The Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division will be submitting its revised safe and caring schools procedure to the provincial government on March 31, say officials.
Board trustees approved the updated procedure at the Feb. 23 regularly scheduled board meeting.
School boards across the province have until the end of the month to submit updated safe school procedures to Alberta Education.
Administrative procedure No. 103 (Safe and Caring Learning Environments for Students) sets out the division's approach to issues such as bullying, justice, respectful relationships, language and human sexuality.
Under the procedure human sexuality includes “sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.”
It defines a respectful school environment as one that is physically, emotionally and psychologically safe and characterized by the following: caring; respect for law and order; respect for cultural and personal diversity; community, family, student and staff involvement; support within the school community; safe access to washrooms and change-room facilities; and clear, consistent expectations for behaviour and consequences for misconduct which are communicated to students, staff and families.
The procedure defines comments and actions that are contrary to a respectful school environment as including threats, intimidation, bullying or verbal abuse, and unwelcome remarks or jokes about subjects such as one's race, colour, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Under the updated procedure, schools may establish co-curricular learning opportunities (student groups) where an “enhanced cause for promoting respect for the human person may be established.
“When students, out of concern for each other within the school or within the greater or global communities seek to initiate this request, the following expectations will be followed (quoted in procedure):
• The principal must establish the supervisory and educational authority of the activity through the designation of a staff advisor who will monitor and support the student group.
• The principal must approve materials used within the student group and maintain supervision over conversations that support the intent of FOIPP legislation within the province.
• A name for student groups seeking to further respect for the human person will be approved by the principal, in consultation with the superintendent, will incorporate language in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church, and will respect the intent of this administrative procedure.
The complete Safe and Caring Learning Environments for Students procedure is available for view on the division's website at www.rdcrs.ca.
The Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division includes schools in Olds and Innisfail.
