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Honesty, Respect, Responsibility

The Honor Code at St. John’s School

By Cara Maines, St. John's School, School Buzz Reporter | October 28, 2014

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St. John's School Handbook

Every year, the entire freshmen class leaves the balcony of St. John the Divine and sits in the front pews of the church. For 20 minutes after the rest of the student body has left Chapel, groups of students approach the front of the church to sign the Honor Code in near-silence. By the end, every student has pledged to behave according to the precepts of the Honor Code, which include honesty, respect and responsibility.

The tradition of Honor Code Chapel exemplifies the importance of the Honor Code and its values to the St. John’s community.

According to the Guiding Principles stated in the school’s handbook, “St. John’s approach to character development instills a perspective larger than self-interest, recognizing the importance of service to others. Loyalty and leadership are expressed as compatible, complementary qualities of civil society. The school’s social focus, therefore, is more concentrated on individual responsibilities than on individual rights.”

In many schools, students cling to their personal belongings in fear that cell phones or money will be stolen. At St. John’s, the hallways are often lined with backpacks, which students leave by their lockers when they are not in class.

Teachers sometimes assign timed take-home tests, recognizing that the student commitment to the Honor Code will prevent any one person from having an unfair advantage. Similarly, teachers often leave their rooms while their classes are taking tests because they know their students will not talk or share information while they are gone.

Issues of the Honor Code, including reports of cheating, are settled in Honor Trials. An Honor Trial is a confidential procedure during which members of the Student Affairs Council defend and support their peers against whatever violation of the Honor Code they have been charged with.

The Honor Code unifies the SJS community by providing a set of common values and rules. Knowing that my classmates and I have signed a contract pledging ourselves to these principles makes me feel safe and respected every day.