FORKS — The Quillayute Valley School District is considering a new approach to school bullying — one that includes the entire community and students from kindergarten through high school.
Quillayute Valley Schools Superintendent Diana Reaume and a community subcommittee are researching community-wide anti-bullying programs.
Communication
“Parents will be getting the same messages the kids are getting,” Reaume told the School Board this week.
In the wake of a series of tragedies related to teen bullying, many school districts across the nation have adopted intensive in-school anti-bullying programs, with varying degrees of success.
State law requires schools to educate students on laws against bullying, Reaume said.
That’s not enough, she said.
The group is considering programs that include teachers, students, parents and community groups, such as social services and community counseling services.
Currently, parents, social services and community groups are often unaware of the efforts the school is making, so they cannot be “on the same page,” Reaume said.
“Kids are experiencing the same bullying in neighborhoods as they are in school,” Reaume said.
The idea is to reach into the neighborhood so that problems on the playground don’t simply move out onto the streets.
“This is not something we have done before,” she said.
Mayor helps
Forks Mayor Bryon Monohon also has offered what support and assistance he can, Reaume said.
Monohon is a member of Readiness to Learn, a consortium of community members with a mission to remove the obstacles that prevent students from achieving their full potentials.
“I will do anything we can do to support the schools and the children,” Monohon said.
“It’s a win-win for everyone.”
A subcommittee of the Readiness to Learn group was formed to select a specific program.
That committee should include at least one student representative, Quillayute Valley School District Director Brian Pederson said.
The program would include a training session for a core group that then would train small teams.
The district will continue researching programs, to be discussed at a future board meeting.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.