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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-05-31, Page 88 Exeter Times–Advocate Wednesday, May 31, 2006 Do students feel safe in our schools? This was one of the questions that was asked in a school climate/bullying survey for all students in grades 6-12 in the Avon Maitland District School Board and the Huron -Perth Catholic District School Board that was completed in February this year. This survey was undertaken because the provincial government wants to eliminate bullying, as do we as trustees, principals, teachers, par- ents and community members. Last week, the survey results were released, and over 85 per cent of students indicated that they felt safe at school. Also, most students sel- dom or never experience bullying. Of the types of bullying and harass- ment that do take place, verbal bul- lying was the most common. The survey also indicated that students were most likely to speak with their peers about bullying problems, and that most bullying problems occur during times when there is less supervision, for example during breaks and before and after school. A summary of the survey results can be found on the Board's web -site, www.yourschools.ca. While there are positive messages from the survey that indicate most students feels safe, the fact remains that some students are being bullied and do not feel safe, and we as a community and school Board need to address this fact. Specifically, the survey results are being shared with each school so the individual school results can be reviewed, and each school is establishing a Citizenship Committee to develop or revise their bullying prevention plan for implemen- tation beginning next September. In addi- tion, schools will be sharing bullying pre- vention strategies with parents and the community because bullying is a community problem, not just a school problem. So, what can we do as parents, and mem- bers of the community? First, we can look for signs of bullying like: avoiding certain situations, people, or places, (for example, pretending to be sick to avoid going to school); changes in behavior (being with- drawn and passive, overly active and aggressive, or self-destructive); fre- quent crying or sadness; unwilling- ness to speak about certain situa- tions or people; signs of injuries; drop in grades or development of learning problems; recurrent unex- plained physical symptoms such as stomach pains and fatigue. Second, we need to talk to our children and clearly indicate that bullying is not acceptable behaviour. For those who are being bullied, encourage them to speak with an adult about the problem a parent, teacher, prin- cipal or other trusted person. The victim needs to realize that we don't blame them. If your child is bullying, listen, but let him or her know bullying will not be tolerated. Encourage your child to think about how the victim feels. Increase your supervision. Stop any aggression immediately and encourage your child to react in other ways. Praise positive behaviour. If the bullying continues, seek professional help for your child. Above all, get involved. We all want safe communities and healthy young people and we have a responsibility to report bullying and to intervene if we witness or hear about it. We need to make sure that all of our chil- dren feel safe in our schools and our com- munities. Material in this column is drawn from the report Shaping Safer Schools (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healthysafesc hools/actionTeam/shaping.pdf) and the Safe Youth Now website RAND WAGL EDUCATI MATTERS ER ON Last big social event of social year EXETER — The big event at South Huron this week is the annual Formal, which takes place Friday night in the small gym. This is the last big social event of the school year and for the graduating students, it is their last event as students at South Huron. The next time they gather together, it will be as graduates returning for Commencement in October. The Formal is intended as a celebration of their years at South Huron, a chance to remi- nisce about the past and look forward to the future. We hope it will be a memorable evening. At the Formal we also recognize the "Students of the Year" who have been nominated by their peers for their con- tributions to life at South Huron for the past four or five years. The nominees are chosen by the graduating students, and the winners are determined by a vote of all the Grade 12 students. It is an honour to be nominated and this year's nominees are all excellent young people, any one of whom would be a fitting choice as Student of the Year. I would like to congratulate the following nominees: Jessica Bickell, Artemysia Fragiskatos, Ally Macgregor, Kylen Van Osch, Faith -Anne Wagler, Reid Halpenny, Justin Knee, Matt Miner and Matt Tremain. The Student of the Year ceremonies will start at about 10:30 p.m. and parents and family members are welcome to attend. The Formal is being held in the small gym this year and the second floor gallery will be open for spectators. (Parents and family members are welcome to observe from the floor of the gym, but they may get a better view from the gallery.) As I mentioned earlier, we want the Formal to be a memorable evening, but for the right reasons: unfortunately, every year I have been principal here, I have had to deal with an issue that certainly detracts from my enjoyment of the evening. The issue, of course, is students who have been drinking before the dance. I have had discussions with students about this concern every year, and I always meet with the grads in the week of the Formal to set out my expectations. Naturally, some students think I am just try- ing to stop them from having fun by telling them not to drink before the dance, and maybe some parents feel that way too, although I hope not. There are few students in the school who are of legal age to drink, and the Provincial Code of Conduct for Ontario schools makes it clear that students are not to come to school events after having consumed alcohol. Despite that, some students think that some- how this practice should be permitted. Last year, after dealing with this issue for the fourth year in a row, I decided some changes were in order. As a result, the students have been advised that passing a breathalyser test will be a condition for being admitted to the dance. And passing means having zero alcohol in their systems. Students who register even a small amount on the breathalyser will be denied entry. Any who have a significant reading will be kept at the school until a parent can come and pick them up. It is not my intent to diminish the students' enjoyment of the Formal, but there are cer- tain expectations I must uphold. As I have told the students, if they can't enjoy a dance without drinking first, then it is time we stopped having dances. If we encounter issues with alcohol again this year, then I will have a really tough decision to make about the Formal, and perhaps about dances in general. All the students who bought tickets received a letter from me that outlined my expecta- tions, and I have sent a letter home to the parents as well. I have suggested to the stu- dents that they take this as a challenge to themselves, to prove that they can come to the dance and have a good time without drinking first. It is my hope that they rise to the challenge and make this Friday an evening to remember for all the right rea- sons. JEFF REABURN PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/f aq/respbullying.asp. Another valuable resource is the Huron County Bullying Prevention Committee website: www. bullyprevention. ca. If you have questions or com- ments, please feel free to contact me at 235-4445, or email me at rwagler@fc. amdsb. ca. r:\IYMINIIfYIllW INN SPCA Dinner Auction Committee volunteer, Rob McIntosh (second from right), demonstrates the Texas Hold'em table that has been donated for the charities fundraiser on June 9 at the Recreation Centre in Exeter. The other players are Becky Waite, Jordan Ruston, Mike Hummel, McIntosh and Mike Johnston. The 8 -person, folding table has a padded playing surface that is identical to what you would find in a casino. The table, donated by Showdown Tables of St.Thomas, is valued at $650 and will be offered as a Live Auction item. Some of the other amazing items up for auction include art, dinners, tickets to shows, a 2 -day rental of a Harley Davidson motorcycle from Rocky's Harley-Davidson and a set ofTaylorMade r7 XD irons. For more information on the auction and a look at all the items up for auction, check out www.huronspca.ca under News & Events. This is the sec- ond annual dinner auction for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Huron County branch and this year's event is spon. sored by BMO, Bank of Montreal. Funds raised at the event will sup- port the animal shelter and cruelty investigations plus veterinary costs and legal prosecution fees. 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