BCP Family Weekly Updates: Monday, December 19th 2022 (DAY 2)

 Dear Families,

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday this weekend. It was a long week last week but so worth it! We cannot thank our School Council and volunteers enough for the Christmas Dinner! Our Chirstmas concert, Dance, and Gathering History projects were a hit! Thank-you in advance for taking the time to review updates and important reminders! Any questions or concerns let me know. If I have missed anything please reply-all to this email. 

                                             Updates and Important Information

1) Awards Afternoon & Night: On Monday, December 19th 2022 our 2021-22 Awards Afternoon and Night will be taking place. Our Awards Ceremony will be split into two parts. Recognition for our current Grades 7-12 will take place on Monday at 1pm. The invitation is open to public attendance. Emails have been sent home to parents/guardians indicating that their child(s) will be receiving recognition during the daytime awards. The second part of our Awards will be for our graduates of 2022 with an evening of recognition along with their Cap and Gown ceremony. The evening's events will begin at 7pm. 

2) Christmas Outing: Students who have completed permission forms and submitted their money to respective homeroom teachers will go on our Annual Christmas Outing that is happening Tuesday, December 20th 2022! Students who do not plan to attend the Outing should not come to school on Tuesday. Students should be reminded to bring their appropriate attire if they plan to swim and/or skate. Helmets will be enforced by the Harbour Grace rink so do not forget your helmet! We are opening the invitation to any parents/guardians who would like to join the swim and/or skate.  Students should be reminded about our Cannabis and Smoke Free Policy. All school rules apply when on a School Outing and/or any school sponsored activity. 

3) Last Day before Holiday: Please note that our last day of school prior to the Christmas holiday is Wednesday, December 21st 2022. Dismissal on this day will be early at 12:30pm

4) Tutoring for Tuition (Students): Any tutors for tuition students must pass in their log sheets to Mr. Saxby prior to the holiday break. It will be assumed any students who did not pass in their log sheets did not complete any hours tutoring. Connect with Mr. Saxby with any questions/concerns. 

5) Ronald McDonald House: BCP staff, students and families are invited to bring in their pop pull tabs and place them in the bucket near the lobby. Baccalieu Collegiate will again be collecting pull tabs in support of the Ronald McDonald House. Last year we collected over 3 X 18.5 litre bottles full. Let's beat that number this year! 

6) First Day Back:  Please be reminded that our first day back after the holiday is January 3rd 2023. 

7) Public Exams Cancelled: The Department of Education has officially cancelled public exams for the 2022-23 school year. The announcement can be found at the following link: Public Advisory: Public Exams Cancelled for 2022-23 School Year, Under Review for Future Years - News Releases (gov.nl.ca)

8) Assessment Support Calendar: Please do your best to add assessments to our Assessment Support Calendar. This calendar is shared on our www.baccalieucollegiate.ca site for both students and families to see and support their organization. Additionally, give our IRT team a heads up at your earliest convenience so that they can mobilize effectively to support. 

9) Check the Calendar: Check the Calendar (www.baccaliecollegiate.ca) for further updates. 

Good News Report (In no particular order)

• Christmas Outing: Big big thanks to Ms. Doyle for planning and organizing our outing this year. It is our intent to provide some fun activity outside of the school walls for students who appreciate the opportunity to connect. Thank-you Ms. Doyle and all the staff for their planning efforts. Trips like these do not happen without tremendous time and effort by our staff. Thank-you students for being so deserving to take on a trip like this! 
• BCP Cash Lottery: Congrats and thank-you to all our students and supporters. Tickets are in! Winners will be announced in the new year. Students will receive any payouts in the New Year as well. 
  
• Gathering History Project: Huge thank-you to our School Council, Social Studies 8 and NL Studies classes, including Mr. Sweetland, Ms. Sequiera, and Mr. Barrett for organizing an amazing initiative. We had almost 30 elders from our community enjoy a Turkey dinner along with coffee/tea, sharing of music and stories.  
  
• School Christmas Dinner: What an amazing Dinner! Thank-you School Council and all of our community volunteers to helped pull off a Christmas Dinner for all! Additionally, thank-you to Royal Greenland for their generous donation of turkey and vegetables!  
  
• Christmas Dance: Big thanks to our Leadership group and sponsoring teachers to help put off a great night of dancing!
  
• Service Delivery Team: Thank-you to our SDT for all that they do to support our struggling students. Great meeting last week!
  
• After School Academic Support: Mr. Holloway, thank-you for giving up your time for our students study. 
  
• Christmas Concert: What a performance! Thank-you to Ms. Sequiera and Ms. Reid for orchestrating an wonderful evening of spirited music and story. Congrats to all of our students who performed. Amazing job!
  
• 2021-2022 Nomination/Application Awards: Thank-you to everyone who took the time to nominate a deserving student from our community for their humanitarianism, generosity, and volunteerism. 

• School Council Meeting: Huge thanks to our School Council again for the amazing work that they are doing for our school community!

• Awards Night: Special thank-you to Tara North and Rayna Warren for working with our community sponsors and organizing such a large endeavour.
• Teachers Change Lives: Check out the very nice tribute to Ms. Slade!  https://teacherschangelives.ca/thank-you-mrs-slade/?fbclid=IwAR1s_pS6Yfef0ZkHwOPNnLHy6HEYBzYuPIRaz26Gi3AvQzUsa--GiJiJQtc&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
• Sports Practices: So many sports and other events going on afterschool. Please check out Baccalieu Calendar for a listing of events and times! Thank-you to all of our students for getting involved and teachers and volunteers for giving up your time for our youth! 
• Dungeons and Dragons: Great job to our students for setting some time after school to socialize over a great game of Dungeons and Dragons. Thank-you Dragon Holloway and Dungeons Adams! 
• Gaming Club: Great job Gaming Club! 
• Check Facebook/Twitter: For more updates on good news and information check out our Baccalieu Collegiate facebook/twitter page. 
• Did I miss something? If I missed anything please be sure to reply-all. There are so many amazing things going on at Baccalieu already, so chances are I might miss something. Celebrate whenever you can! 

Christmas Outing 2022

Families: Click here to complete permisson form 

Please note that any parents/guardians who would like to join their child for a swim or skate are also invited! No charge. 

Dear Parent/Guardian,

This year we will be going on our annual Christmas Outing on Tuesday December 20, 2022. All students will have the option to go swimming in the morning followed by skating in the afternoon. If students do not wish to go swimming they may go to the mall for an hour. If students do not wish to go skating they will need to go to the stadium with us until skating is over. 

** The Danny Cleary Harbour Grace Community Centre has implemented a mandatory helmet policy.  You must wear a helmet in order to participate in on ice activities.**

We will be having lunch in between both activities (around 11:30-12:30) in Carbonear at restaurants located across from the mall which include: Starbucks, Ches's, Crooked Phil's, Subway and McDonalds.

We will return home at approximately 2:30pm. We will have a bus going down both Trinity and North shores and will drop off students at their regular bus stops along our way home. If you live in Old Perlican, Bay de Verde, Grate's Cove or Red Head Cove you will need to be picked up at Baccalieu Collegiate.

Cost for this Field Trip which includes bussing, swimming and skating is $14. Students may purchase lunch at their own expense. Students should bring in their money and submit to respective homeroom teachers before the end of the day on Friday, December 16th 2022

Please note, the first question below on the form asks if you require financial support in order for your child to go on the trip. Please do not hesitate to click the AGREE button if this applies to you. All responses to this question will remain CONFIDENTIAL with the Guidance Counsellor and Principal. 

Also, please note that during school sponsored activities the school rules apply for the duration of the field trip. Students are not permitted to engage in smoking and/or smokeless use at anytime during the field trip as per: https://www.nlesd.ca/includes/files/policies/doc/1548691595907.pdf. If students are engaged in inappropriate school setting behaviour they will be either transported home by a parent/guardian or be supervised away from the group until the trip has concluded at bus dismissal. Further meeting with administration will occur and school based consequences and procedures will apply.

BCP Family Weekly Updates: Monday, December 12th 2022 (DAY 11)

Dear Families,

I hope you all had a productive yet restful weekend. Congrats to our Sr. Girls Volleyball for a tremendous showing at the Provincials. Thank-you to everyone who had a hand in making the Provincial hosting such a success! Sr. Girls are not done yet, best of luck to them this weekend as they participate in the upcoming SMASH tourn in St. John's. Thank-you in advance for taking the time to review updates and important reminders! Any questions or concerns let me know. If I have missed anything please reply-all to this email. 

                                                             Updates and Important Information

1) DEADLINE TODAY --  2021-2022 Nomination/Application Awards (community): Dear Students, Families, and Community Members, please see the following awards to nominate a BCP student who has positively impacted you or your community this past 2021-2022 school year. Deadline for nomination/applications is fast approaching Monday, December 12th 2022. Spread the word. **Nominations/applications will be assessed on content, not grammar and writing structure. If you would like to nominate a student but are uncomfortable writing, please contact jeffsaxby@nleasd.ca to explore accessible ways to nominate a worthy candidate. For more information including nomination/application form and details see the link: https://baccalieublog.blogspot.com/2022/11/2022-bcp-nomination-application-awards.html

2) Christmas Concert: Baccalieu will perform its Christmas concert on Monday, December 12th 2022. Open to the public. The show will begin at 7pm. Monetary donations taken at the door. 

3) After School Academic Support: Mr. Holloway will be staying after school to offer extra help for any student(s) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00pm to 4:00pm in Room 148. 

4) Christmas Dance: Baccalieu Collegiates Christmas Dance will be held on Thursday, December 15th 2022 from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. If early drop off is needed please contact the school. 

5) School Christmas Dinner: On Friday, December 16th 2022 our School Council plans to serve our student body Christmas Dinner during lunch to show appreciation and good will during the holidays. The School Council is in need of volunteers to help cook for this festive occassion. Please reach out to any of the following School Council members on how to get involved and support!

School Council email contacts: georgefronieblake@hotmail.com, Michelle <michellepayne19@hotmail.com>, Jackie Brookings <Jacquelunebrookings@icloud.com>, Avora Green <avoragreen@nlesd.ca>, Yvonne Crocker Hopkins <revyvonne@hotmail.com>, Kimberley Younge <youngekimberley@hotmail.com>, Sandra Peddle <corypeddle@hotmail.com>

6) Gathering History Project: On Friday, December 16th 2022 it is our plan to invite elders (65+ years) to our Christmas dinner. After dinner we will be serving tea/coffee to our elders along with a  meet, greet and share stories with our students. If you know of any elders interested in attending please reach out to the school via phone (587-3211) or email (bacalieucoll@nlesd.ca) to RSVP. Spaces are limited and first come first serve. Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, December 13th 2022.

7) BCP Cash Lottery: Cash Lottery ticket deadline is fast approaching this Friday, December 16th 2022! Any studnets who would like to seel tickets at any of our upcoming events please let Mr. Barrett know. 

8)  Awards Night and Cap and Gown: The date of Monday, December 19th 2022 has been set for our 2021-22 Cap and Gown and Awards Night! Our Awards Ceremony will be split into two parts. Recognition for our current Grades 7-12 will take place on Monday at 1pm. The invitation is open to public attendance. The second part of our Awards will be for our graduates of 2022 with an evening of recognition along with their Cap and Gown ceremony. The evening's events will begin at 7pm. 

9) Christmas Outing: We are excited to announce that our Annual Christmas Outing is happening Tuesday, December 20th 2022! The cost of the trip for students will be $14.00 / student for a fun day spent together! Many students have selected Swimming and Skating for the activities. Students should be reminded about our Cannabis and Smoke Free Policy. All school rules apply when on a School Outing and/or any school sponsored activity. 

10) Ronald McDonald House: BCP staff, students and families are invited to bring in their pop pull tabs and place them in the bucket near the lobby. Baccalieu Collegiate will again be collecting pull tabs in support of the Ronald McDonald House. Last year we collected over 3 X 18.5 litre bottles full. Let's beat that number this year! 

11) First Day Back:  Please be reminded that our first day back after the holiday is January 3rd 2023. 

12) Public Exams Cancelled: The Department of Education has officially cancelled public exams for the 2022-23 school year. The announcement can be found at the following link: Public Advisory: Public Exams Cancelled for 2022-23 School Year, Under Review for Future Years - News Releases (gov.nl.ca)

13) Assessment Support Calendar: Please do your best to add assessments to our Assessment Support Calendar. This calendar is shared on our www.baccalieucollegiate.ca site for both students and families to see and support their organization. Additionally, give our IRT team a heads up at your earliest convenience so that they can mobilize effectively to support. 

14) Check the Calendar: Check the Calendar (www.baccaliecollegiate.ca) for further updates. 

Good News Report (In no particular order)

• BCP Girls Volleyball: Congrats as the provincial tournament was a great success this weekend! Our BCP girls made it to the semis and fought hard, but lost in 2 to Kings Academy.  Huge thanks to the students and parents who came to help the weekend!!! Without them we never could’ve pulled it off. Huge thanks to Coach Ash, Coach Penney, and Coach Sheppard for making such a memorable weekend happen for so many athletes across the province! 

• Food DRIVE: Huge thanks to our Leadership Group and everyone who donated to the Food Drive. Certainly trying times for a lot of families. Way to pull together and support!

• Doorways: Big thanks to Doorways for seeing to our youth. 
  

• School Council Meeting: Huge thanks to our School Council and the amazing work that they are doing for our school community!
  

• Staff Meeting: Big thanks to staff for the productive meeting last week and all the work that you're doing for our youth! 

• Awards Night: Special thank-you to Tara North for working with our community sponsors in order of our upcoming Awards Night!
• Teachers Change Lives: Check out the very nice tribute to Ms. Slade!  https://teacherschangelives.ca/thank-you-mrs-slade/?fbclid=IwAR1s_pS6Yfef0ZkHwOPNnLHy6HEYBzYuPIRaz26Gi3AvQzUsa--GiJiJQtc&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
• Deep Learning Initiative Meeting: Thank-you to our staff, Mary Lou Riggs and Darrin Hyde for meeting to discuss a Gathering History project for our school and community. Big thanks to Ms. Sequiera, Mr. Sweetland, and Mr. Barrett, along with all hands making this event happen for our elders and our community growth! 
• Wrestling at Baccalieu!!!: Big thanks to Coach Sweetland and Adams for sharing their knowledge and wrestling skills with our students. Get out there and wrestle BCP students!!
• Senior Boys Basketball: Keep putting in the work, it'll pay off!
• Jr. Boys Basketball: WTG Jr. Boys basketball!
• Sports Practices: So many sports and other events going on afterschool. Please check out Baccalieu Calendar for a listing of events and times! Thank-you to all of our students for getting involved and teachers and volunteers for giving up your time for our youth! 
• Dungeons and Dragons: Great job to our students for setting some time after school to socialize over a great game of Dungeons and Dragons. Thank-you Dragon Holloway and Dungeons Adams! 
• Gaming Club: Great job Gaming Club! 
• Check Facebook/Twitter: For more updates on good news and information check out our Baccalieu Collegiate facebook/twitter page. 
• Did I miss something? If I missed anything please be sure to reply-all. There are so many amazing things going on at Baccalieu already, so chances are I might miss something. Celebrate whenever you can! 

BCP Family Weekly Updates: Monday, December 5th 2022 (DAY 6)

 Dear Families,

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Thank-you in advance for taking the time to review updates and important reminders! Any questions or concerns let me know. If I have missed anything please reply-all to this email. 

                                            Updates and Important Information

1) Important Conversations: Please see the following link for important information --  Important Conversations - Support for Students/Families - Intimate Images

2) URGENT 2021-2022 Nomination/Application Awards (community): Dear Students, Families, and Community Members, please see the following awards to nominate a BCP student who has positively impacted you or your community this past 2021-2022 school year. Deadline for nomination/applications is fast approaching Monday, December 12th 2022. Spread the word. 

**Nominations/applications will be assessed on content, not grammar and writing structure. If you would like to nominate a student but are uncomfortable writing, please contact jeffsaxby@nleasd.ca to explore accessible ways to nominate a worthy candidate. For more information including nomination/application form and details see the link: https://baccalieublog.blogspot.com/2022/11/2022-bcp-nomination-application-awards.html

3) After School Academic Support: Mr. Holloway will be staying after school to offer extra help for any student(s) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00pm to 4:00pm in Room 148. 

4) School Council Meeting: Our monthly School Council meeting will take place Tuesday, December 6th 2022 at 6:30pm. Any teachers with items including fundraising proposals, volunteer proposals, etc. please let me know at your earliest convenience. 

5) Doorways: Doorways will be servicing our school on Wednesday, December 7th 2022. Any students looking to make an appointment please inform Ms. Doyle. 

6) Sr. Girls 3A Volleyball Provincial Tournament: Starting Friday, December 9th 2022 and running until Saturday, December 10th 2022, our Sr. Girls Volleyball program will be hosting this year's 3A Provincial Tournament. Games will take place starting all day Friday, and Saturday.

7) CDLI Virtual Family - Teacher Conferences: CDLI will have virtual Family - Teacher Conferences on Thursday, December 8th from 12:30pm - 5:30pm. As a result, there will not be any live classes after 11:35am on that day. Family-Teacher Conferences will be scheduled using Optis.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fzzYBYQAvZKVBH_6P7tl75iOk59wCutUPcTwlW0_8-Q/edit?usp=sharing

8) Retake Pictures: Picture retakes will take place on Friday, December 9th 2022. 

9) Christmas Concert: Baccalieu will perform its Christmas concert on Monday, December 12th 2022. 

10) Christmas Dance: Baccalieu Collegiates Christmas Dance will be held on Thursday, December 15th 2022. 

11) School Christmas Dinner: On Friday, December 16th 2022 our School Council plans to serve our student body Christmas Dinner during lunch to show appreciation and good will during the holidays. 

12) Gathering History Project: On Friday, December 16th 2022 it is our plan to invite elders (65+ years) to our Christmas dinner. After dinner we'll be inviting our elders to stick around for tea/coffee and to meet, greet and share stories with our students. Stay tuned for more. 

13) Awards Night and Cap and Gown: The date of Monday, December 19th 2022 has been set for our 2021-22 Cap and Gown and Awards Night! Donation letters will be sent out soon! A new way of direct payment will be introduced. 

14) Bus Reminders (families): Please note the following bus safety reminders in anticipation of the winter weather. 1) stay back from the road edge until the bus comes to a stop and the door opens. 2) if you are being picked up from the left side of the road please don’t cross the road in front of the bus while the bus is still moving. Just wait until the bus stops and the driver signals it’s safe to cross. 

15) Food DRIVE: Student Leadership are starting a food drive and it will be running for two weeks until December 2nd 2022. Milk crates will be placed in each homeroom for collection. The food will be weighed for each room and then the class with the most weight will gain points towards winter carnival. Try and motivate the students to be an active school community member and donate if they are able!! 

16) BCP Cash Lottery: Keep on selling! Deadline for sales is fast approaching December 16th 2022. If you have not sold your tickets please pass back into homeroom teacher ASAP. 

17) CDLI Reminders: Please note that CDLI classes continue during school based closures (PL days, closeouts, snowdays etc). Students are encouraged to sign in from home or to watch class recordings so that they don't fall behind with coursework.  

18) Ronald McDonald House: BCP staff, students and families are invited to bring in their pop pull tabs and place them in the bucket near the lobby. Baccalieu Collegiate will again be collecting pull tabs in support of the Ronald McDonald House. Last year we collected over 3 X 18.5 litre bottles full. Let's beat that number this year! 

19) Public Exams Cancelled: The Department of Education has officially cancelled public exams for the 2022-23 school year. The announcement can be found at the following link: Public Advisory: Public Exams Cancelled for 2022-23 School Year, Under Review for Future Years - News Releases (gov.nl.ca)

20) Awards 2022 Sponsorship: By now, many of you know that our Awards Sponsorship letters are out amongst our communities. For more information and/or if you would like an opportunity to contribute please follow the link: https://www.studentquickpay.com/nlesd/MyAccount/Main.aspx?webitemid=11994

21) Assessment Support Calendar: Please do your best to add assessments to our Assessment Support Calendar. This calendar is shared on our www.baccalieucollegiate.ca site for both students and families to see and support their organization. Additionally, give our IRT team a heads up at your earliest convenience so that they can mobilize effectively to support. 

22) Check the Calendar: Check the Calendar (www.baccaliecollegiate.ca) for further updates. 

Good News Report (In no particular order)

• Family-Teacher Conferences: Big thank-you to all the families who attended our Family-Teacher conferences!
• Awards Night: Special thank-you to Tara North for working with our community sponsors in order of our upcoming Awards Night!
• Teachers Change Lives: Check out the very nice tribute to Ms. Slade!  https://teacherschangelives.ca/thank-you-mrs-slade/?fbclid=IwAR1s_pS6Yfef0ZkHwOPNnLHy6HEYBzYuPIRaz26Gi3AvQzUsa--GiJiJQtc&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
  
• Term 2: Welcome to the start of Term 2! Congrats on a successful First Term! 
• Deep Learning Initiative Meeting: Thank-you to our staff, Mary Lou Riggs and Darrin Hyde for meeting to discuss a Gathering History project for our school and community.
• Wrestling at Baccalieu!!!: Big thanks to Coach Sweetland and Adams for sharing their knowledge and wrestling skills with our students. Get out there and wrestle BCP students!!
• Senior Boys Basketball: Congrats to the boys for the win against Carbonear Collegiate! Also, special thanks to Nathaniel Hiscock and Jonah Clouter for assisting with the coaching!
• Jr. Boys Basketball: Congrats to the Jr. Boys Basketball team for a strong showing this past week at Carbonear Academy! Keep working hard!
• Senior Girls Volleyball: Big Provincial tournament coming up! Special thanks to Ewan Penney, Alan Ash, Sarah Sheppard along with the Provincial Organizing Committee! 
• Sports Practices: So many sports and other events going on afterschool. Please check out Baccalieu Calendar for a listing of events and times! Thank-you to all of our students for getting involved and teachers and volunteers for giving up your time for our youth! 
• Dungeons and Dragons: Great job to our students for setting some time after school to socialize over a great game of Dungeons and Dragons. Thank-you Dragon Holloway and Dungeons Adams! 
• Gaming Club: Great job Gaming Club! 
• Check Facebook/Twitter: For more updates on good news and information check out our Baccalieu Collegiate facebook/twitter page. 
• Did I miss something? If I missed anything please be sure to reply-all. There are so many amazing things going on at Baccalieu already, so chances are I might miss something. Celebrate whenever you can! 

Important Conversations - Support for Students/Families - Intimate Images

Important Conversations - Support for Students/Families - Intimate Images

Dear Families,

 

In today’s digital age, more and more of our lives are influenced by technology. As technology becomes increasingly common and accessible, the importance of educating our youth about consent and accountability becomes more critical. It is during our youth that we can be expected to make mistakes and it is through our mistakes that we learn and grow. As adults, it is our responsibility to ensure our youth have the tools to make smart, informed decisions in order to minimize the effects, particularly as it relates to the sharing of intimate images.

 

We are inviting our families: parents, caregivers, grandparents and other members of a student’s support system, to join us in helping to educate our young people about the risks and potential consequences related to the sharing of intimate images. Please review the information below as a tool to facilitate a conversation with your child to help reinforce the messaging and lessons shared within our schools.

---

Communication, respect, and honesty are the building blocks of healthy relationships, and consent is about all of those things. Together schools and families can play an important role in helping us create safe, caring and inclusive school communities where all students and staff experience a sense of well-being. Together we can play an important role in helping our children become informed and responsible digital consumers.

 

How can we facilitate a conversation with youth related to the sharing of intimate images?

 

Some Helpful Talking Points:

●  Ever regret sending an impulsive snap?

●  Receive an image that made you blush?

●  Your new crush asked for a “pic” and you sent it? Now, it’s online and being shared on social media.

●  Is it your fault if someone shares an intimate photo of you? It doesn’t matter if you sent the photo or not. The answer is always the same: it’s not your fault.

 

If it’s a photo of you, you’re the only one with the right to decide who gets to see it. This means that if someone shares your intimate photo without your consent, they are committing a crime. If the photo is of someone under 18, the person sharing the photo could even be accused of distributing child pornography.

 

What is considered to be an intimate image?

Some examples could be:

●  You sent a nude to someone on Snapchat, that person takes a screenshot and sends it to other people;

●  Someone posts sexual photos/videos of you on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok or another popular social media app;

●  A stranger you met online has access to intimate photos/videos of you and posts on a pornographic website.

●  Someone photoshops your face on someone else’s naked body and posts to social media claiming it is you.

 

In Canada, the non-consensual distribution of images is the sharing of an intimate image, without your consent, when you expect the image to be kept private. An intimate image is one where a person is exposing certain parts of their body such as breasts or genitals. The picture or video could also show explicit sexual acts.

 

 It’s the law

It’s important to understand the potential legal consequences of taking and/or sharing intimate images. For a legal definition of intimate images, please click here.

●  Sharing intimate images without consent of the person depicted in the image is a criminal offence.

●  Sharing intimate images of a person at any age is a criminal offence.

●  Extortion, meaning threatening someone into doing something, is a criminal offence.

 

It’s also important to know that the storing or distribution of pictures or videos of a person under the age of 18 that are of a sexual nature is considered the possession and distribution of child pornography - even if the person who shares it or has it stored is under the age of 18. For the legal definition of child pornography, please click here. Please note, these images can also be photoshopped or drawn, as outlined in the definition linked above.

 

If an intimate image has been shared, what can we do?

 

●  Tell a trusted adult and contact the RNC or RCMP.

●  If posted on a social media platform (such as SnapChat): make sure that the image or message that contains the intimate image contains the username that posted the image and any comments. Take a screenshot of the account/profile that sent or posted the intimate image. You should also report the image/video to the social media platform.

●  If sent via text message: Take a screenshot of the text message and include a screenshot of their contact information to show the number associated with the name in your phone.

●  PLEASE NOTE: Any screenshots taken should only be shared with law enforcement officials for investigative purposes.

●  Make sure that there is a timestamp on all messages and posts.

●  Document all the information you have regarding the incident.

 

How can we help our youth make better choices when they receive an intimate image?

Encourage them to ask themselves these questions:

●  Did the person in this picture mean for it to be shared?

●  If it came from someone other than the original sender, did they have permission from the person who’s in it?

●  “How would I feel if somebody shared something like this about me?”

 

Here are some resources that might be helpful as you work to support the young people in your life:

 

●  Talking About "Sexting"

●  Talking to Your Kids About Sexting tip sheet

●  MediaSmarts: Resources for Families

 

As always, your school staff are here to help support students and families. Should you wish to discuss these matters further, please contact your school administration or Guidance Counsellor.