Student Safety

Student safety is of prime importance. At Northern Gateway Public Schools, we have several measures and procedures in place to ensure the safety of students, staff and guests. These include:

a Division Emergency Response Plan and School Emergency Response Plans which work in conjunction with other local support and emergency response agencies within our communities.
on-site emergency response teams at each school, along with a Division-based Emergency Response team that provides support and aid to schools at time of an emergency.
All staff are regularly trained on emergency protocols and drills are practiced throughout the year at each school.

Learn what happens and what you should do in the event of an emergency at your child's school.

Parent Guide - NGPS School Emergency Program

Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environments

The following Administrative Procedures support environments that respect diversity and foster a sense of belonging and a positive sense of self.

Peer Conflict, Mean Behaviour and Bullying: What's the Difference?

When a child is having a problem with her or his peers, it can be hard for parents to know what is really happening – is it bullying? Or is it something else? Each type of behaviour must be handled differently, to keep children safe and help them learn how to get along with others.

Peer Conflict

Conflict between and among peers is a natural part of growing up. Children will have times when they disagree and can’t solve their own problems. They may even become so frustrated that they say mean things or act out physically by hitting, kicking or trying to hurt.

If it’s peer conflict you will be aware that these children:

Usually choose to play or hang out together;
Have equal power (similar age, size, social status, etc.);
Are equally upset;
Are both interested in the outcome; and,
Will be able to work things out with adult help (after calming down).

Adults can respond by helping the children talk it out and see each other’s perspective. This is often referred to as “conflict resolution”.

Mean Behaviour

Children may try out behaviours to assert themselves – sometimes saying or doing mean things – such as making fun of others, using a hurtful name, taking something without permission, leaving a child out, or “budding” in line.

Mean behavior:

Is not usually planned and seems to happen spontaneously or by chance;
May be aimed at any child nearby;
The child being mean may feel badly when an adult points out the harm they’ve caused.

When adults see mean behaviour they should not ignore it. Adults should respond quickly, firmly and respectfully to stop the behaviour, to let kids know that their actions are hurtful and to re-direct children to more positive behaviour.

This quick response stops children from developing a pattern of mean behaviour as their way of interacting with peers, and prevents mean behaviour from escalating into bullying. It is a lot easier to correct a child for one nasty comment than to change a pattern of cruelty that grows over time.

Bullying Behaviour

Bullying is a serious behaviour that has three key features – all three must be present for the situation to be considered bullying:

Power imbalance - One child clearly has power over the other(s), which may be due to age, size, social status, and so on.
Intention to harm - The purpose of the bullying behaviour is to harm or hurt other(s) – it’s intended to be mean and is clearly not accidental.
Repeated over time - bullying behaviour continues over time, and gets worse with repetition. There is a real or implied threat that the behaviour will not stop, and in fact will become even more serious.

The effect on the child who is being bullied is increased fear, apprehension, and distress. Often by the time adults find out about what is happening, the child has tried many ways to stop the bullying but cannot do so on their own.

Adults must address the bullying behaviour and ensure the safety of the student who has been targeted. They also need to reassure the children who may have witnessed the behaviour that adults are taking care of it.

When schools respond to bullying, staff will also help the child who has been bullying others to take responsibility for their actions, and change their behaviour. They will monitor the situation to ensure the bullying stops, and will support the child who has been bullied to regain confidence and a sense of safety. Staff may follow up with the students who observed the behaviour to help them learn what to do when they see bullying.

Toolkit for Supporting Healthy Relationships

We are pleased to share this Toolkit as we continue to promote positive interactions in our schools and communities. We believe that the best way to establish a positive school culture is to focus on the development of healthy interpersonal relationships. We understand that bullying is a relationship problem that requires relationship solutions. This Toolkit has been developed to provide strategies to teach and model social skills, assertiveness, empathy and conflict resolution skills. In addition, it provides our schools with information and tools to promote collective responsibility through systematic, school-wide collaboration.

For more information, please refer to Northern Gateway Public Schools' Administrative Procedures:

Administrative Procedure 736: Harassment
Administrative Procedure 175: Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environment: Inclusive Practices
Administrative Procedure 361 Appendix 361-1: Code of Conduct

Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA)

The goal of the Violence/Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) process is to ensure that every incident of youth violence in our communities is addressed. VTRA is early intervention, which is quite possibly prevention.

As a Division, and in cooperation with other local school divisions, government, RCMP and community partners, NGPS administrators and leadership staff have completed intensive safety training through the Center for Trauma Informed Practices.

Together, we have developed a prevention and intervention protocol to respond to situations in which students may be posing a threat to themselves or others. As always, our goal is to keep our students and schools safe and respond to threats in a proactive and coordinated manner that provides for a healthy and caring learning environment. The Whitecourt & Surrounding Area, Violence Threat Risk Assessment Community Protocol applies to all NGPS school communities.

Whitecourt & Surrounding Area, Violence Threat Risk Assessment Community Protocol

Crisis Hotlines

Most of these services are available 24/7 to both families and individuals in need. Click on the name of each service to learn more about it. Always call 9-1-1 if someone is in immediate danger.

Provincial Abuse Line

If you suspect an Albertan is being abused or neglected and don’t know where to turn for help, call the centralized abuse line. You will be connected to resources, supports, services and referrals to address your concern.

Phone: 1-855-4HELPAB (1-855-443-5722)

Child Abuse Hotline (24/7)

If you have reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected by their parent or guardian, please contact the Child Abuse Hotline to discuss your concerns.

Phone: 1-800-387-KIDS (5437)

Child & Adolescent Mental Health: Crisis Line & Mobile Response Team

Offers support by phone to children and teens during a crisis. Provides these services:

Assesses children’s needs
Offers information about community services for children and their families
Offers support
Teaches about mental health problems
Makes referrals to healthcare providers if needed
Arranges home assessments if needed
Provides links to follow-up care if needed
Allows access to a child psychiatrist

Phone: 1-800-387-KIDS (5437)

Canadian Mental Health Association Distress Line (24/7)

We are available to talk anytime – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Crisis doesn’t take time off, so neither do we. When you make a call to the Distress Centre, you will always get an answer, an open mind and a caring ear.

Phone: 780-482-4357

First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line (24/7)

Provides immediate, culturally competent, telephone crisis intervention counselling support for First Nations and Inuit, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Counsellors can also work with callers to identify follow-up services they can access. Counselling is available in English and French and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktuk.

Phone: 1-855-242-3310 (Toll Free)

Division Resources:

The CREW

The CREW is our in-school Mental Health Capacity Building Team that promotes positive mental health and wellness in the communities of Onoway, Alberta Beach, Rich Valley and Darwell.

Program Coordinator: Sandra Hardy
Phone: 780.277.0094
Email: sandra.hardy@ngps.ca

Tammy Charko, NGPS Social Worker

Our division Social Worker advocates for students and parents and provides a link to local supports.