Bullying Prevention at Jackson-Via
On Tuesday I spoke to our parents at the P.T.O about bullying prevention at Jackson-Via. Here are some main points from my presentation.
1. We take bullying seriously. As parents I know we all worry about bullying our children might experience, especially with some of the tragic reports in the news recently. Here at Jackson-Via, and in other city schools, we don’t think bullying is just a part of growing up. It’s unacceptable and we take preventing it very seriously.
2. Recently the city and County received a safe school grant. We have a full-time employee named Bob Garritty who works with schools to create safe and healthy environments. This year, all 3rd and 4th grade students have taken 2 bullying surveys. Mr. Garritty helps us analyze the data from these surveys and figure out where our strengths and weaknesses lie so we can address them. In the survey students are able to anonymously name students they have seen being bullied. It’s my job to follow-up with these students and investigate these reports.
3. Last year, Ms. Franklin (3rd grade teacher) and I partnered to form a leadership group called the Bully Nots. We do school-wide assemblies at Jackson-Via as well as travel to other schools. We promote an anti-bullying message through song, dance, raps and the spoken word. All students at Jackson-Via are encouraged to be upstanders not bystanders. They can be upstanders by telling a bully to stop, by offering support to someone being bulled, or by reporting to an adult.
4. Three years ago all staff members at Jackson-Via were trained in the Olweus bullying prevention program. This gives all staff a common language and standard procedure for dealing with bullying. We also have consistent rules about bullying that are posted in every classroom. Through classroom guidance lesson and class meetings, students are taught what bullying is and what they can do when they see it happening.
If you have any questions or suggestions about bullying prevention at Jackson-Via, please contact Kristin Link Ullrich, school counselor, at 245-2568 or e-mail her at Ullrich.Kristin@ccs.k12.va.us.
