Safe Environment

Educating Children on  Personal Safety

Fostering a healthy, safe and supportive learning environment is a core value of our school’s mission. Simply stated, a school must be safe for teachers , staff, and students alike.  Everyone  needs and deserves to feel respected and free from physical harm, intimidation, harassment and bullying. 

The Safe Environment Program for the Diocese of St. Augustine has been in place in one form or another since 1998. All elements of our diocesan program are required by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and the essential norms deriving from the Charter. 

Effective as of 2022, the Diocese of St Augustine has adopted the safe environment curriculum developed by the Archdiocese of Omaha, Circle of Grace. The goal of the Circle of Grace Program K-12 is to educate and empower children and young people to actively participate in a safe environment for themselves and others.

Early in the first quarter of each year, all religion teachers will teach lessons from the Circle of Grace curriculum to educate and empower our  students to:

• Understand they are created by God and live in the love of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• Describe the Circle of Grace which God gives each of us.
• Identify, discern and maintain appropriate physical, emotional, spiritual and sexual boundaries.
• Identify all types of boundary violations.
• Demonstrate how to take action if any boundary is threatened or violated.

Questions regarding the Circle of Grace curriculum may be directed to:

• Mr. Robert Sims '08, Religion Department Chairman
• Mr. Michael Broach '99, Vice Principal & Director of Mission Integration

The USCCB has also developed a website that addresses social media and digital citizenship. Click HERE to learn more.