If a student has been harmed because of an incident for which suspension or expulsion must be considered, the principal has a legislative duty under ss.300.3 of the Education Act to as soon as reasonably possible, notify the parents or guardians of the student who has been harmed and the parents or guardians of the student who engaged in the activity that resulted in the harm.
The principal is to inform the parent or guardian of the student who has been harmed of the
- nature of the activity that resulted in harm to the student
- nature of the harm to the public
- steps taken to protect the student’s safety, including the nature of any disciplinary measures taken in response to the activity and
- the supports that will be provided for the student in response to the harm that resulted from the activity.
The principal is to inform the parent or guardian of the student who has engaged in the harm of the
- nature of the activity that resulted in harm to the other student
- nature of the harm to the other student
- nature of any disciplinary measures taken in response to the activity and
- the supports that will be provided for the student in response to his or her engagement in the activity.
The principal must set up a process for parents to follow if they have concerns about the support their child is receiving and offer parents more opportunities to learn about student safety and school climate. When notifying the parent of guardian, the principal has a legislative duty (ss.300.3(8) of the Education Act ) to invite the parent or guardian to have a discussion with the principal about the support that will be provided for his or her child.
If, in the principal’s opinion, notifying the parent or guardian of the student would place the student at risk from his or her parent or guardian, the principal has a legislative duty (ss. 300.3(3) of the Education Act) to not notify the student’s parent or guardian. When the principal does not notify the student’s parent or guardian, he or she must document the rationale for this decision and notify both the teacher who reported the incident and the appropriate supervisory officer of this decision. In addition, the principal should refer the student to board resources or to a community-based service provider that can provide the appropriate type of confidential support when his or her parents or guardian are not called. Where board employees have reason to believe that a student may be in need of protection, board employees must call a Children’s Aid Society according to the requirements of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act 2017.