Wednesday, July 21, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
BULLYING: Peer
programs seek to help
with problem solving
Continued from page 14
rolling out a program called
Sources of Strength (SOS),
first at the high school, then
the middle school.
<How do we rely on kids9
strength as part of their prob-
lem-solving so we can build a
toolbox of responses and sup-
port systems, not just adult
support systems along the
way?= he asked.
SOS helps make progress
in that regard.
SOS works to prevent sui-
cide, bullying, and substance
abuse, according to program
materials. It9s also <about
building networks for kids to
talk with both adult and peer
networks and to build on their
strengths on problem solv-
ing,= according to Scholl.
When a kid gets in a diffi-
cult situation, ideally they will
have people they know they
can reach out to, people who
recognize their strengths and
potential, <instead of making
poor choices.=
Scholl is frank about the
difficult task the district faces.
<Our real work is, how
do we support all kids in our
buildings? How do we make
all kids feel welcome? That is
the interesting or challenging
work that is never finished.=
He said, <We know that
kids who are more con-
nected to their systems are
more successful; that9s the
support we need to provide.
The more I learn the more
I understand it9s messy and
interconnected.=
Scholl and the district
have become more immersed
in these issues since Oregon
Department of Education
(ODE) investigated the
Natalie Soleim case and found
evidence of discrimination.
ODE mandated a follow-up
timeline of items for the dis-
trict to achieve, along with
meetings between the district,
an ODE representative, and
the Soleim family.
During this process, Scholl
said, <I reflect more on my
childhood and things we
would not even say today that
were part of the vernacular...
grandparents and the way
they would refer to things.=
Changes in how people speak
represent <a reflection of how
far we9ve come, yet we9ve
still not come far enough.=
For parents of kids who
experience bullying or harass-
ment, Scholl encourages
reporting first to the teacher
involved. He said of the pro-
cedures for reporting and
then following up on an inci-
dent, <I believe they should
be clear. We9ve done work to
improve our website, to put
up information about what
the next step is or communi-
cate that verbally when people
come to us.=
On the district9s website
at www.ssd6.org, a search on
the word <bully= brings up a
link to a page titled <Equity,
Title IX, and Discrimination.=
Names, phone numbers, and
email addresses are listed for
district staff members who
handle inquiries regarding
nondiscrimination.
Numerous PDF files
are available for download,
often thick with legal and
bureaucratic language. Scholl
acknowledged there was room
for continuing improvement.
Scholl was asked how
people in the wider commu-
nity can help Sisters School
District improve the learn-
ing environment in terms of
bullying and discrimination.
What can individuals do if
they feel concerned?
<I think the first thing is to
not engage in rumor-spread-
ing,= he said. <That9s the chal-
lenge from the District side,
is that we cannot talk about
other people9s children.=
He said it9s hard to respond
to the rumor mill, and hard to
promote approaching the prin-
cipal every time a new rumor
comes up.
<I don9t want our adminis-
trators responding to rumors
all the time instead of really
actively supporting kids,=
he said. <If we play the
Telephone Game on social
media... an issue [such as a
bullying incident] becomes
much different than it really
was.=
For those that are really
concerned, dialogue with a
staff member is a good step.
<Typically we like to
respond to issues at the lowest
level,= he said.
A concerned community
member should first approach
a staff person involved with
an incident, such as a teacher.
Scholl said if someone
has a question about a policy,
or wants to address a hypo-
thetical situation about how
the school would respond
to a particular type of bully-
ing or discrimination among
students, they should also
approach a staff member.
Scholl stressed the impor-
tance of each building 4
meaning each of the district9s
three separate schools4hav-
ing its own chain of com-
munication. Phone numbers
are listed at http://ssd6.org/
contact/.
<I think your community
is your strength,= said Scholl.
For example, <the outreach
around some of the men-
tal health issues that have
impacted this community,
that9s not only a school issue.=
He noted that communities
across the nation have dem-
onstrated to support equity
changes.
<That9s the strength of the
Sisters community,= Scholl
said. <We don9t always agree
on every issue, but we do
agree on: how do we support
kids? Ultimately that9s what
it9s about, at least for us in
education 4 supporting our
kids.=
19
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