Friday, Nov. 15, 2024

Week spotlights anti-racism education and new Bullying Prevention Plan

Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week occurs Nov. 18-22, 2024, and all schools across Near North District School Board will actively participate in this annual event.

Racist and discriminatory actions and words continue to increase across the  province, which is evident in schools. As a result, NNDSB’s Safe Schools team has identified the theme Call It Out for this year’s Bullying Awareness and Prevention week. The focus will be on providing skills for students and staff to identify and define racism and discrimination, as well as develop the skills needed to feel confident in calling it out when it occurs.

The Safe Schools team works with local and provincial partners to curate meaningful content for students that is tailored to provide specific, developmentally appropriate safety information for all students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

The North Bay Battalion continue to support NNDSB in cultivating safe, inclusive and welcoming spaces through video resources, school visits, and game spotlights. The Vincent Massey choir will be singing the national anthem at the Battalion game on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.

The North Bay Police Service, in partnership with Amelia Rising, is providing anti-human trafficking education to Grade 11 and 12 students at West Ferris and Chippewa Secondary Schools. Provincial and local experts will increase awareness of human trafficking and its impact on communities, educate students on how to identify the signs of human trafficking, empower students to become advocates for awareness and prevention, and provide resources for further education and involvement in combatting this issue.

Pink Shirt Day occurs on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. All staff and students are encouraged to wear pink to show that they pledge to call out bullying, racism or discrimination when they see it.

Harmony Movement will be providing a parent workshop entitled Words Matter. The workshop will be held virtually on Tuesday, Nov. 19, starting at 6:30 p.m. Participants will examine and understand how children are exposed to harmful and discriminatory language, practice how to respond to discriminatory language in a range of scenarios, and identify actions they can take to promote a culture of acceptance, respect, and understanding in all of our schools. Parents, caregivers, and community members can register here. Parry Sound High School will also be hosting a watch-party for those in the West Region. Join them at 6 p.m. for pizza and stay for the in-person watch party by registering here.

NNDSB is also happy to share an updated Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, which supports Safe and Accepting School Teams with a blueprint for creating student-centred plans that are tailored to the in-year needs of the students within the school.

Through these partnerships we can model citizenship for our students and demonstrate the power of coming together as a community to create safer spaces. “Presentations given by experts, role models, and community members allow us to make the content even more meaningful for our students,” said Principal of Safe Schools, Emily Samuel. “Our partners provide relevant and responsive knowledge that support our students’ development of personal safety and positive citizenship,” she added.

The Safe Schools team appreciates the work that all staff, parents and community members do to support inclusivity in our schools and neighborhoods. We encourage everyone to call out racism, discrimination and bullying when they see it to create safe spaces for all.

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