Vol 19, No.1 - Fall 2013 Educator’s Newsletter Working together to keep every child safe from harm. TM 516.621.0552 • 631.289.3240 • f 516.621.3767 • [email protected] • www.capsli.org The New 2013-2014 Dignity Act 2.0: School Term Are You Up-to-Date? Welcome back! For most students September is filled with excitement and anticipation, but for some children, after a summer of feeling carefree and safe, they approach the new school year with trepidation and fear – it’s a return to feeling bullied, targeted and persecuted. When children feel unsafe, they are unable to concentrate; they exhibit emotional and social problems; and oftentimes they struggle in school. It’s important that we make sure our schools – our classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, playgrounds and buses - are safe environments, free from taunting, teasing, bullying, harassment and discrimination. Now in its second year, The Dignity Act has been helping to promote a positive school climate in schools across NYS’ Dignity Act is now in its second year. The legislation the state and ensure that every child feels safe in school. was amended and new regulations went into effect on July 1, 2013. We’ve been working hard this summer reviewing and updating all of Many of you have commented and questioned why The our prevention-through-education programs. We’ve also been busy Dignity Act in its original legislation did not address bullying planning our First Annual Stand Up, Don’t Stand By 5K Walk/ and cyberbullying – and expressed concerns about your role Run to Prevent Bullying. The race will be held at Sunken Meadow when it occurred off campus. The purpose of the amendments State Park on Sunday, October 6th – 9:00 a.m. sign in; 10:00 a.m. and regulations significantly expand the scope and intent start. We hope your students and faculty will join us on the 6th to of the Dignity Act and now explicitly include bullying and speak out against bullying and support our bully prevention efforts cyberbullying, and address acts of harassment and/or bullying across Long Island. Students, staff, families and school teams are that occur off school property where such acts create or would welcome! Please post the enclosed flyer for students and staff and foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the sign up at www.capsli.org. school. This fall’s Educator’s Newsletter outlines all the CAPS programs The new regulations also expand instructional requirements, and resources available to you, as well as some of our newer update codes of conduct, policies, guidelines and staff initiatives – the CAPS Bully Prevention Center, Dignity Act continued on page 4 Training, Students United for Safe Schools and Restorative Practices. In view of new student instruction regulations for CAPS Now Offering The Olweus implementing the Dignity Act, our bully prevention and Internet safety programs might be of interest to you. Bully Prevention Program We’ve already received hundreds of requests for our programs for The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) is a this school year, so the sooner you let us know which programs comprehensive school-wide program designed for elementary, you’d like us to present to your students, the more we can do to middle and high school communities. This evidence-based accommodate you. To schedule a program, please contact CAPS program has been found to reduce bullying incidents among at www.capsli.org, or call us at 516-621-0552 and remember: since students and improve the social climate of classrooms and our in-class programs are underwritten through the generosity of school environments. The multi-level approach involves CAPS’ funders and through fundraising efforts like our 5K Walk/ individuals, classrooms, entire schools, as well as parents Run, there is no charge to you for these presentations. and communities to successfully address bullying in schools. The Olweus Program has been implemented in thousands of We look forward to working with you this new school year and schools in the U.S. and more than a dozen countries around the keeping every child safe from harm. world. For information, please contact Kara Santucci, CAPS’ Certified Olweus Trainer, at 516.621.0552 x109. Alane Fagin, Executive Director Restorative Practices: Students United For New Thinking, New Practice, Safe Schools New Results A Bully Consider this: There has been a decrease in students sent to the Principal’s office from 100 to 2 or 3 a month since implementing Prevention restorative practices. .Principal, Brooklyn NY Team Affective statements, affective questions, small impromptu Building conferences, restorative circles and formal conferences. What Program do they all have in common? They are all part of a continuum of restorative practices that are creating more positive school CAPS’ Students climates and a new vision for how we approach discipline in our United for schools. Safe Schools (SUSS) is now Restorative practices ask us to approach wrongdoing differently. in its third year. Fundamental questions are asked of the wrongdoer and of the This successful target who has been hurt. It’s about building social capital in our high school schools by placing relationships at the heart of problem solving. anti-bullying At first glance it sounds like a rather lofty and idealistic approach leadership program to discipline. has received But if we delve a little deeper we see that restorative practices such a positive focus on the needs of the community, targeting the wrongdoer response that we whose responsibility is to make it right, to heal the hurts. It is will be working on an approach to discipline that combines support with high a model to expand expectations and accountability. Schools report that restorative the pilot project to approaches help prevent or deal with conflict before it escalates; become a regionally increase the social skills of those who have harmed others; provide recognized student wrongdoers with opportunities to be accountable and enable them leadership program and accommodate more schools. to repair the harm to the extent possible. SUSS uses a social norms approach. We know that adolescents Restorative practices are viewed as a promising practice. It is an shape many of their views and opinions based on what they feel approach that proactively builds positive school communities their peer group believes. Thus, correcting misperceptions is and is likely to prove more effective in achieving positive school likely to result in decreased problem behavior and increased outcomes than a blanket reliance on punishment and sanctions. prevalence of healthy behaviors. Each participating school Consider what this School Superintendent says about creating surveys its students on perceived issues of bullying and cyber- safer, more positive school communities: We can’t expel our way bullying. In response to the results of the survey, SUSS teams to safer schools. We need to build positive relationships to get create activities to challenge students’ misconceptions and ourselves there. When we consider the Dignity Act’s underlying distorted beliefs, developing activities like mentoring and role premise that preventative and non-punitive intervention is the plays for younger students, and the transmission of positive best way to achieve school environments free from harassment, messages via social media, artwork, PSAs, etc., to transform bullying and discrimination and its requirement of a measured, school culture. balanced and progressive approach to discipline, restorative practices just might be one promising practice to consider. SUSS teams are committed to changing school culture and preventing bullying and cyber-bullying in their school If you are interested in attending communities. Last April, SUSS teams came together at CAPS’ a workshop on Restorative Practice please call First Annual Bully Summit and shared their experiences the CAPS office. 516.621.0552 x109. and successes. Students spoke about what they gained from participating in SUSS: “I can lead by example.” “My role is to treat everyone with respect. It will be a chain reaction.” “I am A child abuse prevention program of TM CAPS-Child Abuse Prevention Services friendly to kids that I wasn’t before.” “I have the power to help Safety Rules! for Grades 1, 2, andwww.capsli.org 3 other kids.” These comments reaffirmed our belief that this model empowers students to take an active role in their school This acclaimed CAPS child abuse prevention program offers community and promote positive “upstander” behavior. its own video – It’s Your Body: You’re in Charge – as well as much opportunity for movement. To schedule, please contact The SUSS program is supported by a grant from the F.I.S.H. CAPS. Thank you to Help for Children (formerly Hedge Foundation. For more information on how your school can Funds Care) for their continued support! participate in SUSS, call the CAPS Bully Prevention Center, 516.621.0552 x109. CAPS Student Programs Are Offered At No Cost to Long Island Schools Educator Staff Development and Prevention Workshops for Testimonials Students and Parents Once again, the volunteers were knowledgeable, eloquent and sensitive Staff Development and Professional Training to our students’ needs and inquiries. Are you planning a faculty in-service or a Superintendent’s Day Conference for your school or They were able to communicate the contents of the program, as well as to district? Do you need Dignity Act Coordinator training or staff development on the Dignity answer questions at the students’ level. Act? CAPS offers fee-based, on-site staff development on the issues we specialize in: the Furthermore, the volunteers showed a Dignity Act, child abuse and neglect, bullying and cyber-bullying, Internet safety and sexual very significant degree of awareness harassment. We are also often requested to speak at local and national conferences. Call 516- about children’s body language and behaviors.