Avon Maitland District School Board Seeks Input from Parents on School Climate

by Bob Montgomery

The Avon Maitland District School Board is asking parents and caregivers of students in their schools to complete an online survey to provide feedback about the climate in their schools.

Superintendent Jane Morris explains, the Ministry of Education requires them to administer a survey every couple of years to parents, staff and students. And it requires them to ask questions around things like bullying and general sense of belonging, do the parents and their child feel that they're well connected and represented in their school, do the parents or their child know how to navigate the system if there are issues with bullying or safety in the school and how safe do the parents and their children feel in the buildings. Morris says that information is very important because it will help them make plans, not only at the district level, but even more importantly for school teams to consider the feedback from the parents in their local communities to make decisions and plans around how they make sure that their schools are safe, inclusive and welcoming places.

Morris says parents who signed up for school messenger should have received the survey by direct email last week, but it's also available on social media and on the Avon Maitland Board's website and anyone who's having trouble finding it can also contact their school principal. She says they're inviting all parents to provide them with feedback on their experience with their school and their children's experience. Morris adds, they started opening up the surveys on Friday and they already had over 500 responses. The deadline for returning the survey is the end of November.