Safety Plan
The Greater Victoria School District No. 61 (the District) believes every student and school learning community member in our District should feel safe, accepted, and respected, regardless of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, family status, diverse abilities, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
The District recognizes the importance of collaborating with local emergency services and is committed to working with the local police to support school safety through a holistic and intentional focus on proactive and preventative strategies and approaches. The Safety Plan sets out the actions, supports, and services the District provides, in collaboration with local emergency services, to help prevent and appropriately address incidents in our District and learning community to ensure the safety and well-being of all students, staff, and visitors in schools.
The District’s Board of Education (the Board), District, and school staff, in collaboration with police services and the Four Houses, will have opportunities to participate in trauma-informed professional development, cultural safety training, restorative practice, and other learning opportunities that promote a greater understanding among staff and students of the local Nations’ history, territories, and contemporary matters.
The Safety Plan acknowledges the concerns of some members of our learning community that the presence of police may make them feel less safe and less comfortable at school. These concerns and perspectives have been carefully considered in the development of the Safety Plan. Police members working in schools will use a trauma-informed approach that considers the ethnic, cultural, and/or gender identity of students. Both the District and local police services commit to centering the perspectives of Indigenous, racialized, and equity-deserving students as the Safety Plan is implemented, as well as making revisions to the plan moving forward.