Its kind of like the tide. Questions? That gets lost., While Aptos students, parents, and staff all seemed to agree on the need for increased social and emotional student support, some disagreed with a recent San Francisco Chronicle column and podcast depicting the middle school as chaotic and overrun by aggressive students that adults had no control over., Although the walkout was planned before the story was published, students clearly wanted their opinions on the story to be heard. What you might be seeing: You notice some bruises. Dozens of parents watched from the sidelines, passing out fliers about the Aptos Middle School Peaceful Walkout.. Since the article was published, Wyman has shifted his curriculum so that over the next seven weeks students will critically examine Knights writing and learn how to craft stories about their own experiences at Aptos. Young people have a more complex worldview than we ever give them the opportunity to show, says Wyman. Advocates say Breed needs to secure thousands of rooms; 'it's a matter of life and death.'. Please help elevate the good things happening at the school as well! Where families and teachers disagree with administrators, however, is whether the school district which is big on talk about social justice is actually providing that support. Unfortunately, Knights article made it look like kids are running through the halls with a boars head on a stake. I felt safe.. One Algebra 1 class this school year spent the first 10 to 11 weeks on simplifying algebraic expressions and the slope-intercept, point-slope and standard formats for the equation of a line. STEM Class Issues from the 2017-2018 Aragon School Year: Part 2 - AP Statistics. page for details. And were not. Community rallies around 'flower lady' as Apple engineer seeks to throw her out of her home in Bernal Heights. 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 . BRIM empowers kids to discretely and anonymously report incidents so tragedies can be prevented. Aptos High School - Calendar The 14-year-old then posted sexual solicitations, making racial slurs against the victim, authorities said. /Title ( A p t o s m i d d l e s c h o o l b u l l y i n g) Agree with or own a belittling comment to defuse it. This is decidedly NOT happening! So now, much of the conversation about Knights article has taken focus away from that issue bullying in middle schools and made many families feel they are being called racist for merely bringing their concerns to District administration. However, combining a slower curriculum with kids that are bored with or given up on math is a recipe for problems. The Teacher Wars A History of Americas Most Embattled Professionby Dana Goldstein. Give advice about what to do. In 2021, 67% of middle school students had positive responses compared to 55% of students in 2022. School or other officials can act as mediators between parents. Parent tip. Have the children dated? Contact. accountable for improving safety in ALL our schools! They could also be bystanders who witness it happening to other students and who have it happen to them. Aptos Middle School Announcements Announcements Pre-order your child's yearbook by May 4th. /AIS false it is a phenomenal place. And the adults just had no control over them at all.. 135 of 368. The district says it is. What is the history between the kids involved? $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? Support Peers, mentors, and trusted adults can sometimes intervene publicly to positively influence a situation where negative or hurtful content has been posted about your child. For Jason Wyman, a teaching artist at Aptos, one thing is certain hell be using this as an opportunity to teach sixth-grade language arts students how to unpack media bias and understand media literacy. There are other types of cyberbullying tactics, and it can also happen during gaming. The Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office also investigated the fight and said it had forwarded the information about the incident to Juvenile Probation. May!! Strong progress with high test scores means students have strong academic skills and are making bigger gains than their peers at other schools in the state. I kinda felt targeted, said Tello. Work with the school. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu, call 415-340-1716 (M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. Walk with friends or a small group of friendly peers. 6 0 obj Students can be bullied in different ways, for instance: Physical bullying like being pushed, shoved, punched, tripped, spit on; or being made to do things they did not want to do. Some Aptos Junior High parents said part of the solution is closer monitoring of their childrens online activities. E: hello@antibullyingsoftware.com, BRIM Software, LLC 2023 - Get Anonymous Bullying Reporting for Your School - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use, Asawa (Ruth) San Francisco Sch Of The Arts, A Publ, Get Anonymous Bullying Reporting for Your School. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. The claim will be examined at an upcoming PUVSD Board of Trustees meeting, according Rodriguez. Educational issues affecting San Mateo, CA (and others too!). 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. The Pajaro Valley Unified School Districts 2022 Youth Trust Summary found that students across the districts elementary, middle and high schools reported fewer positive responses to the statement I feel safe at school than in the year prior. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 58% (which is higher than the California state . 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. That is a very small percentage. Social hierarchies are often established in 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. It may help to: Ask your child what can be done to make them feel safe. Instead, for example, when I taught in SFUSD, the helpful classroom management advice that I was given by a vice principal was simply, Dont let them see you smile until after Christmas!, i.e., the teacher is expected to control the classroom by giving stern looks and emulating a prison guard persona! Santa Cruz fourth grader wins national invention competition with a backpack for forgetful students, Californias hottest new student recruits? Some have established laws, policies, and regulations. Its the transition from childhood to adolescencewhen children become more independent and want to make choices for themselves. Students at this school are making more academic progress from one grade to the next compared to students at other schools in the state. Common types of cyberbullying are posting hateful, mean, or derogatory messages or content and participating in negative group conversations. social justice addict. When kids finally come forward to get help, the physical or psychological damage is often already done. 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. public school warrior. Donate! Obviously something needs to be done here. Only involved school aged parents truly know what occurs on these campuses. Any child can witness bullying, bully others, or be bullied. If theyre getting bullied and they dont want to come here, whats the point of going to school?. Talk about it. Change). It may make matters worse. Best Public Middle School Teachers in San Francisco Bay Area. /Creator ( w k h t m l t o p d f 0 . We are community supported journalism. Its up to you to recognize the warning signs of bullying. And, I dont think the administration has been effective at making those families feel heard. But will it hurt whiz kids? Use humor to deflect a potential threatening situation. %PDF-1.4 There have to be some clear rules and consequences so they know what will happen when they do something like this.. (Lookout is choosing not to name Schillings son for his safety.). One of the scariest incidents at Aptos this school year occurred in September, when two girls attacked a sixth-grade girl on the schoolyard. The Be Strong app unites those who are being strong to stop bullying. The student, identified by family only as Gerardo, is named in the claim as G.S., At the time of the attack on G.S., PVUSD personnel, including at Aptos High, were aware of the recent increase in violence. Is there a power imbalance? Know your childs user names and passwords for email and social media. /Type /ExtGState Committee to weigh Santa Cruz safe parking for convicted rapists pending release Another child says loudly, Stop bothering us. What you might be seeing: Your child is quiet after school and seems withdrawn. Youll find resources, support, and intervention for those affected by bullying, depression, or suicide. Sometimes children bully to fit in. You'll find resources, support, and intervention for those affected by bullying, depression, or suicide. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu, call 415-340-1716 (M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. The case is being investigated as a communication that annoys complaint. Peer opinions of each other take on a lot of importance. If a classmate is cyberbullying, report it the school. How much should she have to pay, and shouldn't that be part of the price of the property? In the Aptos case, sheriffs deputies visited both girls homes the night of Feb. 15, and watched more posts appear online. Take screenshots of harmful posts or content if possible. 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. Well email you our most helpful stories and resources. Aptos High School's registrar provides assistance to current students and former students with questions or concerns regarding: Enrollment. View upcoming events at Aptos Middle School. After the Feb. 1 incident, Schilling said officials provided a safety plan for her son and the other students involved in the altercation to sign. The girls pulled the sixth-grader to the ground by. The alleged incident, according to the claim, was not reported to law enforcement or child protective services and resulted in the 14 year old, identified in the claim as K.O., being punished with a two-day suspension. The school districts decision to cancel its long-standing resource officer program came during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and distance learning. 5) 'Lord of the Flies': Fights, bullying, chaos upend San Francisco middle 1 They can also be bullied on the way to/from school, and at school-related events. 36.5 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. Reach out privately to the target of the bullying to express support or concern. If children emerge from school without a decent education, their odds of becoming productive members of society are clearly lowered significantly. Murry Schekman, assistant superintendent of secondary education at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, said Friday a student at another school in the district is facing expulsion in a separate cyberbullying case. We have to wait until something happens at the school before we discipline these children? asked Danielle Dinatele, a parent at Aptos Junior High. Talk Ask questions to learn what is happening, how it started, and who is involved. 7) 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. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz I often hear that about half the regular math classes are filled with students who come in to high school with very weak math backgrounds, have basically given up on the subject, and cause disruptions in class. endobj Listen and focus on them. 3 0 obj Reach out to Hillary Ojeda at hillary@lookoutlocal.com or 661-717-6637. la carte foods and beverages; Establish nutrition standards for competitive foods; Make more healthful foods and beverages available. Your child may start to avoid social situations, even those they enjoyed in the past. reformed cat-lady. 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. Lets invest in this wonderful school community! Public school teachers are in a tough position with disruptive kids. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I used to live on the Southside, which is poorer. [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] They say a school as big and diverse as Aptos NEEDS EXTRA SUPPORT! VISIT THE LOOKOUT NEWSLETTER & TEXT CENTER. Your child may have visible emotional responses (laughter, anger, upset) to what is happening on their device. . 11 Karthik S. said "Between our 2 kids we have 9 years with HCDC. 1 0 obj Then, on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24, she was called by school administrators telling her to pick him up early because of planned fights. Before reporting on public safety at the Iowa City Press-Citizen for three years, the California native earned a masters degree at Columbia Journalism School. 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. Showing emotional upset may embolden the person bullying. All discussions on this site will be moderated. Coleman Advocates for Children a Youth, an organization that works to empower youth and family voice also responded to problematic portrayals of youth in the article. 16 of 385. Kids were shoving each other, punching each other, yelling, eating chicken that was just so random listening to music, talking on their phones. There are special responses for. Listen without blaming. Not all children show warning signs, but if you notice any of the following, it might be that theyre being bullied: Though no parent wants their child to be a perpetrator of bullying, it does happen. Students do not need more punishment as many misinformed Twitter and NextDoor commenters are saying. For questions or concerns regarding Aptos High School student enrollment or records contact our registrar Silvia Sanchez. /Height 155 As a parent, you are your childs number one protector. Youth Staff It is a school in San Francisco Unified School District district. But the article reaches for easy, racist themes rather than work to bring light to the issues that lead to bullying. Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah. Brian Saxton, principal at Aptos Junior High, said he could not discuss the case because it involved student discipline. Try to determine if more professional support is needed, such as speaking with a guidance counselor or mental health professional. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns. Our student safety is of utmost importance, she said.