Well-being and Health Youth Survey 2019

Posted November 4, 2019

November 4, 2019

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health has partnered with Upper Grand District School Board to conduct a survey in your child’s school.  All students in Grades 4 through 12 will be asked to complete this survey. Completion of the survey is not required for your child’s schooling and it won’t affect their grades.

We have created one survey to replace our school climate, mental health and youth health surveys. The new survey will provide the information we need to inform programs and supports for students. The results will also help identify opportunities to improve the well-being of children and youth in our community.

The Research Committee of the Upper Grand District School Board has given permission for this study to be carried out at your child’s school. All information collected will be strictly confidential and the students will not be identified individually. Your child’s name and any other information that could identify your child will not be collected in the survey. Your child’s participation is completely voluntary.

The information is collected under the authority of Board Policy #204 and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this research project, please contact: Blair Hodgson, Wellington-Dufferin- Guelph Public Health, 519-822-2715 ext. 4312, [email protected].

If you would like to speak with a school board representative, please contact Cheryl Van Ooteghem, Superintendent of Education, 519-822-4420 ext.747, [email protected].

If you do not agree to allow your child to participate in the survey, please fill out the attached refusal form and return it by November 8th, 2019.

Thank you for giving this important research project your consideration. Sincerely,

Dr. Nicola Mercer

Medical Officer of Health and CEO Wellington-Dufferin-GuelphPublic Health

Well-Being and Health Youth Survey – Parent Information

 What would my child be asked to do?

As part of your child’s class, students will complete a 30-minute, online survey. A teacher from your child’s school will supervise and give the students instructions. If your child requires special assistance to complete the survey, they will be provided with that assistance on the day of the survey. Your child may choose not to answer a question by skipping the question. Your child can choose to end the survey at any time.

What questions are on the survey?

The survey asks questions about your child’s physical activity, eating habits, time spent with family and friends, bullying, sense of safety, alcohol and drug use, and school involvement, among other topics. If your child is in Grade 7 to 12, the survey will ask additional questions about sexual health and substance use. To see a copy of the survey, please visit www.wdgpublichealth.ca/whysurvey or contact Public Health. Some questions in this survey might make your child feel a little uncomfortable. If your child needs additional support after doing this survey, they can talk to the school counsellor or call the Kids Help Phone (1-800-668- 6868).

Will my child’s survey be kept private?

Yes. All information collected will be private and confidential. Students will not be identified individually. Your child’s name (and any other information that could identify your child) will not be on the survey. The survey results will be reported in a way that is confidential for individual students, schools and school boards. Information on the survey will never appear in any school records.

How will the survey information be used?

Data collected from the survey will be kept on a secure network for at least six years. The survey data from all students will be combined and published in individual school profiles for school board and staff to use. Student responses will also be combined across cities and townships and published in community reports or other publications. No information that identifies individual students will be in any report or publication. The survey information will be used to identify key issues related to healthy child development by:

  • The Upper Grand District School Board to inform Board/School Improvement Plans and Ministry of Education
  • The Wellington Dufferin Guelph Report Card Coalition to help local service agencies decide what services are needed for families and children and to make sure existing programs and services are reaching the children who need
  • Schools, school boards and local service providers to ensure student development and learning are on-track. It will also identify opportunities to increase student success and ensure a positive school

Where can I get more information?

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the survey, please contact: Blair Hodgson, WDG PublicHealth, 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4312.

Parental Refusal Form

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