Sample Principal Checklist – Principal/Designate Responsibilities
Medical Information
Establish a process for the collection and sharing of student medical information with all teachers, coaches, intramural supervisors, etc. This must be done at the beginning of the school year and throughout the year as needed for students with medical conditions to participate safely in curricular, intramural and interschool activities.
Consult the Sample Curricular Parent/Guardian Letter and Sample Curricular Medical Information and Acknowledgement of Elements of Risk Form/Sample Interschool Parent/Guardian Letter and Sample Interschool Medical Information and Consent to Participate Form/Sample Intramural Parent/Guardian Letter and Sample Intramural Medical Information and Consent to Participate Form.
Be familiar with the school board/school protocols for the management and the emergency procedures of prevalent medical conditions and others (for example, anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy) during physical activities.
Consult Asthma.
Concussion
Be knowledgeable of school board’s concussion policy and protocols and their impact on a student’s return to school and return to physical activities.
First Aid
Develop the school’s First Aid Action Plan and First Aid Emergency Response. Consult the appropriate activity safety standards for the First Aid qualifications.
Consult Emergency Response and First Aid.
Provide a readily accessible fully stocked first aid kit(s) on school site and where appropriate a portable first aid kit (including a copy of the school board’s tool to identify a suspected concussion).
Consult the Sample Tool to Identify a Suspected Concussion.
Ensure the first aid kits are regularly inspected and kept up to date.
Equipment
Follow school board procedures and/or develop school procedures for the following:
A documented inspection of the equipment.
Consult the Sample Safety Checklist – Gymnasium Equipment.
The removal of damaged/unsafe equipment from use and/or the repair of broken equipment.
A budget for the purchase of the required safety equipment as outlined on the activity pages (for example, protective eyewear for badminton).
Ensuring school purchased equipment meets the standards as outlined on the activity pages (for example, protective eyewear for badminton - ASTM F803 standard).
The purchase of new or used fitness equipment or donated fitness equipment.
Facilities
Follow the school or school board procedures for regular inspection of facilities (for example, gymnasium, fields, activity rooms, fitness rooms) along with equipment storage facilities and change rooms.
Follow the school board procedures for reporting damaged facilities to the custodian and/or school board maintenance department.
Set procedures for removing/isolating hazards/hazardous situations.
Set procedures to inform students that the use of gymnasium, activity areas, and equipment is prohibited without appropriate teacher supervision.
In addition to written or oral communication, the doors must be locked or signage on the gymnasium doors must be in place indicating that students must not use the gymnasium unless supervised.
Clothing/Footwear/Jewellery
Be aware of expectations for appropriate clothing, footwear and jewellery, for physical activity.
Consult Clothing, Footwear, and Jewellery.
Environmental Considerations
Be familiar with the school board/school procedures relating to student participation in outdoor physical activity, including the weather and insect conditions (for example, west nile virus, lyme disease).
Consult Weather.
Cancelling or delaying outside physical activities or those in gymnasiums (that are not protected by overhead floors and rooms) because of severe weather (reported and/or anticipated).
Outdoor Education Activities (For Example, Canoeing)
Understand and implement the school board/school procedures for approving outdoor education activities (for example, school board/school procedures for swim tests for water-based activities.)
Outside Activity Provider
The school must follow the school board procedures for accessing an outside activity provider, on site or off site.
Consult Outside Activity Providers.
Occasional Teacher
Be familiar with school board policy/procedures/qualifications or develop school procedures for occasional teachers (that is, when a teacher replaces a teacher instructing physical activities). When developing procedures consider:
- Informing the occasional teacher of the physical activity lesson;
- Providing the pertinent Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education pages;
- Identifying students with medical conditions (their Plan of Care), physical activity limitations, and those that require ready access to medications (for example, asthma inhalers);
- The school’s first aid emergency response for injuries/illnesses; and
- The school’s protocol for the supervision of change rooms.
Intramural Activities
Develop expectations of the school’s intramural program relating to safety.
Develop an approval process for intramural supervisors (for example, qualifications/experience). The approval process should include verifying their knowledge, experiences and qualifications (where appropriate).
Interschool Sports
Develop expectations for the school’s interschool program relating to safety.
Develop an approval process for coaches. The approval process should include verifying their knowledge, experiences and qualifications (where appropriate). Consult the appropriate activity safety standards for the coaching qualification.
Consult the Qualifications section of the specific activity page for the required qualifications/certifications.
Follow the school board procedure for approving non-teacher coaches.
For a non-teacher coach, select an appropriate coach liaison.
Consult Coach/Coach Liaison.