A Behaviour Coach with Red River Valley School Division has begun working in a fourth school in the catchment.

Candace Lopez was initially brought into Morris School in 2014 to observe behaviours in hallways and classrooms, with most of her time spent working on Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS).  

Superintendent Pauline Lafond-Bouchard explains the Behaviour Coach works closely with staff to establish some of the rules that will be implemented in the schools. She says they look at data as well such as suspension rates and where the discipline problems are happening and when, followed by problem-solving based on those results.

Now into her third year of work in Red River Valley School Division, Lafond-Bouchard says Lopez is adding Ecole Heritage School in St. Pierre to her list of responsibilities. She is already working in Starbuck School and Suncrest Colony School.

"(She) is meeting with the staff and looking at the big picture of the school and looking at the discipline issues; where they are, where the hotspots are so they can come up with the same kind of general language they can use with students."

Lafond-Bouchard adds there's been some great results coming out of this initiative with student suspensions have gone down by nearly half. In 2012/13 RRVSD recorded 108 suspensions, in 2013/14 that stat went down to 82 and was reduced again in 2014/15 to 48.