Learning how to follow rules and get along with others is part of the elementary school experience. The El Marino Language School Student Expectations, listed in our Student Handbook and regularly discussed with students, have been developed as a general guideline for our students. At Back to School Night or in material sent home, your child’s teacher will outline the specific expectations and discipline plan for the classroom. We appreciate your support in helping your child follow the rules.
Most negative behavior has a cause or antecedent. In handling negative behavior or conflict at school, the teacher or administrator will talk to everyone involved and discuss what led up to the situation and how it could have been handled differently. Our district adopted program, ‘Too Good for Violence’, also addresses conflict resolution and problem solving. If someone is bothering your child, please encourage him/her to follow these steps:
1. Ignore the person and walk away. If the person continues to bother you,
2. Face him and tell him to stop. If the person continues to bother you,
3. Tell an adult.
Students have the right to learn without being called names or being threatened because of gender, race, religion, or physical or mental disabilities. Students should report harassment to their teacher or the adult supervising at the time the harassment occurred. Incidents will be investigated and appropriate action taken. Please advise the principal if you have any concern about how your child’s complaint is being handled.
ANTI-BULLYING INITIATIVE
CCUSD supports a culture in which all stakeholders are treated fairly and feel safe, respected and empowered.
We are committed to providing students with a safe and nurturing environment to ensure optimum teaching and learning. CCUSD has character education, an anti-drug/anti-violence curriculum, and other programs to promote civility and a positive social environment within the school community.
In keeping with this initiative, the Superintendent has formed the Anti-Bullying Task Force, charged with making recommendations to reduce or eliminate bullying of students and staff within the District. The Task Force is composed of students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members, and began meeting in October of 2008.
Definition of Bullying:
• Is hurtful behavior that intends to cause harm or distress
• Usually is repeated over time
• Occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power and strength
Assembly Bill 86 Public Safety – definition of bullying -
This bill would specify that bullying, as used in these provisions, means one or more acts by a pupil or a group of pupils directed against another pupil that constitutes sexual harassment, hate violence, or severe or pervasive intentional harassment, threats, or intimidation that is disruptive, causes disorder, and invades the rights of others by creating an intimidating or hostile educational environment, and includes acts that are committed personally or by means of an electronic act, as defined.
Direct bullying:
• Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting
• Taunting, teasing, racial slurs, verbal harassment (name calling)
• Threatening, obscene gestures
Indirect bullying:
• Getting another person to bully someone for you
• Spreading rumors
• Deliberately excluding someone from a group or activity
• Cyber-bullying
District Responsibility for Bullying:
School staff can respond to bullying that occurs at school, on the way to or from school, or bullying at other times, such as cyber-bullying, that causes a harmful academic environment for the bullying target.
For Parents-- What to do if you believe your child is being bullied:
• Encourage your child to report the problem to a teacher, counselor or administrator
• If your child is unwilling, seek his/her permission to report it yourself
• CCUSD administrators continue to receive training to respond appropriately. They are committed to ensure student safety
• Be patient, yet persistent; sometimes investigation takes time
For Parents/Teachers/Caregivers-- Warning signs that a child may be a target of bullying:
• Seems afraid to go to school or frequently complains of illness
• Is truant
• Has few friends
• Seems depressed, anxious or moody
• Has torn or dirty clothing, with no explanation
• Has visible injuries
• Has possessions which have been damaged or defaced
For Students-- What to do if you believe you are being bullied:
• Elementary school: tell your teacher, yard teacher and/or playground supervisor. If that doesn’t help, talk to your principal. Tell your parents.
• Middle School/High School: talk to your counselor and your parents. If that doesn’t help, talk to your principal or assistant principal. You can file an Incident Report, available in the CCMS Main Office or the CCHS Discipline Office.
• Stay in a group; avoid being alone in the place where you have been bullied.
• All you need is one buddy.
• If it feels safe, try to stand up to the bully.
• If being bullied online, don’t reply.
• Take part in clubs and activities where you can make other friends.
• For examples of what several students did, see: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
For Students – Is it “tattling?"
• Tattling = telling an adult in order to get someone else into trouble
• Sharing or reporting = asking an adult for help for yourself or someone else. This is NOT tattling!
For Students-- What to do if you witness bullying of others:
• Report to an adult
• Let the bully know it’s not ok
• Support the person who is being bullied, be his/her friend
• For examples, see: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
Signs of a Bully:
• Do you bully others? http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
Resources for Students Having Problems with Peers:
Help for bullies http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
Cyberbullying – What is it?
Cyberbullying is using technology such as cell phones and the internet to threaten, insult, or harass. A person who cyberbullies can quickly and aggressively spread rumors, threats, hate mail, or embarrassing photos through text messages, emails, or instant messages.
Cyberbullying Tips for Students:
• Never give out personal information such as your phone number or address
• Don’t talk to people you do not know
• If you have to meet someone you met online, meet in a crowded place where people are guaranteed to see you
• If you receive inappropriate or threatening messages, immediately notify an adult and if possible report the message
• If you receive threatening messages or inappropriate messages from someone at school, tell your parents, counselor and if necessary a school administrator
• When signing up for any type of social networking site, review the safety tips and privacy policies
Cyberbullying Tips for Parents:
• Keep an eye on your child while he/she is on the computer
• Make sure you have the password to your child’s e-mail account and all other social networking accounts
• If your child has a social networking account, make one for yourself and add him/her as a friend so that you can see what other people may be telling your child
• Periodically go through your child’s various accounts and make sure they do not have any inappropriate or threatening messages
• Discuss appropriate computer behavior with your child
If your child has instant messenger, here are some Acronyms you should know:
POS- Parent Over Shoulder
PIR- Parent in the Room
P911- Parent over shoulder/ Parent in the room
ASL- Age, Sex, Location
ASLP- Age Sex Location Picture
F2F- Face to Face
Remember to talk to your child about who he/she is talking to on the Internet.
Depending on the situation, a student who engages in a low-level misconduct is counseled by a supervising adult and the student's behavior is redirected to the activity at hand. Repeated misconduct will result in students completing reflection forms and/or writing apology letters during their non-instructional time.
Students who engage in aggressive behaviors listed in the Anti-Bullying Initiative section are reported to the office. After investigating the incident, the supervising adult will have the student call home and report the misconduct. Having the student tell a parent is an important step in assuming responsibility for the misconduct and serves as part of the reflection process for the student. Parents will then be informed by the supervising adult about their child's participation in both the misconduct and in taking responsibility for his/her part in the incident, as well as the resulting consequence.