Long before the state of New Jersey introduced perhaps the toughest anti-bullying legislation in the country, Weehawken Superintendent of Schools Kevin McLellan was hard at work trying to stamp out cyberbullying in the school district. He developed strict policies concerning computer and cell phone use by students, awareness workshops for teachers, and even a cyberbullying unit at the high school and elementary schools.
Last Friday, Weehawken High School hosted education entertainer Jay Banks, who performed his “STAMP Out Bullying” program featured on The Hallmark Channel for all district school children pre-K through grade 12.
“Why wait for a sad situation that can occur when you can educate now?” – Principal Anthony LaBruno.
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S.T.A.M.P.ing out bullying
Before the program, students were given a study guide with pre-show reflective questions such as, “What is bullying?” and “Have you ever been bullied?” and post-show reinforcement questions like, “How can you help S.T.A.M.P. Out Bullying?”
Though the Banks presentations differed slightly depending on age level, each revolved around S.T.A.M.P., which stands for “Stay away from bullies, Tell someone, Avoid bad situations, Make friends, and Project confidence.”
“We wanted to give students of all grade levels the tools to empower themselves to deal with any bullying situations,” McLellan said.
According to LaBruno, the administration was very happy with the “engaging” performance by Banks, a PhD candidate for Professional Studies in Education Specialization who has appeared on Nickelodeon, written for Disney Productions, and performed in 43 states over the past 34 years.
Through a high-energy, highly comedic presentation, “all the students knew what S.T.A.M.P. stood for at the end,” LaBruno said. “[Banks] got the point across.”
Staff education
Before the presentation Friday morning, Education Technology Coordinator Carol Gallagher was listening to a radio show on the way to work when she learned that a California first-grade girl had been harassed by her peers for carrying a Star Wars-themed lunch box. The deejays were asking radio listeners to call in with a response to the question, “What makes you different?”
It’s the same sort of idea the district would like to foster between teachers and students.
“We want to make sure that students are comfortable to approach staff members…and talk to them about anything related to bullying,” McLellan said.
In the district, there is a personal connection between staff and students because of the small enrollment, he said, and faculty members are especially key to noting a difference in behavior as a result of cyberbullying.
To give staff members the tools to identify danger signs and deal with the situation, the district held a staff development day on cyberbullying in November for approximately 50 attendees and has another day planned for May.
“This is a big topic, cyberbullying,” McLellan said. “It’s probably more difficult to detect than traditional bullying.”
On a student level
Within the district, student policy and classroom units reflect the crackdown on bullying as well.
In the high school and the elementary school, teachers taught a cyberbullying unit, with lessons that stressed the importance of notifying teachers or administrators when problems arise.
All schools also have a strict cell phone policy, in which offending students have their phones confiscated and given back at a later time.
Internet use is also limited, with firewalls imposed to prohibit students from accessing such social media websites as Facebook and YouTube.
“We always try to be as proactive as possible, in academic and non-academic areas,” McLellan said.
Last year, Roosevelt technology teacher Brian Callagy, who will replace Gallagher as education technology coordinator when she leaves on Dec. 31, gave a presentation to the PTPA, equipping the committee with facts and statistics, tips to look out for, and preventative steps to nip cyberbullying in the bud.
Websites to watch out for, he noted, were seemingly innocuous chat rooms such as the ones on Disney’s interactive website Club Penguin, where online predators can pass as children.
Parents, though, also have to be more proactive by monitoring their children’s internet and cell phone use, Callagy said.
McLellan said the district will continue to look for ways to combat bullying in schools through education of staff, students, and parents.
“Our job as a school is to try and see things down the road as far as we can,” McLellan said.
Deanna Cullen can be reached at dcullen@hudsonreporter.com.