System-wide safe school team pilot to launch in September

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board develops new guiding principles via Positive School Climate Teams to meet provincial mandates

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is heralding a new team approach to address bullying and create safer school environments.

Superintendent of safe and caring schools Sonal Gohil joined local principals Scott Johnson and Jason Huffman for a presentation on the Positive School Climate Team pilot, during Tuesday’s program review committee meeting.

The pilot, being offered currently at 12 schools, is tasked to foster safe and inclusive spaces using data to inform evidencebased strategies.

The pilot builds on the Policy/ Program Memorandum 144 issued by the Ministry of Education in November 2021, that provides direction to school boards to support bullying prevention and intervention in schools. Safe and Accepting School Teams were noted as being required to foster positive school climates.

Last June, the board made amendments to administrative regulations to reflect the144 requirements and transform Safe and Accepting Schools Teams into Positive School Climate Teams.

The pilot project was launched in September, along with revisions to the board’s Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan template.

Work has since been ongoing, noted Huffman, including several meetings this year regarding the creation of teams at each of the pilot schools.

Huffman said the required composition of these teams – a minimum of one student, teacher, parent, CUPE education worker, community member and principal/vice-principal – is currently tailored to meet the unique needs of each school.

For example, Huffman – who is principal at Havelock-Belmont

Public School – said his team includes seven students in an effort to reflect voices for each grade, as well as Havelock’s mayor, who is also a school parent.

The pilot is using the board’s own action plan as a template as committees work on various facets of learning, engagement and enrichment.

Collaborating meetings with partners and schools is scheduled to take place in May, with ongoing consultation with stakeholders in June. Those involved in the pilot will also be surveyed.

Huffman added guiding principles will be distributed in the fall, followed by a system-wide roll out in the 2024-2025 school year.

Trustee Angela Lloyd questioned the level of “buy in” by schools and communities, while board chairperson Jaine Klassen Jeninga expressed concern over small community and rural schools – the majority of those involved in the pilot are urban – that may not have the same “pool” to acquire committee members.

Sonal Gohil, superintendent of education, didn’t anticipate either being an issue, noting the program will be rolled out slowly. She noted principals have expressed an interest in launching in their schools and supports will be provided.

Associate director Drew McNaughton supported Gohill, adding he “believes schools, and school communities, want this and will embrace the opportunity.”

“It’s not an initiative that will be wrapped up in one school year. It’s not something we’re going to tie up with a bow at the end of June and move on to the next initiative,” pointed out Huffman. “We recognize that this is ongoing.”

The presentation was received and will be forwarded to the board’s regular meeting on May 28.