School District 61’s Executions of their Inclusivity Policies
Introduction
Secondary schools are required to ensure their students, no matter their background and needs, are treated respectfully, safely, and equally. There is more focus on topics such as mental and physical health, internet safety, and the identity of students over the past decade, with inclusivity becoming a driving priority for the school district. As the world has evolved through much more complex eras, how are schools adapting to this changing climate? What are they doing, and what is currently in place to confirm students feel heard, recognized and cared for in their schools? As a secondary school graduate and a future educator, I need to understand what school districts in the Greater Victoria region have done to support their students in ways of inclusivity, change, and support, and to make sure every step forward is a good one.
SOGI and Queer Policies
The Greater Victoria School District passed Policy 4305 in 2016, which requires that school staff and educators treat all queer-identifying students without discrimination in their schools. The school board has committed to providing their students with inclusive learning environments, support from their staff, and the freedom to publicize their identities without fear of harassment or intolerance.
In 2017, Victoria school districts partnered with SOGI 123 (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity), a local educator network designed for queer and non-cisgender student visibility, protection, and safety. SOGI 123 provides integration of inclusive and grade-appropriate lesson plans that align with the school curriculum that teachers can adopt into their classrooms. School educators are provided resources by SOGI 123 on how to help students feel included and protected in their schools, from actions as subtle as welcoming rainbow flag stickers in classroom entryways, to staff training on professional-development days.
Esquimalt High first opened its first gender-neutral washroom the same year, prompting other schools in the district to follow suit. Pride events in schools across the Greater Victoria district during June have become increasingly popular with the rise of understanding and accepting queer spaces, with schools even taking part in local pride parades. Lately with my own involvement in current school events, I’ve noticed students are encouraged to list their preferred pronouns during introductions to help destigmatize their usage. Not only are students encouraged to share what pronouns they prefer, but I have also seen teachers hand out forms that discreetly ask if these pronouns can be used when communicating with staff, parents, or other peers.
However, it is not always sunshine and rainbows when it comes to queer acceptance in schools. It’s become a hurtful stereotype that GSA members are laughable and annoying, and while not always spoken aloud, is incredibly damaging to struggling queer youth. School support and teacher sponsors need to keep their finger on the pulse of harassment and bullying directed at their queer students because they are obligated to uphold SOGI 123 and Policy 4305 rules and regulations to keep their students safe.
Indigenous Education
(For further in-depth research, please refer to Kyla Mort’s Indigenous Ways of Learning article listed on the Webzine)
The Greater Victoria school district has a significant Indigenous population in their community, but they often go unnoticed. There has been a push to destigmatize Indigenous culture and embrace its importance in Canadian history. Throughout my high school experience, I’ve noticed more support for the Indigenous student population in the district. Esquimalt High has begun drumming circles before music concerts, which get supported by Indigenous mentors and staff to provide extra help. Indigenous art is more centralized in school buildings and often provided by local Indigenous artists to paint murals in hallways and cafeterias to embrace local wildlife. Land recognition and territorial acknowledgements are now expected practices at the beginning of ceremonies, assemblies and presentations, for the speaker and audience to recognize that their schools have settled on Songhees and Lkwungen land. Indigenous gardens have become more popular across secondary schools as well, allowing teaching students about local plant wildlife and its purposes.
However, there is still an incredible amount of work needed to be done to fully support and provide Indigenous ways of learning in classrooms without seeming like a burden to teach. There has been a lack of Indigenous staff support in classrooms and school systems, lacking a very valuable mentor relationship with their Indigenous students. It is not always easy to hire extra staff, especially during this teaching crisis, but Indigenous students need to have a voice and input to provide important Indigenous ways of learning into their school systems, not only for themselves but for their peers as well.
Physical Health and Wellness: Sexual Health and Smoking/Vaping
Mental health is still just as crucial as physical health, and while students need to look after their minds, they still need to be looking after their bodies.
Sexual health has gotten a huge upgrade in schools across the district. Students need to be taught thorough, intelligent discussions on the sexual nature of their bodies without fear of embarrassment or shame. Jennifer Gibson (affectionately nicknamed “The Sex Lady”) is a UVic graduate student that has partnered with IslandHealthBC to teach youth about the importance of sexual education. “True comprehensive sexuality education includes the discussion of sexuality as a diverse, positive and affirming life force” (Gibson). Students are no longer split into separate classes based on sex but are all taught together to destigmatize their traditional nature. The language around sexual health has shifted to be more inclusive as well. With the rising awareness of queer and non-cisgender students, words like women/men and females/males are substituted for ‘those with vaginas’ or ‘those with penises’ to reiterate that sex does not equal gender. However, sexual education still has many milestones to cross. There is still a lack of information on the topics of consent, relationships, and the corruption of the pornography industry. These topics have become more prevalent among teenagers, especially with their impact on the internet.
By offering students thorough, inclusive education about their bodies, they can challenge perspectives and regulations. Free menstrual products have also become more readily available in washrooms, as well as condoms sometimes found in the counselling wing.
With the rise of vaping and the legalization of cannabis, it’s not uncommon to see more students frequenting school smoke pits. While educators and staff are being trained with naloxone overdose kits, and provide surveillance of smoke pits whenever possible, in my experience in high school, smoking prevention and drug usage had very little information, and laughable excuses to bring awareness to its side effects. Any resources about substance abuse, or advice to stop smoking get buried in helpline posters. Consequences for students caught smoking or vaping are met with temporary suspension, or sometimes, just a slap on the wrist from the school. A lack of effort to educate naive students about the dangers of nicotine addiction or substance abuse is incredibly irresponsible, and secondary schools need to be curbing these addictions before they spiral. Speaking as a student who watched my brother succumb to peer pressure and smoking since the ninth grade, not only do I blame him, but the school staff who did little to stop him while he was under their care.
Anti-Bullying and Internet Safety
ERASE (Expect Respect and a Safe Education) is one of the longest-standing programs most secondary school systems have been using. Originally starting as an anti-bullying organization (Erase Bullying) in 2004, it has since branched out to encompass all forms of discrimination, and much more complex issues such as substance abuse and social media harassment. However while it covers a broad selection of issues, I have yet to see ERASE take an avid role in the school system. It’s frustrating to see schools slap ERASE posters across their hallways, but provide little to no resources on what to do if students feel like they’re being discriminated against in their lives.
I remember creating my first Instagram account in middle school. All of my classmates were on it, and I was eager to join them online, but I didn’t know what I was doing there. No one knew what they were doing. Social media and the internet have become exponentially popular over the past decade, and it can be challenging for schools to monitor online communications and discourse. The rise of Instagram and Snapchat surpassed every other social media platform for youth and began to peak around 2014, and schools were quick to cover as many of their bases as possible to remind students about internet safety. I remember my assemblies would invite the guest speaker The White Hatter to do presentations on the topics of digital literacy and internet privacy and safety tailored for various age groups. The White Hatter prides itself on teaching students and staff about existing on the internet as safely as possible with the risks that come with social media. Partnering with this organization more often can help keep students reminded of the severity of their digital footprint, and how they can stay safe online.
Mental Health Training and Resources
(For further in-depth research regarding mental health support and resources, please refer to Fern Hill’s article listed on the Webzine)
Mental health has taken steady steps into the spotlight over the past few years, with more students growing more comfortable expressing and recognizing their illnesses and symptoms. While it is just as important for educators to understand the stresses and anxieties that students face, it is just as necessary for students to understand and destigmatize mental illnesses within themselves and their peers.
There has been a shift in how the language around mental health has changed to be more accessible for students. Phrases such as ‘taking space’ have become much more mainstream among students, who finally have the vocabulary to express their needs without having to go into too much detail. As someone who works in childcare, I’m grateful this teaching has been adapted to younger students, too. It is very reassuring to see young, anxious and overwhelmed students recognize their difficult emotions and be able to utilize their new vocabulary to express their needs.
Counselling wings have become the hub for most mental health-related content, where most of these resources can be found in one place. While counselling is not always readily available (as it is mostly by appointment) for students, there are always helplines provided for emergencies. I have noticed that counsellors have started putting emergency hotlines listed on their business cards, for students to access as easily as possible. I have also noticed the wide variety of mental health helplines now being listed on bulletin boards, for students to take pictures of and use for various uses later at their leisure. In the heat of the teaching crisis, I understand that employing more counsellors and mental health educators is not always possible — there also needs a middle ground between hotlines and counselling appointments. I’ve also noticed some schools beginning to validate and recognize mental health days, where students are able to miss a day of class, simply to look after themselves.
In my workplace, we’ve offered a Cozy Corner for overwhelmed students to take a moment and calm down in a quiet, solitary area and are invited to come back and play when they feel ready. Schools must educate their students on recognizing and treating anxiety symptoms long before they can develop, so secondary school students already have the groundwork in place to give them security. Students, no matter their age, deserve to have spaces where they’re allowed to feel their emotions. I believe that as students get older, they need mental health support more than ever. Not every school can create a Cozy Corner, but it would be beneficial to have a space for students to feel their emotions without fear of embarrassment.
The most recent development in the school district is at Esquimalt High. Mr. Chris Leeson, Mrs. Jenn Treble, and Ms. Kaehlen Allison from Esquimalt High are spearheading the project The Music Room. The Music Room is a partnership with The Foundry, an organization in Victoria that offers support with mental health and addiction to youth in crisis. Teachers need to be trusted adults for their students, and now they can finally give them the support they need from trained professionals. It’s easy to brag about the number of resources and programs in place to help students feel safe in their schools, but it’s much harder to earn that trust and have students reach out. These music teachers have recognized that their music classrooms have become safe places for their students, and have gone above and beyond to make sure they flourish. As their former student who has entrusted them for many years with my mental well-being, I am overjoyed to know they’re taking this trust in stride. The Music Room project is being launched approximately in early May at Esquimalt High. I can only hope this sparks potential in the school board and can be a resource easily accessed for students across the district.
Conclusion and Final Comments
But while all these resources are important and provided to educators, it is just as important that students understand what district policies are in place to help them succeed. Students shouldn’t have to be digging through as many resources as I did to find help, especially when schools pride themselves on being a welcoming, supportive space for all of their members. Students should be given free, clear access and understanding as to what their schools are enforcing and what they stand for, so they can use these resources as they need, but also hold their staff accountable for their safety. While I understand students are smart enough to be doing their own research, schools should be providing them resources for their well-being with equal, if not more emphasis as they promote their education and extracurriculars. All of these schools must be working to achieve the most success possible for their students, and that cannot be accomplished if resources are buried deep in websites.
My second issue is that not all schools in the district are employing these resources. It is difficult to gauge what resources are utilized in theory, versus what is used in practice. It’s easy to partner with resources and achieves the bare minimum of inclusionary policies, but students deserve much more than the bare minimum. Secondary schools need to be making active use of these resources and providing them for their students. While some schools go above and beyond to provide easily accessible, informative resources for their student body, it’s difficult to speak on behalf of other schools in the district. In my experience at Esquimalt High, I knew I was safe, respected, and had trusted support I could rely on. But after speaking to graduates from different schools, that is when I realized how privileged I was as an able-bodied, then-heterosexual, white-passing student in my educational support.I cannot express how important it is for students to be provided genuine care by the staff and educators they surround themselves with every day. Providing foundations for students to draw from before they reach adulthood has never been more important, especially with the current pandemic knocking everybody off their feet. Schools must provide for their students from all angles and should be required to set their students up with the most success possible. This starts with letting them know they’re cared about, and giving them the tools they need to look after themselves.
