Our community values respectful communication, mutual understanding, and empathy. The health of our community is dependent on all members committing to the practice of these values and respecting the rights of all Firefly students, families, instructors, and other Firefly community members as outlined below.

Violations of the Code of Conduct will result in immediate termination of the Social membership agreement or access to any Greater Community events.

Code of Conduct

Community Member Rights

All Firefly community members (parents, instructors, students, etc.) have:

• The right to have their culture, beliefs, and lifestyle respected even by those whose culture, beliefs or lifestyles differ.
• The right to personal expression.
• The right to define and express their personal boundaries and preferences and have those boundaries and preferences respected.
• The right to have their sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression affirmed and respected.
• The right to receive equitable treatment and be included and respected regardless of disability status.
• The right to feel safe from unwanted physical contact, sexual harassment, violence, bullying, intimidation, and ridicule.
• The right to have their personal privacy respected.

Community Member Responsibilities

All members of the Firefly community (parents, instructors, students, etc.) are expected to:

• Respect the rights of other community members as outlined above.
• Understand and comply with the Firefly code of conduct; parents are expected to discuss the code of conduct and electronics policies with their children and make sure they understand expectations.
• Conduct themselves with respect, responsibility, and accountability to themselves, others, and the spaces we occupy. 
• Work with instructors, Firefly leadership, and/or other students to resolve conflict or concerns as they arise.
• Respect Firefly’s no-peanut policy. Please do not bring items containing peanuts or peanut butter on field trip days or to events.

Behaviors that may result in removal from The Social Membership or Greater Community Events

• Violence or aggression, either physical or verbal 
• Bullying, including cyber bullying (Bullying is when an individual or a group of people perceived to have more power repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people.)
• Discrimination 
• Intentional damage to property or facilities 
• Intentional behavior that is consistently disrespectful to fellow students, parents, instructors, or other members of the Firefly community
• Refusal to follow safety rules and directions as expressed by directors, instructors and volunteers
• Possession of a weapon at Firefly events, Dances or Field Trips (onsite or offsite)

Note: Weapons include, but are not limited to guns, knives, and pocket knives. Any of these items found in a student’s possession will be confiscated and returned to the parent.

Electronic Devices and Toys

• No electronic games, digital music players, toys, or stuffed animals may be used by students at events, dances or field trips, unless given express permission by the adult overseeing the event. 
• The use of these devices and/or toys during field trip or event time without the permission of the adult overseeing the event, or in a disruptive manner is prohibited. 
• If a student brings a cell phone to a Firefly event, dance or field trip, they must completely silence their device and use it only to take photos or call a parent.

Privacy Policy

Firefly values the privacy of our students and families. We also know how important it is that families trust us enough to share information necessary for their student’s success at Firefly. Therefore, Firefly instructors, directors, volunteers, and board members must abide by the following privacy policy.

• Private information includes, but is not limited to, disability status, LGBTQ+ status, medical and mental health diagnoses, particulars of the student’s home life, details about student behavior in the classroom, behavior supports and interventions implemented for a student, and specifics regarding accommodations for a disability.
• A student’s private information should never be shared, discussed, or confirmed with other Firefly students or parents.
• Volunteers must keep confidential any private information they may become aware of while fulfilling their volunteer duties. This applies whether volunteering onsite or at an offsite event.

In addition, we ask that all parents and students respect the privacy of other Firefly community members.

Reasonable Accommodations for Disabilities and Medical Conditions

Firefly seeks to create a supportive and affirming environment for all students regardless of disability status, however, we can only succeed with parent involvement. 

Families of students with disabilities and medical conditions should reach out to our executive director prior to registering to discuss the types of accommodations a student may need for success. Whenever possible, Firefly will make reasonable accommodations for students with medical conditions or disabilities.

ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities, etc.

With active parent involvement, we hope to create an inclusive learning environment for all Firefly students. Parents are encouraged to reach out to directors whenever they have questions or to share helpful information about their student.

Parent Support

In some cases, Firefly may allow or require a parent to attend a dance alongside their child to provide individualized support. Parents who attend  dances with their child will be required to sign the Parent Agreement. Only parents who have been required or invited to accompany their child may attend dances.  If you require a special circumstance, contact Firefly at [email protected]  Consideration will be given on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Firefly leadership.