Safety

Anaphylaxis Policy

Anaphylaxis is:  is a severe allergic reaction that can be fatal, resulting in circulatory collapse or shock. The allergy may be related to food, insect stings, medicine, latex, nuts, etc.  The purpose of the policy is to provide an outline for prevention and care for a student with a known anaphylactic response.

Anaphylaxis Policy

Upon student application, if medical alert- life threatening or severe medical condition- is noted, Parent is asked to complete the medical planning form provided by the school. 

For Parent Accompanied Events:  Expectation of Parent to assume parental responsibility, carry the epi-pen and administer if needed. 

For school run events: 

Bus & Transportation Safety Policy

1.0   Definitions 

1.1  In this Bus Safety Policy, the following terms have the meanings set out below:

              1.1.2  inspection” means an assessment of the safe condition of the bus. 

              1.1.3  driver” means the parent, guardian, or other legal representative of a student.

              1.1.4  student” means a current student of Flex Academy or Heritage Christian Online School.

              1.1.5 “the school” means Flex Academy and its  parent Kelowna Christian Center Society.

              1.1.6  rules” means an expected code of conduct for students riding the bus

              1.1.7  evacuation” means the removal of students from the bus in a potentially dangerous situation 

2.0 General

2.1 Flex Academy believes that field trips are a necessary part of education, so we have committed time and resources to use our own school buses for transportation to these field trips.  The Flex bus is owned and operated by the school and its personnel, so we believe the bus is an extension of the school. Students travelling on school buses are under the jurisdiction of their principal and are subject to the code of conduct of Flex Academy. 

3.0 Inspections 

3.1 Flex Academy will ensure that the buses are in safe operating condition before they go out with students in them.  The school will:

              3.1.1  Have mechanical inspections done twice a year

              3.1.2 Have yearly decals updated on the bus from the official ministry of transportation inspectors

              3.1.3  Have pre-trip inspections done each day before a bus goes out on a field trip.

              3.1.4  Have suitable insurance in place 

4.0 Drivers 

4.1  Drivers are expected to have an up-to-date professional class 1, 2 or 4 license.  Drivers may be asked to have a copy of their drivers extract on record.

4.2  Drivers are responsible for pre-trip inspections. If the safety of the vehicle is under question, or if the road conditions are unsafe, the driver is authorized to cancel the use of the bus and have the school make other arrangements for the field trip.

4.3  Drivers should know the state and placement of the first aid kit, the fire extinguisher and snow chains, emergency exits and flares/triangle.

4.4  Drivers must be familiar with bus evacuation procedures

4.5  Drivers should train chaperones on student rules and evacuation procedures and conduct an annual drill

4.6  Drivers are expected to check the bus for cleanliness before and after the trip

4.7  Drivers should remind students of the bus rules before every trip 

5.0 Student Rules for Bus Trips 

5.1  Always follow the bus driver’s instructions

5.2  Face forward and stay in your seat.  Do not sit sideways, backwards, stand, or move about the bus.

5.3  Keep the aisle of the bus clear at all times.

5.4  Always keep your head, hands and arms inside the bus.

5.5  Throwing objects inside or outside of the bus is not permitted.

5.6  Keep noise levels down. The driver needs to concentrate to safely drive the bus.

5.7  Fighting, shouting, or use of obscene language is not permitted.

5.8  Use the garbage container provided

5.9  Remain in the seat until the bus comes to a complete stop. 

6.0 Evacuation Information

6.1  Drivers must be familiar with evacuation procedures.  They will not be expected to conduct evacuation drills, because the school only has field trip buses, not daily to and from routes. 

Drivers should advise chaperones of evacuation exits/procedures and rules before the trip.

6.2  Usually, students remain on the bus during an emergency. But two situations require

passengers be evacuated from the bus:

              6.2.1 fire, or danger of fire

              6.2.2 unsafe position

6.3  There are several types of evacuations:

              6.3.1 Front door

              6.3.2 Rear door

              6.3.3 Combination evacuation

              6.3.4 Emergency window or hatch evacuation

6.4  Front door evacuation is usually used when there is little or no danger and when time is not a factor (i.e.: if the bus breaks down or similar problem).  

7.0  Evacuation Procedure 

7.1  Use the following procedure with the (most suitable) emergency exit

              7.1.1  Set parking brake, and turn off engine (remove key).

              7.1.2  Stand, open the door, face the children, and get their attention.

              7.1.3  Give the command: “We will be evacuating the bus by the (best evacuation route).  Leave everything on the bus”

              7.1.4  The driver appoints two (2) leaders who leave the bus and all students will follow to a safe place AT LEAST 35 METERS from the bus and remain there in a group until given further instructions by the leaders.

              7.1.5 Appointed leaders are to stand outside the front door to count and assist passengers as they leave the bus.

              7.1.6 Standing between the first occupied seats, you will then turn and face the front of the bus and starting with the right-hand seat, tap the shoulder of the student nearest the aisle to indicate that those occupants should move out. Say, “WALK, DON’T RUN – USE HAND RAILS.”

              7.1.7 Hold your hand before the occupants of the left-hand seat in a restraining gesture.

              7.1.8 When the students in the right-hand seat have moved forward far enough to clear the aisle, dismiss the occupants of the left-hand seats.

       7.1.9 Continue evacuation procedures as described, right and left seats alternately, until the bus is empty. When the last seat is empty, walk to the front of the bus and check to see that everyone is out

Child Abuse and Neglect Policy

Preamble 

Flex Academy is committed to the prevention of child abuse and the enhancement of the well-being and safety of the students entrusted to its care. This commitment is made first and foremost as an ethical and legal responsibility but is also recognized as a response to government and societal expectations for the well-being and safety of students. 

Purpose 

The purpose of this policy is to provide specific guidance to the employees and contractors of Flex Academy in fulfilling the commitment to assist in child abuse prevention and in providing reporting protocols if child abuse is suspected or known to have occurred. 

Guiding Principles

The following guiding principles are provided to inform all parties serving children and families. 

Protocol on Reporting Child Abuse and/or Neglect Involving Parents or Parental Failure to Protect a Child 

The following protocol will be used when dealing with a suspected case of child abuse: 

To make a report, call the MCFD at 1-800-663-9122 or the Delegated Aboriginal Child and Family Services Agency at 1-800-663-7867 any time of the day or night. The person who answers will make sure concerns are directed to the right place.

To contact the Academic Head of School, refer to the numbers in the Student at Risk Team page.

Procedures Where Allegations of Child Abuse are Made Against Flex Acadmey Staff, Volunteers, Contract Service Providers or Others in the School Setting

Reporting to the Police

Reporting to a Child Welfare Worker 

Duty to Report Professional Misconduct
Protocols on Relationships with Partner Agencies
Staff Training and Review 

Communicable Disease Prevention Protocols

Flex Academy protocols for face-to-face programming are formulated in alignment with HCOS Mission Vision and Values and in conjunction with guidance received from the Ministry of Education K-12 Educational Recovery plan. This page is updated as needed and is current with ministry information. 

Key points to note:   
Parent Initiated Activities 
School Run Programs and Events



First Aid Policy

This page provides information on the First Aid Policy for Flex Academy.

Flex Academy has the following First Aid Attendants:

NAME

DEPT

LEVEL

NOTES

J’aimee Graston

Flex

2

905/907 Campus

Justine Dehod

Flex

1

905 Elementary Campus

Shawna Giesbrecht

Flex

1

 905/907 Campus

Systems are in place to follow up with students who indicate on their application form that they have a  medical alert that the school needs to be aware of.

Flex Academy Directors and the Flex Academy Inclusive Education coordinator collaborate to ensure Medical Safety plans are in place for students with severe anaphylaxis, seizures, diabetes or any other serious medical condition as required and reported to the school on a student's medical planning form.

Flex Academy staff receive epi-pen refresher training on an annual basis, as well as anaphylaxis training from allergyaware.ca

Harassment and Bullying Prevention Policy

The safety and well-being of children at Flex Academy is of paramount consideration. Children deserve to be protected from abuse, neglect, bullying, harm or threat of harm. Therefore, Staff and Teachers will ensure that children attending our school experience a Christian learning environment that enables every child to know they are special because they are created in the image of God, and should feel safe, accepted and respected.

Flex Academy is involved in ongoing work and training to ensure that students feel respected and connected with our community. This includes protection of our students’ physical safety, social connectedness, and inclusiveness as well as protection from all forms of bullying, regardless of their gender, race, culture, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, while remaining consistent with Flex Academy's faith-values, cultural perspectives and philosophical values.

Behaviour that does not respect the individual’s honour and dignity will be immediately dealt with upon consultation with leadership, staff, teachers and parents.

Because we seek to foster a safe environment for all, Flex Academy will take all reasonable steps to prevent any and all retaliation by a person against a student who has made a complaint of a breach of this policy.

Resource: ERASE is a comprehensive prevention and intervention program that builds on effective progress already in place to ensure consistent policies and practices across all school districts backed by strong community partnerships.  Four different types of bullying are outlined: Physical, Social, Emotional, Verbal, and Cyber.  In addition to providing resources for parents, students and educators, ERASE also provides an Online Reporting Tool for students or parents to report incidents of bullying.   For more information on ERASE, visit the Erase Bullying Website.

Cyber-Bullying and Bullying Prevention

Statement of Purpose

Flex Academy is committed to fostering, through example and guiding practices, an online and physical environment that works to keep students and staff safe from cyberbullying and bullying. Reported incidents will be taken seriously and fully investigated. Any form of cyberbullying or bullying will be confronted. Action to resolve bullying may result in suspension or deletion from Flex Academy social networking, blogging, or school community events.

Definition of Cyber-bullying and Bullying

Bullying is a relationship problem exerted from a position of power, where repeated physical, verbal or social aggression causes embarrassment, pain, or discomfort. Bullying acts may be intentional or unintentional and perpetrated by individuals or groups. Cyberbullying applies to aggressive acts to belittle or defame an individual through repeated digital communications (e.g., social networking forums, emails, websites, blogs, webinar platforms, chat lines, etc.) Cyberbullying and bullying may include threats, name-calling, insults, sexual harassment or racial slurs.

Physical bullying includes all of the above, with the addition of hitting, shoving, stealing, or damaging property when it is in a physical context. Bullying is not necessarily the case in every situation that may result in conflict. Student disagreements, speaking in a perceived aggressive tone, confronting someone's behaviour, misunderstandings, and personality struggles are all examples of normal human interaction that isn't necessarily bullying when there is no evidence of controlling aggressive behaviour.

Student and Parent Guidelines
Teacher and Staff Guidelines
Leadership Guidelines
Resolving Action
Internet Safety & Literacy Tips for Parents

At HCOS our students are encouraged to become wise, digitally capable learners who can search online within boundaries, ensuring Internet safety and healthy learning. With this in mind here are some useful rules for providing Godly education for your new Flex learner.

Guiding your Students Online

To ensure your students feel safe online please follow the suggested guidelines. Look into setting up the following bookmarks for their own special folder:

Preserving Privacy
Possible Hazards
Information on Cyber Safety

Safety Hazard Reporting

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The KCCS Safety Hazard Reporting form will go directly to the KCC safety team, where it will be actioned promptly. Flex staff can report observed safety hazards using this form.

Safety Hazard Reporting form


Water Testing Policy

Flex Academy stays compliant with water testing requirements (less than 0.005 milligrams per litre) (testing once every 3 years) as per BC Source Drinking Water Guidelines and The Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

If results are not within acceptable guidelines the school will inform the health authority, independent school office and undertake any needed mitigation. The school will communicate with parents and the school community in a timely manner. 

Where external rental facilities are used for face to face learning, students are required to bring potable water to the site.

Families can review the regulations that govern the protection and access safe drinking water in British Columbia here: