Be Well

Safe Schools 

Potential Data Sources:  Student suspension data report (access to principals only)

• Suspension presentation information

Strategies:

Progressive Discipline Strategies:

• Determine which staff members are currently trained in Restorative Practices. Identify additional staff members who would benefit from this training and arrange for them to participate in the Restorative Practices training sessions offered by OCSB throughout the school year.

• Utilize the YMCA Alternatives to Suspension program as a preventive measure specifically (for high school students ONLY).

• Integrate programs like WITS and Dare to Care into the school's bullying prevention initiatives

Mentorship Programs:

• Pair at-risk students with caring adults in the school to offer guidance and support.

• Develop a buddy system where older students mentor younger, at-risk students.
  
  

Engagement Events:

• Organize events like "Rise to Shine" to teach students strategies for making positive choices and setting goals.

• Run workshops on goal-setting, time management, and decision-making skills.
  
  

Parental Involvement:

• Increase parent engagement through regular communication and involvement in school activities (perhaps use social media like FaceBook to advertise events to parents).

• Organize parent workshops to equip them with strategies to support their children's education and behavior at home.
  
  

Community Involvement:

• Bring in speakers from the community who specialize in working with at-risk students or addressing specific issues like online bullying.

• Collaborate with local organizations to provide additional support and resources for students and families.
  
  

Innovative Programs:

• Implement initiatives like "nature therapy" to provide alternative ways for students to manage stress and improve well-being.

• Create legacy projects for graduating students to promote positive contributions to the school community, such as a Grad Legacy Garden or a community service event like a Grad Pancake Breakfast.
  
  

Educational Opportunities Post-Suspension:

• When a student returns from suspension, the school team will use board resources to provide educational opportunities. These initiatives aim to help the student understand the reasons behind their actions being inappropriate, such as the use of offensive and or racist language. This approach ensures students learn the impact of their behavior and are equipped with the knowledge to make better choices in the future.
  
  

Suspension Review:

• The admin team will meet with guidance counselors and SST educators every term (every three months) to review suspension data. Core subject teachers may also be invited. Schools will look for patterns indicating a reduction in the number of suspensions.
  
  

Attendance Records:

• Monitor attendance records of at-risk students to identify trends and intervene early.
  
  

Restorative Circle Feedback:

• After a restorative circle, students will complete an exit ticket or survey with questions such as, “What went well today?” and “How can the school better support you?”
  
  

Parental Engagement Metrics:

• Track parent participation in school events and workshops, and gather feedback on the effectiveness of these initiatives.
  
  

Student Engagement Surveys:

• Conduct regular surveys to measure student engagement and the impact of mentorship programs, events, and other initiatives.

Mental Health and Well-Being Support

Potential Data Sources:  School climate survey

Strategies:  

• Schedule transition meetings for all grade 6 and grade 8 students to inform them of mental health services in their new school and in their community (i.e., Gr7 and Gr8 mandatory SMH-ON Mental Health Modules in French and in English).  

• Invite school-based clinical teams (social workers, psychologists, mental health workers and behaviour analysts) to parent open house (spring) to inform grade 6 families of how they can access mental health services in the school and their community.   

• Schools to promote school and community mental health resources by posting posters created by mental health workers in classrooms and by posting visuals (provided by the MH workers) on the big screens in common areas 

• Create a school well-being toolkit in collaboration with school-based clinical staff (mental health workers, social workers, addiction counsellors, psychologists, etc.) while including staff and student voice 

• Teachers can include mental health resources in their signature lines on their school email accounts

• Promote the use of the School Mental Health Ontario Wayfinder and selected web lessons at staff meetings

Absenteeism

Potential Data Sources:  Attendance reports from Compass, PowerSchool

Strategies:

• Promote collaborative relationships with parents and caregivers by: 

• using the Attendance toolkits for educators and for administrators when addressing attendance 

(1. OCSB Administrator Attendance Toolkit ; 2. OCSB Educator Attendance Toolkit )

• Greeting students and caregivers on the yard at the start of the day and at dismissal

• Coordinating events for parents at school

• Making “sunshine calls” to parents to inform them of their children’s successes

• Collaborate with SESS clinical staff to offer parent workshops of relevance to the local parent community

• Include attendance as a school readiness skill when communicating information to parents of kindergarten registrants

• Be intentional in creating a welcoming environment within your school community by:

• Changing the wording on late slips to be more welcoming, such as “we missed you and we’re glad you’re here”

• Use strategies provided in the Attendance toolkits for educators and administrators

• Identify students who are at-risk or who appear to be socially-isolated and assign a staff member to intentionally seek out these students for regular check-ins and conversations

• Access training in restorative practices and use community-building restorative practices.  

• In younger grades, encourage children to write cards, express welcoming messages when students are missing from their class, or when they return.

• Leverage data to identify local attendance trends and needs: 

• Gather accurate absenteeism data by assigning a coordinator role to one staff member who will be responsible for ensuring that daily attendance rosters are completed

• Create a school-based attendance working group/committee that would meet regularly to review absenteeism data to identify school-specific trends in absenteeism and to implement solutions to barriers to attendance

• Highlight the importance of attendance by:

• listing attendance as a standing item on the staff meeting agenda and by reviewing trends, initiatives, progress on attendance at these monthly staff meetings

• Sharing school attendance data in mass communication with families (newsletters, emails…)

• Pilot attendance campaign initiatives, such as involving students to create posters, come up with slogans., compete for best attendance against other classrooms, schools.

Behaviour Health, Staff/Student Safety

Potential Data Sources:

• Improved staff reports of feeling safe at school (School climate survey)

• Improved student reports of feeling safe at school (School climate survey)

• Reduced occurrences of student violence toward staff (i.e.,  Violent Incident Reports)   

• Reduced occurrences of unsafe student behaviour (e.g., aggression, elopement, property destruction) that lead to:

  • use of classroom safety protocols (e.g., google form to track incidents of classroom evacuation and staff support calls)

  • use of physical/safety interventions (i.e., Physical Intervention Reports)

Strategies: 

• All staff attend training for Verbal De-escalation OR Nonviolent Crisis Intervention procedures, training selected as appropriate to the role.

  • (Measurement - Percent of staff trained: goal 100%, scaffold toward goal by lower percent)

• Improve consistency of staff Implementation of Verbal De-escalation OR Nonviolent Crisis Intervention procedures by regular scheduled meetings 

  • Immediate debrief of events with direct staff team involved

  • Regular review of school incidents of unsafe behaviours or violence (VIR, PIR, google form reports of support calls or class evacuations) as a staff to self-assess implementation of safety plans and de-escalation procedures

  •  (Measurement - implementation checklist, self/school assessment survey) 

• Improve consistency of reporting practices by increasing staff understanding and awareness of the definitions and reporting procedures related to Violent Incidents and Physical Interventions. 

  • Whole staff review of reporting practices and procedures

  • (Measurement - Pre/Post assessment of understanding of definitions and how to report)

• Create a school based committee (Safety Plan Committee) to oversee the development and regular review of school safety plans 

  • Reach out to appropriate SESS personnel to assist and review the development and implementation of safety plans 

  • Students who require a safety plan (based on WGTL) will have an up to date safety plan 

  • (Measurement students with plan/ students who meet criteria - goal 100%, scaffold toward goal by lower percent) 

• Training with appropriate staff (Safety Plan Committee) to develop an understanding of how to identify students who need a safety plan (based on workplace guide to the law criteria)  

  • PD provided to the school based committee by appropriate SESS members.

• Develop safety plans following a criteria that integrates the VD/NCI de-escalation and safety responses. 

  • (Measurement - safety plan audit, Evaluation of Safety Plan against criteria)

Goals for Students

Strategies: 

• Provide students with learning experiences and instructions that are positive and supportive

• Focus on students’ Mental Health and Well-Being through a trauma informed (culturally affirming) lens

• Provide learning flexibility for all students to lower stress and dysregulation (Hope and kindness focus)

• Focus on SMH-ON/SEL strategies, compassion and other tiered interventions

• Implement Well-Being strategies to accommodate all students (mental Health and and well-being literacy is for all)

• Promote Mental Health services, supports, and interventions that are available to students (both in school and in the community) through an upstream preventative approach of support

• Communication, newsletters, advertising, social media (Focus on student voice, engagement and empowerment through care and availability of mental health support and resources that are accessible to all)

Goals for Staff

Strategies: 

• Provide preventative supports/strategies as requested and as needed for all staff (i.e. EAP, resources, etc.)

• Streamline/provide support for workload, especially when teachers/staff are planning ‘extra’ or experiential activities which take “more time” (i.e., extra planning/ paperwork field trip, guest speaker, etc.)

• Create welcoming and safe school environments  

• Honouring every teacher and staff and supporting their wellness/well-being in various team activities

• Increase and support a variety of staff mental health, social and team building activities

• Consider Mental Health literacy to support staff (i.e., SMH-ON, MH committees, differentiated options for staff on PD days, staff surveys, book clubs, socials, etc.)

• Be aware of the importance of work-life balance and kindness for all staff

Overall Mentally Healthy Schools Goals

Strategies: 

• Consider the School Mental Health Checklist

• Do guided relaxation activities 

• Co-plan gratitude activities and assignments as a team

• Time to input on administrative tasks

• Create greater team cohesiveness through school events and activities 

• Provide a safe environment where all students/staff feel welcome and understood.

• Educators/staff integrate SMH-ON/SEL/Mentally Healthy Schools practices into everyday routines of the classroom in ways that are simple, usable and culturally /affirming-responsive

• Continue to focus on evidence based-practices and mental-health capacity for students, staff and families across our system in the upcoming school year (building towards implementation) 

• Review our OCSB Mental Health, Addiction and Well-Being Strategy