A HEALTHY, SAFE AND CARING SJD
Safety is a top priority for each and every member of our community. Students need to have healthy minds and bodies to be ready to learn and explore.

Allergy Awareness: While schools are discouraged by VIHA to have an allergen free policy, we are encouraged to be allergy aware. At SJD we have students and staff with severe allergies. Peanuts, tree nuts, and scents are the greatest concern. We also have a number of staff and students who are gluten intolerant. When preparing lunches, we strongly encourage the use of alternatives to peanut or nut butters, and ask you to consider not sending peanuts or tree nuts in lunches. Please also consider allergies when sending in treats to share for birthdays or other events such as bake sales.

For classrooms with severe allergy concerns, students with allergens in their lunch may be asked to eat at a specific table/desk. Our supervisors and custodians will have specific cleaning tasks for these rooms and furniture to try to reduce exposure and risk.

Allergies are a concern throughout the school, not just in classes with an identified allergy. Please help us keep everyone who enters our school safe. Allergy awareness is for all of us.

For more information about allergies go to http://foodallergycanada.ca/
For an excellent 30 min online workshop about anaphylaxis go to http://www.allergyaware.ca/

Scent Awareness: Many of the people who work and learn at SJD also have significant sensitivities to odors created by highly scented products, such as perfumes and scented fabric softeners, that can significantly impact their health. Please consider these people when you choose home cleaning supplies. Also, please avoid applying perfumes on a day you may be entering the school.

Head Lice: SJD Head lice letter; Wet Combing; VIHA information
The PAC has generously provided the school with metal combs that families are welcome to ask for.

Hand Washing: VIHA information

Feeling safe and included: Emotions are the ‘gatekeepers’ to learning. We want every child to feel safe and included at SJD. In classrooms and assemblies, we spend time discussing and teaching lessons to focus on social and emotional development. We also use Restitution as a problem-solving model when students make mistakes. Home-school partnership and regular communication are critical to ensuring all students feel safe and included. Please see the SJD School Code of Conduct for more detailed information.

Thank you for your support and effort to make Sir James Douglas a healthy, safe and caring place for everyone!