***Version française en bas de la page*** There are lots of changes this year. Staff and students have much to learn and put into practice on how to navigate our new school environment, along with a continued responsibility to provide adequate supervision. Courts have defined ”adequate supervision” as a product of many variables and can be provided by school board…
***Version française au bas de la page*** While the province is starting to relax restrictions and permit the reopening of businesses along with some outdoor recreational amenities and summer camp programs, school boards are starting to ask, “How do we manage this exposure?” Outlining the duty of care owed specific to COVID-19 will assist all school board staff to identify…
While COVID-19 has resulted in the cancellation of many activities and events, we are pleased to share that OSBIE presentations are not one of them! OSBIE is offering a series of webinars during the month of June at no charge for our members. Here’s a chance to sharpen and enhance your insurance and risk management knowledge from the comfort of…
***Version française au bas de la page*** “During the COVID-19 pandemic, with adolescents likely to use digital platforms even more for personal or educational purposes, there could be a concurrent increase in cyberbullying, an expert warned. When smartphones and social media became ubiquitous for students, cyberbullying rates went up,” Sameer Hinduja, PhD, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida…
***Version française au bas de la page*** As schools adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have shifted to communicating remotely using video conference platforms like Zoom, prompting a hacking phenomenon known as “Zoom-bombing.” In a typical attack, an unwanted perpetrator tries to disrupt an online class by hacking in and displaying images and language that may be pornographic, hateful or…
***Version française au bas de la page*** With the Provincial government mandating that schools remain closed to students until at least May 4th, 2020, school boards are looking at ways to support and educate our students. We wanted to assure all OSBIE members that teachers and staff working within the scope of their duties for the school board are covered…
OSBIE is aware that school communities are growing increasingly concerned with each announcement of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases in Ontario. Through collaboration and coordination with local health departments, schools can play an important role to educate staff, students and the community on preventative measures for COVID-19. The Public Health Agency of Canada has released the following information on their…
We want to share with you a quick tip to make submitting OSBIE Incident Reports as efficient as possible. Auto-Populate the School Details At the bottom of the form, use the drop-down list to find your school location. Pro Tip: Instead of scrolling down the list of schools within your school board, the drop-down list includes a “suggested function” where…
***Version française au bas de la page*** Members have asked what our recommendations are regarding having animals (other than service/therapy animals) at schools. The following are some considerations to keep in mind. Animals in the classroom Many children are allergic to animals, particularly cats and dogs, so if they are brought into the classroom, these children may experience reactions to…
Question: What do field trips, lunches, recesses and many more school activities have in common? Answer: Volunteers School board volunteers are covered under OSBIE’s liability policy for claims arising from their negligent acts while acting within the scope of their approved duties on behalf of the school board. For volunteers to be successful in their role, school board staff play…
