The Board provides its students with the opportunity to learn and grow in a Catholic faith community that is based on love and mutual respect. Our schools are places of learning, and students, families, school staff, and the community have the right to expect them to be safe and conducive to student success.
Safe Schools Policy
Our Safe Schools Policy defines any violent act – physical assault, sexual assault, bullying, threats of physical harm, and verbal harassment – as unacceptable behaviour. Anyone found to be violating this policy will be dealt with strictly in a way that is appropriate to the offence.
To promote a safe environment in our schools, we are committed to teaching our students methods of handling conflict and anger in non-violent ways. Our teachers constantly strive to find innovative ways to show students the links between the concept of non-violence and real-world applications.
We teach our students to be caring people who put their faith into action by loving and supporting one another. We recognize, however, that they need to:
- Learn to be alert and prudent about their personal safety
- Develop and practice such skills as negotiation, mediation, conflict management, assertiveness, and the ability to cope with change or frustration
- Develop confidence and self-esteem
- Understand, respect, and care for others
- Acquire skills that will be useful in existing and future relationships (i.e. parenting)
- Develop an appreciation for diversity in people and points of view
Code of Behaviour
We have a zero-tolerance policy for violent behaviour. Physical, verbal, written, sexual, or psychological abuse, bullying, discrimination, and the wilful damage of property are not tolerated.
We expect all students to accept personal responsibility for their actions and develop the self-discipline, social skills, and moral convictions necessary to respect the needs, feelings, background and rights of others, as Jesus would.
Procedures for Dealing with Violent Incidents
The Ministry of Education and Training requires that certain types of incidents be reported to the police immediately. These incidents include possession of weapons, threats of serious physical injury, physical assaults causing serious bodily harm, sexual assault, robbery, extortion, hate-motivated violence, and vandalism.
Other types of incidents are handled by the school in accordance with clearly-defined Board policies, with the consequences reflecting the seriousness of the offence.
We believe that both the victim and the perpetrator need assistance after a violent incident. We offer assistance in obtaining post-incident support for the victim, perpetrator, and any members of the school community who have been affected by the incident.
Staff Development
Our staff has participated in sessions on promoting violence-free schools. Future staff development sessions will provide staff with additional opportunities to develop the skills required to promote non-violent behaviours in our schools.
More Resources
View our Bullying and Harassment, Emergency Preparedness, and Safe Schools Policy pages or contact us for more resources.