The safety of our students is of paramount importance for us all. As a school district, we have a district procedure for responding to all situations in which students may be posing a threat to themselves or others. School District No. 83 requires principals to activate a threat assessment protocol in all cases where students are making significant high-level threats to harm themselves or others. The procedure is called a Threat Risk Assessment.
LETTER TO PARENTS SEPTEMBER 2025
What is a threat?
A threat is an expression of intent to do harm or act violently against someone or something. Threats may be verbal, written, drawn, posted on social media, or made by gesture. Threats must be taken seriously, investigated, and responded to.
In order to keep school communities safe and caring, staff, parents/guardians/caregivers, students, and community members must report all threat related behaviours to the school principal.
What is a Site Specific Threat Assessment Team?
Each school will activate a team which includes the principal, Director overseeing the school, District Vice-Principal of Student Wellness, counsellor, and where appropriate, a member of the RCMP.
The purposes of a student threat assessment are:
- to ensure and promote the emotional and physical safety of students, staff, parents, the student making the threat, and others
- to ensure a full understanding of the context of the threat
to understand the factors underlying the behaviours of the threat maker - to be proactive in developing an intervention plan that addresses the emotional and physical safety of the threat maker
- to promote the emotional and physical safety of all
A student threat assessment will be initiated for behaviours including, but not limited to:
- serious violence or violence with intent to harm or kill
- online threats to harm/kill others
- possession of weapons (including replicas)
- gang related intimidation and violence
- verbal/written threats to harm/kill (clear, direct, plausible)
- bomb threats (making and/or detonating explosive devices)
- fire starting
- sexual intimidation and violence
What parents and students need to know:
- any threat must be reported to the school principal
- investigations may involve a counsellor, Director of Instruction, District Vice-Principal of Student Wellness, the police or other community agencies
- investigations may involve locker or personal property searches
- interviews will be held with the threat maker and other students or adults who may have information about the threat
- parents/guardians/caregivers who are directly involved with a threat will be notified
- threatening behaviour may result in disciplinary action and/or change in school placement
- an intervention plan may be developed for the student making the threat and a support plan developed for individuals targeted by the threats
Collection Notice
The School District is subject to personal information privacy laws and will undertake the collection of this information in compliance with the requirements of such laws, including limiting collection of information that is relevant and necessary to address a risk or threat, and by ensuring that information is collected from online sources is only obtained from open-source sites. The School District will not collect information as part of a threat assessment unless there is reason to believe that a risk exists. Information collected as part of a threat assessment may be provided to law enforcement authorities in appropriate circumstances.
For further information please contact your school principal, Superintendent of Schools Donna Kriger or Safer Schools Together at www.saferschoolstogether.com