Members are 
advised to consult 
Professional 
Relations staff 
(PRS) in Protective 
Services at 416-962-
3836 or  
1-888-838-3836 for 
additional advice.

Communicating with students

O Do not e-mail students for personal reasons. Your messages may be forwarded to a much 

wider audience- deliberately or unintentionally and they may be manipulated.

O Avoid casual, familiar tone that can erode boundaries.
O Watch your language.
O Do not comment on student-parent or student-student relationships or other colleagues.
O Avoid sharing or receiving personal information which might be construed as violating 

boundaries or “grooming.”

Communicating with parents

O Be aware that your e-mail can be used as evidence of your conduct.
O Your messages may be forwarded to a much wider audience- deliberately or 

unintentionally.

O Avoid lengthy e-mail exchanges that consume a lot of time. In addition to increasing your 

workload, protracted exchanges may be prone to misinterpretation.

O Respect confidentiality: obtain permission to use e-mail communications.

Protect Yourself

O Refrain from using a personal computer account for school communication purposes and 

use caution when using school based computers.

O Do not leave a computer unattended when logged into the school board system.
O Protect username and password against identity theft to prevent unauthorized e-mail 

under your name or access to school documents.

O Where possible, change your password(s) on a regular basis.
O Respond to messages from parents by telephone or face-to-face meeting whenever 

possible.

O Clear the web browser’s cache memory after every session on a computer.

If you do send messages

O Save a copy of the original message.
O Use spelling and grammar checks on materials that you plan to e-mail or post on a web 

site.

O Signatures should include your name, assignment title, and school name.
O Avoid unnecessary attachments and/or forwards.
O Do not write e-mails in capital letters (capitals indicate SHOUTING).
O Never forward a message without permission from the sender first.
O Always maintain professional standards when sending e-mails to students, parents, 

colleagues (including friends), and administrators on board equipment- treat every e-mail 
as though it is a written letter.

O Do not engage in casual gossip on chat lines as it is unprofessional.

39

WELCOME TO THE  

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 

2014-2015

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