The Board of Trustees of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (HSCDSB) has endorsed a new Concussion Policy and Protocols. The unanimous vote came at the Board’s regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 18, 2015.
“This policy is a crucial component of our mandate to maintain safe and healthy environments for our students and employees. We utilized various sources to come up with protocols to be acted on when it is believed that a student or employee may have suffered a concussion,” said HSCDSB Superintendent of Education, John Bruno.
The Board’s policy recognizes that children and adolescents are among those at greatest risk for concussions and that the highest risk is during activities where collisions can occur, such as physical education classes, playground time or school-sanctioned sports activities. This policy also pertains to employees who may suffer a concussion.
The protocols now in place outline responsibilities of the Board, staff, parents or guardians and students in helping to recognize what a concussion is and manage a concussion’s effects both in and out of the classroom.
“We realize that a concussion can be more debilitating than previously thought and are ensuring that a student who is concussed gets the treatment necessary and recovers fully before reintegration into their daily school routine,” said HSCDSB Director of Education, John Stadnyk.
The Board is in the process of formulating concussion protocol training sessions for administration, teaching staff, support staff, coaches and volunteers in time for the start of the 2015-16 school year.
