SSPX school in Calgary fosters 'inclusiveness' for LGBT
Oct 2, 2018 16:33:01 GMT
Post by Admin on Oct 2, 2018 16:33:01 GMT
In the last day or so, the Handbook for the St. John Bosco Private School in Calgary, Alberta has been on the radar. The reason for the attention it is garnering is that on pages 45 - 48 of said handbook [download here], it states the following:
INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES
Background
Consistent with its mission and vision, St. John Bosco Private School is committed to a safe, caring, respectful, inclusive and welcoming learning and teaching environment for all staff and students having charity above all other considerations.
Consistent with its mission and vision, St. John Bosco Private School is committed to a safe, caring, respectful, inclusive and welcoming learning and teaching environment for all staff and students having charity above all other considerations.
To ensure that all members of the school community work together in an atmosphere of respect for the dignity of all persons, this policy is adopted to ensure that each student and staff member is provided with a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging.
The Board will not tolerate harassment, bullying, intimidation or discrimination of students or staff as provided for in the Alberta Human Rights Act or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which includes discrimination on the basis of an individual’s actual or perceived differences, including sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
To achieve this goal, the Board requires that its schools and staff and students promote a welcoming, caring, respectful, safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging in accordance with the rights of staff and students under the following legislation and as reflected in School’s procedures:
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• Alberta Human Rights Act.
• Alberta Bill of Rights.
• School Act.
• An Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances
Rationale
1. This procedure has been developed to:(a) support and affirm the dignity of all students in every aspect of school life;
2. (b) prove the understanding of the lives of all students and find ways to increase respect for the dignity of each other in ways appropriate to the traditionally Catholic school setting;
3. (c) provide training consistent with the traditional Catholic faith for all teachers and other staff that promotes a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respect diversity and fosters a sense of belonging including with respect to gender identity and gender expression;
4. (d) provide resources consistent with traditional Catholic teaching on social relationships and to support students who require assistance as a result of their gender identity or gender expression. As St. Paul reminds us, “For in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God, through faith. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ.” (Galatians 3:27-28); and
5. (e) outline the Board’s responsibilities under Section 16.1 of the School Act.
2. Given that all students are created in the divine image and likeness of God, and are therefore endowed with an inalienable worth that cannot be violated, circumstances involving gender identity or gender expression, as they affect a student, are to be addressed with a high degree of sensitivity, respect, and inclusion, and where required, expertise and support (in the context of the school’s resources).
3. The goal of any reasonable accommodation made by a school in this area is to afford dignity and success in learning for a student who has advised the school of their gender identity or gender expression needs.
4. With this context and based on available school resources, staff are committed to creating a student learning environment that is inclusive, flexible and responsive to the student’s needs. To this end, staff may:
1. (a) take into consideration a continuum of supports and services in the context of a reasonable accommodation; and 2. (b) collaborate with families and, if permissible, community support services for accommodation purposes.
Principles
1. Students at all grade levels may need support and guidance with respect to their gender identity or gender expression.
2. A teacher or administrator who is approached with a request for assistance, support or an accommodation must respond in a timely manner with sensitivity, respect, and understanding mercy and compassion.
3. Since all students have been created in the divine image and likeness of God, and are therefore endowed with an inalienable worth that cannot be violated, circumstances involving issues with gender identity or gender expression as it affects a student shall:
(a) be addressed with fairness, sensitivity, respect and inclusion;
(b) be addressed in a positive manner by all school personnel;
(c) be addressed in a manner where students have reasonable resources available to them without fear of reprisal, when they are victims of harassment, prejudice, discrimination, intimidation, bullying and/or violence;
(d) protect student confidentiality (subject to circumstances which require disclosure of personal information in accordance with the Protection of Privacy Act).
3. The goal of a reasonable accommodation in this area is to afford dignity and success in learning for a student who has gender identity or gender expression needs. To this end, based on available resources, staff may collaborate with families and, with the student and/or family’s permission, community support services to reasonably address student needs and take into consideration a continuum of available reasonable supports and services.
Procedures
1. These accommodation guidelines explain the School’s best practices related to support and accommodation based on gender identity and gender expression.
1. These accommodation guidelines explain the School’s best practices related to support and accommodation based on gender identity and gender expression.
2. The School will provide opportunities for staff to increase their knowledge, awareness, skills and attitudes in promoting respect for human rights, respecting diversity and understanding issues related to gender identity and gender expression in relation to the traditional Catholic faith as well as the greater society.
3. The School shall provide support for student organizations in accordance with Section 16.1 of the School Act. Specifically:
(a) If one or more students attending a school operated by a board request a staff member employed by the board for support to establish a voluntary student organization, or to lead an activity intended to promote a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging, the principal of the school shall:
(b) For the purposes of this procedure, an organization or activity includes an organization or activity that promotes equality and non-discrimination with respect to, without limitation, race, religious belief, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, family status or sexual orientation, including but not limited to organizations such as gay-straight alliances, diversity clubs, anti-racism clubs and anti-bullying clubs.
i. immediately grant permission for the establishment of the student organization or the holding of the activity at the school, and
ii. subject to subsection (d), within a reasonable time from the date the principal receives the request designate a staff member to serve as the staff liaison to facilitate the establishment, and the ongoing operation, of the student organization or to assist in organizing the activity.
ii. subject to subsection (d), within a reasonable time from the date the principal receives the request designate a staff member to serve as the staff liaison to facilitate the establishment, and the ongoing operation, of the student organization or to assist in organizing the activity.
(b) For the purposes of this procedure, an organization or activity includes an organization or activity that promotes equality and non-discrimination with respect to, without limitation, race, religious belief, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, family status or sexual orientation, including but not limited to organizations such as gay-straight alliances, diversity clubs, anti-racism clubs and anti-bullying clubs.
(c) The students may select a respectful and inclusive name for the organization or activity, including the name “gay-straight alliance” or “queer-straight alliance”, after consulting with the principal.
i. For greater certainty, the principal shall not prohibit or discourage students from choosing a name that includes “gay-straight alliance” or “queer-straight alliance”.
(d) The principal shall immediately inform the board and the Minister if no staff member is available to serve as a staff liaison referred to in 3(a), and if so informed, the Minister shall appoint a responsible adult to work with the requesting students in organizing the activity or to facilitate the establishment, and the ongoing operation, of the student organization at the school.
4. The principal is responsible for ensuring that notification, if any, respecting a voluntary student organization or an activity referred to in section 3 is limited to the fact of the establishment of the organization or the holding of the activity. As with all extra-curricular offering, parents are invited to converse with the school regarding the intention of the student organization or activity.
5. Student privacy and confidentiality of personal information will be protected and only disclosed when required in accordance with the Alberta Protection of Privacy Act.
6. The School shall allow for Student Records to reflect the preferred name of the student including on report cards, class lists and IPPs without the need for documented proof of change in sex or gender or a medical diagnosis. However, a legal name change, as registered under the Vital Statistics Act is required if the student desires their official Alberta Education documents to reflect their preferred name.
7. The School will establish a code of conduct for students that addresses bullying behaviour.
Nothing in this policy is to be interpreted so as to limit or be a waiver of the St. John Bosco Private School Board’s rights and powers pursuant the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to maintain the denominational character of Catholic schools. If any of the provisions in this Policy conflict with the St. John Bosco Private School Board’s rights and powers pursuant to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to maintain the denominational character of Catholic schools, the St. John Bosco Private School Board’s rights and powers pursuant the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to maintain the denominational character of Catholic schools will govern.
Reference:
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Alberta Human Rights Act
Alberta Bill of Rights
School Act
This policy is to be reviewed annually. [emphasis - The Catacombs]
To read the words "SSPX" and "respect diversity and foster a sense of belonging including with respect to gender identity and gender expression" that are found together in a formal SSPX policy document is an incredible sight. It is reminiscent of the recent article we posted earlier today regarding the Vatican's decision to pave the way for "LGBT" to become a formal part of the Vatican documentation. Apparently, the SSPX has already beaten them to it in their official papers.
Once again, we embrace and echo the words of Archbishop Lefebvre:
“We have never wished to belong to this system which calls itself the Conciliar Church, and defines itself with the Novus Ordo Missæ, an ecumenism which leads to indifferentism and the laicization of all society. Yes, we have no part, nullam partem habemus, with the pantheon of the religions of Assisi; our own excommunication by a decree of Your Eminence or of another Roman Congregation would only be the irrefutable proof of this. We ask for nothing better than to be declared out of communion with this adulterous spirit which has been blowing in the Church for the last 25 years; we ask for nothing better than to be declared outside of this impious communion of the ungodly.” (Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin, July 6, 1988)
If only the SSPX remembered and continue to embrace these words as well.
It would have been better for the souls of those affiliated with this school to have closed it down and home-schooled the children then ever let such words be printed under a supposedly-traditional Catholic organization's name.
"But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea." [Matthew 18:6]
