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Royals make playoffs
Replacing tack boards with computers, B.C. Transit goes hitech as it moves ops to Langford. News, Page A3
Western Hockey League playoff action returns to Victoria for the first time in more than 20 years. Sports, Page A20
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Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Positive change out of tragedy Two years after student murder, district working hard at keeping schools safe
Colwood mayor lands a seat on transit board Kyle Wells News staff
Kyle Wells News staff
This past weekend marked two years since Kimberly Proctor’s murder by two of her classmates, but it also marked two years of work to bring about positive change and help prevent all levels of violence in schools. Dave Betts, assistant superintendent for School District 62, said 2010 was a significant but difficult year for the district due to Proctor’s murder, but also due to two bomb threats, as well as an arson at Spencer middle school. Combined, these events inspired district staff to take action. “The murder ... was a very significant event that happened in our community,� Betts said, “and had a profound impact on the school district and the way that we looked at things.� Risk assessment training, developed by Kevin Cameron with the Canadian Center for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response, was introduced for staff at all schools. The program teaches educators to look for red flags in a student’s language, drawings, actions and behaviour. SD 62, West Shore RCMP, Vancouver Island Health Authority and other agencies have also developed protocols so normally confidential
Math. Reading. Success.
Kyle Wells/News staff
Sitting in a classroom at Pacific Secondary in Colwood, the last school attended by her niece Kimberly Proctor and the girl’s killers, Jo-Anne Landolt is working toward bringing a student safety program to classes throughput the province. information can be more easily shared in cases of indications of potential or actual student violence. The system establishes a duty for any employee of the school district, from teachers to custodians, to voice concerns over a student’s behaviour to administrators. Scott Rothermel, a RCMP liaison officer with SD62 schools, interacted, separately, with both Proctor and her two murderers prior to the crime, and worked with authorities throughout the investigation. Rothermel said that since these prevention programs have been implemented, they have been activated for a variety of reasons.
“The idea is that by doing this you’re being preemptive,� Rothermel said. “You can sort of see things coming, hopefully before they get way out of hand or before they become detrimental.� In general, Rothermel said the schools he works in are exceptionally safe for students. Even playground brawls are almost a thing of the past, said Rothermel, who has been working with Belmont, Pacific Secondary and Edward Milne schools for four years. Another SD 62 initiative put in place is the Restitution program. The program focuses on a broader view of the culture within the schools and looks at how students, and even
staff, treat each other. The program steers away from a “crime and punishment� disciplinary approach and focuses more on building community and making school more inclusive for everyone. Rothermel said these programs are making a positive change in Sooke district schools, but doesn’t believe they would have necessarily prevented a crime as random and horrific as Proctor’s murder. “There’s always the thought of ‘could have we done more’ or ‘could have we seen this actually happen,’� he said. PLEASE SEE: SD 62, Page A5
We’re speechless.
Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton is among the four new appointees to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission as the only representative for the West Shore. The appointees join three current members to form the commission, which determines fares, routes and service levels for B.C. Transit. The group also makes recommendations for B.C. Transit’s budget and spending related to Greater Victoria. Hamilton said the West Shore has “significant transit issues� that she hopes to work on. She admits she has catching up to do, but she sees the level of bus service and expanding transit options, such as the E&N railway, as primary concerns. “We have to Carol Hamilton be lobbying on a numColwood mayor ber of fronts,� Hamilton said, “not just buses.� Concerns have been raised in the past over the level of representation for the West Shore on the commission. Hamilton agrees that considering the size and level of growth, one representative for six municipalities, including Sooke, is inadequate. “We’re probably a little short shifted in that regard,� Hamilton said. “It would be nice to see it bumped up.� One possible solution is to have the Capital Regional District take over the responsibilities of the commission. An independent review of how public transit is delivered has been initiated by the Ministry of Transportation (see the story page A3). “Overall the B.C. Transit system works well,� Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom said in a release. “However, I recognize the mayors’ concerns and I think there is room for improvement.�
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