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Calendar

• Aug. 28, 2019 – WKEC Board of Directors Meeting
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• US Education Department releases Analysis of State Bullying Laws ...
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      Resources to include in your lessons or planning for creating a safer environment in your school.

 
Resources for educators include: Teacher Resources, Lessons and Games, PowerPoints, Videos and Handouts, and Administrator Resources

Other resources:

Safe Schools Week – National School Safety Center  -  NSSC includes a list of ideas and activities that may appropriately be introduced during America's Safe Schools Week (Oct. 21-27, 2018). Some of these suggestions may already be part of district or school site programs. Many of these ideas may be initiated and carried out by school-site principals or parents' groups working with local school administrators or by school district public relations directors, working cooperatively with school superintendents and other district administrators.

America's Safe Schools Week - SAVE Promise Clubs -  America’s Safe Schools Week offers an opportunity to address... and to take steps to ensure that schools offer students and teachers an environment in which they can perform to the best of their abilities. Suggested ideas are included on this site.
 

KY Safe Schools Week Lessons and Web Ideas - Includes resources from: National Bullying Prevention Center, Be Internet Awesome, Common Sense Education - Lessons on “bullying”, KidsHealth in the Classroom, Stop Bullying Now, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, ReadWriteThink and NEA

Below are quick links to accompany the KY Safe Schools Week Lessons and Web Ideas

Developing Empathy Through Retold Fairy Tales  - KET Education – PBS Learning - Learning about empathy helps students connect to others within their family, class, community, and beyond. ... As an optional extension activity, students write about an experience from their own life regarding empathy. ... Prep for Teachers. Examine the media resources to familiarize yourself with the lesson content.

Teacher's Guide: Empathy (Grades 3 to 5) - KidsHealth in the Classroom - To develop empathy, students can be encouraged to become aware of others’ feelings and to see situations from alternate points of view. These activities will help your students explore how to reach out to others, in words and actions.

Teacher's Guide: Empathy (Grades 6 to 8) - KidsHealth in the Classroom - Whether it’s helping someone who dropped her books or listening to someone who’s feeling down, empathy is an important part of students’ lives. These activities will help your students understand what empathy is and how they can be more compassionate toward others.

4 Proven Strategies for Teaching Empathy - Edutopia  - Here are some strategies to use with students to help develop both affective and cognitive empathy. Modeling. Teaching Point of View. Using Literature to Teach Different Perspectives. Listening Actively to Others. Being Metacognitive About One's State of Empathy.

Developing Empathy | Teaching Tolerance – Teaching Tolerance – Grades 5-8 - This lesson helps students gain a deeper understanding of empathy and how to put it into practice. …

40 Kindness Activities & Empathy Worksheets for Students and Adults – Positive Psychology Program –  Learn how to target kindness and empathy development, building on our natural tendencies and enhancing our capacity to care about others. …

A Toolkit for Promoting Empathy in Schools - Start Empathy - Practicing empathy leads to improved classroom management and more time for learning. Students arrive each day ready to learn, and teachers are better equipped to deal with the social and emotional needs of their students. Schools that are committed to empathetic teaching and practices enjoy improved teacher efficacy.

We All Teach SEL: Empathy Activities and Tools for Students ... Common Sense Education -  Building SEL (social and emotional learning) skills such as empathy requires face-to-face interactions, meaningful discussion, and reflection. Edtech is no complete substitute for that, but there are tools that can supplement the development of character in the classroom and at home.

Empathy in Your Classroom: TRY THESE ACTIVITIES TO BUILD EMPATHY AND COMMUNITY – The Teachers Guild – In a 10-week design journey, The Teachers Guild asked its network of optimistic educators across the country to design and share ideas to cultivate empathy in their classrooms. This project generated over a hundred solutions, and sparked active conversations on and offline about the limits of empathy in schools and the ...

Lesson Plans - NetSmartz - 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. … 

FREE RESOURCE: Operation Respect - Operation Respect is a non-profit organization working to assure each child and youth a respectful, safe and compassionate climate of learning where their academic, social and emotional development can flourish. Founded by Peter Yarrow of the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, the organization disseminates educational resources that are designed to establish a climate that reduces the emotional and physical cruelty some children inflict up on each other by behaviours such as ridicule, bullying and-in extreme cases-violence.

Safe Schools For Kids Video - Kentucky State Police - KSP has unveiled its new Safe Schools Program for younger kids! In an effort to teach kids about school safety, and not scare them, they are providing this video for schools to use as a recourse for their kids. They welcome any school or organization to utilize this video as a tool in their classroom. Feel free to use the streaming link from YouTube, or download the file here.

KCSS Empathy Website Page - This page includes:  resources, handouts, PowerPoints, videos, and more.

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Creating a Culture of Kindness in Your Classroom – Scholastic - Teaching kindness to kids is more important than ever before. Use these ideas and resources to create a culture of kindness with your class ...

5 Ways to Teach Kindness to Kids – Highlights – (Parents) The more opportunities we give kids to show caring and concern for others, the greater the likelihood they will become the change agents they want to be, helping to create a kinder world. …

9 Tips for Teaching Kindness in the Classroom – PBS Education - One of the best ways to teach kindness in the classroom is to model being kind ... We spend several months focused on learning “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids. ... a pencil, but they can also help you play games or read with you.

Prevent bullying and show kindness – National Bullying Prevention Center – Students can make a “Kindness Catcher” - A fun way to get ideas for being kind to others and other activities.

Play nice: How to teach kids to be kind – Today Show – (Parents) Every parent has probably said, “play nicely” or “be kind to your sister.”. And most of us agree that we want to raise caring children But is kindness something you can really teach? ... “If you want your child to be kind, you are wasting your breath lecturing them,” said Mary ...

Getting Along – 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.

Common Sense Education - Lessons and games:

We All Teach SEL: Compassion Activities and Tools for Students ... – Resources to integrate compassion into every classroom, every day. ... Students play spatial-reasoning games, building bridges and stairs to ...

Games That Support Kindness and Compassion – Common Sense Media - Although many video games focus on violence over acts of kindness, many out there can help kids see other viewpoints, celebrate others' traditions, and learn ...

Screen Out the Mean – (Grades K-2) What can you do when someone is mean to you online? Students will be able to ... analyze online behaviors that could be considered cyberbullying, explain how to deal with a cyberbullying situation, and recognize the importance of engaging a trusted adult when they experience cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line – (Grades 6-8) When does inappropriate online behavior cross the line into cyberbullying, and what can you do about it? Students will be able to ... analyze online bullying behaviors that “cross the line” and learn about the various ways that students can be cyberbullied, including flaming, deceiving, and harassing.

Cyberbullying and Digital Drama – Common Sense – “Digital Citizenship” Lessons (K-12) - Students can learn what to do if they are involved in a cyberbullying situation as well as ways of how to stop cyberbullying by exploring the roles people play and how individual actions — both negative and positive — can impact their friends and broader communities.

Introduce students to DIGITAL PASSPORT™ – (Grades 3-5) Common Sense Education’s award-winning suite of engaging games that address key issues facing kids in today's digital world. They teach critical skills related to digital safety, respect, and community. Teachers receive robust reporting of individuals and groups’ gameplay. Each of the five games include videos, three levels of gameplay, collaborative offline activities, teacher wraparound materials, and aligned Digital Citizenship lessons. … In E-volve, students make choices about what to do if they or their friends are cyberbullied. They are encouraged to "evolve" into an “Upstander” – someone who takes action to stop cyberbullying, rather than standing by.

Top Games That Teach Empathy – Common Sense Education - Explore this Top Games That Teach Empathy Top Picks list of 27 tools curated ... Toto's Treehouse invites kids to play and explore -- just the way they learn best.

Best Empathy Games, Apps, and Websites for Kids – Common Sense Media editors help you choose Best Empathy Games, Apps, and Websites for Kids. No one will deny that screens have completely changed the ways that kids and teens interact, but the question of whether they make them more or less empathic is somewhat up for debate. These digital tools help teach kids to think about how other people feel and to emphasize the value of human relationships -- even from behind a screen. And for more games that build character, try Common Sense Media's Games That Support Kindness and Compassion. Browse Best Empathy Games, Apps, and Websites for Kids - All ages - Preschoolers (2-4) Little Kids (5-7) Big Kids (8-9) Tweens (10-12) Teens (13+)

Best for Character Development: Recommendations for Families – Common Sense Media - Developing character strengths and life skills is essential to kids' overall growth and success. Traits and strategies like communication, compassion, courage, curiosity, empathy, gratitude, humility, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and teamwork help kids learn, create, and relate to other people (as well as themselves) in healthy ways. All ages Preschoolers (2-4) Little Kids (5-7) Big Kids (8-9) Tweens (10-12) Teens (13+)

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Safe Schools Week 2019 PowerPoint Presentation - Use this PowerPoint as an overview for KY Safe Schools Week.
Download PDF Version

 

Various Classroom PowerPoints are available - Bullying PowerPoint Presentation - (Download PDF Version) This powerpoint explains what bullying is and how to deal with situations if you feel like a victim. CyberBullying PowerPoint Presentation - (Download PDF Version) CyberBullying: This downloadable powerpoint is a brief overview of cyber bullying and includes a definition, statistics and communication. Sexting PowerPoint Presentation - (Download PDF Version) This powerpoint is an overview of sexting which includes a definition, the consequences and the ramifications if caught with sexting photos.

Mean Girls, Beware the Pack is Back!!! - As school begins we need to be aware that "The Pack is Back." Mean girls will be in your halls in full force. In this presentation we will identify "The Mean Girl Pack" and do soul searching to identify who we are and how to become a better person a "Super Hero." Mean girls use relational aggression which is a kind of social torment (bullying) that often exists without parents and teachers even noticing. 

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.

Sesame Street: Mark Ruffalo: Empathy – YouTube - Video for Sesame Street empathy episode. Mark Ruffalo and Murray talk about the word "Empathy".

Animated Story of Spookley - YouTube - Elementary Lesson Plan - Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Pacer is a square pumpkin who lives in a round pumpkin patch world. Spookley helps students understand that everyone is unique and has feelings.

How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids  – YouTube - Through the story of a little boy named Felix, this book explains to children how being kind not only helps others, it helps them, too. As he goes about his day, Felix interacts with different people … Using the metaphor of a bucket and dipper, Felix' grandfather explains why the happy people make Felix feel good, while the others leave him feeling bad -- and how Felix himself is affecting others, whether he means to or not.

The Most Inspirational video - Empathy – YouTube -  Inspirational video made for Cleveland Clinic  - If we could see inside other peoples hearts --- "Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant" Henry David Thoreau

"Under The Surface" - Empathy Film – YouTube - The Knowledge Center, Inc. - "If you had knowledge of others experience" -- "You only understand people if you feel them in yourself." John Steinbeck.  

Conflict vs. Bullying and Telling vs. Tattling - (KCSS) When talking with your students use these handouts. Everyone needs to know the difference in conflict and bullying, and telling and tattling. Review these in classrooms and place on the wall to refer to every now and then.
Bullying Prevention Checklist - (KCSS) 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 Mean Girl Bullying Handout - Parent Tips Suggestions include: Involve girls in activities outside of school so they are exposed to different types of people, and, encourage relationships with adults and other children who appreciate them for who they are.
From PACER - Talk to Your Child About Bullying
Parents can prepare themselves to talk with their children by considering how they are going to handle their child’s questions and emotions. They can also decide what information they would like to give their child about bullying
English Handout
Spanish Handout
Social Media/Internet Safety - Be aware when using social media accounts, even disappearing content sites, that IP addresses are being logged by the site. If one uploads threatening material, risky pictures or cyberbullying the IP address can be used to locate the offender. Nothing disappears on the Internet and think before you click.
“Kindness Counts” bookmarks - Everyday, let's enjoy reading and show kindness, helping make our schools a great place to learn and grow.

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Safety Tipline, Online Prevention - (KOHS) S.T.O.P.! Tipline is an "online" reporting/prevention tool. If students, parents or community members know of an unsafe situation in school (bullying, weapons, drugs or alcohol, etc.), they can anonymously pass on that information to school personnel by using this basic email format. Contact Jason Childers Jason.childers@ky.gov

Bark Monitoring Tool for Schools - 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.

Kentucky School Safety Bill SB 1
Governor Matt Bevin ceremoniously signed Senate Bill 1, also known as the School Safety and Resiliency Act, into law.

Click here to view more photos of this event
Click here to view SB 1

Bullying Prevention Checklist: - Jon Akers, Executive Director of KCSS, offer 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.

OnGuardOnline.gov - (The Federal Trade Commission) OnGuardOnline.gov is a partner in the Stop.Think.Connect. campaign, led by the Department of Homeland Security, and part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It has many free downloads and videos available for schools and communities.

From SAMHSA - Get Know Bullying, the free app from SAMHSA that can prevent bullying. Research shows that parents and caregivers who spend at least 15 minutes a day talking with their child can build the foundation for a strong relationship and help prevent bullying.

Safe Schools For Kids Video - Kentucky State Police - KSP has unveiled its new Safe Schools Program for younger kids! In an effort to teach kids about school safety, and not scare them, they are providing this video for schools to use as a recourse for their kids. They welcome any school or organization to utilize this video as a tool in their classroom. Feel free to use the streaming link from YouTube, or download the file here.

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