Hamilton’s public school board says it’s making it simpler for staff to report bullying while refocussing a Nov. 29 professional activities day on the issue, in the aftermath of the stabbing death of a high school student last month.
Associate director Peter Sovran said the board will also ask a planned independent Safe Schools review panel to consult the public on any needed changes to policies on bullying prevention and intervention, as well as student behaviour and discipline.
Trustees agreed to strike the three-member panel on Oct. 28 but were unable to decide on its composition after more than two hours of closed-door discussion, deferring the matter to their Nov. 11 board meeting.
The panel is expected to submit recommendations by the end of May, but Sovran said the board isn’t waiting to act, and will improve an electronic system used to report bullying incidents to principals.
Board policy requires any employee working directly with students to report bullying to the principal as soon as possible and to file a written form within 24 hours for cases where a suspension or expulsion must be considered.
“We’re taking immediate steps to make it even more streamlined,” Sovran said.
“It’s even easier for a staff member to click once, fill out the form, it goes to the principal, the principal investigates, replies with the report saying, ‘received and looking into it,’ and then closes the loop.”
Sovran said the Nov. 29 professional activities day was initially dedicated to math but refocussed to bullying prevention and intervention to ensure staff has the support and resources needed to address incidents.
He said although the bullying and student discipline policies were already scheduled for review this school year, the Safe Schools panel offers the chance to consult the public more widely than usual to identify potential weaknesses.
“We’re not going to wait until May, obviously,” he said. “We’re going to hope that interim findings of the panel would be shared and we could bring them forward to the policy committee.”
The board’s efforts come as a local group is calling on students to stay at home on Nov. 7, the one-month anniversary of the stabbing death of 14-year-old Devan Bracci-Selvey outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.
Two teens, aged 14 and 18, are charged with first-degree murder in what critics say was the result of the board’s failure to act on complaints about ongoing bullying of Bracci-Selvey.
Organizer Keven Ellis of the 999th Legion of Child Rights said the peaceful, “silent protest” hopes to pressure the board to do more right away to combat bullying.
“I think if we can get enough of the kids to stay home with their parents’ permission on November the 7th that the school board will take notice much more so than they would if we were standing outside the schools chanting,” he said.
Ellis said dedicating a PA day to bullying is a positive step, but he’d like to see an email system to document and keep parents apprised of any actions taken when they report an incident against their child.
“Every single parent’s outcry is the same: They never get back to us; they just want us to be quiet and go away,” he said, suggesting some schools are more interested in protecting their reputation than bullying victims.
Hamilton’s public school board says it’s making it simpler for staff to report bullying while refocussing a Nov. 29 professional activities day on the issue, in the aftermath of the stabbing death of a high school student last month.
Associate director Peter Sovran said the board will also ask a planned independent Safe Schools review panel to consult the public on any needed changes to policies on bullying prevention and intervention, as well as student behaviour and discipline.
Trustees agreed to strike the three-member panel on Oct. 28 but were unable to decide on its composition after more than two hours of closed-door discussion, deferring the matter to their Nov. 11 board meeting.
The panel is expected to submit recommendations by the end of May, but Sovran said the board isn’t waiting to act, and will improve an electronic system used to report bullying incidents to principals.
Board policy requires any employee working directly with students to report bullying to the principal as soon as possible and to file a written form within 24 hours for cases where a suspension or expulsion must be considered.
“We’re taking immediate steps to make it even more streamlined,” Sovran said.
“It’s even easier for a staff member to click once, fill out the form, it goes to the principal, the principal investigates, replies with the report saying, ‘received and looking into it,’ and then closes the loop.”
Sovran said the Nov. 29 professional activities day was initially dedicated to math but refocussed to bullying prevention and intervention to ensure staff has the support and resources needed to address incidents.
He said although the bullying and student discipline policies were already scheduled for review this school year, the Safe Schools panel offers the chance to consult the public more widely than usual to identify potential weaknesses.
“We’re not going to wait until May, obviously,” he said. “We’re going to hope that interim findings of the panel would be shared and we could bring them forward to the policy committee.”
The board’s efforts come as a local group is calling on students to stay at home on Nov. 7, the one-month anniversary of the stabbing death of 14-year-old Devan Bracci-Selvey outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.
Two teens, aged 14 and 18, are charged with first-degree murder in what critics say was the result of the board’s failure to act on complaints about ongoing bullying of Bracci-Selvey.
Organizer Keven Ellis of the 999th Legion of Child Rights said the peaceful, “silent protest” hopes to pressure the board to do more right away to combat bullying.
“I think if we can get enough of the kids to stay home with their parents’ permission on November the 7th that the school board will take notice much more so than they would if we were standing outside the schools chanting,” he said.
Ellis said dedicating a PA day to bullying is a positive step, but he’d like to see an email system to document and keep parents apprised of any actions taken when they report an incident against their child.
“Every single parent’s outcry is the same: They never get back to us; they just want us to be quiet and go away,” he said, suggesting some schools are more interested in protecting their reputation than bullying victims.
Hamilton’s public school board says it’s making it simpler for staff to report bullying while refocussing a Nov. 29 professional activities day on the issue, in the aftermath of the stabbing death of a high school student last month.
Associate director Peter Sovran said the board will also ask a planned independent Safe Schools review panel to consult the public on any needed changes to policies on bullying prevention and intervention, as well as student behaviour and discipline.
Trustees agreed to strike the three-member panel on Oct. 28 but were unable to decide on its composition after more than two hours of closed-door discussion, deferring the matter to their Nov. 11 board meeting.
The panel is expected to submit recommendations by the end of May, but Sovran said the board isn’t waiting to act, and will improve an electronic system used to report bullying incidents to principals.
Board policy requires any employee working directly with students to report bullying to the principal as soon as possible and to file a written form within 24 hours for cases where a suspension or expulsion must be considered.
“We’re taking immediate steps to make it even more streamlined,” Sovran said.
“It’s even easier for a staff member to click once, fill out the form, it goes to the principal, the principal investigates, replies with the report saying, ‘received and looking into it,’ and then closes the loop.”
Sovran said the Nov. 29 professional activities day was initially dedicated to math but refocussed to bullying prevention and intervention to ensure staff has the support and resources needed to address incidents.
He said although the bullying and student discipline policies were already scheduled for review this school year, the Safe Schools panel offers the chance to consult the public more widely than usual to identify potential weaknesses.
“We’re not going to wait until May, obviously,” he said. “We’re going to hope that interim findings of the panel would be shared and we could bring them forward to the policy committee.”
The board’s efforts come as a local group is calling on students to stay at home on Nov. 7, the one-month anniversary of the stabbing death of 14-year-old Devan Bracci-Selvey outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.
Two teens, aged 14 and 18, are charged with first-degree murder in what critics say was the result of the board’s failure to act on complaints about ongoing bullying of Bracci-Selvey.
Organizer Keven Ellis of the 999th Legion of Child Rights said the peaceful, “silent protest” hopes to pressure the board to do more right away to combat bullying.
“I think if we can get enough of the kids to stay home with their parents’ permission on November the 7th that the school board will take notice much more so than they would if we were standing outside the schools chanting,” he said.
Ellis said dedicating a PA day to bullying is a positive step, but he’d like to see an email system to document and keep parents apprised of any actions taken when they report an incident against their child.
“Every single parent’s outcry is the same: They never get back to us; they just want us to be quiet and go away,” he said, suggesting some schools are more interested in protecting their reputation than bullying victims.