Child safeguarding is a big umbrella. It refers to the actions we take on behalf of children and community members to promote wellbeing, protect human rights, promote healthy development, and reduce or mitigate the risk of harm to children. At SAS, we recognize that a comprehensive approach to safeguarding works to prevent harm as well as respond to it. The term, “child protection” is related, but not the same as child safeguarding, and refers to the specific responsive actions undertaken by the school when we learn about harm to children. Harm can be defined as any action or inaction that negatively impacts a child’s physical, emotional, or mental well-being. Harm encompasses both direct harm, such as physical, emotional, sexual maltreatment, and neglect, and indirect harm, such as witnessing violence between parents or caregivers. Harm also refers to negative impacts of bias, harassment, discrimination, bullying, and/or exploitation, which can be inflicted online or in-person by an adult or by another child.

Areas where we focus on prevention of harm and risk mitigation include but are not limited to:

• recruitment and hiring of employees
• oversight of health and safety on- and off-campus (e.g. campus facilities, overnight trips, athletic events)
• mandated initial and annual training for all employees
• mentor and partnership academic programs
• awareness and education for students on safe and healthy relationships and behavior.

Internal school safeguarding procedures outline the steps taken to respond to student harm, including who may be involved, where the actions are documented, what roles may be involved in responding and acceptable time frames for initiating a response. Other related policies, procedures and practices are included in the divisional Student Handbooks, Faculty Handbook, and HR policies of anti-harassment, anti-retaliation, and whistleblowing. For more specific information on these policies, please contact the Senior Safeguarding Lead at safeguarding@sas.edu.sg.

If that community member is a parent, the best way to share a safeguarding concern is with the Designated Safeguarding Leads in the division of their child(ren) or the schoolwide Senior Safeguarding Lead. Please see individual contact details below.

If that community member is a student, he/she can share with any trusted adult at the school or choose to share anonymously, if in the middle school or high school. We do not encourage anonymous reports from adults in the community and believe our policies on whistleblowing and anti-retaliation provide adequate protection for adults in the community.

Elementary School (including ELC)

• Carin Chow, cchow@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6212
• Lindsey Powell, lpowell@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6114

Middle School

• Ben Robertaccio, brobertaccio@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6428

High School

• Carmine Filice, cfilice@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6586
• Cecilia Unite, cunite@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6505

Schoolwide

• Monica Clear (students, employees), mclear@sas.edu.sg or safeguarding@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6077
• Simon Thomas (facilities, busing), sthomas@sas.edu.sg,6360 6373

 

 

The school engages in ongoing and robust parent engagement, awareness, and education in various ways in every division. In ELC and elementary school, for example, the counseling, dean, and psychologist teams run sessions on the Triple P Parenting Program in the Fall and Spring. Teams in middle school and high school run topic-specific workshops throughout the year on areas such as parenting in the digital age, addressing risky behavior such as alcohol and vaping use, and mental health support. All events are highlighted in the weekly eNews communication on Fridays.