Communication and Appeal Policy

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Sunrise is committed to creating a cohesive and thriving community of individuals and families. This commitment is reflected in our healthy communication practices, which build relationships as a fundamental element of a thriving school community and contribute to each member of our community feeling safe, respected and valued.

 

At Sunrise Waldorf School, direct and constructive communication strengthens relationships and community, while speaking negatively about others, or the school, can cause harm. All feedback is important as it supports the ongoing growth and development of the school, and Sunrise is committed to hearing feedback and responding appropriately. When any member of our school community, including parents/guardians, staff, volunteers, and older students, has an observation, question, concern, or complaint regarding any aspect of the school, the following steps provide guidance in how to address the topic:

 

Direct Communication

• If you feel comfortable, approach the other party/parties directly involved to discuss the concern in a private conversation. For example, a parent concerned about classroom issues should make an appointment with the class teacher as the first step in addressing the issue.

• In general, over the phone or in person communications are preferred, and essential for potentially difficult topics. When communicating digitally, please be mindful that your communications are respectful and courteous.

• Please avoid, and be mindful, if speaking about your concerns with others not involved.

• Please keep adult conversation away from children as this impacts their relationship to Sunrise staff, and the school overall.

• If you would like to invite someone to attend as a witness, please make sure the person you're speaking with agrees on who the witness will be. • If you have reflected on the situation and you do not feel comfortable speaking directly to the other party, please proceed to the next step.

 

Scheduling a Meeting

If you do not feel there is a resolution to your feedback following your conversation, or you are not comfortable approaching the other party directly, please schedule a meeting with:

• the Education Director (for issues related to teaching and learning),

• the Head of School (for all other school-related issues).

 

Please inform the person you met with initially if you are taking your unresolved concern to administration. Meetings with administration are to be made by appointment and can be scheduled over phone or email. 

 

NOTE: If your concern involves the Head of School, the Education Director is designated to act in place of the Head of School throughout the process. The Board will be made aware of any concerns regarding the Head of School, as the Head of School is responsible to the Board.

 

Information Gathering

Whomever is listening to your feedback, whether the Education Director or the Head of School, they will listen to your concerns and record a summary of the issue, including the steps taken to date to address the issue (if any), and the desired outcome.

 

They will discuss:

• your desired level of confidentiality.

• limitations, if any, that your wishes regarding confidentiality may place on the ability to follow through with resolving the issue.

 

If the matter requires further actions that cannot be achieved in this meeting, the matter will continue to the next step. If an answer or resolution can be provided within this meeting, then no further actions are required. If the matter does not feel complete to you, it is up to you to clearly articulate the need for further follow up.

 

Review

After the meeting, the Head of School or Education Director will investigate the matter further.

• Within two to three working days, they will provide a response.

• If no immediate resolution is possible, you will be notified about the timeline for pursuing resolution of the concern.

• They will keep you informed throughout the process and facilitate a resolution to your concern as quickly as possible.

 

Referral

Depending on the nature of your concern, the Education Director or the Head of School may refer the issue to the individual, committee, or authority best suited to resolve the issue (e.g., the Human Resources Committee for staff-related concerns; the Care Coordinating Group for social issues; the Sunrise Education Society Board of Directors for business-related concerns, etc.).

 

The Education Director and/or the Head of School is responsible for:

• Ensuring that any parties with a conflict of interest are not involved in considering or influencing a resolution to the issue.

• Ensuring that the body the issue has been referred to follows procedures mandated by school policies to resolve concerns.

• Ensuring that the procedures to be followed are explained to you fully.

 

Resolution

The Head of School, or Education Director will:

• Deliver the result of the communications process.

• At the delivery of the outcome, ensure that you are informed about the timeline limitations of the appeal process, if there is continued dissatisfaction with the outcome.

 

Appeal Process

1. Requests for appeal may be directed to the Vice President of the Sunrise Educational Society within seven days of notification of the decision that is being appealed, at swsboard@sunrisewaldorf.org.

2. The Head of School will be informed about the appeal by the Board Chair or Vice President as soon as possible.

3. The Vice President, or Designate, of the Sunrise Educational Society will then form an ad hoc committee consisting of a minimum of two members (one being a Board Member) and one or two Faculty members. Potential Appeal Committee members should not have had influence or bias toward the original decision. The Vice President, or Designate, of the Society will chair the Appeal Committee and has discretion as to its make-up and structure.

4. The Appeal Committee will meet within ten working days of the request for appeal to decide whether to hear the appeal. If the committee decides to hear the appeal, the appeal process must be completed (including communication) within 20working days of the appeal request.

5. At the completion of the appeal process, a feedback form will be sent out to the individual who brought the concern forward.

 

Independent School Ombudsperson

The Federation of Independent Schools of BC (FISA), Associate Member Society, of which Sunrise is a member, provides an independent school ombudsperson for issues that have “exhausted all avenues of redress, appeal or review” provided by Sunrise, including this Appeal Process. If the individual continues to be dissatisfied with the outcome, they can email info@AMSofFISA.ca or phone 1-(604)-684-6023 to inquire about this process. The cost of the independent school ombudsperson is carried by Sunrise.

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November, 2024