Safe Schools
Anti-Bullying Prevention & Intervention Plan
St. Joseph’s School
Anti-Bullying Prevention & Intervention Plan
Overview
St. Joseph’s School is committed to fostering Catholic values and ensuring all learning environments are healthy, safe, and inclusive. The Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Education Act, also reflects the Northwest Catholic District School Board (TNCDSB) Code of Conduct
This plan aims to create a welcoming and accepting school climate through prevention, intervention, and progressive discipline practices, in line with relevant policies, codes of conduct, and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
1.Mission & Vision
Grounded in Catholic faith, St. Joseph’s School partners with home, parish, and community to nurture students as compassionate, lifelong learners. We value each student as a unique child of God and work to create a culture of respect, inclusion, and belonging. Our vision is to empower students to live out their faith in action, build positive relationships, and contribute to the common good.
- Every person is created in the image and likeness of God.
- We love and celebrate one another, just as God loves and celebrates each one of us.
- We honour the inherent uniqueness of each other by rating one another with care, compassion and respect.
- We support the dignity and worth of all people and provide welcoming, safe spaces for everyone.
- All students deserve dignity, safety, and the right to learn free from harassment.
- Bullying prevention is a shared responsibility rooted in restorative justice, empathy, and community connections.
3.Definitions
Bullying
Bullying is behaviour that can be repeated or occur one time and can be carried out by an individual or group of individuals.
Bullying can occur in situations where there are real or perceived power imbalances between individuals or groups, and may be a symptom of racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, religious discrimination, ethnic discrimination or other forms of bias and discrimination. Bullying can also be based on, but not limited to, body size, appearance, abilities, or other real or perceived factors. Perceptions about differences are often based on stereotypes perpetuated in broader society. Bullying is repeated, aggressive behaviour that is intended to cause harm, fear, or distress to another individual
Bullying, including cyber-bullying, may be intentional or unintentional, direct or indirect.
It can take many forms including:
- physical (for example, pushing, tripping),
- verbal (for example, name calling, insults, threats, sexist/racist/transphobic comments),
- social, also known as relational (for example, spreading rumours, intentionally excluding others, humiliating others with public gestures) and
- causing harm to one’s property.
Cyber-bullying
Cyber-bullying is the act of engaging in bullying behaviors through electronic means such as social media platforms, email, text or direct messaging, digital gaming and/or communication applications.
Examples of cyber-bullying may include:
- sending or sharing hateful, insulting, offensive, and/or intimidating electronic communication or images via text messages, emails, direct messages
- revealing information considered to be personal, private, and sensitive without consent
- making and/or engaging, and/or participating in fake accounts on social networking sites to impersonate, humiliate and/or exclude others
- excluding or disrupting access to, a student on purpose from online chat groups, access to accounts and during digital gaming sessions
A whole school approach that heightens expectations for a safe, caring, equitable, inclusive and accepting learning environment. It includes a shared understanding about the nature and underlying causes of bullying and its effects on the lives of individual students and the school community.
A comprehensive and effective response to a bullying incident that takes into consideration all parties involved in the bullying incident. It should provide specific support for the student who has been bullied, interventions for the student who has bullied others and for the student who has been affected by witnessing the bullying.
The sum of all relationships found within the school and is a critical component of bullying prevention. A positive learning environment is accepting, equitable, and inclusive of all persons regardless of race, colour, culture, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, religion, family status, or disability. A positive learning environment engages the school community, including parents/guardians, as well as the broader community. A positive learning environment exists when all members of the school community feel safe, respected, and actively promote positive language, behaviours and interactions.
St. Joseph’s School has in place a Safe Schools Team responsible for school safety that is composed of at least one student (where appropriate), one parent, one teacher, one support staff member, one community partner and the principal or designate This team forms part of the St. Joseph’s School Council.
The collective whole of the personal relationships within a school. A positive climate exists when all members of the school community feel safe, comfortable, and accepted.
Sometimes bullying can be difficult to identify, as it can be confused with rough play, conflict, or teasing. Sometimes something may start as conflict or teasing and then cross over into bullying. The nuances of relationships between children require direct teaching and positive adult relationships to support regular reporting and coaching through times of conflict, rough play and teasing.
| Characteristic | Rough Play | Conflict | Teasing | Real Fighting | Bullying |
| Relationship Between Parties | Usually friends; mutual and fun | Friends or acquaintances; issue-focused | Usually not friends | Usually not friends | Typically not friends; may have past relationship |
| Power Balance | Equal' consensual | Relatively equal | Often equal | Can vary, often equal | Unequal; bully seeks power and control |
| Intent | Fun, not to harm | Resolve a disagreement | Can range from playful to hurtful | Harm or discomfort | Harm, control, humiliation |
| Remorse | Yes, if harm occurs | Yes; willing to resolve | May or may not be remorseful | Possibly; depends on person | Often not remorse; may blame target |
| Repetition | Often repeated with same partners | Occasionally, until resolved | Often repeated | Usually not | Repeated and persistent |
| Role Switching | Yes; who "wins" varies | Possibly | No | No | No |
| Use of Forse | Light; Self-limited | Minimal | Verbal or social | Can escalate; force used | Deliberate; often unchecked force or threats |
| Emotional Impact | Neutral or positive | Temporary emotional reaction | Varies | Strong emotional response | Intense, ongoing emotional distress for target |
| Facial Expression/ Atomosphere | Smiling, laughing | Serious, tense | Can include sarcasm, laughter | Hostile, tense | Bully: smug or angry; Target: sad, angry, helpless |
| Bystander Interest | Low; others not drawn in | Sometimes observed | Sometimes | Yes | Yes, especially when public or online |
| Aftermath | Return to play together | Move apart, often resolved | Separation | Separation | Ongoing fear, avoidance, or isolation of target |
A whole school approach brings everyone together to work toward creating a safe, inclusive, and accepting school where bullying problems are prevented and handled effectively when they arise. A whole school approach involves administration, teaching and school staff, children, youth, parents/guardians, and the broader community.
A whole school approach is the most effective way to prevent bullying and promote learning. Student learning depends on having positive relationships at school. When everyone works together for a safe, inclusive, and accepting school, students receive consistent messages and responses about bullying and positive relationships at school, at home, and in the community. By providing consistent messages, responses, and support that address bullying problems, school communities can promote positive, healthy relationships.
All adults who are responsible for children play an important role in teaching them about healthy relationships and bullying. Teachers, parents/guardians, and other adults involved in student’s lives:
- model relationship skills and attitudes
- create positive situations in which children and youth interact
Students will only learn positive relationship skills and attitudes if they observe and interact with adults who model positive relationships when interacting with other students and adults. All members of a school community must work together: administration, teaching and school staff, students, parents/guardians, and the broader community (e.g., police, family support services). In a whole school approach, professional learning opportunities are provided to everyone in the school community to promote awareness and provide effective solutions for bullying.
The school board policy and school plan sets the framework for a whole school approach by outlining not only the expectations and procedures for student behaviour, but also the expectations for all members of the school community. A whole school approach involves activities and initiatives that engage all members of the school community including: the students (individuals and classes), parents/guardians, school staff, community partners.
What are the components of “a whole school approach”?
a. Faith-Based Foundation: Catholicity
At St. Joseph’s School, in partnership with home, Church and community, we strive to lead all students to grow in the knowledge and love of Our Lord. We believe that each person (student, staff, parent or community member) is a gift from God who brings unique gifts and talents. We want our students to become confident, collaborative contributors who can make a difference in their world.
We do this by:
- Incorporating Christian living into daily learning
- Daily Prayer and Reflections
- Monthly liturgies
- Teaching of the Catholic Monthly Virtue in Connection with the Seven Grandfather Teachings
- Supporting each student in achieving the Catholic School Graduate Expectations.
b. Curriculum Integration
School and classroom-based learning activities that promote understanding of differences, inclusion and positive leadership are essential bullying prevention activities. By promoting positive relationships in and outside the classroom, all children and youth can be engaged in bullying prevention.
Teachers are responsible for establishing a collaborative and respectful classroom climate, effective strategies to set agreed upon norms for behaviour, open communication and appropriate responses for children and youth involved in bullying. Support for planning these complex tasks needs to be explicit about the importance of the school climate and quality of relationships for a child or youth well-being, their social-emotional development, and their academic success.
We do this by:
- Selecting resources that reinforce the human dignity of all people in our classrooms.
- Teaching about kindness and using learning to build positive peer collaboration.
- Embedding Social Emotional Learning into Mathematics, Family Life, Health and other areas as appropriate.
- Using Read Aloud and Writing activities as opportunities to reinforce social emotional learning.
- In collaboration with the school and board Mental Health and Indigenous Education Teams, selecting and delivering specific classroom programs such as: (Roots of Empathy, Kindness in the Classroom, Little Spot, Kids in the Know, etc.)
c. Positive School Climate Initiatives
Focusing on both classrooms and the entire school provides opportunities for students to participate in activities related to developing and maintaining a positive school climate. This can include whole school guest speakers, assemblies, celebrations, and school wide learning, challenges, and events that engage the entire student and staff population, and/or include the family, parish, community and school connections.
- Mental Health Week
- Catholic Education Week
- Words Matter Campaign
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Bullying Awareness Week
- Pink Shirt Day
- Catholic School Council Meetings
- Parent/Family Engagement Nights
- Inter and Intra-school athletics
- Transition to School Initiatives
- Breakfast/Nutrition Programs
- Adopt a Family Campaign
5. Reporting & Responding
Reporting:
The purpose of reporting serious student incidents is to ensure that the staff and the principal is aware of any activities taking place in the school for which suspension or expulsion must be considered and to help ensure a positive school climate.
Students:
Students should report incidents of bullying that they experience or witness immediately to the nearest staff member. Incidents are best addressed in a timely manner. If a student is uncomfortable reporting orally or to the on-duty supervisor, or their classroom teacher, they may go directly to the office, or another trusted adult in the building to report.
There is also an online reporting tool that can be used to report and provides the option of anonymously reporting. The link for the online reporting can be found on each school’s website. https://stjoseph.tncdsb.on.ca
Parents and guardians may be the first to hear about incidents that occur at school, if a parent has not been contacted by the school to discuss the incident, it is encouraged that they reach out to ensure that the incident has been reported.
Reaching out directly to the classroom teacher for incidents that occur in the classroom is the first step, and if a more serious incident has occurred or something has happened online, off school property or outside of instructional time, it is encouraged to reach out directly to the school administration. This can be done by calling the school office ((807)223-5227), emailing the school [email protected]; [email protected] or completing the online reporting tool from the school website https://stjoseph.tncdsb.on.ca
School & Board Staff, Volunteers:
Section 300.2 of Part XIII of the Education Act states that an employee of the TNCDSB who becomes aware that a student at a school of the TNCDSB may have engaged in a serious student incident shall report the matter to the principal as soon as reasonably possible. The employee must consider the safety of others and the urgency of the situation in reporting the incident, but, in any case, must report it to the principal no later than the end of the school day. All board employees must report in accordance with H-07B, Safe and Accepting Schools Suspensions and Expulsions.
All employee reports, including those made to the principal orally, must be confirmed in writing, using the "Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form - Part I".
In all cases, the principal must provide the employee who reported the incident with written acknowledgement, using the "Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form - Part ll". If no further action is taken by the principal, they are not required to retain the report. Information that could identify the student(s) involved must not be part of the acknowledgement.
If the Principal has decided that action must be taken because of a serious student incident, they will file a copy of the reporting form with documentation indicating the action taken in the Ontario Student Record of the student whose behaviour was inappropriate. The names of all the other students that appear on the form (both students who engaged in the activity and students who have been harmed) must be removed from the form before it is filed.
All school and board staff are required to intervene when they see bullying occurring, or if an incident of bullying has been reported to them (if it is safe to do so). School staff are responsible for developing the classroom routines and rules, and ensuring that the board policies and procedures, including the code of conduct, progressive discipline, safe and accepting schools, and anti-bullying procedures are followed in their respective classrooms, and within the school community.
Classroom teachers are responsible for maintaining proper discipline and being positive role models for students. The Elementary Progressive Discipline and School Safety Chart is a reference for staff for early and ongoing interventions.
The classroom learning, and connections with school support staff (including the school mental health team) are all available to school staff to support the development of a positive classroom environment.
Paying close attention to interactions, stopping inappropriate behaviour in the moment, and taking the time to support the victim, and teach the perpetrator, provide the foundation for restoring relationships and ensuring that students can appropriately interact with one another.
Teacher
Regular communication with parents and guardians supports the school, home and parish relationship. Parents are an important partner, and should be notified of their child’s progress, challenges and success in school. Classroom
Section 300.3 of the Education Act specifies when principals are required to notify the parents/guardians of students who have been harmed as the result of a serious student incident. Principals shall disclose the following information:
- the nature of the activity that resulted in harm to the student,
- the nature of the harm to the student,
- steps taken to protect the student's safety, including the nature of any disciplinary measures taken in response to the activity; and,
- the support that will be provided for the students in response to the harm that resulted from the activity.
The principal shall invite the parents/guardians to discuss support for their child. Principals shall disclose the following information:
- the nature of the activity that resulted in harm to the other student,
- the nature of the harm to the other student,
- the nature of any disciplinary measures taken in response to the activity; and,
- the support that will be provided for the student in response to engaging in the activity.
When notifying parents/guardians of these incidents, the principal must invite parents to have a discussion with them about the support that will be provided for their child.
6. Roles & Responsibilities
All members of the school community play important roles in bullying prevention, and the understanding of how to identify and appropriately intervene and teach when bullying occurs.
- Recognize the importance of using timely evidence-based interventions and support with a school-wide approach.
- Use teachable moments within a progressive discipline approach to address inappropriate behaviour and consider all mitigating factors.
- Have in place processes and strategies to identify and respond to bullying when it happens.
- Identify strategies for supporting all students involved in bullying.
- Communicate the progressive discipline approach to the school community and the procedures in place to support the student.
Principals:
The success of bullying prevention initiatives depends on the school administration championing bullying prevention initiative and matching resources to students, classrooms as needed. It also depends on principals and all the school staff’s engagement and implementation of the program.
The administration uses data from safe schools’ reports, the school climate survey, conversations and observations to determine the needs of the school and set clear goals with the safe school’s team, and student achievement planning team.
Administrators set the tone for the school and model the types of relationships that are valued in the school. Principals must be aware of their own behavior and how that impacts students, staff and families. They are responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are followed, that issues are managed in a restorative, respectful manner that leads to further learning. This can include issuing consequences up to and including suspension or expulsion. For more information on this see the H-07 administrative procedures.
All principals will:
- Post the TNCDSB Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan and the school's Bullying and Intervention Plan on their school's website.
- Post the member titles of the Safe Schools Team on their school's website.
- Review and ensure that a specific annual plan (see appendix for monthly breakdown) is in place for their school.
Teachers play a critical role in the success of bullying prevention. They model respect, respond to incidents in the moment, work with students to develop their relational skills, teach SEL, and collaborate with school and community partners to provide specific programming to meet their students’ needs.
Teachers are responsible for establishing a collaborative and respectful classroom climate, effective strategies to set agreed upon norms for behaviour, open communication and appropriate responses for children and youth involved in bullying. Support for planning these complex tasks needs to be explicit about the importance of the school climate and quality of relationships for student well-being, their social-emotional development, and their academic success.
Each adult working in a school plays an important role in prevention of bullying. This can be the way that they supervise during meal and recess times, the way they respond and teach, and the way that they interact and model appropriate relationships with students and one another. By promoting positive relationships in and outside the classroom, all students can be engaged in bullying prevention. Those students who are involved directly in bullying, either as a child or youth who is engaged in bullying, or a child or youth who is victimized, or in both roles, will need extra intervention support. Individual and small group work to support students in this way, is often led by support staff in the schools.
Students play an essential role in creating and maintaining a positive school environment that is free from bullying. They are responsible for treating their peers with kindness and respect, and for including others in friendships and group activities. When students witness bullying, it is their duty to speak up, support those who are targeted, and report the incident to a trusted adult. By standing together against bullying and choosing to act with empathy and integrity, students help foster a culture of safety, belonging, and mutual support in their school community. Through these actions, every student contributes to making the school a place where everyone feels valued and protected.
A whole school approach provides opportunities for parents/guardians to learn about bullying, about the school’s bullying prevention initiatives, and to become engaged. Parents/guardians are essential partners in addressing bullying problems at school.
Parents/guardians of children who are bullied are often aware of their children’s distress long before the school knows of bullying. These parents/guardians can raise concerns with teachers and participate in finding ways to support their children. Parents/guardians of children who bully are also important in the interventions. We recognize the challenges that may be in place for a parent to recognize and support their child who is engaging in bullying behaviour, however know, that the most effective interventions and teaching are reinforced between school and home. By talking with parents/guardians and trying to collaborate with them, the school may be able to move a student off a troubled path of bullying, which often leads to further challenges as they age.
Although bullying problems unfold most frequently within the school, they are not just school problems. It is important, therefore, to extend an understanding of bullying and strategies to address bullying problems into the broader community. Schools can develop partnerships with agencies within the community (e.g., police, recreation, public health, mental health, family support). These agencies can not only provide prevention education in the school, but they can also support the school to intervene with children and youth who are experiencing severe difficulties.
8. Monitoring
St. Joseph’s School will monitor, review, and evaluate the effectiveness of its anti-bullying programs and bullying intervention through school-based data collection, the school climate survey, and feedback through safe schools’ committees.
St. Joseph’s School will annually monitor, review, and evaluate the effectiveness of the school's Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan in consultation with its Safe Schools Team, Family of Schools Superintendent, teachers, other school staff, students, and school councils. The Safe Schools Team will receive School Climate Survey data, and other census-related data as it becomes available, from the TNCDSB and will review and analyze the data for planning and implementation.
9. Annual Professional Development
St. Joseph’s School, in collaboration with the TNCDSB, will establish and provide ongoing professional dialogue and training and resources to educate academic council members, teachers, and other school staff about bullying prevention and strategies for promoting a positive school climate, in accordance with paragraph 7.1 of subsection 170(1) of the Education Act.
10. References and Additional Resources
- Adolescent Mental Health: Teasing vs Bullying: Key Differences & Impact on Kids
- Similarities and Differences between Rough-and-Tumble Play, Real Fighting, and Bullying, by the Hazelden Foundation, 03_r-t_play_fight_bully
- Is it rough Play, conflict or bullying?
https://educator.jewishedproject.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/Similarities%20and%20Differences.pdf- CASSA Eradicate Hate Toolkit: #EradicateHate - CASSA
- We Matter Teacher Toolkit – use the We Matter videos talk about HOPE, HEALING, and MENTAL HEALTH with Indigenous youth
- Toolkit for Teachers • We Matter
- Rick Hansen foundation Inclusion and Accessibility: Professional Development for Educators | Rick Hansen Foundation
- School Mental Health Ontario: School Mental Health Ontario
- School mental Health Ontario Healthy Relationship Skills: https://smho-smso.ca/emhc/healthy-relationship-skills/
- Prevent https://www.prevnet.ca/
- Ontario Ministry of Education: Bullying: we can all stop it https://www.ontario.ca/page/bullying-we-can-all-help-stop-it
- Education Worlds- Bullying intervention strategies that work https://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues103.shtml
- Cyberbullying: https://cyberbullying.org/
- Be Web Aware: https://mediasmarts.ca/resources-for-parents
- PPM 144
- PPM 128
- PPM 145
| Month | Activity | Responsibility |
| September |
1. Send home a copy of the Code of Conduct
|
Principal |
| 2. Identify the School Based Safe Schools Committee | Principal & Safe School Committee | |
| 3. Discuss and share school policies and practices regarding bullying and safe and accepting schools (school-based assembly and in class reinforcement) | Principal/Staff/Students | |
| 4. Review the results of the school climate survey and use to identify goals and determine areas of focus with students and staff. | Principal and SAP team with St. Admin Guidance | |
| October | 5. Explore explicit training and look for's to staff for bullying prevention and intervention | Principal |
| 6. Plan Bullying Awareness Week (third week of November) Activities | Principal/Mental Health Team/Safe Schools Committee | |
| 7. Safe schools committee meeting: Review school climate and bullying prevention goals, metrics of success and activities for the upcoming school year. | Safe Schools Committee | |
| November | 8. Include in a parent newsletter (or social media/website post) what your school is doing to address bullying. | Principal |
| 9. Bullying Awareness Week (third week of November) Activities | Principal/Mental Health Team/Safe Schools Committee | |
| 10. Report the results of previous School climate survey, and current year assessments and identify and tweak goals for the year to school staff and committees | Principal (Staff meeting, Safe School Committee, Catholic School Council) | |
| 11. Maintain focus on Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | Staff | |
| December | 12. Maintain focus on Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | Staff |
| |
||
| January | 13. Maintain Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | School Staff |
| 14. Plan and hold a student led Anti Bullying initiative for the whole school | Safe Schools Committee | |
| February | 15. Maintain Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | School Staff |
| 16. Review Safe School activities with staff and provide mini 15 minute information exchange of what classes are doing | School Staff/Principal | |
| 17. Engage champions in Whole School Activity Planning (Consider Words Matter Day, CEW, MH Week) | Safe School Committee | |
| March | 18. Maintain Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | School Staff |
| 19. Parent letter about supporting healthy relationships with an activity in it. | Principal | |
| 20. Plan a Bullying Awareness evening for students and parents | Safe School Committee | |
| April | 21. Maintain Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | Staff |
| 22. Host a Bullying Awareness evening for students and parents | Safe Schools Committee | |
|
May
(Catholic Education Week and Mental Health Awareness Week)
|
23. Maintain Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | Staff |
| 24. Conduct Safe School and Bullying Assessment | Safe School Committee | |
| 25. Debrief with Safe School Committee about what worked, what did not work. and what are the current needs | Safe School Committee | |
| 26. School wide activities for CEW and MH linked back to Bullying | Principal and Mental Health Team and Board Pastor | |
| 27. Words Matter Day Activity | Principal | |
| 28. Communication to come about the School Climate Survey | Prinncipal | |
| June | 29. Maintain Bullying Prevention programs and appropriate intervention | School Staff |
| 30. End of year assembly celebrating Healthy Relationships and Safe School Initiatives | School Staff | |