January 14, 2021

The Board of Education is appalled by the assault of a student at Ecole Heritage Park Middle School earlier this week. We take this incident very seriously. The School District does not tolerate bullying, harassment, or violence, and will follow our protocols to deal with the serious situation.   

The Board expects adherence to district policy and has an Anti: Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Policy and a Sexual Minority (Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity) Anti-Homophobic Policy.  We strongly believe that students have the right to attend school in a safe and inclusive manner and are very concerned about this incident.    

Everyone involved in and affected by this confrontation is being offered supports, and District Staff is working with the school, the Ministry of Education, the RCMP, and community agencies as they investigate this matter.   

The Board clarifies that Covid-19 did not cause the incident. We have seen an increase in tension in our schools since the onset of the pandemic, but Covid-19 was not the cause of this incident, and the Board apologizes if Superintendent Wilson's comment was interpreted this way. This specific incident is under investigation and the conduct of all students involved, including bystanders, will be addressed by the School District.    

Violence, assault, and personal attacks are unacceptable at any time and Mission Public Schools is committed to reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure we have a safe, equitable and inclusive educational system for ALL students.  We will continue to review options that will assist in educating students to know and understand that there is no room in our school district or society for hate speech or physical violence.    

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (click here to email Trustee Loffler).  

Sincerely,  

Tracy Loffler, Board Chair 

Shelley Carter, Vice-Chair

Randy Cairns, School Trustee

Rick McKamey, School Trustee

Julia Renkema, School Trustee

Statement from the Board regarding the incident at HPMS 01.14.2021.pdf