March 25th, 2019

Dear Sandhills Public School Community,

 

Your Safe, Caring, Inclusive Schools (SCIS) Team is a collaborative group made up of staff, students, and community members that meets throughout the school year to discuss issues that are of utmost importance to our school, the safety and well being of Sandhills students. We gather and interpret many different sources of data and feedback to ensure we are doing all that we can to make the school a more inclusive and welcoming place for all, with the ultimate goal of helping each student achieve to their utmost potential. Because we realize that not everyone who wants to contribute to this work has the opportunity to take part and sit on this committee, we thought it would be beneficial to all to send an update as we move into spring.

 

The Sandhills community has changed a lot over nearly two decades, but our hopes, dreams, and values remain focused on academic achievement and the personal wellbeing of our students, each and every one. At the core of student success are strong relationships between home and school with open lines of communication back and forth to share information that will support student growth and development. It is clear in our work as an SCIS team that staff and parents have a strong desire to strengthen existing relationships, as well as develop new ones. So whether you’re new to the Sandhills community or have been part of it for many years, know that educators at the school are here to serve and work with you, so let’s all take advantage of opportunities to introduce ourselves, share stories, and celebrate the success and accomplishments of our students to strengthen these ties.

 

Students who attended Sandhills in its first few years of operation share many things in common with Suns of today. They want to feel safe, supported, and welcome in the building itself and by the community of people around them. These fundamentals must be in place before rich learning can happen. A very clear message from our SCIS student representatives is that they want and need strong relationships with adults they know and trust. This includes staff at the school and community members too. Students are eager to interact in positive and healthy ways and to have the affirmation that they are valued members of the community at large.

 

While today’s Suns do share things in common with students from years ago, there are undoubtedly new challenges and obstacles that have an impact on their safety and wellbeing. Perhaps the most obvious change in student life centres around social media. What can you do to help and support your student? Supervision of online interactions including social media sites and online gaming is needed. Also creating an atmosphere where students can speak openly and ask questions about what they see online is another healthy way to coach and help young people navigate their world. Often things that happen online do impact students wellbeing and interactions back at school, so doing all we can to support our students in the digital space, will only serve them better in the classroom as well.

 

Encourage your student to get involved with the life of our school. We know that deep personal connections and feelings of inclusion and safety often stem from shared experiences and connection. There is a wealth of opportunity for clubs, teams, and groups at Sandhills. So have a look at our school’s website (shl.wrdsb.ca) under ‘Extracurricular Activities’ to see if there’s an activity you might be interested in. Our website also has some useful resources under ‘Parent Information’ that might help you know more about our school. All staff at the school are continually expanding, looking to grow, and learn new things, persevering and doing all that they can to meet the needs of all students.

 

Thank you for all you already do to make our school and our community a more welcoming, and inclusive place. Please keep lines of communication flowing between home and school so that we can all better understand the needs of our students, and make positive changes to support them as new challenges arise. If you, or any other community member you know would like to take part in our SCIS work, or any other team, please never hesitate to reach out so that your voice will be included in these discussions. Our next meeting is currently scheduled for Monday, May 6th from 3-4pm in the school library, new parent and community representatives are always welcome.

 

Thank you, and best regards,

 

Your SCIS Team