From the Ontario Ministry of Education Website
Ministry of Education - Ontario.
Safe Schools Action Team Reference
Groups 
As you are aware, on December 14, [2004-5]
Education Minister Gerard Kennedy announced that a special Safe Schools Action
Team had been appointed to implement the government's comprehensive plan to
actively lead and study the improvement of preventative practices, policies,
programs and physical environments to ensure that every student is safe and
feels safe at school and on school grounds.
The Safe Schools Action Team is led
by Liz Sandals, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Community Safety and
Correctional Services. Other members include: Stu Auty, the founding director
of the Canadian Safe School Network, Ray Hughes, the National Education
Coordinator at the Centre for Prevention Science (CAMH) and Dr. Debra Pepler, a
Professor of Psychology at York University and a Psychologist at the Hospital
for Sick Children.
The Action Team has been drawing on
the knowledge of Ontario's school boards and experts in the areas of safe
schools and bullying at every stage of its work. One of the first projects
undertaken by the team was to create a robust safe schools audit to help
schools and communities assess both the physical safety and the social climate
of their schools.
Safe Schools Audit
The audit has three key goals.
Firstly, it will assist principals, school councils, educators, students and
parents to assess the safety of their schools. It will also increase awareness
of safety issues within the school and the community. Secondly, the audit will
provide schools, school boards, the ministry of education and the Action Team
with up-to-date information on the safety programs and conditions in our
schools. Finally, the results of the audit will be useful for school boards as
they plan their school renewal efforts, which are supported by the government's
recent $4 billion Good Places to Learn initiative.
The Action Team is finalizing the
audit in advance of it going out to schools and it is now available for your
review. The Ministry will provide the audit to school principals, on behalf of
their school councils in March. The Action Team will work with school boards to
determine a process for analyzing and delivering the results.
Anti-Bullying Initiatives
The Action Team will create a
provincewide anti-bullying hotline based on examples of successful hotlines
from across the province and the country. Members of the team will be working
with students, parents and educators to ensure that the hotline meets the needs
of Ontario's students and families.
The Action Team will also be forming
a reference group to support their work on anti-bullying. Members will identify
effective anti-bullying initiatives across Ontario, creating a set of key
provincewide criteria that boards and schools will use to establish effective
anti-bullying programs in every school.
This spring, the Action Team will
also host consultations on the issues arising from both the Robins Report's
recommendations and the implementation of the Safe Schools Act.
Working Together
Your continued commitment and
contribution are vital to ensuring that Ontario's schools are safe places for
students, teachers and education workers. If you are interested in submitting
your name for consideration for one of the reference groups, please fill out an
Ontario Provincial Education Network (OPEN) form and identify your interest in
the space under the Safe Schools check box. OPEN, our email network, will also
keep you up to date on important education developments, policies, and events
in the coming months. It also serves as a vehicle to exchange ideas and provide
the Minister with your insight. To access OPEN online visit www.edu.gov.on.ca.