Keeping Students Safe: Anti-sex Trafficking Protocol

The Keeping Students Safe: Anti-Sex Trafficking Protocol for both Elementary and Secondary students for the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board has been developed to ensure that all students entrusted in our care understand that their mental health, well-being and safety are critical components of their ability to reach their full potential.  This protocol will support coordinated action by all community partners to prevent, identify and recognize sex trafficking and develop responses to facilitate early and appropriate intervention.

Mental Health and Well-being Strategy 2023-2026

The Board Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy is aligned with our Board Improvement Plan, Special Education Plan and Safe Schools Policy to create the foundation and action plan for achieving our vision and values as a Catholic community. It is a reflection of our focus on collaboration as a necessary strategy for building our capacity to respond to the needs of our students, families and staff. 

Mental Health and Well-being Action Plan 2024-2025

In addition to implementing the 3-year strategy (see above), we also identify Annual Action Plans.  Please click here (link to come) for the 2024-2025 action plan.   

Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention Protocol

The Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention Protocol for Elementary and Secondary School Students has been developed to ensure that all students entrusted in the care of NPSCDSB, understand that their mental health and well-being is a critical component of their ability to reach their full potential.  The protocol will act to clarify roles and responsibilities of school personnel, other professionals, parents and caregivers in relation to supporting students around suicide. 

Critical Events Response Team (CERT)

It is important that at critical times in their lives, staff, students and their families feel God's love by receiving the gift of 'gentle healing hands' during times of pain and grief to assist them in dealing with loss. In response to this need, a Critical Events Response Team (CERT) was formed and a manual developed to provide support to school communities and assist or empower them to respond to a death or critical event in their community. This initiative began in the 1999-2000 school year and in-service training was provided to volunteers from every school staff during the 2000-2001 school year. The CERT manual provides information about establishing school teams, the grief journey, the developmental stages of children's understanding of death, suicide, communication, helpful guidelines for dealing with the media, liturgical and memorial celebrations, activities for professional development and a list of resources. Resources have also been purchased to provide support to Critical Events Response Teams and staff and are available at the Instructional Resource Centre.

"Know that I am with you always. Yes, to the end of time." -Matt 28:20

Rainbows

"Rainbows" for All God's Children

When a child experiences a significant loss in his/her life, whether through death, divorce or other long term circumstance, the impact can be devastating. Since the early 1990s, children in our Catholic schools have received support when needed from the Rainbows program. This volunteer program is facilitated by a variety of teachers and educational assistants who are trained Rainbows facilitators. These people seek to provide grieving students with a peer support process that generally lasts three to four months in a compassionate school-based setting. The viability of Rainbows in any particular school is always dependent upon parental cooperation, a minimum enrollment of three children and a maximum enrollment of five participants, and the availability of a trained facilitator. For more information, contact your local school or Board office.

Risk Watch

This program is under the Partners in Trauma Prevention for Nipissing and East Parry Sound Committee. It is a comprehensive injury prevention curriculum for children in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. Lessons are provided to address fire and burn prevention, choking and suffocation prevention, poisoning prevention, falls prevention, bike and pedestrian safety and water safety. The North Bay 'Risk Watch' Coalition which is comprised of representatives from police, fire departments, health unit and school boards will be providing the resources and training to schools for this safety program that supports the Ontario Curriculum.

Visions

Under a school-based services grant funded by the Ontario Women's Directorate through the Ministry of Education, the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board received funds for a program to support child witnesses of wife assault. Workers from the Nipissing Transition House have implemented the VISION program in all schools. This program focuses on anger management, conflict resolution and self-esteem issues. The workers from the Nipissing Transition House also provide seminars to students in grades seven and eight related to violence in dating and developing healthy personal relationships.