Workplace Expectations

1. Workplace Expectations HPD 4C – Working with School age Children and Adolesence– Mrs. Filinov

2. Expectations • C2.1 demonstrate an understanding of the responsibilities of people who work with school-age children and adolescents as outlined in various local, provincial, federal, and international codes (e.g., school board policies, daycare policies, Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) • C2.2 describe the legal expectations for ensuring physically safe environments for school-age children and adolescents (e.g., fire-safety regulations, food-safety regulations, WHMIS regulations, the Day Nurseries Act) • C2.3 describe the rules and regulations governing schooling that parents and professional caregivers are required to observe (e.g., truancy regulations, provisions of Ontario’s Safe Schools Act and Child and Family Services Act, Learning to 18 regulations, requirements for a vulnerable sector criminal check) • C2.4 identify ways in which people who work with school-age children and adolescents carry out their responsibility to promote children’s socialization and healthy development (e.g., teaching life skills; helping youth recognize unhealthy relationships; having open, respectful conversations about sexual development; fostering vigilance about physical safety; fostering environmental awareness; treating all people, including children, equitably regardless of race, sex, ability, or family structure) • C2.5 explain the code of ethics and standards of practice for people who work with children and adolescents as outlined by recognized professional organizations (e.g., Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators, Canadian Child Care Federation)

3. Durham District Code of Conduct

4. Responsibilities of people who work with school age children • School climate is the tone or prevailing attitude within the school which encompasses the physical environment of a school as well as the behaviour of individuals within that environment. A positive school climate can prevent or reduce discipline problems. • The following factors contribute to a positive school climate with increased safety and security and the reduction of discipline problems:

5. • Focus on student success, learning for all, student achievement • Ensure a creative and stimulating learning atmosphere • Communicate academic expectations clearly • Ensure students see themselves reflected in the curriculum • Provide formal and informal instruction to promote concepts of respect, caring for self and others, conflict resolution, concern for the environment, and principles of law and citizenship • Focus on equity and inclusive education• Provide for Character Education development Positive Academic Environment Values/Skills Curriculum

6. • Promote an enhanced physical environment that fosters pride and caring about surroundings  • Encourage actions to remodel school areas that are prone to problems • Promote programs to enhance personal wellness  • Establish peer programs to provide support, encouragement, awareness, and education • Provide access to counselors, teachers and support personnel to assist with personal problems, school and career issues Physical Environment Supportive Climate for Students and Staff

7. • Prepare and annually review codes of conduct in collaboration with students, staff and parents, and communicate them clearly to all involved • Implement Progressive Discipline in a manner that is fair and equitable • Encourage staff as role models for effective communication, mutual respect and problem resolution  • Foster a welcoming school environment to encourage increased participation by parents/guardians in their child's education, school activities and school policy-making • Involve parents/guardians in activities aimed at creating a home environment compatible with that of the school where non-violent resolution of problems prevails  • Offer access to appropriate supports for parents/guardians Codes of Conduct Parent or Guardian/School Collaboration

8. • Promote community awareness and participation in the school to enhance cohesiveness, support and effective use of resources • • Increase involvement of students in community service activities to create a climate of caring, respect and trust • • Involve students in establishing a positive school culture and climate through problem solving, and opportunities for input into safe school initiatives to create a sense of ownership of and responsibility for the school community • • Provide leadership opportunities at the school and in the community Community Partnerships Student Participation

9. • Understand and apply Progressive Discipline including mitigating and other factors • Understand and apply bullying prevention and awareness strategies, and interventions and support strategies • Understand and apply Character Education initiatives • Devise school climate enhancement initiatives Staff Knowledge and Understanding

10. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESThe Durham District School Board accepts the provincial direction on individual roles and responsibilities: • School boards provide direction to their schools to ensure opportunity, academic excellence, and accountability in the education system • Wherever possible, boards should collaborate to provide coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services, and should endeavour to share effective practices.  • Under the direction of their school boards, principals take a leadership role in the daily operation of a school. • They provide this leadership by: • Demonstrating care for the school community and a commitment to academic excellence in a safe, inclusive, and accepting teaching and learning environment  • Holding everyone under their authority accountable for his or her behaviour and actions  • Empowering students to be positive leaders in their school and community  • Communicating regularly and meaningfully with all members of their school community  School Boards Principals

11. Under the leadership of their principals, teachers and other school staff maintain order in the school and are expected to hold everyone to the highest standard of respectful and responsible behaviour. • As role models, teachers and other school staff uphold these high standards when they: • Help students work to their full potential and develop their sense of self-worth • Empower students to be positive leaders in their classroom, school, and community • Communicate regularly and meaningfully with parents  • Maintain consistent standards of behaviour for all students • Demonstrate respect for all students, staff, parents, volunteers, and other members of the school community  • Prepare students for the full responsibilities of citizenship  • Students are to be treated with respect and dignity. • In return, they must demonstrate respect for themselves, for others, and for the responsibilities of citizenship through acceptable behaviour. • Respect and responsibility are demonstrated when a student:  • Comes to school prepared, on time, and ready to learn • Shows respect for himself or herself, for others, and for those in authority • Refrains from bringing anything to school that may compromise the safety of others • Follows the established rules and takes responsibility for his or her own actions  Teachers and Other School Staff Students

12. Parents play an important role in the education of their children, and can support the efforts of school staff in maintaining a safe, inclusive, accepting, and respectful learning environment for all students. • Parents fulfill their role when they:  • Show an active interest in their child’s school work and progress • Communicate regularly with the school  • Help their child be neat, appropriately dressed, and prepared for school • Ensure that their child attends school regularly and on time  • Promptly report to the school their child’s absence or late arrival  • Show that they are familiar with the provincial Code of Conduct, the board’s code of conduct, and school rules  • Encourage and assist their child in following the rules of behaviour • Assist school staff in dealing with disciplinary issues involving their child  • Through outreach, partnerships already in place may be enhanced and new partnerships with community-based service providers and members of the community (e.g., Aboriginal Elders) may also be created. • Community-based service providers are resources that boards can use to deliver prevention or intervention programs. • The police play an essential role in making our schools and communities safer. • The police investigate incidents in accordance with the protocol developed with the local school board. Parents Community Partners and the Police

13. STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR  • All school Codes of Conduct include the Ontario and Durham District School Board Standards of Behaviour and must comply with all federal, provincial and municipal laws and Regulations.

14. Respect, Civility and Responsible Citizenship • All school members must:  • Respect and comply with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws  • Demonstrate honesty and integrity  • Respect differences in people, their ideas and opinions • Respect and treat others fairly at all times, regardless of, for example, race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability, and especially when there is disagreement  • Respect the rights of others  • Show proper care and regard for school property and the property of others  • Take appropriate measures to help those in need  • Seek assistance from a member of the school staff, if necessary, to resolve conflict peacefully  • Respect all members of the school community, especially persons in positions of authority  • Respect the need of others to work in an environment that is conducive to learning and teaching  • Not swear at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority

15. Safety • All members of the school community must not:  • Engage in bullying behaviours • Commit sexual assault  • Traffic in weapons or illegal drugs  • Give alcohol to a minor • Commit robbery  • Be in possession of any weapon, including firearms  • Use any object to threaten or intimidate another person  • Cause injury to any person with an object  • Be in possession of, or be under the influence of, or provide others with alcohol or illegal drugs • Inflict or encourage others to inflict bodily harm on another person • Engage in hate propaganda and other forms of behaviour motivated by hate or bias  • Commit an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property or to property located on the premises of the school 

16. CODE OF CONDUCT – YMCA-YWCA Child Care Programs The following people are expected to behave in a respectful manner and comply with this code of conduct:  Management and Staff Members  Children  Parents/Guardians of children enrolled  All others involved with our centre

17. principles for appropriate behaviour • Caring • We solve our problems by talking and listening to each other respectfully to find a solution. When we cannot solve a problem ourselves, we ask for help. • Equality • We provide opportunities for gender equality in the communities we serve, and treat all individuals solely on the basis of their personal merits. • Health • We are committed to physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development. • Honesty • We promote telling the truth, acting in such a way making us worthy of trust, demonstrate and encourage integrity, and matching our values to our choices. • Inclusiveness • We strive to be open to all, seeking to understand differences and find common ground. • Respect • We are respectful of ourselves and other people. We are respectful of the ideas and feelings of others. We are respectful of the environment, equipment and materials. • Responsibility • We work and play responsibly to help keep ourselves and others from getting hurt

18. Supervision and Monitoring • Authorized employees of the centre have the right to monitor the use of information technology resources and to examine, use, and disclose any data found. • They may use this information in disciplinary actions and release to the police if it is criminal in nature.

19. cell phones and other personal electronic devices Staff Members’ use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices • Staff must not use cell phones or other personal electronic devices when they supervise children. • Staff must ensure that anyone who may need to contact them during working hours knows to call the centre’s phone number. (In some cases the centre phone may be a cell phone). • Staff should not make personal calls when they care for and supervise children. • If a personal cell phone or other device is used to photograph or videotape children (with permission of the centre and parents), the data must be downloaded onto the centre’s computer and immediately deleted from their phone or device. • If staff need to take a personal cell phone for safety purposes on outings with children, this should only to be used for emergency contact with the centre or a child’s parents/guardians.

20. Personal information • Information about children, parents, staff and the centre (including photos or videos) must not to be posted on: • a staff member’s personal web space • social networking web sites (for example, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, etc.) • public networking for file sharing sites (like Photobucket, Flickr, YouTube, etc.) • any other type of Internet website • Staff must not accept children as “friends” or “buddies” when using social networking sites such as Facebook or MSN.