Hartland Elementary School_____________________________
97 Martinsville Road, Hartland, Vermont 05048 (802) 436-2255 fax (802) 436-2091
October 14, 2011
Dear Parents of seventh and eighth grade students,
We are writing to you to ask for your help. We have recently experienced a spate of inappropriate behavior between students that may be considered harassment. Although this word is commonly used to describe many irritating behaviors, we do not use the term lightly in these cases. The legal definition of harassment is as follows:
Harassment: An incident or incidents of verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct based on or motivated by a student’s or a student’s family member’s actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, gender identity, marital status, sex, sex orientation, or disability that has the purpose or effect of objectively and substantially undermining and detracting from or interfering with a student’s educational performance or access to school resources, or creating an objectively intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
Bullying: Any overt act or combination of acts directed against a student by another student or groups of students and which:
a. is repeated over time
b. is intended to ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate the student, and
c. occurs during the school day on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity.
Mr. Cox has been vigilant about responding to claims or reports of inappropriate behavior and has taken a very strict approach to these incidents. I support him completely. Looking at individual incidents, one might ask if the school is taking too strict an approach. However taken as a whole, I believe we have a significant problem with the way in which students are treating each other and that the response has been appropriate.
Teachers and staff met with the boys and girls separately this week to clarify what behaviors they are seeing that are problematic. They include writing inappropriate words on the bus seats, “scoop dunking” girls’ chests, calling each other gay, making comments of a sexual nature about each other’s bodies. We need your help in reinforcing what is acceptable. We also need your help in teaching your children that there are different standards for acceptable behaviors in different environments such as school.
I ask that you all take a look at YouTube and some of the MTV shows that your children are watching. Listen to the language used, check out the dress, (or lack thereof). It is no wonder that students have difficulty understanding what is not OK. Sex sells, which is why these venues are such money- makers. Yet at school, we are bound by Vermont Statute to enforce very high standards of conduct. Again, we need your help. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Judith Callens, Principal
Kevin Cox, Dean of Students
