Safe Schools Week Resources

K-2 Caring for students requires more than a style of interaction. Children need real opportunities to develop their cognitive, social-emotional, and moral domains. “Five Strategies for Creating Caring” are included for teacher to use with their students.

A list of lessons, activities, games, etc. about kindness: 

• We All Teach SEL: Compassion Activities and Tools for Students
• Introduce students to “DIGITAL PASSPORT™
• Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
• Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line
• Top Games That Teach Empathy
• Games That Support Kindness and Compassion

Common Sense Media for students PreK-2.  Learning to share can be tough for both siblings and friends. But sharing is a skill kids need for the classroom, the playground, and getting along at home. These books show — gently and with humor — how it’s done.

Fostering a culture of kindness enhances the connections made peer-to-peer and student to teacher. Carving out time to intentionally promote kindness cultivates empathy and understanding between individuals, leading to deeper relationships. One of the best ways to teach kindness in the classroom is to model being kind.

KCSS – This page includes some resources that are available that will hopefully help promote and incorporate empathy in your lessons as you make it an integral part of each school day. When others’ feelings become important their safety and well-being will be a priority. Resources listed include lessons, activities, kits, handouts, PowerPoints, videos and more.

Cyber Bullying: Suggestions for Schools – (KCSS) 

Cyber Bullying: Suggestions for Students – (KCSS) 

Cyber Bullying: Suggestions for Parents – (KCSS) 

Cyber Bullying: Suggestions for Educators – (KCSS) 

The Foundation for a Better Life creates public service campaigns to communicate positive values. “Locker” – In this motivational commercial a boy is accosted by bullies at school, but pleasantly surprised when he is helped by another student. This models a positive example of reaching out to someone else in need. “Cafeteria” – Girls are sometimes more verbally aggressive and this commercial shows how a new student is mistreated, just because she is new. On a positive note, she is rescued by a student doing the right thing by making a choice to treat her with respect.

NetSmartz – 20-30% of kids report having been cyberbullied in their lifetime. Resources to help deal with cyberbullying – such as “Cyberbullying Unplugged (PDF)”.

The Cyberbullying Research Center is dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents.

This WonderGrove Kids Video emphasizes respect on the playground for elementary school aged students. Treating others with respect is so important. The kids and this video explain how others should be treated.

KidsHealth in the Classroom – Family, friends, and teachers are a big part of kids’ lives. My brother and I fight over pretty much everything — what games to play, what shows to watch, who.

This lesson for 3-5 graders provides an opportunity for students to reflect upon and personally relate to a teacher read-aloud of a narrative story. The lesson could be used with other stories; however, A Bad Case of Stripes allows for a personal connection by having students reflect on similar situations or emotions in their own lives. 

KRS 158.4416 requires KDE to make available a toolkit that includes guidance, strategies, behavioral interventions, practices, and techniques to assist school districts and in developing a trauma-informed approach in schools. The following tools are designed to assist in this process:

• Understanding Trauma & Traumatic Stress
• What Is a Trauma-Informed School?
• Trauma-Informed Teams

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is designed to improve peer relations and make schools safer, more positive places for students to learn and develop.

Pacer – Classroom Toolkits – There are activities for younger students, as well as middle and high school. Also, a student created toolkit is listed with videos, music and artwork designed by students for other students to use.  This is a great way to create a dialogue with your class.  They can be the solution and a superhero as they work together to stop bullying.

Six 90-minute sessions for 9-12 graders. Using a realistic, high-interest novel (The Bully by Paul Langan) and interactive reading strategies, students discuss many issues that surround bullying and consider what they themselves can do to prevent bullying.

Jon Akers, Executive Director of KCSS, offers suggestions for principals to consider when establishing bullying/harassment standards within their respective schools. This is not an all-inclusive list…but it is a good start for principals to reflect and act accordingly. (KCSS Handout) 

In this Dinosaur Train episode, the Pteranodon kids and Tank Triceratops play games at Big Pond, where they discuss the purpose of Tank’s frill, and outsmart a bully. They learn that Tank’s frill is a defense mechanism which makes the Triceratops look threatening to potential predators. (Stream Only)

Handle With Care (HWC) is the notification system described in the School Safety & Resiliency Act where schools and districts are required to collaborate with law enforcement to create procedures for notification of a student who has been trauma-exposed as part of the plan for implementing a trauma-informed approach in schools. The Kentucky State Police (KSP) have implemented a notification system that is now active statewide. The information below has been provided to us by KSP regarding implementation of the HWC program. Watch Video

Bark – Bark for Schools provides a FREE world-class online safety solution for K-12 schools in the U.S. Our comprehensive solution comprises G Suite and Office 365 student account monitoring, Chrome/Chromebook monitoring, and a web content filter that categorizes and blocks harmful and inappropriate domains. Parents for a nominal fee Bark is available to you, also!

If someone threatens a school or school activity in any way that causes the school to have to evacuate (to keep students and teachers safe), that is called terroristic threatening. (KCSS Handout)

• It’s not a joke!
• It’s not a prank!
• It’s not for fun!
• It’s against the law!

This handout addresses online “Threats at School.” Many students are not aware of the fact that all social media acquire and log “IP addresses” even Snapchat. This is a handout to help you explain how law enforcement can obtain anyone’s personal information from any of these apps. Then law enforcement can find the offending student and press charges. The student who creates, reposts or sends the fear-provoking material will suffer the consequences of this felony. (KCSS Handout)

While bullying doesn’t cause suicide, a stressful environment and persistent, emotional victimization can increase a person’s risk of suicide. Together, we can create awareness about the dangers of bullying and give emotional support to those who may be contemplating suicide. If you or someone you know is in an emotional distress or suicidal crisis, please call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) 

(Kentucky Office of Homeland Security) – Use this tip line (or call 1-866-393-6659) to report concerns of any kind, whether it be at home or at school. You may report anonymously, or choose to be contacted. This is a free service for all Kentuckians.

(KCSS) – Each classroom should consider developing a “response kit” to have available for use during an emergency situation. Items in the kit should not be used for anything other than emergency preparedness training activities. The kit should be portable and readily accessible for use in an emergency. Contact KCSS for more information. 

When talking with your students use this handout. Everyone needs to know the difference between telling and tattling. Review these in classrooms and place them on the wall to refer to every now and then.  (KCSS Handout)

All NetSmartz lesson plans can be tailored to meet multiple Common Core and ISTE … NetSmartzKids.org while learning about the four rules of Internet safety and netiquette. Being kind online begins with kind words and support. Learning that what is sent online affects others in both good and bad ways. Be careful what you write.

FBI-SOS is a free, fun, and informative program that promotes cyber citizenship by educating students in third to eighth grades on the essentials of online security. Students will learn skills to keep them cyber safe in a game format. There is a game for each grade level promoting safe surfing online especially while students have more time online at home. (English and Spanish)

Cyberbullying Fact Sheet: Identification, Prevention, and Response – Cyberbullying Research Center – Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2020). A guide to help educators/parents/guardians spot cyberbullying be respectful and show kindness to everyone during this transitional time. This fact sheet also addresses how to respond appropriately.

Elementary Lesson Plan – Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Pacer is a square pumpkin who lives in a round pumpkin patch world. In The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin, a perennial fall favorite children’s story, Spookley helps you understand that the things that make you different are what make you special.

Students in grades 2-5 can use these activities to practice skills in resolving conflicts with bullies and help them think critically about logical resolutions. Teasing is Tough – Get children to talk about how it feels to be teased. Work together to create coping strategies, in this activity from Arthur. (PBS Learning Media)

KCSS – Cyber bullying involves the use of information and technology such as e-mail, instant messaging, the publishing of defamatory personal web sites, and online personal polling web sites that are used to support conscious, willful, deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by one or more people with the intent to harm others. On-line harassment or threatening is Cyber bullying and it is on the rise.

KCSS – This page includes some resources that are available that will hopefully help promote and incorporate empathy in your lessons as you make it an integral part of each school day. When others’ feelings become important their safety and well-being will be a priority. Resources listed include lessons, activities, kits, handouts, PowerPoints, videos and more.

KCSS – The Internet is a wonderful tool which puts the world and all its information at our fingertips. Much of this information has been available for a long time through public library access or other means. Indeed, many of these sites have been in operation for a number of years.

However, this ease of access is paving the way for massive growth in Internet-based crime such as identity theft and predators. Most of these sites also provide an opt-out feature for you to remove or manage what information is available, though it may take some clicking around to locate it. 

KCSS – Social networking has become the “get to know your friends” means of communication for the majority of teen students today. Because of the anonymity of this global resource, areas of concern reach a higher level of danger. As students share their life through this open to the world means of communication the chances of problems escalate. Not only is there a freedom of expression but it seems it is a new avenue to push acceptance or non-acceptance to a realm that is really inconceivable with extreme consequences. Below are resources to help educate and prepare students in this ever-evolving area of communication.

KCSS – There are several variations of addressing lockdown procedures when considering the school setting. This page includes several ideas that may assist in developing a “lockdown” protocol in a school community. It is highly recommended that school officials consult with local law enforcement officials to cooperatively develop this protocol.

View current suggestions: “Considerations When Developing a School Lockdown Policy”

KCSS – More so now than ever before, schools are faced with ongoing challenges. They must be prepared for a wide range of emergency situations from natural disasters to threats of violence. Although schools may have established procedures for dealing with many emergency situations, many do not have these protocols collected in a coordinated, concise manner that are reviewed annually. The 2023 revision of the Emergency Management Resource Guide is designed to assist during the planning stage both at the school and district levels.