Progressive Discipline / Suspensions / Expulsions

Schools respond to student behaviour with fairness, consistency, and care to promote safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments across Grand Erie schools.

Grand Erie is committed to building and sustaining a positive school climate for all students in order to engage, support, and inspire all learners to achieve and succeed. Grand Erie’s commitment focuses on restorative approaches, progressive discipline, and equitable outcomes for all students.

The Education Act requires school boards to ensure that measures are in place that consequence inappropriate behaviours and at the same time provide support for students to change those behaviours.

Progressive discipline can range from detentions to expulsions, depending on the infraction. There is a requirement for schools and school boards to consider all and any mitigating circumstances before issuing a consequence for inappropriate behaviours.

Mitigating circumstances may alter the consequence; however, it does not mean that there is no consequence. We know through research that suspensions and expulsions by themselves further alienate the very youth who are in the most need of developing strong positive relationships.

Restorative and Supportive Practices Include:

  • Understanding behaviour and underlying factors
  • Implementing proactive supports
  • Restoring relationships and accountability
  • Teaching and modelling expectations
  • Strengthening adult-student connections
  • Reviewing progress and adjusting supports

Steps in Student Discipline include:

  • Assessing incidents and considering mitigating factors
  • Contacting police, Child and Family Services, or other partners when required
  • Managing suspensions (1-20 days) and expulsion processes
  • Communicating with families
  • Recording and tracking incidents in the Student Management System

Suspension LengthSchool LevelDistrict Level
6-10 daysPotentially Social Work and Child Youth Worker SupportAcademic Support
11-20 days
Academic Support
Social Work Support
Child and Youth Worker Support
Expulsion
Academic Support
Social Work Support
Child and Youth Worker Support

Suspensions

To meet the goals of creating a safe, caring and accepting school environment, Grand Erie supports the use of positive practices as well as consequences for inappropriate behaviour, including progressive discipline, which includes suspension and expulsion when necessary.

The Board does not support discipline measures that are solely punitive. Schools are encouraged to implement proactive positive practices and corrective supportive practices when necessary.

Expulsions

A student may be expelled either from his or her school only or from all schools of the Board. If the student is expelled from his or her own school only, he or she must be assigned to another Board program or another school.

In the notice of expulsion, parents/caregivers will be provided with information on either a Board program or another school to which the student has been assigned.


YMCA

The YMCA provides an alternative to suspension program. Students can attend skill building sessions during suspension or as a pre-suspension intervention. 


Experiential learning opportunities to support the secondary suspension program include:

  • Boys and Girls Club
  • Haudenosaunee Sports Development Lacrosse Program
  • Friendship House
  • North Park CVS - Innovation Hub