The Sparta Area School District has for the last three years been working on reducing bullying throughout the District in order to create a safer and more positive learning environment for all the students. This initiative began because a group of Sparta Intermediate School students surveyed their peers and one of the biggest issues that the students reported having a problem with was bullying. In response to this survey, the District formed a Bullying Reduction Committee that started meeting during the 2004-2005 school year. Suggestions and concerns that were raised in this committee have been taken very seriously by District administrators, as well as all the School Board members. Some of the activities that have occurred to address bullying include:
- Staff participating in a book study on bullying
- Jim Jelinski, a speaker that addresses bullying came and spoke to all staff and students at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year
- Jim Jelinski returned during the 2006-2007 school year to talk with middle school students, and also spoke with parents
- Additional classroom curriculum is being used during classroom guidance classes
- Additional emphasis on bullying during morning meetings
- Tracking of incidents of bullying
- Articles have been sent home to parents along with report cards
- Continued surveys of students and beginning to survey some parents
The District is committed to continue working on educating our students on what bullying is and how to stop it. We want all students to have a positive experience at school.
Websites that provide more information:
http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
http://www.stopbullyingnow.com/
http://www.focusas.com/Bullying.html
http://www.nde.state.ne.us/Safety/ResourcesandLinkstoAnti-BullyingWebsites.htm