High Point Academy Anti-Bullying Policy

1) High Point Non-Negotiables:

• Students come to school dressed in an HPA approved school uniform.
• Students turn in all electronics to homeroom teacher at the beginning of the day.
• Students are on time to school and to all of their scheduled classes.
• Students refrain from physical or verbal aggression.
• Students adhere to the wellness policy.

High Point Academy believes in using common sense (not zero tolerance) when handling student behavior issues. When student issues arise, teachers and administrators will consider individual circumstances in determining how to best handle discipline.

 To create a positive and productive school culture where all students and staff want to be.

Respect –
“We will always…”

• Communicate effectively and appropriately
• Be open to individual differences
• Encourage, support, and listen to each other
• Remember to use our manners
• Take responsibility for our actions

Disrespect –
“We do not tolerate…”

• Purposely causing problems
• Negative attitudes
• Giving up and blaming others
• Using damaging words
• Thinking only of ourselves

 2)  Definition of Bullying:

High Point Academy (HPA) defines bullying as any written or verbal expression, or physical or electronic act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that is intended to coerce, intimidate, or cause any physical, mental, or emotional harm to any student, and that:

1. Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property; or
2. Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education; or
3. Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or
4. Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school

3) Prohibition of Bullying:

Bullying is prohibited against any student for any reason, including but not limited to behavior that is directed toward a student because of an actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental or physical disability or impairment, academic performance, or any other distinguishing characteristic. The behavior described in Section 1 is considered harassment or bullying whether it takes place on or off school property, at any school-sponsored function, or in a school vehicle.

4) Consequences:

Consequences for a student who commits one or more acts of bullying may range from positive behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion. Consequences will vary in method and severity according to:

1. The age, development, and maturity levels of the parties involved; and/or
2. Degree of harm; and/or
3. Surrounding circumstances; and/or
4. Nature, intent, and severity of behavior(s); and/or
5. Incidences of past or continuing patterns of behavior; and/or
6. Relationship between the parties involved; and/or
7. Context in which the alleged incident(s) occurred; and/or

If the harassment is based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability and is sufficiently serious that it creates a hostile environment, HPA will address the problem using the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights’ enforcements of the following statutes: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504); and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 19904 (Title II). Section 504 and Title II prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. Simply stated, when harassment meets the above description, HPA will address the issue not only on a case-by-case basis, but also by taking concrete steps to rectify the problem on a larger scale. Such steps may include, but are not limited to, the following: publicly reaffirming its anti-bullying policy, re-publicizing procedures on how to report bullying, addressing the issue with students in the classroom or at an assembly, offering counseling to victims and/or bullies, staff training, and parent outreach.

5) Reporting Bullying:

Students: Students are highly encouraged to report incidences of bullying to school staff. Any person who takes any retaliatory action against a student who reports in good faith an incident of bullying will face consequences that may range from positive behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion.

Students also have the opportunity to anonymously report bullying through Safe2Tell and Speak Up. Both organizations are anonymous anti-bullying platforms that enable students, parents, and community members to report bullying and cyber-bullying incidents. Students can use Safe2Tell by calling (877) 542 – 7233 or online at www.safe2tell.org. Students can also call Speak Up to report an incident by calling or texting (303) 731-1483. When a student uses Safe2Tell, a trained call-taker takes down the information in a report, which will then be shared with High Point Academy administration and/or law enforcement. The anonymity of those who use Safe2Tell is protected by Colorado law (C.R.S. 07-197). When a student uses Speak Up the school will receive a message regarding the incident. Speak Up is a unique two-way communication system,that masks the phone number while still allowing the school to send a response after the incident has been handled.

Staff: Staff should be on the lookout for bullying at all times and should purposefully place themselves in bully-prone areas whenever possible. All HPA staff members are responsible for trying to prevent bullying and for addressing it if it occurs in their presence.

When a staff member becomes aware of bullying, either by student report or by witnessing the incident, the staff person should follow these steps:

1. Speak to the students involved, separately, as soon as possible. If you suspect bullying but aren’t 100% sure, speak to the victim(s) first, and then decide whether or not you need to speak with the bully(s).
2. When you feel you have a clear idea of what happened, determine appropriate consequences for the bully(s) and take steps to protect the victim(s).
3. When appropriate, use the incident as an opportunity to give the whole class a reminder of the lessons learned in Second Step/Steps to Respect.
4. Use your judgment, depending on the severity of the incident, to decide whether or not to call the parents of the bully(s) and victim(s). Make any phone calls within 24 hours of the incident.
5. Make sure that other staff members who interact with the involved students (specials teachers, I.A.’s, office staff, etc.) are aware of the situation.
6. Complete a Bullying Report Form and submit it to the Dean of Students within 48 hours of the incident.

If the bullying incident relates to an ongoing issue, or if the incident is severe, send the involved students directly to the Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, or Principal.

At the end of every month, the Dean of Students will review the Bullying Report Forms collected that month and will follow up to determine if issues have been resolved or if further action is necessary.

6) Professional Development:

At least once annually, High Point Academy will train its staff on how to recognize and prevent bullying, and on how to address it immediately, consistently, equitably, and appropriately when it occurs.

7) Character Building:

High Point Academy uses the research-based and award-winning Second Step and Steps to Respect curricula with all of its students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. The K – 2 Second Step curriculum teaches skills for social and academic success. Steps to Respect is a bullying-prevention program for 3rd – 5th grade students, and the 6th – 8th grade Second Step curriculum is aimed at promoting school success and preventing substance abuse, violence, and bullying.

Classroom teachers must set aside designated time each week to focus on these programs.

8) Bullying Prevention Team:

High Point Academy’s Bullying Prevention Team consists of staff, administration, and teachers that are on the Leadership Team. HPA Leadership Team is made up of representatives from each of the school’s constituencies including: primary, intermediate, middle, learning support, and specials teams along with HPA administration including CAO/CBO, Assistant Principal, Dean of Students, Director of Student Services and Office Manager.

In a monthly meeting with the Principal and Dean of Students, the Bullying Prevention Team will report on the type and frequency of incidents they’ve seen and will give feedback on their views of the problem and potential solutions. Bullying and bullying prevention will be on the Leadership Team’s meeting agenda at least once per month.

9) Evaluation and Reporting:

On a biannual basis, HPA administrators will give a “State of Bullying” report to its governing board. The report will include the frequency and type of bullying incidents that occurred that quarter and a comparison of how the data relates to previous quarters.

High Point Academy will also include questions about bullying frequency in its annual student survey.

Using information from the bullying prevention team and feedback from staff, the governing board, students, and parents, the HPA community will conduct an annual review of its anti-bullying policy and bullying-prevention plan and will make changes as necessary. In addition, as required by Colorado House Bill 11-1254, HPA will submit an annual written report to the Charter School Institute concerning the learning environment in the school during the previous year.