Behavioral Expectations

Our Life Together[edit]

Whenever people gather together for some purpose, they always implicitly or explicitly establish some codes, standards, procedures, and rules of conduct that will allow them to grow and function as individuals without stunting their neighbor's ability to do the same thing. When these persons are Christians, engaged in the common task of teaching and learning, the code for their life together is drawn from the Bible and from the discoveries and experiences of others over the years about the conditions and guidelines which will most likely produce an environment in which there is mutual respect and where every person thrives.

Our goal as an expression of "the body of Christ" is to show the world (including each other) what it means to have a new life because Christ died for us. All of the fruit of the Spirit, described in Galatians 5:22-23, should be evident in each one of us (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). Any behavior, procedure, or attitude that is inconsistent with the Christian life as it is described in the Bible is unacceptable in the Christian Academy in Japan. These include being disrespectful, lying, cheating, stealing, spreading false rumors, being judgmental, and abusing our bodies or our minds.

But we all fall short of loving each other as we ought. The Bible has shown us how to deal with our failures, frustrations, and fights by telling us to go directly to the person who has offended us or whom we have offended. Learning how to confess wrong, forgive wrongdoing, reconcile differences (making peace), and making restitution (restoring and replacing what's been broken – whether it be trust, a window, or time wasted) are essential skills not only for our life together here at CAJ but also for our lives outside of school as well.

In our life together, then, we are trying to learn and demonstrate what God's love is. Our school should be world famous for the mutual love and respect we have for each other and for all the things God has given to us to use and enjoy.

With these goals in mind, here are some specific details about how we try to put these goals into practice at CAJ:

Consistent with our training in discipleship while in school is a willingness to accept responsibility for being a scholar by being diligent and consistent in one’s daily class work; caring for others by being friendly; offering to help when help is needed; providing comfort when others are sad or discouraged; welcoming visitors, guests, and new students; watching out for younger children on the playground and the trains and streets leading to and from school; refusing to spread gossip or rumors.

Inconsistent with our commitment to lead a Christ-like life are many things, including the following: any use, distribution, or sale of illegal drugs; sexually immoral behavior including pornography; disrespect of any other person by name-calling, profanity, or any other use of language that is intended to demean, diminish, or deny someone else's dignity; any physical behavior that is disrespectful, such as pushing, hitting, tripping, or any other form of violence; reckless use of bicycles, motorcycles, or cars; disrespect of property, which could be failure to clean up after lunch to deliberate destruction or theft.

Attendance Class[edit]

  • Students who are habitually tardy are required to attend Attendance Class, a time of quiet study beginning at 8:00am.
    • Middle school students who earn 10 unexcused tardies in a semester will be required to attend.
  • Students pay ¥1,000 per hour to attend.
    • Students who are tardy to Attendance class must serve double the time they are late in Attendance Class (15 minutes = 30 minutes)
  • Attendance Class takes place on selected Wednesdays throughout the year.
  • Students who have a pre-approved excused absence from Attendance Class will be scheduled for the next Attendance Class.
  • In some situations Attendance Class may be assigned by a divisional principal for disciplinary matters. Teachers should not assign Attendance Class without consulting the divisional principal.



Bicycles and motorcycles[edit]

Please also refer to
Bicycle Safety (Click to view)[edit]

  • Bicycles must be used according to the laws of Japan.
  • Students are not allowed to drive motorized vehicles to campus including scooters, motorcycles and cars.
  • All bikes should be parked in the designated parking areas and should be kept locked.
    • All bikes must be identified with a CAJ sticker.
    • Bicycle stickers identifying CAJ community member’s bicycles are available at the business office.
  • To protect pedestrians, bikes should not be ridden on the campus outside the designated parking areas and should not be used during the school day. Bicycles are not to be used in the plaza area when school is in session or an event is taking place.
  • The playground is off-limits to bicycles and motorcycles at all times to protect the play surface.
  • All bicycles riders are urged to wear helmets when riding.
  • Bicycles are personal property and should not be borrowed without the owner’s permission.
  • See also Driving Policy for Students | Bicycle Safety

Bullying, Harassment, Abuse, and Harmful Behavior[edit]

One of CAJ’s core values is that of community. As members of a community, we take care of each other. We want every student to feel safe and protected at CAJ, so we put structures in place to make sure our community is a secure place for everyone. We will not tolerate bullying, harassment, or disrespectful behavior between students, and we will not allow any adults in our community to treat students in a way that is threatening, abusive or disrespectful.

If students feel they have been a victim of bullying, harassment, or abuse (see definitions); if they suspect another student may be a victim of bullying, harassment, or abuse (see definitions) or if they or another person are dealing with self-harmful behavior or suicidal thoughts, they should report this to an adult member of the CAJ community immediately. This could be a teacher, counselor, principal, or other staff member. The staff member will immediately report this to CAJ’s Child Safety Team and they will do their best to take care of the matter appropriately, taking care to protect the privacy of everyone involved.

In cases where a student has been in some way harmed by another student, our desire is for reconciliation and for relationships to be restored, although realistic consequences will follow. These could include suspension or expulsion. Because we value the privacy of all students, it is possible that one student may not be aware of the consequences another student receives, but any student is welcomed to talk about their concerns with his or her principal.

Parents, particularly those of elementary students, are encouraged to support their own child in reporting bullying, harassment, abuse, or harmful behavior to their child’s principal, if appropriate.

Behaviors Requiring Reporting

Behaviors requiring special definition include:
1. Bullying
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.

Types of Bullying

  • Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes:
    • Teasing
    • Name-calling
    • Inappropriate sexual comments
    • Taunting
    • Threatening to cause harm
  • Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:
    • Leaving someone out on purpose
    • Telling other children not to be friends with someone
    • Spreading rumors about someone
    • Embarrassing someone in public
  • Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes:
    • Hitting/kicking/pinching
    • Spitting
    • Tripping/pushing
    • Taking or breaking someone’s things
    • Making mean or rude hand gestures
  • Cyber Bullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Cyberbullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and reach a kid even when he or she is alone. It can happen any time of the day or night. Cyberbullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a very wide audience. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to trace the source. Cyber bullying includes:
    • Mean text messages or emails
    • Rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites
    • Embarrassing pictures, videos, websites
    • Fake profiles

Information is sourced from Stopbullying.gov

2. Harassment

Acts of harassment usually center around unwanted, offensive and intrusive behavior usually with a sexual, racial or physical component. Definitions of harassment and bullying vary and there is much overlap. The essential differences between harassment and bullying are as follows:

Harassment Bullying
Has a strong physical component, eg contact and touch in all its forms, intrusion into personal space and possessions, damage to possessions including a person's work, etc. Can be psychological or physical
Tends to be motivated by an outward personal characteristic of the target, such as gender, race, disability etc. Tends to be motivated by a hidden personal characteristic of the target, such as competence, popularity or integrity.
A course of conduct constituting harassment can consist of just two incidents. Bullying tends to be an accumulation of many small incidents, each of which, when taken in isolation and out of context, seems trivial.
The person who is being harassed knows almost straight away they are being harassed. The person being bullied may not realise it for weeks or months, until there's a moment of enlightenment.
Everyone can recognise harassment. Few people recognise bullying.
Harassment may involve racist, sexist or other discriminatory vocabulary and actions directed at the target. Bullying tends to consist of unwarranted criticisms and false allegations. Inappropriate language may be used when there are no witnesses.
Harassment can be for peer approval, bravado, macho image etc. Tends to be secret behind closed doors with no witnesses.
Social media can be used for harassment Social media can be used for bullying
The harasser may be content for their target to know they are being harassed. The bully does not want their target to know they are being bullied.
Harassment is done for the sake of dominating the target. Bullying is done for the sake of making the bully look more competent than the target.
It is immediately obvious when there has been an act of harassment. Bullying can be very subtle, so it will not be immediately obvious that there has been an act of bullying.

Both bullying and harassment involve treating others with disrespect and will not be tolerated at CAJ.
Information is sourced from: Bullyingonline.org

3. Abuse (Also defined under “Discipline” section in the secondary principles of the CAJ Code of Conduct.)

Actions that may be considered abuse include, but are not limited to:

  • Physical Abuse: hitting, spanking, shaking, slapping, any behavior that assaults a child; pushing or restraining a child outside the goals of protecting them or others from danger or providing medical care.
  • Verbal Abuse: degrading, ridiculing, yelling at a child or using other forms of hostile language.
  • Sexual Abuse: inappropriate touching, exposing oneself, sexually inappropriate conversations.
  • Mental Abuse: shaming, humiliation, cruelty.
  • Neglect: inappropriate isolation or withholding food, water or shelter.

4. Self-harm or Suicidal Ideation

  • Self-harm is the deliberate infliction of damage to one’s own body and includes cutting, burning, and other forms of injury.
  • Suicidal ideation involves thoughts about how to kill oneself, which can range from a detailed plan to a fleeting consideration and does not include the final act of killing oneself.
  • More information on symptoms about suicidal thoughts can be found at: Medical News Today

Chapel Guidelines[edit]

Chapel Guidelines

Cheating, HS[edit]

Students who have been caught cheating will automatically receive a zero on the assignment and parents will be notified. Cheating is defined as copying someone else’s work. Students who knowingly allow another to cheat or copy their work may also face similar consequences.

  • Plagiarism, or copying or using someone else's ideas or words without giving credit, is another form of cheating, and will receive the same consequences.

HS Index | Previous page: Chapel | Next page: Child Protection Policy, English


Computer and Technology Acceptable Use Policy[edit]

Within existing school policy, including Standards of Conduct, technology and digital resources are to be used to support, advance, and enhance learning and productivity in order to achieve CAJ's mission.

  • All computer and digital device use is covered by this policy, including (but not limited to) school laptops (see One-to-One Laptop Program), personal computers (see Personal Computers on Campus), tablets, cell phones, etc.
  • Appropriate use extends to social media, email, chat, and other online activities. (see also Online and Digital Behaviors)
  • Appropriate behavior is expected at all times, including outside of class and off campus.
  • Users will demonstrate discernment and caring for others when using computers. Do not use technology in ways that are objectionable, obscene, offensive, or harmful to yourself or others. Students and staff are required to report concerns in accordance with our Mandated Reporting Policy.
  • Middle school students may only play assigned games during the specific class the game is assigned, not outside of that class, including lunch, breaks or study halls.
  • Users will respect others’ privacy. Do not access or use another’s account or open, read, modify or remove another's files, postings or emails. Do not post pictures or make comments about others online without their permission.
  • Appropriate use includes only using computers, digital devices, and the CAJ network for legal activities. If you have a question about whether an application or activity is legal, please consult with the technology team.
  • Computers and other digital devices may only be used for school work during class, unless the teacher specifically allows an exception.
  • Users are responsible for the safety and security of their account and computer.
  • Users are responsible for properly saving and backing up their files.
  • Users will be good stewards of computer resources. Do not abuse, damage, or disrupt computers, networks, or other related technology. (see also Graffiti and Vandalism)
  • Users will not attempt to bypass CAJ's monitoring and filtering systems (i.e: GoGuardian).
  • Authorized staff will access student accounts (including data on the server, on the computer or other devices including cell phones, or online) and monitor usage when deemed necessary.
  • Violations of this policy will be reported to the appropriate authority and may result in discipline including the loss of computer privileges.

For more information about technology at CAJ see Technology Guide, Student and Technology Guide, Parent


Dangerous items[edit]

Dangerous items such as real or realistic weapons (knives, etc.), lighters, and fireworks are not permitted and will be confiscated.


Dress Code, Student[edit]

At CAJ, we try to make a positive impression on each other and on those outside our community. We also do whatever we can think of to provide an environment that promotes learning. In order to do these two things, we need to decide on a standard of what is appropriate in many areas, including dress. Students are here voluntarily, which means that their parents choose to enroll them. Consequently, as a school, we assume students have agreed to dress appropriately, according to the school’s definition of appropriate dress and /or according to the principal’s interpretation of this definition.

Dress code is a school function code. It applies whenever a staff member or student is on campus for school events (either as participants or spectators) or off campus and representing the school (either as participants or spectators) on school functions (field trips, concerts, games, etc.).

All students must wear:

  • Clothes that cover the following at all times: buttocks, mid-chest, midriff and undergarments.
  • Tops that cover areas from one armpit across to the other armpit and have straps.
  • Any see-through or mesh garments must be worn with appropriate coverage underneath.
  • Skirts and shorts may be up to fingertip length. This is approximately 10 - 15 cm above the knee. Final decisions about length may still be made by the principal, since skirts and shorts vary in style. The rips or tears in pants/skirt must be below this area as well.
  • Footwear at all times.

Students cannot wear:

  • Clothing that shows undergarments, features violent language or image, or features language or images that may embarrass or discriminate against another student.
  • Clothing that has tears in areas that are supposed to be covered.
  • Leggings/spats without a cover (can only be worn under shorts or skirts that are of proper length).
  • Clothing that represents cross-dressing
  • Clothing, hairstyles, or body accessories that might distract, intimidate, or leave a negative or misleading impression with fellow students, younger children, guests at our school, or with the outlying Japanese community of which our school is a guest (this includes areas through which our students commute)


Dress code violations: Violations of the dress code will be handled as follows:

  1. First violation • change of clothes (supplied by principal) • violation is recorded
  2. Second violation • change of clothes (supplied by principal) • warning note home to parents
  3. Third violation • change of clothes (supplied by principal) • one-hour detention arranged by the principal
  4. Fourth violation • change of clothes (supplied by principal) • parents contacted • students and parents will sign a letter of compliance
  5. Fifth violation • change of clothes (supplied by principal) • possible out-of-school suspension assigned by head of school • meeting with parents must take place to discuss the status of the student at the school before student will be allowed to return to school

PLEASE NOTE that the rules listed in the dress code are generally not relevant for most of our elementary students and, therefore, we will not hold students in kindergarten through grade three to the dress code. We will hold students in grades four and five to the standards of the school dress code. Violations of the dress code will be handled on a case-by-case basis and may involve having the child change their clothing.


Driving Policy for Students[edit]

  • CAJ students are not allowed to drive motorcycles, scooters, cars or other motorized vehicles to campus at any time.
  • CAJ students are not allowed to park any motorized vehicle on campus or in the vicinity.
  • This policy was implemented in 2011 at the recommendation of the district police office.
    • This policy is aligned with the policies of Japanese public and other International schools in Tokyo prefecture.

HS Index | Previous page: Dress Code, Student | Next page: Drugs and alcohol


Drugs and alcohol[edit]

CAJ forbids the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs on or near school grounds, at any school-sponsored events, or anywhere within the jurisdiction of the school.


Event Attendance and Supervision[edit]

  • Students and parents are welcome and encouraged to attend the variety of school programs, concerts, and sports activities offered throughout the year.
  • If a child is a part of the program, the school will supervise the student; but if the child is not participating in the program, the parents are responsible.
  • Students who come for events are expected to remain at the event. At programs and during indoor sports events, elementary children are to be supervised by their parents. At no time should students be inside any facility without the permission and supervision of an authorized adult. CAJ assumes no responsibility for students on campus before 8:00am or after 4:00pm (library and LRC until 4:30).
  • The mini-gym is open to parents who want to watch the game while supervising their small children (up to and including grade 5). A child should not be sent to play in the mini-gym without having arranged for someone to look after him/her. Small children in the mini-gym without direct parental supervision and middle school students will be asked to return to the main gym.


Games Policy[edit]

We aim to create an atmosphere that values learning with as few distractions as possible. Although games have their appropriate places, they can be distracting in an academic setting.

  • No game playing will be allowed in the Academic Building during class time or during a study hall.
  • This includes card games, board games and electronic games.
  • During lunch and after school games may be played in the gym lobby, in the plaza, in the cafeteria, and even in the Academic building. Teachers may ask students to leave the atrium if it is too noisy. This is at the discretion of the teacher or the at the request of teachers who are teaching class.
  • In case of a dispute, students will be referred to the high school principal.

HS Index | Previous page: Food and Drinks | Next page: Garbage and litter


Garbage and Litter[edit]

At CAJ, students and teachers are responsible to:

  • put garbage in the correct receptacle
  • pick up any garbage on the ground around the receptacle when they go to use it, regardless of whether they dropped it or not
  • pick up garbage that they walk by in the school building or on the grounds regardless of whether it is theirs or not

Doing this, students and teachers practice being faithful caretakers and demonstrate pride in CAJ’s resources in practical ways.


Graffiti and Vandalism[edit]

Vandalism is defined as intentional damage to property and includes student (private), public, and school property.

  • Students may not write on or carve into desks, tables, picnic tables, or other school property.
  • Vandalism and graffiti policies apply to CAJ laptops and electronic devices.

See also: Restitution, for Damage to Property


Plagiarism[edit]

  • High school students are responsible to understand the issue and consequences of plagiarism. CAJ's curriculum requires that teachers teach and remind students about the serious problem of using someone else's ideas or words without giving credit. Teachers do so before students work on assignments that require documentation. Therefore, plagiarism in high school is a serious offense; if intentional, it is a form of stealing, and it is cheating. The fact that we value collaboration does not imply that all work may be collaborative, and it is important for students to recognize when work must be completed independently. Ignorance about plagiarism is not an excuse.
    • CAJ typically uses the Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation format, which requires that students complete and hand in a works cited list whenever a student has quoted or paraphrased ideas or words from another person. Students are responsible to use the proper format both in their parenthetical references and in the works cited list.

Plagiarism Tutorial[edit]

Plagiarism Tutorial, The University of Southern Mississippi

  1. What is plagiarism?
  2. Why people plagiarize
  3. Types of Plagiarism
  4. Quoting
  5. Paraphrase
  6. Common knowledge
  7. Citations (Style guides)
  8. Style Quides
  9. Consequences
    • CAJ — High school students are responsible to understand the issue and consequences of plagiarism. CAJ's curriculum requires that teachers teach and remind students about the illegality of using someone else's ideas or words without giving credit. Teachers do so before students work on assignments that require documentation. Therefore, plagiarism in high school is a serious offense; it is a form of stealing, and, if intentional, is cheating. The fact that we value collaboration does not imply that all work may be collaborative, and it is important for students to recognize when work must be completed independently. Ignorance about plagiarism is not an excuse.
    • University and Beyond


HS Index | Previous page: Personal belongings | Next page: Probation policy


Public displays of affection[edit]

At CAJ, we value community. Physical contact other than friendly behavior generally excludes other people and can make others feel uncomfortable. We encourage warm friendships and relationships between students, but we ask that students do not engage in physical demonstrations of affection during school hours and school-related activities.

HS Index | Previous page: Probation policy | Next page: Saturday School


Sexual Behavior Guidelines[edit]

Sexual Behavior Guidelines

Skateboards, Rollerblades, Scooters[edit]

  • Skateboards/rollerblades/razors (scooters) must be used according to the laws of Japan and are not to be used on campus when school is in session or an event is taking place.
    • These items should only be brought to school if they can be stored in the student locker (for middle and high school students).
    • Great care should be taken to always use these responsibly, courteously, and safely.
  • See also Bicycles and Motorcycles


Technology Guide, Student[edit]

Computer and Technology Acceptable Use Policy[edit]

Students are expected to understand and follow CAJ's Computer and Technology Acceptable Use Policy at all times. The policy extends to online behaviors, and is in effect both on and off campus while you are enrolled as a student at CAJ. To ensure that CAJ is a healthy and safe place, inappropriate use that may harm yourself or others must be reported in line with our Mandate Reporting Policy

Personal Device Policy[edit]

We value communication and interactions that happen between all members of the CAJ community. Although we acknowledge that technology can help us communicate and interact with others, we believe that this cannot replace what we gain through face-to-face interactions. Therefore, to encourage healthy communication and interactions, we are implementing the following guidelines:

  • Cell phones or other personal electronic devices (including the Apple Watch, personal computers, or similar communication devices) may not be used on campus during school hours by middle/high school students. (“School hours” begin when a student passes through the gate.) Students must keep personal devices in their bags or lockers during school hours, not in their pockets. Students may not have ear buds or other headphones (unless they have permission) in their ear during school hours unless in study hall or during lunch in the designated area (see below). Students may not use their devices during break even if they are off campus. Chromebooks may not be used in-between classes for non-educational purposes.
  • Exceptions to this are the following situations:
    • High School students may use personal devices in the cafeteria and on the cafeteria porch during high school lunch hours.
    • Teachers may give permission to use personal devices for educational purposes during class. (If students are working outside of the classroom, they need to have a device pass.)
    • Middle and high school students may use their personal devices after the last block, but not in the academic building.
    • Students may listen to music during study hall or in class if the teacher allows, as long the personal device is kept in bag.
  • Consequences: Cell phones and other electronic devices used inappropriately will be confiscated and must be reclaimed from the principal at the end of the school day.
    • Consequences are the following:
      First offense: warning
      Second offense: parents notified
      Third offense: parents notified and 1 hour detention
      Fourth offense: conference with parents and contract issued
      Fifth offense: in-school suspension, conference with parents, discussion of future
    • If a cell phone or other electronic device is confiscated because certain types of inappropriate behavior are suspected (harassment, cheating, pornography, illegal activities, etc.), the principal may examine the contents of the device. At least one other staff person will be present during the examination.
    • Students may be required to provide access and show the administrator what is preserved in the memory.

Email[edit]

  • Students are required to check their CAJ mail account daily.
  • Not having accessed their email will not be an acceptable excuse for missing a deadline, assignment or special instructions.

One to One Program[edit]

Acceptable Use and Care[edit]

  • Any hardware problems should be brought to the attention of technology staff. Technology staff are available in the computer lab and the technology office.
  • High school students must charge and bring their school-issued Chromebook to school every day.
  • High school students (or families) will be responsible for a deductible for any charges associated with repair of the student laptop.
    • Intentional damage and destruction of a student laptop will be brought to the principal and school leadership for consideration in line with our vandalism and restitution policies.
  • The school will supply a laptop slip case for each high school student. Students are encouraged (though not required) to use the slip cover on a daily basis. However, please try to use the covers as this will keep the computer looking nice over its life.

Monitoring[edit]

  • Computers are monitored using the GoGuardian software and other applications.
  • The purpose of monitoring is to ensure that students are on task in class and not using their computers inappropriately.


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