Sarah Mills: Surviving the first week of high school
Sarah Mills says her teenage daughter made it through her very first week of high school successfully, although the firs...
One year after a girl was allegedly attacked and set on fire by a fellow student at Saskatoon’s Evan Hardy Collegiate, several changes are in place as a new school year begins.
According to a spokesperson for Saskatoon Public Schools, the school division is committed to strengthening the safety of students and commissioned an independent review following the incident on Sept. 5, 2024.
Read more:
- ‘She didn’t deserve that’: Students shocked, scared after girl set on fire
- Teen girl accused in Evan Hardy attempted murder case heading to trial
- Crown seeks adult sentence in Evan Hardy attempted murder case
The review identified areas for improvement in the division’s violence threat risk assessment (VTRA) protocols, documentation, discipline procedures and responses to traumatic events.
“Updates have been made to our VTRA process and resource guides to ensure more consistent documentation, clearer expectations for discipline, stronger safety planning and improved information-sharing when concerns arise,” the division’s spokesperson explained in an emailed statement.
“We are in the process of updating related administrative procedures.”
Supports available for students
The school division has also been consulting regularly with the Centre for Trauma Informed Practices.
J. Kevin Cameron, the centre’s executive director, said there was a lot of planning and preparation done before kids headed back to classes this week.
“The Evan Hardy High School administration team and staff, along with Saskatoon Public Schools leadership purposefully planned support for any students, parents, caregivers and staff during the week prior to the formal start of the academic year as part of a trauma-informed intervention,” Cameron said in a statement.
“This was to ensure that the first week back to classes felt like the beginning of a new year with all the anticipation of studies, friends and personal achievements.”
Students also have access to more support, the division noted, including the introduction of the School Connections Program, which is designed to support students “who are unable to participate in a traditional school setting due to safety concerns,” and the launch of an anonymous reporting tool.
Additional counsellors were assigned to Evan Hardy last year to provide support for both staff and students, and the division said additional staff were also in place this fall to assist with the transition back to school, and counsellors were available for both students and staff members.
The division said it has also increased communication between staff members and families, and added a full-time restorative action program (RAP) facilitator to Evan Hardy to help support students.
“RAP facilitators offer a trusted, judgment-free space with a focus on one-on-one relationship building and conflict resolution,” the division explained. “Their objective is to empower youth to develop responses to resolve issues related to bullying, mental health and relationships.”
Training provided
Additionally, the spokesperson said school principals, vice principals and counsellors have received additional training and new resources on violence risk assessments, incident documentation and responses to harassment.
“A new summer protocol was introduced to clarify expectations during non-school months,” the spokesperson added.
“We have also introduced a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team to better support staff after traumatic events. A new process has been developed for information sharing with staff with respect to students who have taken part in a VTRA.”
According to the school division, Sean Hayes, the teacher who was injured while intervening to help the victim, has assumed a new position at Tommy Douglas Collegiate.
Tentative trial dates set
The teen girl facing charges that include attempted murder, assault causing bodily harm, aggravated assault and arson is set to stand trial at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon.
A direct indictment was filed by the Crown in May of 2025, which means no preliminary inquiry—which determines if there is enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial—will take place.
A pre-trial conference will be held on Sept. 26, and tentative dates for the judge-alone trial are set for May 4, 2026, to May 29, 2026.
The Crown intends to seek an adult sentence on the charges.
— With files from 650 CKOM’s Mia Holowaychuk and 650 CKOM’s Lara Fominoff
