By MATTHEW LINDSEY

POTSDAM – A recently formed group of parents has asked the Potsdam Central School Board of Education to meet with them to discuss bullying issues in the district.

Superintendent Joann Chambers says a meeting has tentatively been set for April 11 at 5:30 p.m., preceding the regularly scheduled board meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Chambers said she was still making sure the board would have enough members able to be present at the meeting. Anyone can attend the meeting.

The school has addressed the issue of bullying through community meetings, making suggested changes at the school and implementing programs to help combat bullying. Still, some parents do not feel like the school is doing enough.

Some concerns expressed by parents have been what they feel is a lack of camera coverage at the school, supervision in hallways in between periods and consistent punishment for students accused of bullying.

Chambers says she feels the school is meeting those needs overall, but is open to suggestions and opinion. “We can always improve our efforts.”

“We have good coverage with our cameras, they are in stairways and halls and we’ve made some adjustments with them,” she said.

It is expected of teachers to be in the hallways monitoring student behavior and reinforce positive behavior, she said.

“I do see teachers in the hallways frequently between classes,” Chambers said.

Chambers disagrees with the notion that punishment related to bullying isn’t consistent.

The school cannot share what disciplinary measures are taken when a student is punished.

“One challenge is that parents often don't know the whole situation,” she said.

Parents may see where one student gets a warning, and another one is suspended. But because information isn’t made public, there may be more to the story that parents are not aware of.

It could be the first time a student is in trouble or possibly their third or fourth infraction. “We document each complaint and investigate and respond,” Chambers said.

PCS has progressive discipline, aiming for corrective behavior versus punishment first through support and guidance.

By New York State law, a principal can suspend a student for five days and a superintendent can suspend a student for up to a year.

One way students harass and bully others is through social media.

When asked about bannig cell phones at PCS, Chambers said cell phones have been a topic of conversation in the past, but it is hard to police.

"Students can use phones, with permission from teachers, for educational purposes inside classrooms and for personal use in between classes and lunch time," she said.

She said most schools allow students to use cell phones, but she would be open to suggestions for a policy change.

Bullying Issue Not New

Prior to incidents this past year students said they have been dealing with and are concerned about bullying at PCS.

In November, a survey of students said that students feel safe overall but have concerns about bullying.

An altercation about six weeks later following a racial slur made by a Potsdam Central student resulting in two arrests triggered the school to further address racial and bullying issues.

The incident resulted in a protest, social media reaction and triggered the school to further address racial and bullying issues through community meetings.

In February, about 65 parents, community members, students and staff attended a community forum to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion and came up with new ways to battle racism and bullying at Potsdam Central.

The forum was held in response to the racially-charged incident in December.

Following the incident, concerned parents and former students reacted on social media, held a protest in front of the school and attended a Board of Education meeting voicing their concerns.

On March 27, a student was charged with assault and harassment after allegedly spitting on another student and punching him in the face during an altercation.

The alleged victim is an African-American and some community members felt the incident was racially motivated.

Positive Programs

Chambers hopes changes can be made through teaching appropriate behavior and offering guidance with handling conflict.

To do that, the school has implemented and will continue to implement programs and procedures that promote treating each other with kindness.

In response to bullying incidents earlier this year, PCS created an online tool to report harassment and bullying.

“It is a discreet way for students to report incidents,” Chambers said.

The idea is that students may be reluctant to walk into the principal’s office to make a complaint.

The school is already working to implement this new system.

Chambers said the school will implement “The Positivity Project” soon, which is aimed building character strengths and realizing and concentrating on commonalities ground instead of differences. The project was introduced by PCS by fifth grade teacher Todd Kaiser.

“This will help students identify positive strengths and use those qualities,” she said.

Students are dealing with depression and anxiety issues, often comparing themselves to others from body image to academics, Chambers said.

Chambers hopes The Positivity Project helps students see common ground instead of difference.

PCS plans to implement the system district-wide in the 2017-18 school year.

Potsdam Central School has also implemented a new initiative for younger children called “Stellar Sandstoners."

The goal is to increase student achievement by improving student behavior. Students will be recognized and rewarded for making positive behavior choices.

The program was presented to the Board of Education at January meeting by Lawrence Avenue Elementary School Principal Jennifer Gray.

Students will be chosen weekly. One student per classroom and special area will be selected as a “Stellar Sandstoner” each week.