Thank you to those parents and community members that attended our Community Discussion last week to talk about bullying, school climate, and discussed how we (the school and community) can partner to ensure that each student in the Hot Springs School District is, and feels, safe.
One "action" item that the group discussed was using South Dakota's anonymous reporting program. There is an entire department that is dedicated to School Safety.
As of tomorrow, all students in 6-12 will have this icon on their student computer. The following message will be emailed to them too. This provides an opportunity for our students to report any sort of violence or concern that they have. In addition, our SRO has always had a good "ole fashion" comment box outside of his office. This is also a method for our students to report concerns.
Creating and sustaining a positive and accepting school culture is a priority at this school. We want to make sure that each student is given the opportunity to report any concern or incident. There may be legitimate reasons for not wanting to report violence, threats, a friend talking about harming themselves, a student that continues to pick on you or others, drug or alcohol use, abuse, etc. However, it is important TO REPORT. Safe2Say is a state program that is monitored 24/7. You now have an icon on your computer's desktop that will take you to this site. Since the site is monitored by individuals at the State's School Safety Department, it is important to provide as much detail as possible. For example, this department will not be able to connect the report to the appropriate personnel if insufficient information is shared. For example, sharing that "I am a student at Hot Springs and there is a mean kid" is not going to help any adult that wants to help the situation. However, if the report included "I am a 9th grader at Hot Springs High School. I have a classmate in my second period class that refuses to leave me alone. He constantly is putting me down and using racial slurs. I have told him to stop on several occasions and so has one of my friends. He does not. "
Information from the website:
How it Works
Safe2Say South Dakota operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anyone with information about a potentially dangerous situation can call the toll-free number at 1-844-3SD-SAFE/1-844-373-7233, make a web report by clicking the Submit a Tip Online button, or by downloading the mobile app and making a report from a smartphone or digital device.
A trained Safe2Say analyst will interact with the person reporting the safety concerns and forward the information to a multi-disciplinary team consisting of school officials, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. Safe2Say South Dakota was created to ensure that South Dakota schools and students remain safe. With Safe2Say South Dakota, our schools and communities are able to anonymously report student safety concerns in a safe and secure fashion.
Why Say Something
Research on those willing to do harm to themselves or others is startling. We know that in over 80 percent of school shootings, someone other than the attacker knew, but failed to report it. We also know that four out of five teens who have attempted suicide, have given clear warning signals that go unreported, and in the majority of cases, teens with mental health needs do not receive needed care.
Safe2Say South Dakota Mission
Our goal is to create a climate where students feel comfortable sharing sensitive information about a potentially dangerous or threatening situation, with a focus on early intervention and prevention.