COPACS
Confederation of Parents' Advisory Councils of Saanich
Parent Resources
Parent Advocacy
Speaking Up
Sometimes our children face difficult problems or situations at school with which they are unable to cope. It could be a problem with a teacher, bullying, or a rule that seems unfair.
Parents/Guardians may find these issues difficult to deal with, feel intimidated or fear that our child might suffer if we speak out. We may feel frustrated because we are not sure how to support our children in these situations.
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Steps to follow if you have a concern:
STEP 1: Teacher -Try to solve the problem here. This is the person to check with on all matters pertaining to your child(ren)'s educational needs. Document details on the issues (dates, parties involved, action, correspondence).
STEP 2: Principal -The Principal is the educational leader and will attempt to solve the problem at the school level.
STEP 3: School District Directors will then be the next step to facilitate a solution to the issue.
STEP 4: Superintendent of Schools - The Superintendent of Schools (Dave Eberwein) is the District's CEO and is available to assist in finding a resolution if the options outlined in the previous steps have not been successful.
STEP 5: Trustees - Contact the Trustee(s) in your zone by phone or write a letter to the Chair of the School Board.
STEP 6: Formal Appeal Procedure - If your concerns are still not addressed satisfactorily, you may formally appeal a decision according to the regulations outlined in the District's Appeal Policy (Policy 16).
You're not alone.....we can help.....
Saanich School District parents can contact COPACS, free of charge, for information and support about who to approach with a problem and how best to try to resolve it.
Contact our volunteer parent advocates via email at copacssd63@gmail.com
​All correspondence is completely confidential.
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Helpful Links and Documents
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Speaking Up - A BCCPAC guide designed to assist parents in advocating for their children
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Speaking Up - A COPACS SD63 guide to supplement the BCCPAC guide
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Speaking Up "Meeting Survival Guide" - A BCCPAC printable guide to preparing for effective meetings with your school district
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Board Policy 16: Appeals Bylaw - A link to the SD63 official policy for complaints and appeals
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Understanding Student Rights - A presentation about student rights, how to be a parent advocate and how the appeals process works
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Using Your Parent Voice - A BCCPAC presentation and video about being a parent advocate
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BCCPAC’s “Supporting Student Success: Working Together in BC Public Schools”
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Safe, Caring and Orderly Schools Report - A BC Ministry of education guide
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Parent's Handbook on Inclusive Education - A guide covering the BC policies, rights in BC schools, assessments, individual education plans and advocacy. Inclusion BC provides support, education and advocacy where and when it's needed. They advocate at a systems level for policy change and promote inclusion through public awareness initiatives and campaigns.
Health & Safety
Bullying
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​The Province of BC has set up a safe and anonymous online reporting tool for students to report bullying. ERASE bullying also provides parents and students with resources to work through issues at school.
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ERASE: Bullying - Online reporting tool and other resources including links for support chat and text
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Erase Bullying - Online resources for bullying, cyberbullying, mental health, violence, discrimination, racism and more.
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Other links to navigate bullying in Saanich Schools
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​Codes of Conduct - SD63 link to Elementary, Middle and Secondary Schools Codes of Conduct
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Prevention of Intimidation & Harassment - SD63 link to the policy to deal with bullying and harassment as well as other official documentation
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BCCPAC "Stop Bullying" - A guide for parents to help their children
Social Media and Screen Time
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​The Province of BC introduced new rules around accessing phones, tablets and devices in school - more info here
Mental Health
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SD63 Mental Wellness Hub - An extensive and current list of local mental health resources including courses, workshops, clubs and resources for students, families and staff
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SD63 Mental Health & Wellness Snapshots - Up to date PDFs on different health and wellness topics
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Rolling with ADHD - A free BC Children's Hospital course for parenting children with ADHD
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Healthy Minds Learning - Courses, resources and information provided by BC Children’s Hospital for families and caregivers.
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Kelty Mental Health - "We help families across the province navigate the mental health system, connect with peer support, and access resources and tools to support well-being."
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Foundry BC - offers health and wellness resources, services and supports for young people ages 12-24 across BC.
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Bounce Back - BounceBack® is a free skill-building program designed to help adults and youth 13+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry. Delivered online or over the phone with a coach, you will get access to tools that will support you on your path to mental wellness.
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Confident Parents, Thriving Kids - A Canadian Mental Health Association BC has two program streams to help parents support their children aged 3-12 to manage either anxiety or behavior challenges.
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Pediatric Somatization Handbook and Video - This handbook outlines: 1) our understanding of somatization and the mind-body connection, 2) the ways we communicate about somatization and the mind-body connection, and 3) treatment strategies.
Drugs and Alcohol
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ERASE: Substance Abuse - A breakdown of resources provided by the BC Government.
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Let's Talk - An Island Health guide about speaking with our kids about substance use
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Integrated Child and Youth Teams - A BCCPAC hosted presentation by ICY teams outlining how children and youth can get the help they need for mental health and substance issues
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Family Smart Videos - Videos for families and caregivers on mental health and/or substance use topics. We share experiences and strategies that help in the hard moments and focus on strengthening our understanding and connection with our kids
SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity)
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SOGI 1 2 3 - SOGI 1 2 3 Parent Resources were created in collaboration with BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) and the BC Ministry of Education to answer parent questions about what SOGI-inclusive education looks like in Canadian schools
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SOGI Resource Guide - SOGI 1 2 3 resource guide
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ERASE: SOGI - SOGI information and resources provided by the BC Government
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SOGI Videos - SOGI 1 2 3 parent resources videos for elementary and secondary aged children
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SOGI Video Presentation - Available until June 30, 2024
Sexual Health and Safety
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ERASE: Sexual Abuse - information and resources for gender based violence, sexual harassment and technology based sexual exploitation. There are also resources on the different ways to report sexual violence.
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ERASE - Online reporting tool and other resources including links for support chat and text
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Island Sexual Health - A pdf outlining the resources and workshops provided by Island Sexual Health
Online Safety
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The White Hatter- Parent presentation notes
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ERASE: Online Safety- Information and resources for cyberbullying, online safety and parenting in the digital world
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Protect Kids Online- A website geared towards providing parents with age appropriate tools and knowledge of up-to-date technology to help protect kids online.
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Media Smarts- Canada's Center for Digital Media Literacy
Healthy Schools
Healthy Eating
Food Security
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Living Edge - Since 2011, Living Edge has been freely providing groceries on a weekly basis. We specialize in providing fresh food – not just canned goods – to local residents. Today we provide food for seven neighborhood markets in the Greater Victoria Area.
Environment
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More to come