Bully Nots new video

NBC 29 News came to see our school-wide Bully Nots performance. Here is the clip of the story that aired.

News at Jackson-Via

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 3^rd and 4^th 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.

The Charlottesville Daily Progress – “Bullying is on the decline” – March 8, 2010

This morning the Charlottesville Daily Progress has an editorial lauding the effects of school anti-bullying programs like  our own Bully Nots.

Bullying is on the decline

A national study finds that physical bullying is declining, welcome evidence that programs instituted a few years ago to deter this danger to children are having an effect.

The Department of Justice study, conducted last year, found that reports of physical intimidation dropped from nearly 22 percent in 2003 to less than 15 percent in 2008. The percentage of incidents that rise to the level of outright assault also declined, from 45 percent to just over 38 percent.

It is the second recent study to verify such results.

Experts say that means anti-bullying programs are working.

Bullying became a serious national concern a few years ago when a spate of stories reported a growing numbers of cases of intimidation, and worse, among public school students. One incident from Fluvanna County prompted changes in Virginia law.

If students can be taught not to hurt others, emotionally or physically, they will develop important building blocks for future behavior, experts say. Conversely, bullying in school can herald more serious problems later on.

Continue reading:  Bullying is on the decline | Charlottesville Daily Progress.