Safe Schools

The Director of Safe Schools also chairs the S4 Committee (Safe Students/Safe Schools) which is comprised of assistant principals, counselors, law enforcement, special services, social workers, technology, operations, and administrators.

The focus of the committee is to ensure that our students have the opportunity to be educated in a safe and secure environment. The committee addresses topics such as:

• Bullying
• Cyber Bullying
• Eagle Talk - Parent Tips and Reporting
• Suicide Prevention
• Suspicious Behavior Reporting
• District/Campus Assemblies (Anti-Bullying, Kindness, No Drinking/Driving/Texting etc.)
• Human Trafficking
• Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Vaping

Ensuring safety on all campuses is the district’s highest priority.  This school year Lori May, Director of Safe Schools, added another safety protocol called Safety Assessment Monitors (SAM’s).  Each campus safety coordinator selected a team of staff members to become “SAM’s”, and each SAM went through training in August to ensure an added layer of safety and security for BHISD. 

The role of a SAM is to help substitute teachers, so that students are kept safe.  SAM’s check on substitute teachers each morning to make sure they are familiar with safety procedures and are prepared in case of an emergency.  Each SAM is assigned to a group of teachers to answer any questions their substitutes may have as well as to check for safety concerns throughout the day.  SAM’s can be easily identified by their orange SAM lanyard as well as a sign on their classroom window indicating that they are a Safety Assessment Monitor for the campus. 

Barbers Hill is so proud of the dedication and pride that our SAM’s take in going above and beyond to help keep our students and staff safe.  We will continue to be proactive and keep safety at the forefront of everything we do.

What is the McKinney Vento Homeless Act?

The purpose of the McKinney Vento Homeless Act is to remove barriers to education, ensure that students who are displaced due to lack of housing have certain rights and help provide stability in their education.

Key Provisions of the McKinney Vento Homeless Act: 

Section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence which can include:

• Children and youth who are currently living in a temporary place or residence and sharing housing with others due to; economic hardships, eviction, natural disaster, loss of housing; or living in motels or camp grounds due to lack of alternative or adequate accommodations; living in an emergency or transitional shelter; or are awaiting foster care placement
• Unaccompanied youth (not living with parent or guardian) living in a temporary situation.

Your Child's Rights:

The McKinney-Vento Act ensures educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness.  These rights include:

• Immediate enrollment 
• Immediate eligibility for free child nutrition
• Keeping the child enrolled in "School of Origin" upon request or assisting the child with enrollment in the attendance zone where he/she is currently residing.
• Transportation assistance 

For help enrolling or if you feel you fit this criteria, 

Contact:

Lesley Gershmel
BHISD Social Worker
Lesley.Gershmel@bhisd.net
281-576-2221 ext. 1450

David’s Law

Read S.B. 179 David’s Law

Education Code

Under David’s Law, Texas public schools will have the authority to address cyberbullying that occurs off-campus. Schools will be required to notify a bullying victim’s parents of a bullying incident within three business days after the incident is reported and must notify the parents of an aggressor within a reasonable amount of time. School procedures for reporting bullying incidents must include anonymous reporting for students. Schools will be able to expel students who engage in very serious bullying. This includes bullying that (i) encourages another student to commit suicide (i.e., suicide baiting), (ii) incites violence against another student, or (iii) involves releasing indecent photos of another student. Strong protections from civil or criminal liabilities will be given to schools and school personnel who report criminal bullying to law enforcement officials. There will be new provisions in the law to promote metal health education, including education about the effects of grief and trauma on a student’s mental health and learning. The role of school counselors will be expanded to include mediating interpersonal conflicts among students, including accusations of bullying.

Civil Code

David’s Law will make it easier to obtain an injunction (similar to a protective order) from a Texas court to prevent continual cyberbullying against a student. Victims will be able to have the court issue an injunction against not only the cyberbully, but also against the cyberbully’s parents, requiring those parents to take action to stop their child from cyberbullying. The Texas Supreme Court’s office will make easy-to-use forms available to the general public to allow parents to obtain an injunction against ongoing cyberbullying of their children without the need for hiring a lawyer.

Criminal Code

The definitions in the harassment provisions of Texas criminal laws will be modernized to better include the current ways cyberbullies attack victims through smart phones and social media. Cyber-harassment against a child that includes suicide baiting or the violation of an injunction against cyberbullying will be a much more serious criminal offense than before, up to Class A Misdemeanor.

 

When bullying is reported by a student, parent, or staff member, both the Counselor and Assistant Principal will be notified.

• The parent of the victim will be notified on or before the third business day after the date the incident was reported.
• The Counselor and/or the Assistant Principal will meet with both parties, the victim and the accused, separately. The Principal will be notified.
• The Assistant Principal will conduct an investigation, as warranted. Discipline will be administered based on the Student Code of Conduct and Campus Discipline Plan.
• The parents of both the accused and the victim will be notified following the meetings.
• If the bullying persists, further disciplinary actions will be taken in addition to other strategies to separate students.
• Bullying Investigation Report will be completed by the Assistant Principal and a copy sent to Sandra Duree.

Cyber Bullying

• If cyber-bullying occurs on campus, disciplinary sanctions will be administered according to the Campus Discipline Plan and technology privileges may be affected.
• If cyber-bullying occurs off-campus and is reported to a school official, parents will be notified. 
• If inappropriate behavior occurs on school grounds as a result of cyber-bullying, discipline will be administered according to the Campus Discipline Plan.

Report Bullying

Prevalence

In recent years, more and more researchers, health practitioners, and youth service providers have become aware of the problem of teen dating and sexual violence. Teen dating violence is shockingly common. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that nationally one in 11 adolescents has experienced physical abuse. CDC also cited a 2001 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association stating that one in five high school girls have been sexually abused by a dating partner. Many youth also experience emotional abuse, harassment, and stalking in dating relationships.

Teen dating violence is a pattern of behavior where one person uses threats of or actual physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse to control his or her partner. This form of violence can include verbal abuse, written materials, use of weapons, the destruction of property, stalking, and other forms of intimidation.

Resources for Teens

Teen Dating Violence Flyer - Student Flyer English and Spanish

Teen Dating Violence in English
Teen Dating Violence in Spanish

Violence Prevention CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/

National Dating Abuse Hotline 1.866.331.9474

Love is Respect
http://www.loveisrespect.org/

Talking to Your Child About Teen Dating Violence

Teen Dating Violence Parent Flyer English and Spanish

Teen Dating Violence Parent in English
Teen Dating Violence Parent in Spanish