Bullying

Throughout the District there are a number of cruelty prevention programs which have been helpful in raising awareness about the negative impact of bullying. Beginning in Kindergarten, our Caring Kids program teaches students to be good, caring citizens and is their first experience with community service projects. Those important messages are carried throughout each grade level and built on through character education programs. The school initiatives are attached below.

Brockport was the first district in New York state to initiate the Safe School Ambassadors program, which teaches 110 students from grades 5-12 to identify different types of cruelty that could occur at school and in the community. Students learn intervention skills to prevent situations from escalating and learn about the adult support that is available in schools. The program encourages a culture change in the building – educates student leaders of different peer groups to encourage friends to make different choices (by distracting friends who might be an aggressor and educating bystanders to act in ways that are safe and proven effective. The program is for kids who might be able to make a difference with friends (not a program for targets or aggressors).

Brockport Central School District Violence Prevention Initiatives

September 2000	BHS Violence Prevention Committee renamed “Fostering Peace Committee” and continues to meet monthly.
January 2001	First student focus group held to identify areas of concern
September 2001	Students in grades 9-12 surveyed. The survey was student designed and administered. Rumors/gossip, verbal abuse and stare downs identified as the major concerns.
October 2001	Additional student focus groups held to generate ideas on how to solve the issues students raised.
Fall 2001	Gay Straight Alliance Club established.
January 2002	A Student Violence Forum was held to map out a violence prevention strategy.
March 2002	Students in the drama class develop skits to be used for teacher training.
April 2002	Suicide and Depression Screening for students grades 9-12 and Awareness Presentations
May 2002	HS Faculty meeting devoted to the “13 ways Rumors/Gossip impact student learning and strategies teachers can use to help students” (Students present training skits to faculty)
October 2002	Fostering Peace Committee seeks “stories” from students detailing the types of cruelty they had experienced and how it impacted their academic achievement. Committee members facilitated a 2hour Violence Prevention Workshop on Superintendent’s Conference Day to raise awareness of the types of cruelty and brainstorm ways teachers could partner with students to work on this issue. Anonymous student stories were read to the entire faculty followed up by small group discussion. Overwhelmingly the staff decided we needed to enlist the help of students, that teachers/staff alone could not solve this problem.
November 2002	Karen Breslawski and Julie Borgen (school social worker) attend the National Asset Conference to preview the Safe School Ambassador Program
March 2003	1^st Safe School Ambassador training in NYS is offered to Oliver Middle School and High School Students.
March 2003	SSA’s and Community Matters trainer (parent organization of SSA Program) are the keynote speakers for the entire district on Superintendent’s conference day. Followed by ½ day student led training for the HS faculty.
September 2003	Year long “De-escalation” Training offered by Larry Crawford, Investigator Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to non-teaching staff and hall monitors
September 2003	“Safe School Helpline” Presentation to the Fostering Peace Committee (later purchased by the district)
April 2004	“Yellow Ribbon Day” (Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day) held. Student group designs and implements this day for the student body.
Sept 2004	– June 05 Monthly meetings with administrators, teachers and students to continue to work on violence prevention issues.
June 2005	-June2010 All BCSD bus drivers and bus monitors received 2 hours of bullying prevention training specific to bus safety. Each year all new bus drivers also received 2 hours worth of training
Sept 2005	– present SSA training held yearly for 5^th- 12^th graders and staff. Trained students present at numerous school districts and conferences in the area.
September 2009	Student led “Keep the Peace Committee” formed at the High School.
Spring 2010	Students developed and filmed the “Imagine Video.”
November 2010	Imagine Video is used as part of a 4 day school wide peace presentation.
March 8 2011	“If You Really Knew Me Day” held at the High School. This day was completely student designed. Students wrote a grant and were awarded money to host an ice cream party to celebrate the day!
May 2011	High School students are trained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Students give “Cyber-bullying” presentations to middle school health classes.
September 2011	“Keep the Peace Committee meets to formulate plans for this school year. Students would like to: Facilitate the “Crossing the Line” Activity for all freshmen during an advisement period. (Large group in the gym followed by small breakout groups for discussion Develop monthly activity that each advisement could participate. A full day “If You Really Knew me Day” to be held after the holidays.