The reality is there were basically six kids whove been bullying students, out of a thousand at the school. Talk Ask questions to learn what is happening, how it started, and who is involved. Public intervention can include posting positive comments about the person targeted with bullying to try to shift the conversation in a better direction. They say things like, Well, this will take all day.. Special Services Together Supporting ALL Learners. The difference is its often anonymous and relentless in an age of 24/7 Internet access. << page for details. They can: If they dont feel comfortable intervening, they can do something after it happens: A federal government website managed by the Your PVUSD Experience Matters! One of the scariest incidents at Aptos this school year occurred in September, when two girls attacked a sixth-grade girl on the schoolyard. Woods discussed the solutions that Aptos will be implementing, including training for staff in restorative practices, and noted that many administrative staff and teachers were in their first or second year. No kid wants to be labeled a tattle tale or risk retaliation, and so victims and bystanders stay silent. Some Aptos Junior High parents said part of the solution is closer monitoring of their childrens online activities. [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] 48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submithere. Aptos Middle School is a highly rated, public school located in SAN FRANCISCO, CA. JFIF K K C Dozens of parents watched from the sidelines, passing out fliers about the Aptos Middle School Peaceful Walkout.. Use humor to deflect a potential threatening situation. mom of twins. Aptos middle school bullying Whether they're in the office or on the playground, bullies have some kind of advantage over the people around them, which can come from physical strength, intimidation, popularity or a sense of authority. While you may not be able to monitor all your childs activities, there are things you can do to prevent cyberbullying and protect your child from harmful digital behavior: An important part of protecting children from bullying and cyberbullying are state laws, policies, and regulations. It may help to: Ask your child what can be done to make them feel safe. Why should this concern us here in the suburbs?? Walk with friends or a small group of friendly peers. Remember that changes to routine should be minimized. Copyright 2023, Lookout Santa Cruz All Rights Reserved. Do not tell your child to physically fight back against the one who is bullying. The Dana Goldstein chapter referenced in her book The Teacher Wars is a detailed study of the history of the problem dating from back before Brown vs the Board of Education in the 50s. 1 They can also be bullied on the way to/from school, and at school-related events. As a parent, you are your childs number one protector. Reminder to order your Yearbook b May 4th! Aptos High School. One student held up a sign that said, People who dont know us cant have an opinion on us!. Students at San Francisco's Aptos Middle School walked out of class for one class session Friday in demand of an improved wellness center on the campus and more health resources. Every tax-deductible donation helps us grow to cover the issues that mean the most to our community. To add comments on a Post, scroll past the article to the Leave a Reply section. Schilling said her son told her he hates going to school and mirroring data for Black students across the countys schools overall doesnt feel safe there. Your child, other parents, and the school or organization may all have valuable input. APTOS - A day after Valentine"s Day, an eighth-grade girl at Aptos Junior High School lifted another girl"s photo from Facebook and created a Formspring page posing as her schoolm We investigated a report of a fight that occurred off campus between several individuals, but after a thorough investigation, reviewing evidence and witness statements there was no conclusion of a crime at this time, said sheriffs office spokesperson Ashley Keehn. What is the history between the kids involved? If this is incorrect, please contact us at support@antibullyingsoftware.com. 8 . Have there been past conflicts? Said seventh grader Marquez Davis, We are not perfect, but it is nowhere near as bad as she [the columnist] makes it seem.. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Link supports students and families in navigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah. Aptos Middle School in San Francisco, CA - Niche For questions or concerns regarding Aptos High School student enrollment or records contact our registrar Silvia Sanchez. Reach out privately to the target of the bullying to express support or concern. Schilling doesnt think Aptos Junior is any different from other schools in that its a school with dedicated staff and teachers trying to address major challenges. Well email you our most helpful stories and resources. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. But her son continued to struggle and tell her he felt unsafe, she said. (831) 688-6430 (Fax) 100 Mariner Way. Review or re-set your childs phone location and privacy settings. In high school, the percentage of students that reported being bullied was lower at about 19% on average, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. I constantly saw kids roaming the halls when they should be in class and at times deciding to barge in to other classrooms to talk to their friends in the middle of lessons. There was a point when I was bullied and I didnt want to go to school, so I get where the sixth graders are coming from and I get their pain, said Briseis Portillo, an eighth grader who voiced support for the walkout. Planned by the school's sixth-grade students, the walkout is a response to incidents of bullying and violence and a lack of a safe and supportive school environment. /SA true Social hierarchies are often established in middle school. Get access to immediate help hotlines, a crisis text line, and support groups. /Filter /DCTDecode Customize your online reporting page. Drug addiction, homelessness, joblessness, single-mother families the list goes on. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 58% (which is higher than the California state . Dont you have any friends?. Im closing with a picture of two wonderful educators leading the chess tournament between Francisco and Aptos Middle Schools. If theyre getting bullied and they dont want to come here, whats the point of going to school?. It could get your child hurt, suspended, or expelled. Is there a power imbalance? . Be assertive with the person doing the bullying (not aggressive, fighting, or teasing back) when possible. And everybody agrees these kids, just 11 to 14 years old, need far more support to cope with the horrifying trauma theyve experienced in their short lives and get them engaged in school. You ask why your child didnt eat at school. School Board member Allison Collins worries that Aptos will lose even more funding if future enrollment shrinks as a result of negative press. 'Lord of the Flies': Fights, bullying, chaos upend San Francisco middle Listen and focus on them. And were not. Know your childs user names and passwords for email and social media. Columnist Heather Knight joins Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper on the Fifth & Mission podcast and reveals the shocking details behind the fighting, bullying and chaos that upends Aptos Middle. We should be asking how we can support the Aptos Middle School community instead of spreading fear about San Francisco schools and perpetuating racist tropes about public schools. Talk about it. What you might be seeing: You notice some bruises. Lord of the Flies: Fights, bullying, chaos upend San Francisco middle school. Aptos High School's registrar provides assistance to current students and former students with questions or concerns regarding: Enrollment. People who have committed no crime are being held in unsafe and potentially deadly conditions, lawsuit says. Become a 48 Hills Hero and support the only daily progressive news source in the Bay Area. I only hope that we have not let this situation fester until it is too late to act. Planned by the schools sixth-grade students, the walkout is a response to incidents of bullying and violence and a lack of a safe and supportive school environment. It is really unfortunate framing because it demonizes Black/Brown/low-income children and the schools they attend. I kinda felt targeted, said Tello. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. Practice remaining as outwardly calm as possible when bullying occurs. Check in with your child often. Checking on teens in their room in the evening could also reduce teens online mischief, parents said. PBIS Award Winner We are a 2022 Positive Behavior Intervention System award winner! Its up to you to recognize the warning signs of bullying. Report Most social media platforms and schools have clear policies and reporting processes. The San Francisco Chronicle has a podcast entitled Fifth & Mission. On Feb. 15th, 2020 the topic was Chaos upends San Franciscos Aptos Middle School. The podcast is a discussion of Heather Knights column of the same date entitled Lord of the Flies: Fights, bullying, chaos upend San Francisco middle school., Aptos Middle School is near the well-to-do St. Francis Wood and Monterey Heights neighborhoods several blocks east of Stonetown Galleria, but has students bussed in from other parts of the City including the poorer Bayview and Portrero Hill neighborhoods. Contact. Problems locally may also be impacting the regular stream classes, especially in math. The case is not the first at Aptos Junior High or other schools in Santa Cruz County, administrators said. For some thoughtful perspectives and possible solutions for these problems I recommend the following: Hope and despair in the American city Why there are no bad schools in Raleigh by Gerald Grant, and chapter 6 entitled The Only Valid Passport from Poverty in the book. Courts | Bell Schedules | SFUSD - San Francisco Public Schools On the left is Wilson Skinner (Francisco) and center is Clermont Claude (Aptos). Bullying is most frequently reported in grades six through eight. The name Aptos Middle School is seen on the outside of the school on Monday, January 27, 2020 in San Francisco, Calif. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle As San Francisco public school educators, the . MISSION: Aptos Middle School's mission is to provide an enriching, engaging, and empowering . Fair rules and consequences and more spaces for students to feel safe! May!! Google Map/Directions. There seems to me to be a significant number of students who would benefit from this intermediate stream which would save them the stress and expense of the AP exams. That is a very small percentage. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Link supports students and families in navigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. Aptos Middle School Announcements Announcements Pre-order your child's yearbook by May 4th. For its part, Aptos Junior High has been trying to raise awareness of bullying. I felt safe.. SMUHSD Class Sign-up Time Please Read ThisFirst! In the course of my tutoring work, I talk to students every day about their classes. How much should she have to pay, and shouldn't that be part of the price of the property? Alianza Charter School Amesti Elementary School Ann Soldo Elementary School Aptos High School Aptos Junior High School Calabasas Elementary School Cesar E. Chavez Middle School Diamond Technology Institute Duncan Holbert School and Early Start Edward A. The teasing, fighting, and envy is not cool. To be clear: I understand all too well that if your kid gets bullied, it doesnt matter what the numbers are. You should also ask the school what their bullying and cyberbullying policies and rules are. PVUSD spokesperson Alicia Jimenez declined to comment on the specifics of Schillings sons experiences or confirm details of what Schilling requested from the district and how the district responded to her. Aptos Junior High School - Home U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Total On the basis of ; stream VISIT THE LOOKOUT NEWSLETTER & TEXT CENTER. 16 of 385. SF Chronicle: Chaos at SF's Aptos Middle School - EduIssues Aptos middle-schoolers tangle with online bullying x$qq.W|9%fXm?/#w_ri(ts, ;x`]H@p@T'9'jG~aC{)vG4>rdRl 8 P~ugLXe2r7g^Io-JR6>xtHt@3 Mo~YpUUg(@ ]3(e HOyz%a9?zzSt9S7 9|zL_( Is your child worried it will happen again? The Be Strong iOS and Android apps are provided by Be Strong, a BRIM partner. As schools confront rise in post-pandemic bullying, one Aptos mother Showing emotional upset may embolden the person bullying. /Type /ExtGState Dog Whistles in Aptos Middle School Article - Medium Learn about all upcoming events and participate in interactive polls to make your presence known. One parent I spoke to at the school said, The article wasnt the language I would want to use, but emphasized many families felt they had tried to no avail to get a response to their concerns. Diplomas. Aptos Middle School (2023 Ranking) - San Francisco, CA In the Aptos case, it is unclear if there was intimidation on campus. Hillary covers education issues at TK-12 schools, UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College for Lookout. Heather Knights article has a real impact on real lives and how young people perceive themselves and their school.. >> A Middle School in Need of Investment. Announcements | SFUSD Most caring teachers, amazing curriculum that is incredibly well rounded and an overall stellar experience for parents and teachers. A Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office deputy, serving as a school resource officer, returned to the Aptos High School campus in October after community outcry in the wake of Gerardos death. 2023 Aptos Middle School Rankings - Niche Work with your child to understand some of the. This is decidedly NOT happening! This blog is devoted to discussing educational issues with a focus on the San Mateo, California area. APTOS The parents of a 17-year-old Aptos High School student fatally stabbed on campus in August filed a wrongful death civil claim Tuesday against the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. Kaiser doctor wants to toss family to move her mother into the unit. While the effort mostly was aimed at bullying related to sexual orientation, the general message was that bullying for any reason is wrong. Its something youre always going to battle, Schekman said. la carte foods and beverages; Establish nutrition standards for competitive foods; Make more healthful foods and beverages available. Compare Aptos Middle School to Other Schools sfusd.edu (415) 469-4520 105 APTOS AVE. Sign up to get Lookout alerts sent straight to your phone here or below. Our student safety is of utmost importance, she said. Let us know how we're doing with this survey. Somewhere between only 5-20 students between the ages of 11-14 years old at the school. Learn about all upcoming events and participate in interactive polls to make your presence . There are other types of cyberbullying tactics, and it can also happen during gaming. As a writer and editor, she helps parents make more informed choices for their children and for themselves. Most work was completed in class and a weekly homework worksheet took the student only about 20 minutes to finish. /Creator ( w k h t m l t o p d f 0 . Intra/inter district transfers. Its Black History Month, and to have this happen [as] we look back at civil rights and on the history of police brutality against Black men, she said. It can occur through SMS, text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. We appreciate your support! Incidents of bullying are often treated by school administrators as isolated problems rather than being part of systemic and cultural problems that need to be addressed more broadly, said Debra Feldstein, a community activist and parent of two kids in the Santa Cruz City Schools district. >> Serra High School, a local Catholic school, had a staffed after-school detention center for discipline problems which gave Serra teachers an acceptable disciplinary option. (831) 728-7832. Stern looks will clearly not work with disruptive kids from traumatized family backgrounds, some of whom have no hesitation to yell, FU, I dont have to listen to you! and storm out of a classroom. Know who to contact at school when bullying happens. Educational issues affecting San Mateo, CA (and others too!). Get access to immediate help hotlines, a crisis text line, and support groups. Students report being bullied at school (hallways, stairwells, classrooms, bathrooms, locker rooms or cafeteria), outside (school grounds), or on the school bus. Youth Staff Calmly tell your child that bullying will not be tolerated. Kids who learn and think differently may stand out and be more at risk for bullying. When you ask what happened, your child says it was an accident. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr Lets hold the District (including Board Members like me!) Great article Dave. Youll find resources, support, and intervention for those affected by bullying, depression, or suicide. Public school teachers are in a tough position with disruptive kids. One of the violent incidents prior to Gerardos death involved a 14-year-old student and known gang affiliate, on probation at the time, who allegedly pulled a knife on a different student, according to the claim. Community rallies around 'flower lady' as Apple engineer seeks to throw her out of her home in Bernal Heights. Students rallied on the schools front lawn with a mic, holding signs and wearing orange armbands. Donate! Work together to resolve the situation and protect them. Also, boys are more likely to engage in physical or verbal bullying, while girls often revert to relational bullying (Nansel et al., 2001). Santa Cruz fourth grader wins national invention competition with a backpack for forgetful students, Californias hottest new student recruits? The teen victim was found shortly before 2:30 p.m., Aug. 31, near the schools swimming pool. The San Francisco Unified School District faces a budget shortfall of $31.8 million, and the next fiscal year could double the deficit. In the past I have written many times with a degree of disapproval about the frantic rush to accelerate kids in math, and said that the regular stream should be considered. Since I have worked with some families for as long as 6-7 years, I have accepted some siblings in regular stream math classes in the last few years and am now concerned about the pace of the regular curriculum. Some families have a computer in the living room or other common area rather than the childs bedroom so parents can see whats going on. %PDF-1.4 But the mayhem physical fights, bullying, chaotic hallways and vile language shows thats clearly not the case. Were taking this very seriously, Campos said. The disrespect shown to teachers and the constant barrage of foul language in the halls between periods was shocking enough to me at the time, and I would not be surprised if it has become worse since then. Melissa Schilling thought everything was going well for her son as he started his first year at Aptos Junior High School until the end of January, when she had to pull her child out of eighth grade because of concerns for his safety. I taught for a year at one of the better high schools in San Francisco where a female teacher was beaten up by two female students who were subsequently suspended. Aptos recently lost $190,000 in federal funding due to a recent change to a wealthier student population and is already stretched thin with only one social worker for a student body of more than1,000. For now, its unclear where, and when, San Franciscos public schools will receive more funding. Aptos Middle School serves 939 students in grades 6-8. Others have developed model policies that schools and local educational agencies (districts) can use to develop their own local laws, policies, and regulations. (Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz ) Reports of bullying are not unique to Aptos Junior High, or to Santa Cruz County. We want to improve wellness at school, and we want it to be accessible, said Alyssa Tello, a sixth-grade student who is a part of the walkouts planning committee, which she says has eight student members and support from parents. Portraying a school in chaos run by savage childrenthe article title seemed more interested in being clickbait than it was in addressing real issues. Their behavior may change. Many public high schools require the teacher who assigns detention to stay after school to monitor the student themselves! There are 1 gender-related, 0 race, color, or nation origin, and 0 disabilities basis bullying reported. Middle school can be a hard time for many kids, and bullies can make it even worse. Take screenshots of harmful posts or content if possible. They say a school as big and diverse as Aptos NEEDS EXTRA SUPPORT! Unfortunately, Knights article made it look like kids are running through the halls with a boars head on a stake. Damaging property on purpose, like clothing, books, electronics, and jewelry. Even worse, if they leave school with the idea that they can engage in antisocial behavior with impunity, do not be surprised if you cant leave your cars at night with anything visible inside of them or that people brazenly snatch iPhones and iPads in broad daylight from Apple Stores.