7-12 Harassment Assembly

Today, Mr. Keller and I met with the students in grades 7-12 to discuss NYS new harassment legislation and what it means for students at BKW.

Harassment is a very real and serious issue in schools across the nation. As we have seen in the media, the effects of this type of behavior have had very serious consequences for those involved. These meetings are a proactive step on our part to work with your children in order to eliminate this behavior at BKW.

Students who are directly or indirectly involved in bullying or harassment will be subject to the disciplinary consequences that are identified in the BKW Code of Conduct. If a student is coaxing others to harass someone, we will be addressing this as well.

Many of the issues that we are dealing with involve "cyberbulling" through text messaging and social networking sites. I would strongly encourage you to monitor your child's communications and periodically check their social networking sites. This will help to monitor their behavior and keep you informed. It is important to remember that issues of this nature often begin outside of school but are most often brought into school. When they do, they pose a significant disruption to the educational process.

I would ask that you speak with your child about these issues. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. The teenage years are challenging enough without undo social pressures. We must all do are part to ensure that BKW continues to be a safe and enjoyable place for students to be educated.