Countless personal interactions occur in Eastern District schools every day, and these interactions are the focus of this policy. The policy guides the way people in our school communities treat each other, and the expectations for behaviour for all members of the school community are similar: that we will demonstrate regard, concern and respect for each other in all our interactions – both inside and outside the classroom – and that we will respect the unique differences and worth of every individual.

Achieving and maintaining this positive climate is the responsibility of everyone involved in education in Eastern District schools – students, parents, teachers, support staff, and trustees. There are high expectations for all members of school communities, and these expectations are met and exceeded daily on a regular basis. We continually strive to work hard to make sure that our schools are inclusive, supportive, and healthy for all.

The Caring Places to Learn policy covers such specific areas as verbal abuse, violence, bullying, discrimination, sexual abuse, threats, trespassing, and weapons. Within these areas, the policy dictates what steps should be taken when allegations of violations of this policy are made. These allegations may involve student to student incidents, student to staff incidents, staff to student incidents, and staff to staff incidents.

Parents in particular are encouraged to inform us immediately about situations which would negatively affect the school’s healthy and supportive environment. Sometimes parents are reluctant to contact the school when students may be having a difficult time with a situation, and the situation worsens. We can’t guarantee that we can "fix" every situation, but if the school knows about problems early, we can often take steps to prevent the problem from becoming worse.