Building a Safe, Kind, and Proactive School Community 🤝

At our school, we believe every student has the right to feel safe, welcome, and treated with respect and dignity. Our approach is rooted in the belief that a positive school climate is something we build together every single day.

Proactive by Design: Preventing Bullying Before It Starts

We focus our energy on being proactive rather than reactive. We don't just wait for conflict to happen; we work to create a school culture where bullying behaviour has no room to grow. We do this through:

• Restorative Practices: Every member of our staff is trained in Restorative Practice. We focus on building strong relationships and repairing harm through conversation and understanding.
• Restorative & Community Circles: Each month, our students participate in division-wide circles. These provide a safe space to share experiences, build empathy, and strengthen our classroom bonds.
• Affinity Spaces & Interest Groups: We foster a sense of belonging through student interest groups and affinity spaces, such as our Black Student Association (BSA) and Muslim Student Association (MSA), where students find community and voice.
• The OPAL Program (Outdoor Play and Learning): Our incredible OPAL program promotes safe, imaginative, and inclusive play outdoors, helping students learn to collaborate and problem-solve in a natural environment.
• Inclusive Learning: We regularly host guest speakers who focus on inclusion and human rights to ensure our students hear diverse perspectives.

Understanding Bullying Behaviour

Staff and students are educated on what bullying behaviour looks like and how to report it. If your child sees, hears, or experiences any of the following, we encourage them to speak up:

• Name-calling, threats, or hateful/discriminatory remarks.
• Unwelcome gestures, jokes, or slurs.
• Intimidation, physical violence, or unwanted touching.
• Online harassment or derogatory materials.
• Anything else that negatively affects an individual or group.

Support and Communication

When an incident occurs, we are committed to a transparent and supportive process:

• Working Together: Teachers and Administration work closely to address inappropriate student behaviour and build strategies that promote positive choices.
• Parent Notification: When a student has been harmed, the teacher, Principal, or the Vice-Principal will notify the parents or guardians of all students involved.
• Restorative Support: We provide support not only for the student who was harmed but also for those who engaged in bullying behaviour and those impacted as bystanders. Our goal is to learn from these moments and restore a sense of safety for everyone.

How to Report

If you have concerns, please reach out to a caring adult at the school, such as your child's teacher or the office team. We are here to listen and help.

If you need to report a concern outside of school hours, you can call the Student Safety Line.