"If communities want safe schools, they need to be safe communities." This quote is from Nebraska Commissioner Dr. Roger Breed and gets at the heart of the school safety issue that has received national attention following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. If there are problems in the community those problems will eventually be brought into the school.
Bancroft-Rosalie School has been vigilant about addressing student safety. We have 27 security cameras that record and store video for up to 30 days. All four of the main entrances to the building are recorded as well as stairwells, hallways, the gymnasiums, parking lots and the playground. The system is web-based so the cameras can be viewed from locations outside the school if so desired.
The new entry system has made access during the school day inconvenient for some, but it will help keep "bad guys" out. Our safety committee meets quarterly to discuss safety issues in the school. We have a full-time school nurse and two half-time guidance counselors to address student mental and physical health. We have a good relationship with local law enforcement and Fire and Rescue. School personnel are care about providing a "safe environment for students" as evidenced by including safety in the recent draft of the revised Bancroft-Rosalie School Mission Statement.
But there is still work to be done, particularly regarding student-student relations. With social media, students have found a new way to- "pick on", "give a bad time", "bully"- other students. Many believe that what is done outside of school cannot be addressed by school officials, but they can. For example- if a Facebook posting leads to a disruption in the school, then the poster can be disciplined by the school. We ask that anyone who sees online bullying of our students to print a copy of the posting and give it to the administration. All accusations of bullying will be addressed. Most bullying occurs when adults are not around. In those situations, we need other students to stand up to the bully rather than encouraging them or being a bystander.
What can communities do to make it a safe place?
- Provide adequate law enforcement and Fire and Rescue services.
- Report suspicious behavior to the proper authorities. This includes mental instability or suspected abuse. At Columbine the perpetrators had planned the incident for some time and others knew about it. In Newtown the shooter had mental issues that were not addressed.
- Follow the law. Do not provide alcohol to minors and don't let other drink and drive.
- Support the school. If your own children are involved in an incident, help school officials deal with the problem so that it does not occur again. Don't believe gossip or rumors. When something is brought to our attention, we investigate it and many times the stories are not true or greatly exaggerated.
But most of all set good examples for our students.
