Fort Collins
Poudre board pledges continued bullying-prevention lessons, staff training
Lessons for fourth- and sixth-graders cover recognizing unfair treatment, speaking up safely and seeking help; all district staff receive ongoing training on responding to bullying, harassment and discrimination.
The Poudre School District Board of Education adopted a resolution Oct. 13 pledging to continue bullying-prevention lessons for students and training for staff.
Fourth- and sixth-grade students across the district receive Speak Up at School: From Bystander to Upstander lessons on recognizing unfair treatment, speaking up safely, supporting others and seeking help from trusted adults. Kennard Middle School student presenters defined an upstander as someone who speaks or acts when another person is treated unfairly, unkindly or disrespectfully. They said that could mean including someone, checking on a friend or seeking adult help without confronting anyone directly. All district staff receive ongoing training through the Speak Up at School protocol on shared ways to recognize and respond to bullying, harassment and discrimination.
A board director described a tree outside Wellington that had the N-word spray-painted on it about a month and a half earlier. “That's not acceptable. It's not funny. It's not okay,” the director said, calling for such incidents to stop. The resolution says bullying, harassment and discrimination, while distinct, can hinder learning, contribute to emotional distress and harm students' safety, belonging and well-being.
The student presenters called for cyberbullying instruction beyond standard lessons, saying it could help children understand how quickly information spreads. “Even just liking a post can contribute,” they said. They said it is easier to post mean comments without facing the person affected and that adults can also be upstanders.