Safe and Accepting Schools

Catholic Community, Culture and Caring Initiatives

Online Reporting Tool: The online reporting tool is now available board-wide and has proven useful. It can be found on every school website and is intended for Dufferin-Peel students to report bullying incidents and negative behaviours impacting the school community.

CCCC School Climate Survey: Catholic Community, Culture and Caring (CCCC) School Climate Survey is administered every two years to elementary and secondary students. The results help us to determine areas of planning focus with regards to safety, well-being, equity and inclusivity in our school communities.

CCCC School Climate Teams: School teams have been developed in response to our Catholic Board Learning Plan’s call to create safe, inclusive, caring environments. These teams share and develop safe school strategies based on the results from the School Climate surveys, Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations and Virtues program.

Keeping Students Safe: DPCDSB’s Framework and Response to Human Trafficking
“Human Trafficking is an unjustifiable violation of the victims’ freedom and dignity, which are integral dimensions of the human person willed and created by God. This is why it must be considered, without a doubt, a crime against humanity.” - Pope Francis

DPCDSB remains committed to promoting safety in schools. The Ontario Ministry of Education has provided school boards with a policy direction (PPM 166) to develop and implement a protocol to respond to suspected human trafficking occurrences. In response, DPCDSB has implemented prevention and intervention strategies to respond effectively and to support students who may be at risk of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a serious criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Canada. Human trafficking may include recruiting, harbouring or controlling a person’s movements using force, physical or psychological coercion, or deception and forcing them into labour or sexual services.

Increasing awareness and resources for parents are key components of DPCDSB’s human trafficking prevention strategy. DPCDSB provides regular training and updated resources to staff on anti- human trafficking and available school and community supports. Anti-human trafficking resources, training materials for staff and prevention materials will be reviewed regularly.

Resources:
Anti-Human Trafficking Info Sheet for Parents

Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week (November 2022)

Cannabis Legalization: Some helpful resources can be found on the following Cannabis Legalization Websites:

School Safety Planning: The School Safety Committee is a group of community partners working together to increase safety in the Region of Peel. Traffic congestion continues to increase in our communities; health and safety of our students are paramount concerns in these times. Dufferin-Peel has worked with a variety of community partners such as Peel Regional Police, Peel District School Board, Peel Health, Bike Brampton, to promote walking and biking to school with continued momentum. The benefits of walking and physical activity is positively linked to physical and mental health, as well as academic performance. A series of three short videos have been created through this partnership to support the work our schools are doing in helping parents understand the importance of using Kiss’n Ride safely, reducing traffic congestion and finding alternative ways of getting to school.

Equity in Pedagogy Workshop Series: This three-part workshop series addresses a variety of issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion within the context of creating Catholic conditions for learning. Participants are challenged to re-think the manner in which they deliver curriculum, address student needs and respond to our diverse communities. The series aims to create a safe and inclusive space where participants come together as a professional learning community. Through inquiry based learning, staff have an opportunity to dialogue, share, learn and develop strategies to address current issues and topics surrounding equity and inclusivity within our DPCDSB community.

Mental Health and Well-Being Guiding Framework (2018-2021): Over the past several years, Dufferin-Peel has nurtured a Catholic culture of well-being and achievement through the implementation of our Mental Health and Well-Being Guiding Framework. This framework aligns with our Catholic faith, the Strategic System Plan, the Catholic Board Improvement Learning Cycle, and our calling to support the dignity of every human person. Recognizing that every child is created in the image and likeness of God, our goal is to build a Catholic culture of well-being that supports all learners in their journey toward the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. We are committed to the common good (CBILC). The vision of our Guiding Framework is a thriving community where mental health and well-being are prioritized and nurtured, in support of the sacredness and dignity of all: EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE.

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