November 3, 2008

Welcome to Copper Canyon Elementary School (CCES).

Our theme for 2008-2009 is "Leaping Into Learning." We will be leaping forward with our teachers to foster all teams, schoolwide, to become a Professional Learning Community.

Our teachers have received professional development this year with computers, technology, math, and reading. We spent a full Saturday in September finishing up our school-directed professional development in Reading and Social Studies and Science. We want to be the very best we can be!

We love parent volunteers! As always, please feel free to contact teachers directly, and sign up to help. There are opportunities to volunteer in the classroom or at home. When you come to the school, please come to the office and sign in. Don't forget to sign up for volunteering opportunities  either through the PTA organization (ours is WONDERFUL) or directly with the teacher.

Many students and parents are unsure as to how to deal with a student who may be bullying them. As we work with students at the school level, I thought some ideas that could be shared at home as you work with your children. Here are some strategies that may be useful to them as standing up to a bully.

If your child is verbally bullied, teach him or her how to respond effectively. Discuss the following strategies with your child. Practicing the strategies with you or another trusted adult will help develop the confidence to end the bullying. If the bullying is happening at school, speak to your child's classroom teacher so they can help.

Ignore the Bully
Teach your child to ignore the bully. Your child should not make faces, cry, sigh, or make any gesture signaling distress. Often, when bullies don't get a reaction, they stop.

Walk Away
Your child can choose to walk away in a confident manner - head up, back straight and with a normal walking pace. Your child needs to be aware of being followed and walk to a safer place, usually near adults. If the bully says mean things, continue to ignore and walk away.

Tell the Bully to "Stop"
Keeping a distance of 1½ to 2 arm lengths, have your child say, "Stop!" or, "Cut it out!" Teach your child to:

1. Make eye contact.
2. Express confident body language; head up, back straight, arms down in front or on the side of the body and feet at shoulder width. No fidgeting!
3. Speak clearly - a steady tone, not too loud, too soft, whiny or sarcastic.
4. Make short statements such as, "Stop!" or "Cut it out!"
5. Then turn and walk away.

Go to a Trusted Adult
When other strategies fail, or there is immediate danger, tell your child to go to a trusted adult. This is not tattling; this is requesting assistance with a serious problem.

Sincerely,

Diena Riddle, Principal