Dear Family,

As you know, we are using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom. The Second Step program teaches children important skills for getting along with others and doing well in school. It also helps our school be a safe, respectful place where everyone can learn.

To further help our school be a safe and respectful place, we are also going to use the Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit. In this unit, your child will learn specific skills to help stop bullying. Students will learn how to:

• Recognize when bullying is happening, report bullying to a caring adult, and refuse to let bullying happen • Be a bystander who helps stop bullying
• Support someone being bullied by standing up for that person and being kind and inclusive
• Recognize, report, and refuse cyber bullying when they see or know about it happening

In addition, your child will bring home simple, fun activities called Home Links. These activities give your child another chance to practice his or her skills for handling bullying. They will also help you understand what your child is learning about bullying and how you can assist your child if he or she needs to respond to bullying.

For bullying prevention to work, everyone at school needs to be involved. All of our staff will get special training in how to:

• Recognize and respond to bullying
• Support children who have been bullied
• Correct behaviors of children who are bullying
• Use strategies that support a positive school and classroom climate

And we need your help, too! Get involved in making our school a safe and respectful place by letting us know if you hear about bullying at our school. Make sure your child knows to tell you or someone at school if he or she is being bullied, or if he or she knows about someone else being bullied. Give your child the clear message that it is never okay to bully others.

If you have any questions about the Bullying Prevention Unit or the Second Step program, please contact me. For more information on our school’s anti-bullying policy and specific procedures, check our school website or contact the school office. Thank you for helping us make our school a safe, respectful place where everyone can learn.

Sincerely,

P.S. Make sure to join SecondStep.org with the activation key BPU4 FAMI LY04 to get information about what your child is learning in the Second Step program!