Special Education

Sample School Team Meeting Agenda

The following sample School Team meeting agenda can be adapted to fit the protocol developed in a particular school.

1. Share information with the team regarding the facts of the traumatic event. No information should be shared with anyone else until a decision is made about what information is to be shared and the process for notifying staff and students. When this decision about disclosure of personal information is made, care must be taken to ensure that requirements of FOIPPA are followed. Under FOIPPA on e of the basis for disclosing personal information is called "consistent use." That is, the disclosure of the information is permitted if it is directly related to the purpose of which it was received, and it is necessary to use it to operate the school or meet other statutory obligations. Meeting the emotional needs of students and staff so that the school can function might be considered a "consistent use."
   
   
2. Determine the impact of this particular incident on individual members of the School Team in order to ensure that all members can function objectively. Assess the likely impact of the critical incident on classes and individuals. Consider the impact for anyone in the school community who may have recently experienced a significant death or loss. Are there staff members who may require assistance in leading the classroom discussion?
   
   
3. Determine whether there are the cultural or religious implications surrounding the incident. How should they be addressed?
   
   
4. Identify school resources. Are there other staff members who might be helpful additions to the team in this situation?
   
   
5. Determine whether additional counsellors are required to provide support to the team and work with students. Assess the extent of the need for additional resources. The team could be augmented by a variety of school district and/or community resources such as First Nations support workers, behaviour support workers, multicultural home-school workers, community mental health personnel and other medical-health professionals.
   
   
6. Confirm the overall strategy and the specific roles of Response Team members for this particular crisis.
   
   
7. Develop an agenda for the general staff meeting and prepare a written statement for the meeting about the critical incident.
   
   
8. Decide whether it would be appropriate to send home a brief announcement about the critical incident. Sample letters are included on pages 38 and 39.

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