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Anti-Bullying Initiatives Usher In "A New Era of Safe Schools"
Reno, NV (Dec. 13, 2011) - The Washoe County School District initiated a community-wide conversation Tuesday about bullying and the serious impact it has on children with the launch of an awareness campaign called A New Era of Safe Schools.
During the news conference, the District released data from its latest school climate survey that targeted issues like bullying, school safety and respect. WCSD also announced its new anti-bullying initiatives being rolled out at schools across the District during the school year to further address the issue.
Superintendent Heath Morrison spoke about the District's responsibility to increase awareness and provide the necessary tools to respond effectively. "Washoe County School District has an unwavering commitment to eradicating all forms of bullying in our schools. Ensuring every child feels safe and respected while at school is of the upmost priority to us; it's essential to their well-being and their success in the classroom. We will continue to work with our students, teachers, principals and staff on a daily basis to promote a bully-free culture at every school."
Counseling Coordinator Katherine Loudon and School Police Chief Mike Mieras discussed the latest anti-bullying initiatives the District is utilizing to prevent bullying, to raise awareness about the issue and to ensure the appropriate interventions are put into place if a case of bullying does occur.
"Our new bullying reporting form will ensure that every case of bullying receives attention and the necessary follow-up. Whether the assistance is from counselors or school police, we will be there to deal with the situation," Mieras said. "Our students have access to a confidential bullying hotline through Secret Witness. We are also launching anti-bullying training for all staff and providing intervention classes for students involved in bullying cases."
Loudon said the school climate survey also provides the District and individual schools with an invaluable resource. The survey was launched in the spring of 2011 to gather feedback from students, parents and staff about how they felt about their schools' environment. The survey shows that while 77 percent of students in Washoe County feel safe at school, 48 percent agree that bullying occurs on their campus.
"The school climate survey gives us vital information to effectively address bullying. It identifies the prevalence of bullying on school campuses, students' overall feelings of safety and the knowledge our students have about this topic. We will now be able to zero in on issues that need immediate attention and track progress of our schools and the District as a whole," Loudon said.
The 2011 school climate survey showed that bullying occurs at all levels, but particularly at middle schools, where 56 percent of students agree that their peers threaten or bully each other. Loudon says this data helped to focus anti-bullying efforts at the 6th through 8th grade levels.
Students at Clayton Middle School, for example, are actively involved in shaping their school's culture. A group of students created an anti-bullying video that promotes respect, cooperation, understanding, responsibility and safety.
"Our students have led the way to creating a community that values every individual in our school. They are choosing to lead by example, which is shaping a positive learning environment at our school that allows our students to focus on academics and preparing for their futures," Clayton Principal Bruce Meissner said.
WCSD's A New Era of Safe Schools campaign will continue throughout the 2011-2012 school year with several more community events and meetings that focus on specific issues related to bullying. The District is planning an event in February 2012 to discuss cyberbullying and another forum in April focusing on cultural diversity.
"Bullying and harassment are not learned behaviors at school. Children come to school with these behaviors and we are committed to showing them it is not acceptable and it is not going to be tolerated. There needs to be a cultural shift to change these behaviors. It's going to take a community effort for this to occur," vice president of the Board of Trustees Ken Grein said.
"We are looking forward to continuing this conversation about bullying with all of our students, parents, principals, teachers and staff. To ensure a community free of bullying, we must continue to draw attention to this topic and all work together to promote respect," Morrison said.
About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 8951
