The Sentinel - Volume 8, Issue 19

Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2008

This week our school community focuses on the issue of bullying, a phenomenon that has captured significant attention across our country in the wake of recent incidences of school violence. As is now widely known, the perpetrators in some of these occurrences have been the victims of bullying.

While there are certainly other factors that would lead an individual to respond in such a violent manner, the demoralizing influence of bullying left unchecked can not be minimized. Recent research by professionals in the mental health arena has clearly identified the impact that bullying has on the development of a young person.

As a Catholic school, our position on the topic of bullying is very clear; it is in direct conflict with the Gospel message, a teaching that affirms the dignity of each individual. Created in the very image and likeness of God, each child is a miracle of creation and to be treated with both reverence and respect.

Throughout its history, All Saints has implemented a number of themes and frameworks to support the formation of the students. In recent years these have taken the shape of a school-wide Virtues program, the 55 Essentials Program, as well as parish-wide themes that have provided a focus for our community. Nonetheless, despite our best efforts, incidences of bullying have occurred and have impacted the lives of students. While the number of known cases is few, the feedback provided by students as part of last year’s ACRE Test confirms that bullying remains a top level concern among students in the 5th and 8th grades.

In an effort to better understand this problem and the extent to which it impacts our community, I am requesting your assistance in compiling a school profile related to this issue. Attached to this letter is a parent survey on the topic of bullying. Based on a tool designed by the Ministry of Education in Ontario, Canada, it is a comprehensive instrument that will yield data by which we can determine the extent of the problem as it currently exists and establish a benchmark by which we can measure future progress.

The survey, while comprehensive (4 pages), is quite user-friendly and can be completed in less than 10 minutes. I invite you take a few minutes in the days ahead to carefully consider and answer the questions included in the survey. When completed, please place your survey in a sealed envelope marked Bullying Survey and return to the school office by Tuesday, January 22nd.

Please note: The surveys are completely anonymous. I ask only that you circle the grade level in which your child is enrolled. This will allow us to better understand any patterns that might exist within the school. While it is not necessary that you complete a survey for each of your children, you are welcome to do so if distinct issues exist within a particular grade level. Finally, please note that this survey is being conducted to assess our current situation and to plan for the future. It is not the intent of administration or faculty to use this information in a reactionary way, responding to incidences of bullying that have occurred in the past. Rather, we wish to gain a clear picture of the extent to which bullying exists in our community so that we can provide appropriate resources and additional formation to students.

In advance, thank you for your participation in this important exercise. Your insights and perspectives are essential in helping us to better understand this issue and in our planning for the future.