Olweus News Nyack Launches Bully Prevention Program Nyack Public

							                        Olweus News
                 Nyack Launches Bully Prevention Program
                                                                                 What is bullying?
                                             The Background
 Nyack Public Schools                                                            Bullying is when some-
                                   During the 2006-2007 school year, in re-      one repeatedly and on
 Volume I, Issue 1.
                            sponse to requests from the public, a District ap-   purpose says or does
 March 1, 2008              proved committee was charged with the task of        mean or hurtful
                            exploring bully-prevention programs with the         things to another per-

In this Issue:              goal of choosing one for the District. After a
                                                                                 son who has a hard
                                                                                 time defending him-
                            year of research and debate, the group recom-        self or herself. Bully-
                            mended the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program        ing can take many
Nyack Launches          1   (OBPP) to our Board of Education. It was subse-      forms, such as hit-
                            quently adopted during the July ‘07 Board meet-      ting, verbal harass-
Bully Prevention
                                                                                 ment, spreading false
Program                     ing.
                                                                                 rumors, not letting
                                   OBPP is a multilevel, multi-component         someone be part of
                            school-based program designed to prevent or re-      the group and sending
School-wide,            2                                                        nasty messages on a
                            duce bullying in elementary and middle level
Classroom, Individual                                                            cell phone or over the
                            schools. School staff is largely responsible for
and Community Levels                                                           Internet.
                            introducing and implementing the program. Each
of Involvement              school has a coordinating committee whose ef-
                            forts are directed toward improving peer rela-     Olweus Rules:
Resources               2   tions and making schools a safe and positive place ☺ We will not bully
                            for students to grow and learn.                      others.
                                   On January 29, 2008, the Nyack School       ☺ We will help stu-
                            District kicked off the Olweus Bully Prevention      dents who are bul-
                            Program in the three elementary schools and the      lied.

                            Middle School. This research-based program,        ☺ We will include stu-
                            named after founder Dan Olweus, is not a cur-        dents who are left
                                                                                 out.
                            riculum, but a program that deals with bullying at
                            the school wide, classroom, individual, and com-   ☺ If we know that
                                                                                 somebody is being
                            munity levels.
                                                                                   bullied, we will tell
                            School-wide                                            an adult at school
                            •    Teachers and staff are being trained to use       and an adult at
                                                                                   home.
   Volume I, Issue 1.           the program to deal with bullying problems.
                            •    A school wide committee exists in each
                                school to oversee the program.
•   Students have completed a •          Teachers and other staff
    questionnaire to give in-            will meet separately with       Resources:
    formation about the                  the parents of students         •   www.wagepeacetoday.com
    amount and type of bully-            who bully and students          •   www.clemson.edu/olweus
    ing that occurs in each              who are bullied.                •   www.cyberbullyhelp.org
    school.                                                              •   www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.
                              In         the Community                       gov
•   Staff will make sure that        Our schools will be looking for     •   www.sapaofga.org
    all school areas where bul-      ways to develop partnerships
    lying is likely to occur, are                                       Dan Olweus, Bullying at School
                                     with community members and
                                                                        Blueprint: Bullying Prevention
    being watched.                   carry the anti-bullying mes-       Program
•   All students will be ex-         sage community-wide.               Waging Peace: 46 Discussion
    pected to follow the four        • Teachers will use positive       Lessons
    anti bullying rules (listed         and negative consequences
    on Page 1)                          for following or not follow-
In the Classroom                        ing the four anti-bullying
                                        rules.
•   The four anti-bullying
                                                                                        the Web!
                                         Teachers will work to                 We’re on
    rules will be taught in all      •
                                                                                     Go to :
                                                                                                .org
    classrooms.                          make the classroom a posi-           www.nya
                                                                                      ckschools

                                         tive place for students.
•   Class meetings provide
    students with structured         For Individuals Who Bully or
    opportunities to talk about      Who Are Bullied
    what bullying is. These          •   Teachers and other staff                  OBPP
    meetings will be held at             are being trained to deal
    the elementary level and             with bullying situations and
    during advisory periods at           the students involved.         Olweus Parent Outreach
    the Middle School. Stu-          •   Students who bully others      Coordinators:
    dents will learn why bully-          will be given consequences     Julie Kassel:
    ing should not happen.               as soon as possible.           Phone;845-353-7291
    They will also learn to ask                                         Fax: 845-353-7287
                                     •   Students who are bullied
    an adult for help if they                                           Email:
                                         will be supported by staff.
    see or experience bullying.                                         jkassel@nyackschools.org
                                         They will be told what ac-
                                                                        Lisa Retallack:
                                         tion will be taken to end
                                                                        Phone: 845-353-7214
                                         the bullying.
                                                                        Fax: 845-353-0506
               The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program reduces           Email:
               bully/victim behavior by 50% or more within two          lretallack@nyackschools.org
               years.
               Blueprint: Center for the Study of the Prevention of
               Violence, Boulder Colorado
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