, projects, papers, reports and long-term assignments:
I pledge that I have upheld The Lawson Academy Honor Code in letter and in spirit.
“The Lawson Academy students will not participate in lying, cheating, stealing or harassing…”
Dishonesty
At The Lawson Academy, we believe it is vital to tell the truth at all times, recognizing there is honor in telling the truth even when that truth reveals a mistake or an error in judgment. It requires courage to face mistakes and accept responsibility for their consequences.
Telling the truth includes explaining accurately why work was not completed on time or was incomplete, why one was absent or late from school, why one missed an obligation, how one interacted with other students or a teacher, and any other specifics about one’s actions. A student who makes false excuses for his or her behavior has not upheld our Honor Code.
Cheating
At The Lawson Academy, we believe students must engage in honest scholarship. Honest scholarship in student work means that the product comes from a student’s own mind and effort. Such work includes all tests, exams, long-range projects, and homework. Written work, for instance, needs to reflect a student’s ideas, organization, punctuation, and sentence structure. In order to help families and students alike understand types of habits and help which are suitable or not, we provide the following examples of permissible and non-permissible help that can be given and/or received, keeping in mind that the spirit of the law is more important than the letter. All families should review and discuss these examples at home.
Students who give or receive help with the intent of providing or gaining an unfair academic advantage are not living up to the Honor Code.
Permissible Help From Fellow Students and Parents
• Telling another student what the assignment is
• Repeating specific directions given by the teacher
• Identifying weakness in organization, style, word choice or content. It is permissible to comment: “This paragraph is weak,” or “These words are misspelled,” or “You didn’t answer all the questions.”
• Sharing notes (unless the notes are the assignment)
• Showing another student how to do a problem by using another example
• Brainstorming ideas on creative writing assignments
• Reviewing material in preparation for a test or exam
• Discussing concepts that were addressed in class or engaging in discussion of course material for better understanding
Non-Permissible Help From Fellow Students and Parents
• Giving another student your answer or answers to any given question
• Telling another student how to re-write something (i.e. “…just write this down.”)
• Sharing with another student any content that is part of an answer
• Letting someone read your answers, knowing or suspecting he or she intends to paraphrase those answers
• Showing or explaining to another student where to find information for an assignment (i.e. “look on page 34 for the answer”)
• Looking at another student’s paper and/or using his or her ideas or answers
• Using a calculator when not permitted
• Having another person, including a parent, assist with the production of an assignment, including typing or word processing written work. (Exceptions are made for students with special learning needs.)
• Discussing any aspect of a quiz, test or exam before all students have taken the test
• Letting a project partner do all of the work and then putting your name on the final project
• Using any part of someone else’s work without proper acknowledgmen