TVDSB Safe Schools is coordinating a LEAD OUT LOUD Campaign during the month of November. We hope that your school will be part of our district wide initiative!  Please read the information below for further details...

What? LEAD OUT LOUD Campaign

When? Kick Off - November 2012... Continue throughout school year

Who? All TVDSB staff and students

Where? TVDSB schools

Why? To increase positive actions of the upstander

Reply Please reply to let us know if your school is participating

An UPSTANDER is an individual who LEADS OUT LOUD to make a positive difference in the life of an individual or inspires change in the community.

On one level, we want students to speak up or stand up when they see inappropriate behaviour.  We want students to do this safely. It is imperative that they report to a trusted adult so that they can take the appropriate steps, which will be followed up by realistic consequences and support to the student who caused the harm and support for the student harmed. Students need to continue to learn how to de-escalate situations and practice skills of negotiation, delay, refusal  through education provided by the 4thR, Steps to Respect, and Tribes to name a few.

 On another level, we want students with the support of their school community to take the lead. The LEAD OUT LOUD Campaign should be student driven. We want to start the dialogue in schools. What do you stand up for? What do you as a school community care about?  We want student leaders from the various groups in the school to start talking together about what their school should look like.  Students need to model the kind of behaviour they want to see in the whole student population. They can publically celebrate positive behaviour and discourage negative behaviour.  We want student leaders to mentor younger students in an authentic way to create an on-going inclusive culture. 

Change needs to occur from the inside out.  We are asking student leaders to dialogue together and create an action plan which is to be carried out during the school year not just by a few, but by representatives from different grades who have different interests (e.g. sports, music, drama, smokers, academics, skate boarders, at risk, special needs, diverse groups).  Students will need the commitment of teachers, support staff, parents, and community members to develop and carry out the school's LEAD OUT LOUD Action Plan (see attachment # 1).

Schools are welcome to promote the campaign in a variety of ways to encourage students to stand up for what they care about.  As an option, there are BRIGHT GREEN t-shirts, with the slogans "LEAD OUT LOUD" and "UPSTANDER"  printed on them, available for under $5 each (XXL extra charge)!  This is a starting point which will promote discussion among our students and the school community.

Please see the attached handouts which outline the process for ordering.  You will need to determine the number and sizes of t-shirts, prior to placing your school order.  The order deadline date is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19th in order to receive your shirts by the first week of November.  However, t-shirts may be ordered past this deadline, but keep in mind that it takes 10 days to process your order.   Attachment # 2 shows a sample of what the t-shirts will look like and outlines the process to order the t-shirts through TVDSB ePurchasing.  Attachment # 3 is a sample letter and order form that can be sent home for parents. 

All residents in London and Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford counties are being encouraged to reaffirm their commitment by once again taking The Pledge to address bullying in schools, at work and at home and to register their pledge on a newly designed website just launched at www.ThePledgeToEndBullying.ca   Founding partners Thames Valley District School Board and CTV London are working with representatives from businesses, community organizations, schools and media across Thames Valley to continue this awareness raising campaign to help end bullying in our community.  Everyone in the Thames Valley school district is encouraged to take The Pledge before or during Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, which runs from Nov. 12-16, 2012.  Although it is important to recognize bullying awareness every day, we would like to focus our energy through this collaborative effort.  For more information on Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, check out the following website: http://www.bullyingawarenessweek.org

We anticipate that this will be a positive news story within TVDSB.  It would be amazing to have all TVDSB staff and students involved in this awareness campaign during November.

Please reply to let us know if your school is planning on participating in the LEAD OUT LOUD Campaign.  Your school action plan should be submitted by November 2nd.

Your continued support of TVDSB Safe Schools initiatives is greatly appreciated!