After a violent attack that left a high school student seriously injured earlier this year, the Brandon School Division is creating advisory committees in all of its schools this fall, focused on safety, inclusion and well-being.
The June sword attack at Neelin High School in the southwestern Manitoba city left Grade 10 student Chinonso Onuke with deep wounds to his hands, chest and thigh. Seven of his fingers were nearly severed while he fought off his attacker.
A 16-year-old fellow student faces charges that include attempted murder, in what Brandon police Chief Tyler Bates later told CBC was a premeditated assault that targeted people of colour and immigrants.
The new safe schools advisory committees will provide leadership and co-ordination advice on strategies, policies and practices that promote safety, equity and well-being, Brandon School Division superintendent Mathew Gustafson said.
“The incident in June has had an impact on the community, and I think people will view things like lockdown drills and fire drills in a different light,” said Gustafson. “That’s why planning and communication are so important.”
The division is also expanding its “Hour Zero” emergency response program, which includes school safety audits, training for parents and staff, and new tools to improve emergency communication.
The advisory committees will be co-chaired by principals and vice-principals, and will include staff, parents, students and community representatives from the police and fire services, among others.
Some parents at Linden Lanes, a kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Brandon, said they’re satisfied with the division’s efforts and communication.
Zack McMillan, whose daughter is in Grade 1, has been impressed with both the division’s safety commitment and its communication with families.
“I have zero concerns,” McMillan said. “The communication has been super common, frequent, transparent.”
Last year, the division used an app that let parents connect with staff, which McMillan says gave caregivers confidence that schools were keeping them informed and doing their best to promote safety, he said.
Abdu Abrehe, whose son just started Grade 2, also said he trusts the division’s safety measures.
“Everything is good. I’m happy with Linden Lanes,” Abrehe said.
Kerri Holden, who has a child in Grade 2, said she also sees a focus on safety at the school in bike safety campaigns, increased supervision when needed and timely updates to families about potential concerns in the community.
She’s also interested in the new safety advisory committee, and said training she received as a volunteer chaperone gave her the confidence to support students, especially around mental health.
That includes “neutral ways of saying or reporting if you notice something,” she said.
“[It’s] the chaperone’s job to report to the school and to authorities that they noticed something.”
Gustafson said anti-racism is already a foundational expectation in Brandon schools and will remain a central part of the push to make schools safe spaces.
“Every student should feel safe and included,” the superintendent said.
That means making sure each one has an adult they can trust and talk to. While schools play a big role, working with the broader community can have an even greater impact, he said.
Emmanuel Ahaneku, the chair of the Umu Igbo Brandon Association, said the Onuke family are well-known members of the city’s Nigerian Igbo community.
While the June attack shook families deeply, the division’s response — along with support from police and the city — has helped rebuild confidence, he said.
While some anxiety remains, “we feel very comfortable. We feel very optimistic,” Ahaneku said. “The kids are excited to go back to school.”
He also appreciated messages spread in schools, and the broader community, on unity and “saying no to racism,” he said.
Ahaneku, who has three children in the division, said the attack underscored the importance of conversations at home about inclusion and respect. It’s up to everyone to fight racism and discrimination, he said — particularly parents, who play a key role in shaping the views of young people.
“It’s about creating the right mindset with the kids … letting them know that we’re in a beautiful city, and the city is a welcoming city that supports everyone,” he said.
“The key thing is the belief in the system, the trust in the system. So the apprehension is there, but they believe it has to be bigger than the fear.”
