Grand Erie District School Board is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and positive space for all students and staff. Our school communities are places where all students and staff need to be respected, welcomed, nurtured, engaged and encouraged.
Grand Erie District School Board does not condone bullying, and it will not be accepted on school property, on school buses, or in any other circumstances (i.e.: online), as engaging in bullying will have a negative impact on the school climate.
In Grand Erie we see bullying as a dynamic of unhealthy interactions and recognize that can take many forms. It can be: physical (e.g.: hitting, pushing, tripping etc.), verbal (e.g.: name calling, mocking, or making sexist, racist or homophobic comments), social (e.g. excluding others from a group, spreading gossip or rumours), and or through the use of technology (e.g. cyberbullying, spreading rumours, images or hurtful comments through the use of email, cell phones, text messaging, internet web sites, or other technology).
Our Board policy promotes students adhering to codes of conduct both in person and online. We promote personal and family responsibility for student behaviour and involve supports for students where intervention beyond the level of the classroom is required.
Serious consequences for in person or online bullying can range from short term suspensions to expulsion or exclusion from school. Approaches to student misbehaviour uses the progressive discipline model, which emphasizes education and support in correcting student misbehaviour. Community partners work collaboratively with us toward creating safe and inclusive school environments where students feel they belong.
We strive to create open school environments where there is open communication, where students report concerns to teachers, and parents bring their concerns to staff. Open information sharing encourages opportunities to intervene early and solve problems together. In Grand Erie we work collaboratively with our community partners toward student safety and well-being, which are foundations to student success.
Work to support students engaging in healthy relationships and personal responsibility happens each day, all year long. In addition to relationships with teachers, Educational Assistants, Principals, and other school staff, our Child and Youth Workers and Social Workers are in every school in Grand Erie and provide individual and classroom-based support regarding healthy relationships, personal responsibility and self-regulation, to name a few. Safe and Inclusive Schools provides education about internet and social media safety, as well as power and personal responsibility.
We also provide parent education to support parent awareness about the impact of social media on our students and how they can educate themselves and their children to safeguard against the constant dangers of online communities and the impact of the information that is shared in those spaces.
In November every year Grand Erie recognizes Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. Highlighting the importance of the impact of unhealthy relationships and power imbalance promotes our school’s awareness of the potential harm that is caused. During this week we also focus on skill building and problem solving to equip students with tools.
Province of Ontario website on bullying.
Watch Video: Bullying Awareness: Active Bystanders
Most of the work to address unhealthy relationships happens at the school level. Here are links to the policies and procedures for Grand Erie and the Province of Ontario that guide this work.
Grand Erie’s Safe and Inclusive Schools policies and procedures:
Bullying Prevention and Intervention SO10
Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour SO11
Equity and Inclusivity in Education SO14
Violence Threat Risk Assessment and Intervention SO29
Safe and Accepting Schools provincial policies:
Policy/Program Memorandum 9: Reporting of Children in Need of Protection
Policy/Program Memorandum 120: Reporting Violent Incidents to the Ministry of Education
Policy/Program Memorandum 123: Safe Arrivals
Policy/Program Memorandum 128: The Provincial Code of Conduct and the School Board Codes of Conduct
Policy/Program Memorandum 141: School Board Programs for Students on Long-Term Suspensions
Policy/Program Memorandum 142: School Board Programs for Expelled Students
Policy/Program Memorandum 144: Bullying Prevention and Intervention
Policy/Program Memorandum 145: Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour
Reference Material
Safe at School https://www.safeatschool.ca/
PREVNet https://www.prevnet.ca/bullying
The Canadian Safe Schools Network https://cssn.me/resources-for-parents