The Story of a Safe and Caring School
by Ken Mastel, Principal - Sacred Heart School, Wetaskiwin

Back in 2002, Sacred Heart School in Wetaskiwin was approached to see if we would be interested in piloting the Safe and Caring Schools program. My staff agreed, and the Society for Safe and Caring Schools & Communities (SACSC) visited our school on several PD days over the following two years, instructing us in the aspects of becoming a “Safe and Caring School.” So, its seven years later; how are we doing?

Thankfully, I can say that the "Safe and Caring" movement is alive and well at our school and it does not rely on the efforts of any one person. It has become woven into the fabric of our school.

As there are five Safe and Caring topics and each has 7 key concepts, we can comfortably have all thirty-five topics addressed during the year. Teachers have a Safe and Caring “topic of the week” box on their white boards and write down what the focus is, and can refer to it during the week. Each month, we have “Safe and Caring” assemblies where teachers present certificates to two students in each class who have shown particularly good behaviour that is congruent with the topics covered. Each student will receive a certificate before the year is over.

Six years ago, students answered our Scollie Survey question "I feel safe at school" with only a 68%. This year, 93% of our students agreed!

We made a video entitled, “If You See It, You’re A Part Of It” to encourage bystanders to report bullying themselves, or in our anonymous Stop-A-Bully box. All the students know that the principal’s number one job is to make sure that all students are safe, both from physical harm, and mental or emotional harm. This helps with discipline as I can ask a student who has been sent to me “What’s my job?” and “What were you doing that would go against that?”

There are other programs, but the Safe and Caring Schools project has been a good fit for our school. It has given our staff, students and parents a language and an expectation that has become self-fulfilling.

To learn how SACSC can help make your school or community a safer place for youth, visit our programs , resources and workshops pages.