Safe and Accepting Schools

Catholic Community, Culture and Caring Initiatives

Safe Schools 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
Anti-Human Trafficking Video

Bullying Prevention and Awareness Week

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 (2022-2025): Global events over the past few years have affected the daily lives of all students and families, creating a need for DPCDSB to be responsive to student well-being. The DPCDSB approach to mental health and well-being is faith-based, inspired by scripture, and rooted in human dignity. In line with Catholic Social Teaching, there is preferential concern for those most in need.

The Mental Health and Well-Being Guiding Framework 2022-2025 shows how DPCDSB will respond to students’ needs to be validated, motivated, and feel a sense of belonging. Well-being strategies are positioned as the foundational work of all staff to welcome and include students, to understand them, to promote mentally healthy habits, and create a supportive learning environment in which all students can thrive. The Mental Health and Well-Being Guiding Framework builds on the previous Guiding Framework, is an extension of the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan, a reflection of student voice, and an articulation of the plan to help each student excel. “The God of all grace will restore, support, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10)

DPCDSB's 2024-2025 Mental Health and Addictions Annual Action Plan
Accompanying the Mental Health and Well-Being Guiding Framework is the DPCDSB's 2024-2025 Mental Health and Addictions Annual Action Plan. Developed yearly, this plan outlines the system priorities and key actions for how staff will promote and mental health and well-being and respond to student, family, and caregiver needs.