Safe and Accepting Schools
Hold & Secure is a response to a threat and/or incident in the school, on or very near school property. School life continues as normal inside the school; however, as a precautionary measure, outer doors are locked and no one enters or leaves the building. Note: As a result of Secure Access Systems that are installed at NNDSB elementary schools, outer doors are typically locked during the learning day.
Lockdown is used in a serious emergency situation where the threat is inside a school, on or very near to school property. A Lockdown minimizes access and visibility in an effort to shelter students, staff and visitors in secure locations. Similar to a Hold & Secure, all outer doors are locked; however a Lockdown requires that all students be kept in classrooms or other designated locations and that inner doors also be locked where possible. Entry to, and exit from, the building is restricted to emergency services personnel only.
During a Lockdown, lights are turned off in the classroom/office, curtains/blinds are closed where possible, cell phone use is restricted and all people inside the building should remain quiet. During a Lockdown, school phones will not be answered as the administration is tending to the ongoing situation. As cell phone use is restricted, students are asked not to use phones until cleared to do so. It’s important to note that each school across the Near North District School Board is required to practice two Lockdown drills per year to ensure students and staff know what to do in case of an emergency.
Fostering safe and accepting schools sets out expectations for all school boards to provide safe, inclusive and accepting learning environments that support the achievement and well-being of every student, including addressing bullying, implementing progressive discipline and creating a positive school climate.
NNDSB recognizes that safe, inclusive, and accepting school environments are essential for student success and well-being. Providing this type of learning environment is possible when a positive school climate has been cultivated through staff, student, parent, and community action. In fact, a positive school climate is dependent on these relationships and can only exist when everyone actively promotes positive behaviours and interactions; there is a culture of mutual respect; and equity is embedded within all actions and decisions. A positive school climate is a crucial component of preventing inappropriate and harmful behaviour.
The Safer Schools Reporting Tool is for students, parents or community members to reach out regarding a concern for student safety, particularly as it relates to discrimination or bullying. Concerns related to Safe Schools, including incidents of discrimination or bullying, can be reported directly to a school teacher, Principal, Vice-Principal, or any other school staff member. If you or somebody else is at immediate risk of harm, reach out to Police by dialling 911.
The information you provide in this form will be received by the school's principal so that it can be further investigated. We encourage you to provide as much information as possible to aid us in the investigative process. If you choose to leave your contact information, you will receive a response from the principal, however, the reporting tool can also be used anonymously should you not wish to be contacted.
Prior to completing this form, you must read the Terms and Conditions associated with using the form.
The trend of youth vaping in Canada has steadily grown over the past decade resulting in negative impacts to student health. The Safe Schools team conducted a pilot project that aimed to tackle this issue using vape detectors, student education and parent engagement. Read the final report to learn more about how five recommendations were implemented to reduce youth vaping on campus.
The Near North Safe Schools Team is excited to announce their recently developed service agreement with Amelia Rising, North Bay’s sexual violence support centre. We have teamed up with this organization to bring much-needed information to our youth regarding violence prevention. Utilizing a sequential learning approach grounded in application and critical thinking, these modules can be delivered as a ‘stand-alone’ or over the course of five sessions. As you will see in the Learning Modules Outline topics are purposefully designed to align with grade 7-12 learning expectations from the Ontario curriculum and address relevant topics including the FRIES model of consent, establishing boundaries, understanding the pyramid of violence, how to handle rejection and participate in healthy conflict. Students will also have the opportunity to create their own emotional first aid kit as they build self-awareness and learn about how to support survivors.
