RESPECT is an important word
in Goddard School District. Students, staff and members of the school community
will see that word on banners, posters and business cards throughout the
district this year. Two other words also challenge us by asking if
we are the PROBLEM or the SOLUTION. These words are key components
of an initiative launched this school year to address some non-academic
issues that affect our school community.
The Goddard Respect Initiative is the end result of a year-long effort
by a committee of staff and parents trying to address those concerns.
GRI is based upon the belief that our school patrons and community have
high expectations of the Goddard Public Schools. This community believes
that we must not only address academics, but we also have an obligation
and a commitment to teach and model good citizenship, to respect each other,
and to accept personal responsibility for wellness.
Our students, our school system and our society in general face many
issues, such as:
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bullying
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use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana by our students
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student pregnancies
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physically unfit students
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student expulsions for inappropriate behaviors
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cyber crimes and consequences
The Goddard Board of Education approved the concept of the Goddard Respect
Initiative, with a comprehensive curriculum to include all educational
levels in the district. The board also adopted a policy specifically
addressing bullying issues, and established the focus of the initiative
as preventing unhealthy behaviors. A committee of parents, staff
and board members moved forward from there and established common terminology
to be used by the school district in the implementation and administration
of this initiative asking every student, every district employee, and every
parent in Goddard School District to share in the responsibility for implementing
the initiative.
Components of the GRI include:
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Program developmental phases and implementation timeline
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BOE policy
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Districtwide common vocabulary
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Districtwide GRI posters and information cards
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Counselors, administrators and other staff training
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Teaching and implementation of the initiative at the elementary, intermediate,
middle and high school levels
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Explanation and implementation of the initiative at all school district
departments
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Lessons planned and mapped for delivery consistency
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Student, parent and staff yearly survey
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Common reporting forms for consistency of administration
WHAT IS BULLYING?
Although bullying is not the only issue included in the GRI, it was
a key factor in the dialogue that developed into the initiative.
Bullying is when someone keeps doing things or saying things to have power
over another person. Bullying is unprovoked abuse, repeated over
time, meant to cause distress upon a person thought to be weaker in a one-way
use of power. The behavior may be started by an individual or group.
The goal of the bullying segment of the GRI is to provide everyone in
the district with the knowledge and skill to recognize bullying behaviors,
prevent or reduce the number of bullying incidents, and support those who
are bullied.
In a bullying situation, the players are the bully, the bullied and
the bystander. Types of bullying may include:
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Physical
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Verbal
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Psychological/Emotional
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Relational
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Reactive
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Self-Bullying
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Cyber-Bullying
We want to teach students how to handle a bullying situation. For
example, before bullying behavior occurs, it is important for students
to learn that bullying behavior is unfair and one-sided. It happens
when someone keeps hurting, frightening, threatening, or leaving someone
out on purpose. The GRI lessons can help students understand the
difference between reporting and tattling. A key component is to
learn that bullying is part of a problem, and everyone needs to learn how
to become part of the solution.
Responding after bullying behavior occurs is another important aspect
of GRI. The 3 R's of Bullying that will be taught are:
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Recognize the bullying behavior
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Refuse the bullying behavior
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Report the bullying behavior
GRI also addresses the one who has been bullied. "Coaching the bullied"
activities affirm the child's feelings, ask questions, identify what has
and has not worked, generate a realistic plan with possible solutions,
reaffirm the student as a worthwhile individual and schedule follow-up
opportunities.
The bully is not ignored in the GRI process. "Coaching the bully"
offers instruction to help the bully identify if he/she is the problem
or the solution, discuss specifics of the bullying behavior, and diffuse
reporting responsibility. This segment also allows the coach to ask
questions and gather information, impose consequences, generate solutions
for the future, and schedule follow-up meetings.
GRI OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Goddard Respect Initiative are:
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to create awareness and reduce incidents of bullying in our schools and
communities
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to provide knowledge and understanding of bullying
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to provide tools and strategies to deal with bullying
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to encourage involvement
YOU CAN HELP
To succeed, GRI must be a cooperative effort involving families, individuals,
and the school community. Additional aspects of the Goddard Respect
Initiative are still being developed and will be shared in the coming weeks
and months. We look forward to partnering with you to teach students
to RESPECT each other, teach and model good citizenship, and accept personal
responsibility for wellness. Success requires a team effort.
We are all responsible for making the Goddard school community a safe and
non-threatening environment for everyone students, parents, teachers, secretaries,
nurses, maintenance employees, administrators, food service staff, transportation
staff, and school district police. We are all in this together!
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