Dear Parents,
The Administrators, Teachers, Support, Personnel and Students are embarking on a journey to stamp out bullying in our school. As you are well aware, various media outlets report that the results of bullying have included serious physical injury as well as emotional stress for students in several Long Island communities. We at William S. Covert Elementary School are dedicating our energies to making our school a safe and nurturing environment in which each and every student has the opportunity to achieve his/her personal best.
In order to meet our goal of achieving a comfortable and safe learning environment for students, school rules will be strictly enforced. We have instituted a No-Touch policy which has been explained to the students at various assemblies and meetings. Children have been told that pushing, hitting or touching another student will result in strict disciplinary measures. Students know that the following excuses are entirely unacceptable:
- We were just playing
- We were only fooling
- We’re friends
- We do this all the time
Please be aware that along with the above we are working in a positive fashion to formulate a common language concerning bullying. During lunch study meetings students have discussed the following diagram.
Bully
Victim
Bystander Rescuer
We have facilitated a discussion of the schematic and have carefully defined the terms illustrated. It is our desire to show support for victims, empower rescuers, energize bystanders so they become rescuers, and negate the power of bullies by exclusion from the school community.
We are asking your cooperation in our work by requesting that you carefully read and sign the attached pledge. Your signature will represent another blow against needless conflict that has harmed so many children in schools. Your children, our students, have also been asked to participate actively by signing the student pledge designed to raise awareness concerning their own role in eliminating violent behavior. Both pledges should be returned to your child’s teacher as soon as possible.
Please discuss these issues with your children and ask them to keep you aware of our efforts in combating bullying at William S. Covert Elementary School.
Sincerely,
Darren T. Raymar
Parent Pledge
Student Pledge