Promoting Safe Schools

We know that parents want us to provide a learning atmosphere where all students can feel safe, valued and respected and where spiritual growth is promoted. We also recognize that being proactive is an important part of providing safe schools for our students and staff.  

Safe Schools Initiatives

We have worked on a variety of initiatives that focus on early intervention and prevention, as well as on peace education. Examples of these initiatives include Peaceful Schools International, anti-bullying programs and Roots of Empathy.

Through programs and initiatives like these, we have developed an approach for fostering and maintaining positive learning environments in all our schools. The strategies we adopt include a specific focus on prevention and intervention. We develop classroom strategies, community initiatives and partnerships with outside agencies. We also focus on leadership development, emphasize peaceful schools and foster positive school cultures.

We encourage you to view more information on the following:

 

 

We believe that to maintain safer school communities and positive school cultures, we must involve all partners within the broader school community. Through a collaborative process involving staff, students, parents and the community, each of our schools has developed procedures and guidelines for appropriate conduct for students.

Positive school climates are always developed with an emphasis on our Catholic values and peace education. We have used Ministry of Education guidelines, infused with our Catholic values, to develop Board-wide procedures to help ensure that all students and staff are safe and secure in the school environment. 


Code of Conduct

Our schools promote responsibility,respect, Catholic moral teachings, spirituality, civility and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment. We recognize that conflict is a part of all human relationships, however, we also know the importance of being proactive to ensure that conflicts can be resolved. Our Catholic beliefs are preserved and promoted during conflict resolution.

Our code of conduct is a reflection of the standards of behaviour that we expect not only our students to follow, but also all individuals involved in the school system (parents, volunteers, teachers and other staff members). We expect these standards of behaviour to apply on school property, on school buses or at school-authorized events or activities.

For more information, you can view our Board’s Policies and Procedures (search Code of Conduct)

Suspension and Expulsion

Getting suspended or expelled from school is something that we take very seriously. The Ministry of Education has established guidelines that are followed when suspending or expelling a student. 

We understand that there are often mitigating circumstances and we take great care to use discretion and to make sound and fair decisions. Expulsions and suspensions can be either mandatory or discretionary. It is important for parents to understand that we follow provincial guidelines when making a determination about the consequences for certain actions or behaviours.

Please take a look at our Policies and Procedures (search Student Discipline).

Appropriate Dress

Our appropriate dress policy reflects our commitment to promoting and nurturing safe, positive and respectful learning environments. We worked closely with parents to develop our appropriate dress code guidelines and followed recent legislative,regulatory and policy initiatives introduced by the provincial government. 

Each of our nine high schools currently have mandatory uniform policies. 

Please take a look at our Policies and Procedures (search Appropriate Dress).

Police School Protocol

We have worked together with the various local police services in our school communities to develop a protocol to deal with school related incidents. The focus of the protocol is to promote and maintain a safe environment for our students and staff and to demonstrate a commitment to collaboration, cooperation, effective communication and partnership –in particular with police services.