New Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools

At Reservoir High School we value the diversity of culture, ethnicity, and faith of all our students. We are proud of our diversity, and everyone is welcome at our school.

Celebrating the diversity of our community makes us stronger, kinder and more innovative. We are committed to making sure that students from all backgrounds feel accepted, supported and able to learn.

We teach all students according to our school values and teach the respectful relationships framework. This includes education around diversity and inclusion.

To achieve our values and aims, everyone at Reservoir High School plays an important role.

We constantly remind our students of our values of Respect, Diversity, Excellence and Success and the importance of using these in everything we do.

To help us make Reservoir High School a place where everyone feels welcome, respected and supported, we encourage you to also speak to your child about these values, as well as the importance of:

- understanding that we celebrate diversity and multicultural inclusion

- understanding the importance of everyone at school being treated with respect.

Therefore, it is very important that we address any incidents of racism. The Department of Education has developed a new Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools. Please see the details and link below. The link to the policy can also be found on our website.

Racism is not tolerated at Reservoir High School

Reservoir High School is committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment where racism is not tolerated. Racism harms students’ mental health, learning and sense of belonging. We celebrate the diversity of cultures, ethnicities and faiths of all our students. It is up to all of us at Reservoir to make our school a place that is free of racism and where everyone feels respected and can learn in a safe and inclusive environment.

What Reservoir High School is doing to prevent racism

Reservoir High School follows the Department of Education’s Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/preventing-addressing-racism-schools We are building a culturally safe school with inclusive learning for everyone by working with staff, students, families, carers and communities. We will:

· provide programs that teach about and celebrate diversity, inclusion and the impact of racism to build understanding and empathy

· use practices that allow all students to thrive

· implement anti-racism efforts to prevent and address racism effectively

· make sure everyone feels safe, with clear and accessible pathways to report racism.

What to do if your child experiences or witnesses racism at school

If your child experiences or witnesses racism or religious discrimination at school, please let us know. You can tell your child’s student engagement coordinator or their subschool leader.

Report Racism hotline

If you don’t feel comfortable reporting racism to school, or you are not happy with the school’s response, you can report racism to:

the Department of Education’s Report Racism hotline via email report.racism@education.vic.gov.au or phone 1800 722 476 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI) via email vaeai@vaeai.org.au
or phone 03 9481 0800 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) online, via email complaints@veohrc.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 292 153 (Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm).

For additional support following an incident of racism:

· First Nations students, staff or families can contact VAEAI – Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc.

· Jewish students, staff or families can contact the JCCV – Jewish Community Council of Victoria

· Muslim students, staff or families can contact the ICV Islamophobia Support Service – Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV).

For more information about how to report racism to the school, and to get information in community languages, visit this website: Report racism or religious discrimination in schools | vic.gov.au

If you need an interpreter to call the school, please use the details available at: Guide for Families: How to use an interpreter to contact your school

How Reservoir High School will respond to racism

When you report a racist incident, Reservoir High School will:

· take your report seriously and act quickly

· give you ongoing support

· investigate and respond safely and appropriately

· keep you informed, while respecting privacy

· review the incident to help avoid it happening again.

Ms Lea Volpe

Assistant Principal

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