Positive School Climate

Educate and develop awareness about bullying, the importance of healthy relationships, and self-awareness about the use of real and perceived power in relationships.

• PREVNet recommends the following actions for the classroom:
  • Advocate for individual children
  • Model appropriate relationship skills
  • Create a warm, safe and inclusive environment
  • Intervene early and often
  • Promote positive group activities, including choosing groups for students
• Get fact sheets for children, parents and professionals from PREVNet, a Canadian network of   researchers and national organizations working to prevent bullying.  
• Use the lesson plans and resources from the Psychology Foundation of Canada to promote positive social-emotional development and effective stress management. 
  • Kids Have Stress Too! Grades 1-3
  • Stress Lessons. Grades 4-6
  • Stress Lessons: From Stressed Out to Chilled Out. Grades 7-9
  • Stress Lessons: Tools for Resilience. Grades 9 – 12

Refer to:

• On My Way: A guide to support middle years child development (ages 6- 12 years)
• Stepping Stones: A Resource on Youth Development
• OPHEA: Internet Safety Resources

• Develop positive solutions to prevent and address bullying
• Build social responsibility and open trusting communication about bullying and relationship difficulties
• Assess the school’s current methods and procedures for responding to bullying to identify strengths and areas that need to be addressed
• Use a whole school approach which involves administration, staff, students, parents/guardians, and the broader community  
• Identify leaders or champions from staff, students, parents and the community
• Promote a positive school environment

Provide students with the academic, emotional and social skills necessary to be actively engaged in school.

Provide opportunities for students of all achievement levels to interact with one another and develop friendships, promote teamwork and lessen hierarchical divisions between older and younger students.  

• Enlist students to create posters that promote healthy relationships and prevent bullying
• Develop announcements with a positive message of the day
• Plan activities for Bullying Awareness Week (3rd week in November) and Pink Shirt Day
• Recognize students’ positive behaviours

• Promote positive relationships within and between the entire school to enhance school climate and a supportive learning environment.
• Promote attitudes of respect, acceptance and inclusion to prevent bullying among students.
• Use a variety of strategies to communicate expectations, values, and norms that support positive health and academic behaviours. 

Provide education and opportunities to enable families to be actively involved in their children’s academic and school life.

Find fact sheets for parents from PREVNet, a Canadian network of researchers and national organizations working to prevent bullying. 

Consider these resources:

• Contact Hamilton for Children’s and Developmental Services Contact Hamilton is an entry point to services for children and youth with emotional, behavioural or developmental concerns and adults with developmental disabilities
• Kids Help Phone provides information for children, youth and helping adults. Call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868

Coordinate activities with: 

• Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.
  • PREVNet’s Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week Hub
• Pink Shirt Day
• International Day of Pink
• Random Acts of Kindness
• Roots of Empathy