Promoting a Positive School Climate to Diminish School Bullying March 3, :00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Tariffville School

Welcome Introductions Overview Goals: Provide background information relative to the importance of focusing on creating a safe and positive (emotionally and physically) school climate in an effort to diminish negative behaviors. Gain valuable insights and information from parents relative to school climate at the elementary level.

Dr. JoAnn Freiberg Educational Consultant Connecticut State Department of Education Bureau of Accountability & Improvement Expert on bullying, improving school climate, and character education Experienced parent, classroom teacher, and teacher educator Has held several university faculty appointments Serves on Statewide Bullying Task Force Provides Nationwide professional development: General Violence prevention Professional ethics School, family, and community partnerships

The Simsbury Public Schools community... Cultivates the mind, body, and character of each student; Creates a safe and supportive environment that fosters personal relationships; Values a culture of civility where students and adults are treated with fairness, respected for their contributions, and celebrated for their successes; Prepares students to embrace their lives with integrity, compassion, and resilience. Simsbury Public Schools District Vision

District Responsibilities Enable students to anonymously report acts of bullying, and notify students annually of the process by which they may make such anonymous complaints. Enable parents to file written reports of suspected bullying. Staff who witness acts of bullying or receive student reports of bullying must notify administrators in writing. Administration must investigate any written or anonymous reports of bullying. Include a prevention and intervention strategy for school staff to deal with bullying. Administration must notify both the parents of students who commit verified acts of bullying and the parents against whom such acts were directed, and invite them to at least one meeting. Each school must maintain a list of verified acts of bullying. Annually all districts must report the number of verified acts to the State. Direct the development of case by case interventions for addressing repeated incidents of bullying against an individual Provide for inclusion of language concerning bullying in student codes of conduct---Handbooks

Response and Prevention Spirit of the law and policy: to assist schools in creating a positive, safe, respectful, learning environment. Labeling bullying behavior in and of itself has very little impact. Providing effective interventions to deal with the climate should continue to be our focus. Long-term commitment with parent and student to work through investigations, interventions, and continued supports. Research is clear: The best remedy for limited incidents of bullying is the ongoing development and commitment to create safe school climates.

School Level Efforts to Promote a Positive School Climate Home Grown Character Initiatives Teaching students how to be respectful. Guidance for how everyone in our community interacts with each other. Components: celebration of traits, common language, home connections, community service, committees to guide work, morning meetings, activities to unite school

School Climate What is Working?What are our Concerns? Next Steps

Promoting a Positive School Climate to Diminish School Bullying March 3, :00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Tariffville School