Talk to Students, Staff, and Parents About SUMMER SAFETY

AWARENESS and PREPARATION, (Not Paranoia) KEEPS US SAFE and SECURE 

As the end of the school year approaches, our concern for our students, staff, and families does not. NOW is the time to talk to them about SAFETY and SECURITY prior to school ending for the summer. All of us would admit that having a SAFETY and SECURITY MINDSET should be a year-round philosophy, it often is not. Life's activities get in the way and the daily grind can distract us from apportioning and allocating the proper amount of time to ensuring the one's we care about are safe and secure. THIS IS ALSO A LIFELONG LEARNING CONCEPT that our students (and kids) need to understand if they are to grow up to be aware, caring, and involved adults, citizens, and parents to their own families. Accidents, attacks, and injuries are often the drastic events that occur, shock us, and remind us to stay focused. HOPING your loved ones and students stay safe and secure is not a recommended technique, instead educate them and if necessary train them so they are prepared. Here are just a few discussion points that may be helpful:

SUMMER TIME HAZARDS

• Swimming and Diving and Surfing
• Boating (power boat, canoe, kayak)   
• Lightning
• Fires
• Public Bathrooms
• Cars
• Extreme sports
• Not wearing helmets (head injury)
• Jogging or Walking or Biking alone or with headphones
• Parties or Dates gone bad

EDUCATION:

• Calling 911 when someone is hurt or unresponsive. Stay on the phone to give information.
• Lost kid: Do your kids know what to do if they get lost? Asking a woman is the safest response.
• Helmet Protection versus Head Injuries: It becomes an inconvenience until it is too late, preventing head or brain injuries from something as simple as falling off of a bike or a skateboard can be a life saver. Kids think it is not "cool" but I tell them look at professional athletes or military folks, they don't do any training without a helmet of some kind.
• Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs): If you go in a watercraft of any sort, do you wear a personal flotation device (PFD)? Remember sometimes the best swimmer gets knocked unconscious...have you ever tried to keep someone besides yourself afloat...?
• Stranger Danger: What to do if approached or accosted by a stranger? Be loud, rude, and assertive and be ready to fight (scream, bite, scratch, gouge, kick, etc.)
• Grown-Up Alone Time with Your Kids: Who has access to your kids, remember most assaults against children (infants, toddlers, teenagers) are by people the family knows, not strangers... be especially aware of those grownups your kids think "are cool or treat them grown up".
• Travel in Groups: Never go anywhere alone if you can help it, to include going into the bathroom at a public place (store, movies, etc.) Make everyone responsible for everyone else, not just themselves.

TRAINING:

• Basic First Aid
• CPR and CPR for an infant  
• Swimming lessons for non-swimmers
• Self Defense: What to do if someone tries to grab them.
• Scenarios Where Grown-ups try to Trick Them: Avoiding being tricked by predators (Can you help me find my puppy? Your mom sent me to pick you up? I am a policeman and  here is my badge...you need to come with me.) Discuss Date Rape scenarios where being drugged, high, or intoxicated at a party can lead to an assault.  

MAKING YOUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FRIENDS AWARE AND EQUIPT WITH SOME STRATEGIES AND SKILLS TO EMPOWER THEM TO BE AWARE OF UNSAFE SITUATIONS AND PROTECT THEMSELVES. AWARENESS OF NATURAL AND MANMADE THREATS TO THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY IS THE FIRST STEP IN PREPARATION AND AVOIDING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Combating Girl vs Girl Bullying Program: The Kind Campaign

Interesting Article about an Anti-Girl Bullying Program

Great article by Alyssa Longobucco (Self Magazine) about two Pepperdine University students (Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson) who founded The Kind Campaign. Interesting to see her shared views on an anti-bullying campaign targeted specifically towards females. While it is important to look at the effects of bullying on all students, this article made me think about the unique needs of each gender in that regard. also, the preventative educational measures can be tailored for each gender to be more effective. Also thought the author's insight that youthful bullies can, and often will, grow up to be adult bullies adds more urgency into these anti-bullying campaigns to increase civility and respect not only in our schools, but our society at large. Great article.

"HUMOR" Gone Awry...Kid's and Even Adults Taking Risks for a Laugh

Kids, and unfortunately even some adults, have participated in some risky behaviors and activities as a "goof", for a "laugh", or even their "15 minutes of fame" on YouTube.



Ashley Long, age 14 died from inhaling helium

Kids being kids and trying new things without using judgement, coupled with a youthful feeling of invincibility can result in disaster. Also, some adults lacking maturity, or in some cases the knowledge of what their kids are doing, can contribute to some of these horror stories. The risky behaviors listed below have been around for at least the last 20 to 30 years. What is different is our 2012 awareness (due to the information age) on how dangerous these seemingly simple "kids will be kids" behaviors really are.

Adult behavior allowing or facilitating these risky behaviors:

• A school principal (Clinton Avenue School Principal in New Haven, CT) was placed on paid administrative leave due to allegedly observing students participating in the "cinnamon challenge" in the cafeteria and not stopping it. 
• A Tutwiler Mississippi police chief (Police Chief Terry Tyler) and four of his staff were fired for coercing a mentally challenged youth who was doing community service at City Hall to participate in the "cinnamon challenge". Miss. Police Chief & Staff Fired
• Katerine McAloon (27 yrs old) allegedly provided alcohol and marijuana to minors and held a party at her house with the helium tank where Ashley Long died from helium poisoning. There were allegedly three other adults present at this underage party. Ashley Long Dies from Helium

Some of the activities are:

• The Cinnamon Challenge
• The Choking Game
• Inhaling Helium 

Videos about Risky Behaviors:

Cinnamon challenge is dangerous

Choking Game is a Problem

Inhaling Helium can be Deadly

Final Comment: Kids being adventurous and having fun in their lives is a part of life. However, we need to be aware of what are kids are doing, who they are doing it with, and what is acceptable and what is not in regards to risky behavior. We need to teach, not inspire, our kids to realize how dangerous these "games" really are and how they can injure or kill themselves accidentally. Like Ashley Long, it was her first party and first time participating in this risky behavior...sometimes the first time can be the LAST TIME. Prepare our kids and young adults for these situations before they occur. Preparedness, not Paranoia.

Freshman Drowns in East Hartford High School Pool during Gym Class

Jan 2012: A 15-year-old freshman student, Marcum Asiamah, drowned during a high school gym class at East Hartford High School. His family said he was excited to learn to swim during his gym class. Adults were present when students saw Marcum at the bottom of the pool. The teacher jumped in and performed CPR until first responders arrived. The teen was rushed to Hartford Hospital but did not survive and was pronounced dead at Hartford Hospital. the autopsy determined he was the victim of an accidental drowning.

Word of the accident spread quickly and many parents for calling their children to make sure they were safe. "A lot of the kids were freaked out and they were starting rumors about it," student Tracy Holmes said. "How do you let that happen?" said Solese Natta, another parent at the school. School Superintendent Mark Zito says the drowning remains under investigation. News 8 even called the CT State Department of Education to ask what the rules are for school's with pools. The representative reached said “They said they will look into this.” Manchester School Superintendent Mark Zito said in a prepared statement:

"Today there was a tragic event at East Hartford High School where a student drowned. The incident is under investigation and we have no findings that we can share with you at this time.  Student safety is of paramount concern and the school district will continue to work with the East Hartford Police Department to investigate this incident.  The pool will remain closed pending this investigation. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family and friends of the student involved in this incident.  The school district is planning to provide grief counseling and support for students, faculty, and staff. The details of that support will be made available shortly."

Students who were at the pool when the incident happened were sent home early. Some other parents elected to pick their children up from school early due to the incident. Superintendent Mark Zito, visited the family's home to offer condolences and a referral to a therapist to help them cope with their loss. Grief counselors were be available for students, faculty and staff at school the next day. A vigil was held two days later on a friday night at 5:30 p.m. so students can come together to remember this young student. At the candlelight vigil, Joshua Dillon, president of the East Hartford High School student council, asked students to speak, and a few accepted, offering prayers and condolences to the family.

Points for Discussion: 

• Don't wait for a tragedy to occur to determine what are the best safety practices for your facilities, and if there are associated risks, how you can mitigate them to an acceptable level.
• A swimming pool in your school offers unique opportunities for your students and staff as well as unique risks (drowning, head injuries due to diving, chlorine chemicals, etc.).
• Are there state department of education guidance or guidelines for pools at educational institutions, if not, why not?
• Some safety procedures to discuss:
• In military swim training or waterborne activities, those individuals who are non-swimmers and poor swimmers are identified and handled differently from those who can swim. 
• Establishing a supervised peer buddy system between students can aid in a student not wandering off or doing their own thing. This is an added layer to existing supervision and increasing student's level of awareness of looking out for each other. 
• The knee-jerk reaction is to close the pool indefinitely. While this is safest thing to do from a litigious standpoint, more good can be done by teaching children to swim and float to prevent further drownings.   
• Comment on School Leadership: While not knowing the results of the drowning investigation, I applaud the superintendent actually visiting the family to offer his condolences and support to them. This type of personalized leadership is often unrecognized by people in educational leadership positions due to a lack of leadership education and training, and a fear of litigation.

TEXAS POLICE RESPOND TO LOCKDOWN CALL AND SHOOT & KILL 15 YR OLD MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT WITH REPLICA PISTOL (PELLET GUN) WHO AIMED IT AT POLICE.

An unfortunate tragedy occurred when police responded to a Lockdown incident at Cummings Middle School in South Texas. The shooting happened during first period at the school in Brownsville, a city at Texas' southern tip just across the Mexican border. Responding officers were required to shoot an eighth grade student who was holding a weapon.

The fifteen year old student, Jaime Gonzalez, had assaulted a fellow student and pulled a black pistol (see picture above) triggering the Lockdown response by school authorities. Jaime had walked into a classroom and punched a boy in the nose for no apparent reason. Police did not know why he pulled out the weapon, but "we think it looks like this was a way to bring attention to himself."  Teachers were notified over the school intercom that the school was on lockdown. They locked classroom doors and turned off lights, and some frightened students dove under their desks. They could hear police charge down the hallway. Students described the panic they felt during the lockdown. Renee Almazon, 15, crouched with her teacher and classmates away from all windows and doors. "We all moved to the corner where they couldn't see us," she said. Her teacher kept telling the class, "This is a real thing,"

A recording of police radio traffic posted on TV website indicates that officers responding to the school believed the teen had a handgun. An officer is heard describing the teen's clothes and appearance, saying he's "holding a handgun, black in color." The officer also said that from the front door, he could see the boy in the school's main office.  The student continued to brandish the weapon while police arrived and police repeatedly instructed him to drop the weapon which he failed to comply. The police were required to shoot him for their safety and the safety of others. Officers shot the teen with assault rifles, the interim police chief said. Unfortunately the boy died and his weapon turned out to be a replica (see picture above) Glock pellet gun. About 20 minutes elapsed between police receiving a call about an armed student and shots being fired, according to police and student accounts. Authorities declined to share what the boy said before he was shot. Police Chief Rodriguez said the teen was pointing the weapon at officers and "had plenty of opportunities to lower the gun and listen to the officers' orders, and he didn't want to." The chief said his officers had every right to do what they did to protect themselves and other students even though there weren't many others in the hallway at the time. Police said officers fired three shots.

Parents Reaction: Jaime’s distraught parents demanded to know why police took lethal action against their son. "Why was so much excess force used on a minor?" the boy's father, Jaime Gonzalez Sr., asked The Associated Press outside the family's home Wednesday night. "Three shots. Why not one that would bring him down?"  Then she flipped through three close-up photos she took of bullet wounds in her son's body. "What happened was an injustice," she said angrily. "I know that my son wasn't perfect, but he was a great kid." Jaime had gunshot wounds on his shoulder and rib cage, and one in the back of his head. "That's the shot that bothers me the most," Jaime Gonzalez Sr. said to The Brownsville Herald.

The officers will be placed on leave, a normal procedure in this type of event. Students, who were bused to another high school after the incident to meet their parents, Administrators said the school would be closed Thursday but students would be able to attend classes at a new elementary school that isn't being used.

Superintendent Carl Montoya remembered Gonzalez as "a very positive young man… Just something unfortunately happened today that caused his behavior to go the way it went. So I don't know," he said Wednesday. Gonzalez Sr. said he had no idea where his son got the gun or why he brought it to school, adding: "We wouldn't give him a gift like that." 

The Associated Press and The Brownsville Herald contributed to this report.

Points For Discussion: 

• While this is certainly a tragedy, if ANYONE in a school commits a violent act and then brandishes a weapon (real or a realistic replica) causing a LOCKDOWN which then triggers an emergency law enforcement response (active shooter or hostage situation), and that individual refuses to put the weapon down when directed by police, they will be shot, and if shot, they stand a good chance of being killed.
• Many school shootings are over in the first few minutes before law enforcement arrives adding to the sense of urgency by law enforcement.
• Where did the boy get the replica pellet gun from? Why did he bring it to school?  Who else knew he had it?
• If this young man brought the replica gun to school to get attention, he did, and the replica gun put his own life at risk, and his failure to comply with armed officers cost him his own life.
• All students KNOW any weapon or something that looks like a weapon is FORBIDDEN to be brought into a school for this very reason.
• When Law Enforcement tells you to do something requiring them to draw a baton, taser, or firearm, YOU DO IT. You can ask questions later, complain, or make a complaint if you feel justified, but YOU COMPLY, especially in an emergency.
• After the fact, hindsight can appear to be 20/20 but unless YOU have ever responded in-extremis to a life threatening situation requiring the use of deadly force with even a rudimentary understanding of terminal ballistics, then you shouldn't second guess the police.
• This shooting like all shootings will be professionally investigated and the results and actions will be reviewed and disseminated.   

Final Comment: I feel sorry for the young loss of life (although understandable under these circumstances) and for the law enforcement professionals that were required to use deadly force because they faced a threat to the safety of the school community and their fellow officers. My prayers go out to his family and the law enforcement officials (and their families) who will bear the burden of what happened. God Bless.  

High School Teacher Arrested & Fired For Hitting Administrator Following an Evaluation

REDUCTIONS IN SCHOOL STAFF and PERFORMANCE COUNSELING 

CAN LEAD TO WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Dec 13, 2011  

A Springfield Mass. High School of Commerce math teacher of nine years, Willie Vega (44 yrs old), was accused of and arrested for punching the female Vice Principal in the face after he received a bad evaluation. Police said Vega became “enraged with his evaluation,” stabbed it with a pen and crumpled it up before he punched the 41-year-old female vice principal. The vice principal tried to flee her office but police said Vega blocked the door. The vice principal then grabbed her portable school radio and called for help, police said. Vega’s punch caused the vice principal’s left eye to swell up, 

Vega will be summoned to Springfield District Court on Jan 25th on assault and battery and kidnapping charges, Springfield Police Sgt. Delaney said. Vega, was placed on administrative leave with pay while an internal review was conducted. The accused teacher Mr. Vega refused to answer questions at a school disciplinary hearing about the alleged assault. His decision to remain silent was based on advice from a teacher’s union lawyer, according to Timothy T. Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association. The internal review resulted in the termination of Mr. Vega's employment as a teacher according to Springfield Public Schools spokeswoman Azell Cavaan. 

School officials were “shocked” and “shaken” by the allegations and are “cooperating fully” with police. the school Principal Charles Grandson IV said yesterday the school made counselors available to students and faculty. “All of us are reaching out to and supporting the administrator involved and making sure that that person is taken care of mentally and physically,” Grandson told the media. “She is getting better and school officials are working to make sure she has the support she needs.” The accused teacher said he has a meeting scheduled with two lawyers today as he faces assault and kidnapping charges. “I can only say I’m going to defend myself fully and use every resource I have to defend myself,” Willie Vega, told the media, declining to comment further. He was released on personal recognizance. The accused teacher must obey a no-contact order with the victim, and also has to obey the school’s trespass order. 

Points for Consideration:

• As an employee, no one likes to be told their professional performance or behavior is substandard, but accountability is critical for any organization to function effectively. 
• As a supervisor, few are comfortable with face to face (F2F) performance evaluation counseling if it is negative in nature.
• A supervisor must prepare the performance counseling properly, especially a negative counseling. Things to consider:
• The environment: where is this taking place, observers in the room, physical setting, etc.
• Rehearsing and war-gaming the employee response: how might the employee respond, factoring in the dignity of the teacher, rebuttal scenarios, control of the meeting.
• Personal safety: if it is anticipated that the employee will react emotionally;  having another administrator, security, or even the School Resource Officer (SRO) standing by in a "low profile" manner can be a prudent measure.
• Personal and professional maturity of the employee receiving negative performance counseling AND the experience level of the administrator providing the negative performance feedback are factors to consider. 
• Strongly recommend the Administrator's supervisor rehearse and role-play a variety of counseling scenario outcomes. 
• If you anticipate the employee's response might get emotionally heated or even violent, you must rehearse the responses for this with the key personnel that could be involved.   

Remember, having to do more with less or reducing staff in tough budget times can cause great emotional and psychological stress causing unprofessional behavior and even violence at times. Educational leaders and administrators must prepare for this potential through realistic planning for the worst case scenario. 

Janitor Brings Gun to School in Waterbury CT

JANITOR LEAVES A LOADED GUN IN A PRE-SCHOOL CLASSROOM 

A 25 yr old male janitor was arrested for bringing a gun to school and leaving it loaded in a pre-school classroom at Bucks Hill Elementary School.The janitor (a 3 year employee) worked in the school over the weekend replacing ceiling tiles and brought the loaded .38 caliber handgun into the school and left it in a holster on a counter near a classroom microwave. The gun was found by two-paraprofessionals who were preparing for class prior to their  3 and 4 year old students occupying the classroom. The paraprofessionals took control of the weapon and contacted the school vice president who then contacted the police. The janitor was arrested for the charges of first-degree reckless endangerment and failing to properly store a firearm.The weapon the janitor left haphazardly was legally registered. The janitor was placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation and his court hearing. The janitor has since resigned his position. 

Points for Consideration:

• After Repair Work or Construction, Check Student Areas: Since we never know what has occurred in our classrooms over the weekend it is always prudent to check the area prior to students coming in, especially with young kids. Imagine if kids found the loaded gun instead of the adults....? If there is repair work or construction in a school / classroom, there maybe tools or construction materials that could injure someone.  
• What do you do if you find a Weapon ?: Teaching our school community, especially our students, what to do if they see or come upon a weapon is important. Having this discussion can save a life, especially with young children to immediately report it to an adult if they see a weapon (knife or gun) and to not to touch it.
• Review of Employee and Student Rules & Regulations: Often viewed as overkill, but administrative officials hiring employees (teachers, certified & non-certified personnel) and welcoming new students and parents aboard need to review rules & regulations that pertain to prohibited items and unacceptable behavior and conduct are important. Documentation of this occurring is also important in holding these folks accountable should they violate these rules & regulations. 
• Guns + Schools = Zero Tolerance: Registered Gun Owners are made well aware that bringing a gun near a school let alone INTO a school (loaded or not) is a serious legal offense. Taking a LOADED gun into a pre-school classroom and LEAVING it there within reach of children is irresponsible, ignorant, and life threatening.

An Unfortunate Incident Which Resulted In An Arrest & Loss of Employment Which Could Have Turned Out Much Worse Had Someone Been Hurt or Killed.