At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, we take bullying seriously and work hard at all levels to ensure bullying has no place in our schools. Our educators and employees are constantly looking to identify and prevent bullying in our schools. This is especially so during Ontario’s Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, which runs from November 21 to 27.
What is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week?
The Ministry of Ontario has designated the third week of November as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. School boards, schools, educators and students alike participate in activities geared towards preventing bullying in our school systems. During the week, our students will explore the topic of bullying and learn how to build healthy relationships. Educators and students learn how to identify bullying and share tactics on preventing, intervening or providing support during the process.
How can you get involved?
As a parent or guardian, it can be challenging to process the emotions that arise when a child is bullied or witnessing bullying. Bullying follows students home and is not always written on childrens’ faces. This is why we invite you to have a conversation with your child about bullying. You can ask them what it means to them, what they have witnessed and how they think they could have handled it. If you learn anything alarming from this conversation, we ask that you share it with your child’s educator. As the old saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” We can all play a role in preventing bullying.
OCSBConnect – keeping our schools safe!
Did you know we have an app called OCSBConnect? It was created for grades 7 to 12 as part of our safe, inclusive, and accepting schools policy. It allows your child to report any form of bullying anonymously. It also gives OCSB educators the chance to investigate and deal with student issues while maintaining the confidentiality of the student who submits a tip.