"If safety comes first, stress and anxiety is greatly reduced. This allows individuals to calm down and breathe. Finding a state of calm by regulating the breath is essential to kindness training."
— From the work of Rob Rosen in Portland, Oregon
Sherbrooke Community Centre is home to more than 260 people, and the safety of Elders/residents, students and staff is our priority. All of Sherbrooke is considered our classroom. There will be times when students work with staff and Elders in small groups and other times when students are required to move from place to place on their own through the building.
As Sherbrooke is a home, there are some safety rules that must be observed.
- Students are to remain in common areas at all times when working with Elders.
- Students are not permitted to enter a bedroom or restroom where an Elder resides.
- Students will travel in pairs, or threes, when visiting the neighbourhood or villas.
- Students will respond to requests made by adult staff members. Providing care and companionship to Elders is unique to each individual; staff caregivers are a great resource to convey the needs and wants of the residents.
In addition:
- All iGen teachers and Sherbrooke staff wear name tags so they can be easily identified.
- All teachers, staff and volunteers at Sherbrooke are required to complete a security check, including vulnerable sector screening, through the Saskatoon Police Service.
- We operate our partnership through an open disclosure policy. If an event or incident of concern occurs while the children, Elders, staff or volunteers are interacting, we instruct the parties involved to disclose what happened. Open communication and problem-solving help us keep our home, work and learning space safe and secure for everyone.
- Students have a space that is locked and secured to store their belongings. If students bring their iPod, iPad, iPhone or laptop to school, the devices are stored securely when not in use.
- Students are dropped off at Sherbrooke Community Centre in the morning at 8:45 a.m. and picked up at École College Park School at the end of the day. Attendance is completed through Edsby. Note: Students are not permitted to leave Sherbrooke unless a guardian or specified pick-up person comes to Sherbrooke to collect them or they are dismissed from École College Park School at the end of the day.
- École College Park School offers a before and after school program. This is available for iGen students at an extra cost. The application forms are available when school starts in September.
- If there is a health crisis or other unforeseeable situation at Sherbrooke, iGen will be housed at École College Park School.
Confidentiality
Sherbrooke Community Centre is governed by the Health and Information Protection Act (HIPA). There are limitations on information that can and cannot be shared by students and staff as they work with Elders each day. The students will be provided with a script that will help them answer questions while honouring these confidentiality laws. This will be part of what we study at the beginning of the year.
