School Safety Matters

One of the things I hear from parents again and again is how important it is for their children to feel safe at school.

And I completely understand why.

As a parent, you want to know that when you send your child to school in the morning, they are going somewhere where they will be treated with respect, where they can ask for help, and where concerns will be taken seriously.

When we talk about school safety, I think we need to look at more than just physical safety.

Safety can mean many things.

It can mean a student doesn’t have to worry about being bullied in the hallway. It can mean feeling comfortable participating in class without being embarrassed or singled out. It can mean knowing there is an adult they can talk to when something is wrong.

And it can mean walking through the school doors each morning without feeling anxious about what the day is going to bring.

Why does this matter so much?

Because it is very difficult to focus on learning when you don’t feel safe.

Imagine sitting in a classroom trying to listen to a lesson while you’re worried about something that happened at recess. Or you’re avoiding certain students in the hallway. Or you’re afraid to tell someone because you’re not sure what will happen if you speak up.

You may physically be sitting in the classroom, but your mind isn’t there.

That is why I believe student safety and student achievement are connected.

We can talk about test scores, graduation rates and academic achievement, and we absolutely should. But we also have to recognize that students need to feel safe, supported and included before they can truly focus on learning.

I also think we need to listen to students themselves.

We can have policies and procedures in place, but do students actually know where to go when they have a problem? Do they feel comfortable asking for help? Do they believe an adult will listen?

Those are important questions.

Parents should also have confidence that when they raise a concern, there is a process for addressing it and that communication with families is taken seriously.

As a school trustee candidate for Newmarket, my intention would be to talk to students, parents and educators about what is working and where there are gaps. I would support efforts that strengthen safe and welcoming school environments and ensure that student and family concerns remain part of the conversation.

I don’t believe there is one solution that will address every safety concern. Every school community is different, and every student is different.

But I do believe in something very simple:

Every child deserves to feel safe enough to learn.

And as a parent, that is something I will always care deeply about.