2012+School+Climate+Program

Bullying and School Climate Discussion, Watkinson School April 10, 2012

For all CAIS educators and CAIS parents.

Bullying and School Climate Discussion with Dr. Jo Ann Freiberg, School Climate and Bullying expert from the Connecticut State Department of Education.

5:30-5:40 Registration 5:40-6:00 Opening remarks 6:00-6:30 Dinner at “Birds of a Feather” discussion tables. “Birds of a Feather” is a purposeful table arrangement and conference practice to help make the event more meaningful as participants can network with like-minded colleagues who work in the same niche. There will be tables for open-ended discussion. Registrants will also be allowed to suggest table groups ahead of time. 6:30- 7:45 Dr. Jo Ann Freiberg who will infuse questions from discussion tables as discussion points.

The toxicity of the word bullying can overwhelm our ability to address the problem in real time. Often no one will own up to the word, not the student who is a bully, the school, the parent of the bully; the only person who wants the label of bully is the target’s family. So how can we as parents and educators create physically, emotionally and intellectually safe school communities? Come learn from our state’s expert on bullying who has vast experience talking to groups of parents and educators.

We invite all CAIS parents and educators to join this dynamic discussion on this complex topic. Dr. Jo Ann Frieberg’s presentation last year at the CAIS Conference on Bullying earned excellent reviews from CAIS educators. Come to a unique venue this year where participant questions help steer her discussion points. A renowned speaker around our state for creating community discussions among parents, teachers and school boards, Dr. Jo Ann Frieberg’s interactive talk will be grounded with a wide array of anecdotes from the field to illuminate her points about how parents and educators can partner better with this complex topic. Her expertise helps educators review their own list of best practices for bullying cases and supplies parents the awareness and language for intervention. She will role model scripts for how parents and educators can dialogue about proactively implementing changes for creating respectful school climate.

Though independent schools are not beholden to the new national standards for school climate, Dr. Jo Ann Frieberg’s expertise and experience of training state educators with “School Climate Certification Training” will help attendees return to their schools with great talking points for community dialogues. Sign up now for a better step forward for improving your school’s climate.

Birds of a Feather Table Topics: Parent intervention with children; parents and parent associations of schools partnering with school communities; administrative best practices; athletic directors and coaches; working with student leaders; adult intervention; issues specific to boarding schools; middle school; legal boundaries; cyber bullying; fostering school connectedness; registrants can email other topics.

Resourceful Links from Dr. Jo Ann Frieberg:

[] The National School Climate Resource Center (NSCRC) is an international leader in understanding, promoting and leading efforts to improve school climate. They have a long history of championing and providing research-based information and practices. They led the charge to bring national leaders together to create National School Climate Standards.

[] The Connecticut State Department of Education has a wealth of information and resources on bullying, harassment and school climate improvement The best way to access these resources is to use the search window and enter “bullying” once you arrive at the CSDE Homepage. Also view this: []

For more on Birds of a Feather practice, see the following links:
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Notes from Jo Ann’s appearance on Changing the School Environment at St. Joseph CTN. 2/9/12.


 * Jo Ann mentioned how Columbine High School made our culture change the mean spirited behavior into the label, “bullying.”
 * 47 states have different definitions and four different changes to Connecticut law itself.
 * Jordan Grossman: Praised Jo Ann about the safe school climate plan.
 * Ct. is one of two states that has in the legal language the issue of bullying side by side with language of school climate.
 * Relationship building; adults to adults; students to students; adults to students; all of these relationships will improve school climate and irradiate seeds of bullying and mean spirited behavior.
 * Jo Ann used the word **connectedness**. What makes a young person grow into a respectful adult?
 * Be close to people at school; have at least one adult who has their back;
 * Be happy going to school; happy places;
 * Believe that they belong and being a part fo the school;
 * Feel that they are being treated farily;
 * Need to be safe. “Words are daggers; need to focus on words—everything; physical, emotional, intellectual safety.
 * Moderator from NBC morning mentioned good point; parents are the most historically busy; how can they help? Jo Ann: the more we can engage and train and help them, the better. Schools need to be welcoming places for parents; need to treat them as “the first teachers” for our students.
 * Jo Ann is the expert;
 * School needs to foster respect and positive school climate. Foundation of all learning!