EAST HIGH SCHOOL

BULLYING-PREVENTION PROTOCOL  

Our school’s social vision:  

At East, Eagle Pride is respecting Kindness, Be Golden!

Why we implemented a schoolwide system to stop bullying

Bullying and harassment stand in the way of our social vision. Therefore our school has adopted the No Bully System for preventing and responding to harassment and bullying on district property; at district or school-sanctioned activities and events; through social media or any other electronic communication; when students are being transported in any vehicle dispatched by the district or one of its schools; or off school property when such conduct has a nexus to school or any district curricular or non-curricular activity or event. This schoolwide system applies to all students, teachers, staff, specialists, and anyone who works on our campus, whether employed by the school or district, working as contractors, or volunteers pursuant to Colorado’s Board of Education anti-bullying policy.

What is bullying?

Bullying occurs when a student, or group of students, repeatedly tries to hurt, humiliate, or get power over another student in any of the following ways.

• Physical bullying is when a student uses physical force to hurt another student, e.g., by hitting, pushing, shoving, kicking, taking a student’s belongings, or stealing their money.

• Verbal bullying is when a student uses words, images, or gestures to intimidate or humiliate another student, e.g., by taunting, name-calling, teasing, put-downs, insults, threats, and blackmail.

• Relational bullying is when a student excludes or isolates another student, e.g., through leaving them out, manipulating others against them, or spreading false rumors or gossip.

• Cyberbullying is when a student uses their cellphone, text messages, e-mails, instant messaging, the Internet, or social media to threaten, shame, or isolate another student.  It includes breaking into a student’s online account and assuming that student’s identity in order to damage their reputation.

Bullying is different from conflict.  Conflict is an inevitable part of life and can occur at school when a student perceives another student as being an obstacle to what they want or value. If students are in conflict but are not bullying, our school is committed to helping students talk it through.

Bullying may, at times, amount to harassment.  It is harassment to target a student online or face to face because of his or her academic performance or any basis protected by federal and state law, including disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, or the need for special education services, whether such characteristic(s) is actual or perceived.

It is sexual harassment to target a student with unwanted sexual comments, gestures, physical contact, demands for sexual involvement accompanied by threats concerning their grades causing the student to feel uncomfortable or unsafe at school, or that interferes with schoolwork.  In these situations, complaints will be investigated according to the district’s sexual harassment policy.

Our school does not tolerate bullying or harassment for any reason.  It is a serious breach of the school rules if a student takes revenge or asks someone to threaten or hurt a student that has reported bullying or harassment.  

How students can end bullying 

Bullying and harassment cause pain and stress to students and are never justified or excusable as “just teasing” or “just playing.”  When a student stands by doing nothing, or laughs or posts comments online when others bully, they are participating in bullying.

The students at East High School have agreed to join together to treat others with respect both online and face to face so that we keep our campus bully-free.  

All students agree to: 

• Value student differences and treat others with respect both online and face to face.

• Tell bullying students to stop when I or others around me are the target of bullying. Students should identify the offending action and self-advocate with confidence.

• Walk away and seek help by telling a trusted adult on campus, using Safe2Tell, or place a note in the Eagle Pride Box located outside the Security Office, if I cannot safely stop the bullying.

• Never take revenge or ask someone to hurt a student that has reported bullying.

Our school takes a problem-solving approach to bullying.  We have staff members trained as Bullying Prevention Coaches who will meet with students that are the target of bullying and help end bullying situations.  

Staff, Teacher, and Parent Response to Student Harassment and Bullying

Our school follows the No Bully System to prevent and respond to bullying and harassment.

Level 1: We support an inclusive school where everyone is accepted for who they are

We recognize that our school contains different abilities, body sizes, races, religions, socio-economic status, gender identities, and sexual orientations.  All teachers, staff, students, parents, and volunteers support our social vision: At East, Eagle Pride is respecting Kindness, Be Golden!

• Our school has created a Bullying Prevention Committee to advise the Administration on preventing bullying at this school and to ensure that students receive the relevant education for this to happen.  Our committee meets at least once a month and may comprise a school administrator, a diverse range of teachers. 

• Our school has developed an active partnership with parents and community members to help maintain a school environment free from aggression and violence.

• Students learn through our Sources of Strength Program to get smart in managing their emotions and their relationships and to stand up to bullying at our school.

• Each year we administer a kindness survey to students asking their perception of the frequency and intensity of bullying at our schools.

Level 2: We watch out for bullying and refer targets to the Assistant Principal.

• Teachers and school staff have been trained to watch out for students who appear to be isolated from other students, who are put down by others behind their back, or who show signs of being bullied. 

• If any teacher or staff member sees any student aggression or disrespect, they shall take immediate steps to intervene and redirect the student. Steps may include the following:

• Name the behavior for what it is, e.g., “That’s a putdown.” 

• Speak to the intention behind the words or gestures, e.g., “That was meant to hurt.”

• Remind students of our school’s social vision and how their behavior is not aligned with this: At East, Eagle Pride is respecting kindness, Be Golden!

• Notify the Administration immediately if there are any concerns for a student’s physical safety.

• If any member of staff learns or suspects that a student is the target of continued bullying, they shall check in with the student as soon as reasonably possible.  If this appears to be ongoing bullying or harassment, they should attempt to resolve the situation and shall report the bullying through e-mail to Assistant Principal within 24 hours.

• If a parent or guardian knows or suspects that their child is being harassed or bullied, we encourage your student to tell the bullying students to stop or to seek help from any trusted adult on campus.  If this does not solve the situation, please report the bullying through e-mail, to the Assistant Principal.  The school can only help you if you reach out and tell us what is happening.  

• If a student is the target of cyberbullying, please take screenshots and/or print any electronic or digital messages and share these with the school and do not pass it on to others.

Level 3: Solving the bullying, progressive discipline, and other responses

• The Assistant Principal investigates and resolves the situation and shall ensure that any report of bullying or harassment and its resolution is documented in the school’s database at Infinite Campus.

• The Assistant Principal investigates and resolves the situation and shall ensure that any report of bullying or harassment and its resolution is documented in the school’s database at Infinite Campus.

• Our school uses a variety of methods to resolve ongoing incidents of bullying and harassment.   

• We may refer the target of bullying to get help from a school Solution Coach. Solution Coaches are teachers and staff members who have been trained to bring together Solution Teams of students, including bullies, bystanders, and positive student leaders, and without using punishment to bring the bullying to an end.  The Solution Coach records progress using a Solution Team Log and shall report progress to the principal.

• We may use progressive discipline to redirect bullying students depending upon the severity of the bullying. An Administrator may meet with the bullying student, notify their parent or guardian, determine consequences to change behavior, and inform the student that graduating consequences will occur if the bullying continues.  

Level 4: Implement a classroom or grade wide action plan 

If a pattern of harassment or prejudice is apparent across an entire class or grade, the Solution Coach will report to the Assistant Principal and bring together relevant school staff to implement a plan to teach respect for differences and create a supportive peer culture.

Timeline for a bullying report under this protocol

Week One

• The Assistant Principal is notified of an ongoing bullying situation and logs the incident in Infinite Campus. 

• When appropriate, the Assistant Principal refers the target of bullying to a school Solution Coach who holds a Solution Team on the target’s behalf.

• An Administrator may engage the progressive discipline process as needed 

Week Two

• The Solution Coach checks in with the target

• The Solution Coach runs the second Solution Team.

• Further progressive discipline when necessary.

Week Three

• The Solution Coach checks in with the target and may invite target to last Solution Team.  

• The Solution Coach records progress in Infinite Campus, schedules a three-month follow-up with the target, and notifies the Principal and parents of the outcome.  

If the school’s intervention does not resolve the bullying, the student or their parent/guardian should inform the Assistant Principal.  If the student or parent/guardian disagrees with how the school has responded to a complaint of harassment or bullying, he or she may appeal to the Principal.