Safe School Climate Plan
School Climate
Windsor Locks Public Schools is committed to creating safe, welcoming, inclusive, and supportive learning environments where every student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our School Climate Policy provides a districtwide framework for strengthening relationships, promoting student belonging, responding to challenging behavior, and continuously improving the experiences of students, families, and staff across our schools.
Our Approach
A positive school climate is built through strong relationships, shared expectations, student and family voice, and restorative practices. Our schools work to create environments where:
-
Students and adults feel safe, respected, welcomed, and included.
-
Students have meaningful opportunities to contribute and have their voices heard.
-
Challenging behavior is addressed in ways that promote accountability, repair harm, rebuild relationships, and support successful reintegration into the school community.
-
School climate decisions are informed by data, including student, staff, and family feedback.
-
Schools continuously identify strengths, areas for growth, and strategies for improvement.
School Climate Teams
Each school has a School Climate Specialist and a School Climate Committee that help guide school climate improvement efforts.
School Climate Committees include representatives from the school community, including staff, students, families, and community members. These teams review school climate data, identify areas of strength and need, support restorative practices, and help develop each school’s School Climate Improvement Plan.
The district also has a School Climate Coordinator, Rebecca Bissonnette, who supports and coordinates school climate work across all Windsor Locks Public Schools.
School Climate Surveys
Beginning with the 2025–2026 school year, Windsor Locks Public Schools will administer school climate surveys to students, staff, and families.
Survey results help schools understand their communities' experiences and identify priorities for strengthening school climate. Families will receive advance notice before student surveys are administered and will have an opportunity to opt their child out.
School Climate Improvement Plans
Each school develops and maintains an annual School Climate Improvement Plan based on school climate survey results, school data, and feedback from the school community.
These plans outline strategies for:
-
Building positive relationships and a sense of belonging.
-
Preventing and responding to challenging behavior.
-
Supporting restorative practices.
-
Increasing student, family, and staff engagement.
-
Creating safe, equitable, and supportive learning environments.
Challenging Behavior, Bullying, and Harassment
Windsor Locks Public Schools is committed to preventing, identifying, and responding to challenging behavior, including allegations of bullying and harassment.
Reports are reviewed in accordance with district procedures, and schools use appropriate interventions and restorative practices to support accountability, repair relationships, and maintain a safe learning environment.
Our Commitment
Our school climate work is grounded in the Connecticut School Climate Standards and is centered on five key commitments:
-
Creating a shared vision for positive school climate.
-
Supporting academic, social, emotional, ethical, civic, and intellectual development.
-
Removing barriers to teaching, learning, and engagement.
-
Ensuring everyone feels safe, welcomed, supported, and included.
-
Building a restorative school community that promotes belonging, responsibility, cultural responsiveness, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
View the full Windsor Locks School Climate Policy (Policy 5131.911) for additional information, definitions, responsibilities, and procedures.