What are schools doing to make them safe?

Education is about teaching all students not only about academics, but about how to be good citizens. This means teaching about acceptable behaviour, how to make good decisions and work with others. Schools are about education in the broadest terms and education has to be uppermost rather than punishment or retribution.

Since 2006, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has been following the seven correlates for effective schools. One of these is safe and orderly environments.

To keep schools safe HWDSB uses several different approaches:

The first is preventive work:

• Promotion of early learning and care programs in schools: 68 elementary schools have some sort of program now including Best Start resources for parents, and the 6 new HWDSB parenting centres.
• All elementary schools have at least one anti-bullying initiative such as peer mediation, supported by the anti-bullying co-ordinator. Our schools probably have the most peer mediation programs of al schools in the province according to Dr Chuck Cunningham who has promoted this approach
• Engaging students through: the Caring- Adult programs in high schools; mentoring EAs in ten middle schools; the new hall monitor programs in some high schools; after school programs provided with the help of many partners; summer Focus on Youth programs; special interest programs such as athletics, drama, music, and high skills majors and Programs of Choice; special boys or girls only programs such as Boys to Men and GO girls; and NEYAWEH and SHAE programs.
• Roots of Empathy programs in more than 70 schools, which promote the cultivation of empathy for others through a program which concentrates on babies and their needs and development.
• Appropriate social skills and conflict resolution are taught throughout the Board through the Character Builds program.

The second is providing programs to change behaviour:

These include;

• Counselling and anger management programs in conjunction with our community partners including the Police, the John Howard Society and Alternatives for Youth
• A range of interventions (progressive discipline) including in -school detentions, several different types of alternative programming, working with parents, and setting up contracts with students.
• Programs for suspended and expelled students managed by the Principal of Safe schools
• New Restorative Justice programs which teach students to take responsibility for their actions
• Additional funding to enhance elementary school support at an early intervention level for students who have identified behaviour issues

The third is about providing safe environments:

• Surveys of students about their feelings about the safety of their schools with subsequent action plans
• Audits of schools to determine unsafe areas in schools
• Provision  of lighting and video cameras in unsafe areas
• Close liaison with the Hamilton Police Service and school councils.

 Judith Bishop Fall 2008