Condit Elementary School Bullying Prevention Policies and Procedures
Purpose Statement
Our school community is committed to making our school a safe and caring place for all students. We will treat each other with respect, and we will refuse to allow bullying of any kind at our school.
Defining Bullying
Definition of bullying: Bullying is mean or hurtful behavior that keeps happening. It is unfair and one-sided.
Our school defines bullying by three primary characteristics: It is aggressive behavior that is usually repeated over time, occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power, and intends to cause harm or distress and/or has a serious harmful or distressing impact on the target.
Bullying includes the following:
• Hurting someone physically by hitting, kicking, tripping or pushing
• Stealing or damaging another person’s things
• Ganging up on someone
• Teasing someone in a hurtful way, or name calling
• Using put-downs, such as insulting someone’s race or making fun of someone for being a boy or a girl
• Spreading malicious rumors or untruths about someone
• Leaving someone out on purpose, or trying to get other kids not to play with someone
• Threatening
• Any of the above behaviors using electronic devices
Statement of Scope
Our school’s consequences for bullying apply when bullying happens:
• On school grounds: Immediately before or after school hours, during school hours, or at any other time when the school is being used by a school group
• Off school grounds: At a school activity, function, or event
• When traveling: To or from school or a school activity, function, or event
• When using property or equipment provided by the school
• On or off school grounds: When the behavior has caused significant disruption to the learning environment or interfered with an individual’s ability to learn
Reporting Procedures
It is our school’s expectation that all bullying incidents be reported.
• Students may report bullying to any staff member or anonymously using our online reporting form
• Parents may report bullying to any staff member in person, via phone, email, or by completing the CUSD Bullying/Harassment Complaint Form, available on the Condit website
• Teachers witnessing or who become aware of a bullying situation should address it right away; many times the situation can be rectified before it requires complicated interventions
• Any staff member receiving a report of bullying or directly observing bullying will notify the principal within 24 hours
• Referrals to interventions as appropriate
• Referrals to the office
*Extreme cases of bullying will go directly to our administration.
Investigating and Responding to Bullying
Teachers and staff will:
• Closely supervise students in all areas of the school and playground
• Watch for signs of bullying and stop it when it happens
• Respond quickly and sensitively to bullying reports to ensure the safety of all students involved
• Look into all reported bullying incidents
• Assign consequences for bullying based on our school’s discipline code
• Provide immediate consequences for those who retaliate against students who report bullying
• Students knowingly making false accusations of bullying will be subject to disciplinary action
Once a bullying report is received, our school’s administration will conduct an investigation within three days. If it is determined that bullying has occurred, our school’s administration will:
• Take appropriate disciplinary action
• Notify the family of the bullied student
• Notify the family of the student who bullied
• Create a safety plan for the bullied student
• Create a behavior change plan for the student who bullied
Written Records
Written records of all bullying incidents and their resolution will be maintained using our district’s data management system. Additional documentation may include:
• School site bullying report form (completed by school staff with the student reporting)
• CUSD bullying report form (completed by parent on behalf of student)
• Student safety plan
• Student behavior change plan
Not all documents will be required or necessary in all cases.
Consequences
There will be consequences and appropriate remedial action for those involved in bullying. The developmental maturity levels of the parties, the levels of harm, the reasons surrounding the incident, the nature of the bullying, the context in which the alleged incidents occurred, and the past history of the parties involved will be considered when posing consequences.
Training and Prevention Education
Our school takes a proactive approach to dealing with bullying by providing the following training and prevention education for our students and staff:
• Social skills lessons are a regular part of the curriculum at our school in Kindergarten.
• All staff are trained in and implement a system of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
• Staff members are trained in RULER and given resources to help create a positive classroom climate to minimize the likelihood that bullying will occur.
Communication Plan
Bullying prevention information is communicated between community partners via:
• Weekly Bulletin
• Staff meetings
• Teachers to their students
• The Parent-Student handbook
• Our school’s website for families and the wider community
• Emails to families
Condit Bullying/Harrassment Form
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PMyXMXG7ilbeVSWKgfmxJNTEWySFm5WopmBBpm2ZZG0/edit