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Potsdam parents, teachers, students hold forum to battle racism and bullying at Potsdam Central

Posted 2/15/17

By MATT LINDSEY POTSDAM -- About 65 parents, community members, students and staff attended a community forum Feb. 1 to tackle diversity, equity and inclusion and have come up with new ways to battle …

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Potsdam parents, teachers, students hold forum to battle racism and bullying at Potsdam Central

Posted

By MATT LINDSEY

POTSDAM -- About 65 parents, community members, students and staff attended a community forum Feb. 1 to tackle diversity, equity and inclusion and have come up with new ways to battle racism and bullying at Potsdam Central.

The forum was held in response to a recent racially-charged incident last December which resulted in two students being arrested, a protest, and triggered the school to further address racial and bullying issues.

During lunch Friday, Dec. 9, a student used a racial slur in a conversation with friends at his table and the remark was heard by students at a nearby table, which included three African-American students.

A verbal altercation ensued between the two groups and Potsdam Village Police were called in to deescalate the situation.

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.

“It was a great turnout (at the forum),” Potsdam Central Superintendent Joann Chambers said.

The forum was facilitated by Louise Tyo and Lonel Woods, both members of the Diversity Inclusion Action Coalition at SUNY Potsdam.

Attendees were broken up into small groups to brainstorm about school culture and climate, she said. High school students recorded ideas and Chambers compiled a final list and shared the results at a Feb. 14 Board of Education meeting.

One idea from the forum was to create 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 principals office to make a complaint.”

The school is already working to implement this new system.

Chambers said the school will also look to implement “The Positivity Project” which is aimed at building stronger relationships for students through seeing character strengths in themselves and their pupils. PCS was made aware of “The Positivity Project” through fifth grade teacher Todd Kaiser.

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

About 20 teachers from all three levels of the school will attend training in Syracuse next month.

“I think this well help students realize that they have more in common with each other than they thought,” Chambers said.

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