Bully prevention training in Federal Way schools

Federal Way Public Schools announced Sept. 20 that staff throughout the district are participating in bullying prevention training this year as part of an increased emphasis on bullying district-wide.

September 23, 2011 3:11 pm

From staff reports:

Federal Way Public Schools announced Sept. 20 that staff throughout the district are participating in bullying prevention training this year as part of an increased emphasis on bullying district-wide.

Previously, each school within the district had separate bullying policies and procedures, said Judy Lemmel, director of K-12 Teaching for Learning with FWPS. Now, Federal Way has a updated its district-wide policy in regards to bullying to create more consistency from school to school. The district also appointed a compliance officer. The changes came in response to changes in Washington state legislation.

“They’ve done a great job at the school level, but this brings it together to make it consistent,” Lemmel said. “Kids can’t be successful, they can’t be college ready, if they’re being bullied. It affects their grades, their performance and their self-esteem.”

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The district reports that the state school bullying legislation has included a section on cyberbullying since 2007. The new legislation strengthens policies and procedures. All FWPS staff members are now trained in bullying prevention and are required to take prompt action any time they witness or receive a report of bullying, the district reports. The aforementioned compliance officer is to “review incident reports and work with principals at each school to ensure the process is effectively reducing bullying,” according to the district. Parents were also required to sign an agreement to indicate they’re going to help stop bullying as well.

“Our overall goal is to make kids college ready, and they can only do that in a safe, supportive environment,” Lemmel said. “We want kids to learn to respect and care about others.”

At Federal Way High School, students will host workshops on bullying on Sept. 23 and Sept. 26 at the school. Federal Way High School has an annual presentation on bullying, but this year the students are emphasizing bullying prevention as part of the school culture, according to the district.

To learn more, visit www.fwps.org/info/bullying.