At Deer Lake School, the safety and well being of children is of paramount consideration. Children deserve to be protected from abuse, neglect, bullying, harm or threat of harm. Therefore, Deer Lake School will ensure that children attending this school will experience a learning environment that enables every child to feel safe, accepted and respected.
Deer Lake School will continuously develop strategies to make students feel valued, respected, and connected with the school community. This will include the protection of the students’ physical safety, social connectedness, inclusiveness as well as protection from all forms of bullying, regardless of their gender, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, while remaining consistent with the Seventh-day Adventist faith-values, cultural perspective and philosophical values.
Any student engaging in activities of promoting hatred, intolerance, aggression, or hostility, including bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, intimidation, threatening or violent behaviour against any individual or group because of their gender, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression threatens the safety and wellbeing of students. These behaviours may occur at school, at a school-related activity, or in any other circumstances where engaging in the activity will have an impact on the school environment. These aforementioned activities will immediately become subject to disciplinary review which may include consultation with parents and legal authorities. A student's age, unique personal needs and mitigating circumstances will be considered in such a review, and every sensible option to educate and remediate will be explored. However, the protection of every student's physical safety, social connectedness, inclusiveness as well as protection from all forms of bullying, will carry the highest priority. Major behavioural infractions such as these may result in removal from enrollment at Deer Lake School and/or referral to law enforcement.
Deer Lake School and the authority will take all reasonable steps to prevent retaliation by a person against a student who has made a complaint concerning a breach of this policy.