Negley Elementary School counselor Michelle Winn (right) with her daughter Jadyn Lyric Winn, a kindergartner at Negley Elementary. (Courtesy photo)
by KIM HILSENBECK
A little teasing here, an off-color comment there. When does such behavior cross the line into bullying? For Hays CISD, any behavior that makes another person feel unwelcome or unsafe has no place in school.
The No Place for Hate campaign, now in its fourth year at Hays CISD, celebrates differences in skin color, body type, disability, income level, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or any other dissimilarity.
“Instead of focusing on specific kids that might be labeled bullies, we emphasize respectful behavior by everyone,” said Negley Elementary School counselor Michelle Winn. “We want positive behavior when they’re young so by the time they get to middle school and high school, it’s just part of their life. Middle school is hard enough.”
The real power of No Place for Hate, according to Winn, is strength in numbers.
“We teach kids to stand up as a united front and say something when they see bullying, instead of just being a bystander,” she said. “This sends a message to bullies and the behavior changes.”
District administrators say the program is working. Terry Fielder, director of intervention services, said disciplinary incidents of bullying are down, based on an initial review of behavior referrals at campuses. While Fielder has not yet compiled all the data, she said she will publish an end-of-year report before retiring in May.
Fielder, a former teacher, works with the district on positive behavior intervention services (PBIS). The PBIS philosophy involves setting clear expectations for student behavior and then teaching students the rules. Good behavior is positively rewarded. Teachers call attention to bad behavior and offer specific ways to correct it.
About 1,400 Hays CISD teachers and administrative staff went through formal PBIS training two summers ago. Federal stimulus funds earmarked for special education were used to pay for the training; a portion of the money was designated for regular education, according to Fielder.
Both PBIS and No Place for Hate rely on establishing rules and positively reinforcing good behavior. PBIS will track behavioral changes resulting from the No Place for Hate effort.
Students and teachers at all 22 Hays CISD campuses participate in No Place for Hate. They sign a commitment form to be bully- and hate-free. Schools hold at least three activities each year, and all have banners, signs and posters espousing the No Place for Hate mantra. Many schools also sell T-shirts to promote the campaign.
According to Director of Counseling Charlotte Winklemann, who is also the district’s No Place for Hate liaison, the campaign is absolutely making a positive difference. And, says Winklemann, it comes with little or no additional cost to each campus or the district.
Winn, Negley’s No Place for Hate campus coordinator, was the recipient of an honor last June from the Anti-Defamation League, the organization that started the program 11 years ago. The award recognized Winn’s excellence in administering the program at Negley.
“Our counselors teach self-esteem building, goal setting, diversity, and conflict management, among other topics,” Winn said. “These all tie into the campaign’s anti-bullying message.”
Examples of Negley’s events include skits and a flash mob (a pre-arranged choreographed dance meant to appear spontaneous) by the school’s student government, overseen by teacher April Starns, which performs at public places like H-E-B and Chick-fil-A.
“Our art teacher had all the kids do a self portrait along with one idea to stop bullying,” Winn said. “More than 700 are hanging in our cafeteria. Our P.E. teacher incorporates anti-bullying messages. For two weeks each year, we say hello in many different languages during morning announcements.”
With the demographic composition of Negley’s Plum Creek neighborhood changing, messages about acceptance and inclusion are even more important, according to Winn.
“We now have kids that speak Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian and Spanish,” she said.
Winklemann says, “Parents also love it because their kids are involved in something positive.”
Winn wants to see more parents involved. “Typically the parents who show up at events are dealing with bullying, either as a victim’s family or a family of a kid who exhibits bullying behavior,” she said.
“We want the parents of those bystander kids to attend events so they can have discussions with their kids and further support the message,” Winn said.
