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“Reporting the news, one story at a time.” Highlander Charter School Warren, RI May/June 2015 Expect Changes for 2015-2016 School Year BY TATIANA LOPEZ As many of you have heard we have 40 new students--all 7th graders--joining us in the Fall. Other faces will be familiar, includ- ing the return of Mr. John Wolf as a ⅞ ELA teacher and Ms. Blanco-Busam who’ll help Ms. Grant as an acting assistant prin- cipal. HCS News sat down with Ms. Grant to get the scoop on why so many 7th graders and not other grades? Q. Why are you adding a new set of kids for 7th grade? When we were looking at other spaces, we only had room for 40 children at each grade level. Since this building is bigger, we added the extra students in order to optimize the building space. Therefore, having the accessibility of wide open fields, aquatic terrains, gym and other amenities conducive for learning and inspiration. Q. Are there any other grades that are getting a new set of kids? Unfortunately, not at the middle/high school level because Highlander tends to accumulate children at a slower pace in upper school. We will keep 40 children in other grades next year and then each year we will add another 20 to 7th grade that way we only have 20 new students at once. We are also adding 12 new Pre-K openings (at the Providence campus). Q. How will this addition benefit Highlander? It will allow us as a community to have more programs in State Police Officer Marc Remington invites 9th grader Angel Vidal to share his social media knowledge. sports, more electives and a greater range of classes. The new Pre- Photo by S. Quiles K class will prepare more students academically when they enter kindergarten. State Police “School” Students on Social Media Dangers Q. Are there negative effects that this will put on Highlander? BY TAYLOR ALcaNTARA If so, what? doing them at least every other or cruel with someone through Recent stats show that 22% of It will make us a little bit bigger, and we will need to acclimate Rhode Island State Police were month,” said Det. Morse, the Internet or text. The detec- girls thru age 13-19 send nude the new students to Highlander’s culture. invited by Head of School Rose- “Sometimes every couple of tives shared that 41.5% of young pictures or sexual texts, while mary Grant to lead an assembly weeks.” people tell no one that they’re boys of the same age-range rank Q. What will have to change as a result? last month following an incident More and Remington also getting bullied and only 38% lower at 18%. Only 11% of kids Nothing will change in Warren, but there will be some classroom involving social media and cell- taught about the stages of pedo- tell another online friend. ages 13-16 boys and girls send changes in Providence to accommodate the new Pre-K class. phones. philia (adults luring children) Some of the information sur- sexualy explict pictures. “After having a sexting inci- on the internet. It starts with prised students. “These things can lead to bul- Q. Do you have plans to add another grade in the future? If dent that involved quite a grooming, which begins in chat “I learned that people need to lying, whether it be in person or so, what grade(s)? few students who were really rooms where the perpetrator be safer when using technology. online. It can reduce someone’s We will not add grades in the future, however every year the unaware of the seriousness of develops the child’s (victim) Something I didn’t know was attendance which is something students in the highest grade will move up. Therefore, the fol- their actions, as well as many trust, then moves to a private that they can take your phone nobody wants,” said Morse. lowing year they will be in 12th grade making the high school cyber-bullying issues, I wanted room and lastly they establish away and go through it if they The consequences of these complete. our students to better under- your full trust. About 70% of wanted, and even if you reset it, things can be jail time, com- stand the implications of their solicitation--when the perpetra- the stuff could still be seen. I’m munity service, juvenile or any- Q. How will these changes affect the staffing? actions, both short term and tor asks the victim to meet them gonna be safer now.” said Bryan thing else the judge wants to give We are hiring more staff to better serve all the students. The extra long term,” said Grant. face-to-face-- happens in while Garcia, 8th grader. you. students will eventually allow us to hire more specialized staff like Officer Marc Remington the child is in their own home. Like the incident at Highland- “They didn’t really say any- music and languages. and Detective Michael Morse Both believe these informa- er sexting is a huge issue, nation- thing I didn’t know but some- from the Rhode Island State tional sessions are extremely wide. Sexting is considered to be thing that surprised me was that Q. How will this affect the schedules? Police Internet Crimes Against important. the act of sending sexual explict adults can’t get arrested for send- I will be working relentlessly on the scheduling over the summer; Children Task Force talked to “We want kids to know that messages and/or nude or semi- ing nudes. I’m glad they did this after I meet teachers to see what worked and what didn’t work. I students about many different other kids can get in trouble for nude photos. for the school,” said Alan Colon, would also like to meet with a few students to see how they liked aspects of the Internet, including things you on the Internet and Alicia Dadeah, 9th grade stu- 9th grade student. this year’s schedule for overall feedback. safety tips and statistics. how to be safe.” dent was not impressed with the “My main goal is to give the According to the detectives, Among the facts shared: 20% assembly. students the knowledge they risks you can face on the inter- of parents don’t supervise their “I didn’t like it. I felt they were need to use technology safely, net are exposure to inappropri- children on the Internet. exposing and subbing (talking make smart decisions and ate material, sexual solicitation, Cyber bullying is also a big about) people instead of inform- understand the long term con- bullying and theft of personal issue according to the detec- ing us. They just made it seem sequences of cyberbullying and identification. tives. Cyber bullying includes like we were just a statistic.” sexting,” said Grant. These assemblies are becom- spreading rumors/gossip about ing more and more frequent in someone else, posting pictures schools says the officers. “We’re without consent and being rude » continued, pg. B3 INSIDE Peace Circle Embraces Differences Among Students BY ERICKSON COMAS The situation forced her to realize that “you cannot “It does work and is very effective” says Beckford- B2 People & Events just give up on people because they chronically get in Joly. B3 Hot Science & Detention has been feeling a little different lately...a trouble. One must find alternative ways to deal with a Assembly bit more peaceful. situation and work together as a community to invoke The Restorative Justice For Oakland Youth in Cali- B4 Ghost Hunting At Highlander change,” said Beckford-Joly. fornia has integrated the Peace Circle as part of the In late January we started using a Peace Circle in school system to assist students in developing conflict detention once a week. The Peace Circle is a conflict She decided to implement the peace circle at High- resolution skills. As a result they have seen a reduction B5 He Said/She Said resolution method similar to a community circle where lander because “it is a start” she says. in the number of students being suspended from school time is spent listening to the perspective of others--in along with the change in students that were struggling B5 Ask Amanda hopes of solving a disagreement without judgement. Alicia Dadeah, 9th grade says she loves how she can be with profound behavioral and social issues. open about things, but dislikes how people don’t respect B6 Get A Job! & Memories “It was through training that I realized that it is a others time to speak. The Peace Circle practice originated with indigenous powerful forum not only for conflict resolution but for people as a method to resolve conflict and it is now positive community growth,” says Nerise Beckford-Joly, Beckford-Joly believes that the Circle is beneficial being more often as an alternative to resolving cer- coordinator of the Highlander Peace Circle. because tain issues within schools without solely depending on the traditional format of punishment (i.e. suspension, The Peace Circle also tries to find similarities between “It allows all parties involved expulsion etc.). students and to embrace differences--appreciate them. The goal is to build bridges of caring and compassion to not only recognize the harm between people who were thought to be very different or even opposing. caused as a result of a particular Massiel Bautista, 7th grade was in detention for mul- action, but it also allows them tiple infractions and participated in the circle. “I love how I got to interact with people but I didn’t like that to repair the harm through people talked without permission during the peace circle,” she says.

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