WHY survey
September 28, 2023
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 partnered to create one survey to replace multiple surveys from the past. 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 Upper Grand District School Board has given permission for this survey to be carried out at your child’s school. All information collected will be 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. 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: Lyndsey Dossett, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, 1-800-26-7293 ext. 4542, [email protected].
If you would like to speak with a school board representative, please contact Brent McDonald, Executive Superintendent of Education, 519-822-4420 ext.740, [email protected].
If you do not want your child to participate, please fill out the attached refusal form and return it by November 10th, 2023.
Thank you for giving this important research project your consideration.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nicola Mercer
Medical Officer of Health and CEO
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
cc: Brent McDonald, Executive Superintendent
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 substance use. If your child is in Grade 9 to 12, the survey will ask additional questions about sexual health. 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 the 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. Aggregate data may be shared in professional or academic publications and conferences. The survey information will be used to identify key issues related to healthy child development by:
- Upper Grand District School Board to inform Board/School Improvement Plans and Ministry of Education initiatives.
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health 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 them.
- 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 environment.
Where can I get more information?
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the survey, please contact: Lyndsey Dossett, WDG Public Health, 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4542.
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WHY Parent Information Letter And Refusal Form UGDSB
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