More noon-hour supervision is coming to New Westminster Secondary School in answer to concerns about student safety — but not everyone is convinced it’s going to solve the problem.
School District 40 has earmarked $23,944 as a new priority in its 2023-24 budget to increase supervision hours at the high school.
“It’s clear from my experience this year at NWSS that there is a need for additional resources in student supervision and student monitoring,” Robert Weston, SD40’s executive director of human resources, told school trustees during a May 2 budget presentation.
Student safety and behaviour has been an ongoing issue this school year, with incidents including pepper-spraying, firecrackers, washroom fires, vandalism and vaping in washrooms.
The district has already installed more surveillance cameras at the school, along with vape detectors in the gender-neutral washrooms on the main floor.
Now it wants to add more eyes to the job of patrolling the common areas and keeping an eye on students.
More hours, training for noon-hour supervisors at NWSS
Weston noted there will now be four four-hour supervisors spread out during the school day — an increase of four hours per day.
“This, we hope, will enable them to schedule during the course of the day a more uniform supervision of student activity at the various areas of the school,” he said.
Weston said the district will also focus on training for the supervisors — both existing and new staff — so they have the skills to monitor student behaviour and intervene, or not, as necessary. The district will also prioritize connections between the supervisors and child and youth workers so the supervisors have additional resources to call on when needed.
Trustee Dee Beattie questioned whether, in a future year, the district might consider having full-day child and youth care workers rather than just more noon-hour supervisors.
“I think that (child and youth care workers) are better at establishing relationships with students, and I don’t know if that would be a better model for the mental health of students and the wellness of students,” she said.
Weston acknowledged Beattie’s point, noting that’s why the district is working to make sure supervisors have a link to child and youth care workers.
He said that, although supervisors do have to intervene occasionally, the “vast majority” of their time is spent walking around and observing. Because of that, he noted, the district feels the best approach is to have trained supervisors watching what’s going on, with connections to a child and youth care worker, education assistant or teacher if needed.
Parents question effectiveness of NWSS supervisors
Laura Kwong, chair of the New Westminster district parent advisory council (DPAC), questioned whether more noon-hour supervisors would really be effective.
“What is needed is someone who could intervene and is able to intervene if there’s a situation that requires that, and a noon-hour supervisor that has no training or no ability to do that is totally ineffective in a situation like that,” Kwong said. “Adding more noon-hour supervisors isn’t going to solve any of the issues around students who see noon-hour supervisors and have zero regard for what they are doing there.”
She suggested a child and youth care worker who has connections with students, or someone with a security background, might be a better solution.
Fellow parent Kathleen Carlsen, vice-chair of DPAC, agreed.
“Noon-hour supervisors at elementary schools are fantastic,” she said. “They’re not effective at the high school in making the students feel safe. … There’s no respect given to them whatsoever.”
She said child and youth care workers who can build relationships with students, or even security guards, should be a consideration instead.
Weston stressed that “appropriate training” will be a focus for noon-hour supervisors next year — including training in de-escalation and identification of safety issues. He added the district will keep an eye on the situation over the school year and can always take a new approach if it determines there’s a better way of doing the work.
The New Westminster school board is expected to adopt its budget by the end of May. It next meets May 23, both virtually and in person at the school board office. You can find the meeting link and information online.
📢 SOUND OFF: Do you think more hours and training for noon-hour supervisors will help address safety concerns at NWSS? Would more child and youth care workers or security guards be more effective? If you have ideas about safety at NWSS and what (if anything) should be done to address it, share your thoughts — send us a letter.
