We work hard to make your child's bus experience as safe as possible.

If you experience a problem with bus service, please call Caldwell Transportation company at 459-6612.

Please call the school office at 455-3345 if your child experiences problems on a bus.

Take a look at our Bus Citizenship Expectations

Lewis & Clark Elementary School's

Four-A Response to Bullying

 

Here's how we train our staff:

Lewis & Clark Elementary Response To Bullying on the Bus
Handling Disclosures of Bullying

If a student discloses bullying on the bus, remain calm. Do not panic or express shock. Acknowledge the student’s disclosure and tell him/her you will talk more about this as soon as you can (e.g., after the other students exit at the bus stop, after arrival at school, etc.). Make every attempt to discuss the situation in private with the student.

Use the Four-A Response Process and Coaching Process as appropriate.

The Four-A Response Process
Use the following process when a student reports bullying:
1. Affirm the student’s feelings.
· You were right to talk to an adult.
· I’m glad you asked for help with this.
2. Ask questions.
· Tell me more about what happened
· Use our bully definition to sort it out (happened before?)
· Did anyone else see/hear what happened? (witnesses)
3. Assess the student’s safety.
· Determine what the student needs in order to be safe now. (sit in front w/ a friend)
4. Act.
· Tell the student what will happen next (“I will tell Mr. Muncy so he can help us with this.”)
· Provide consequences for regular rule violations/ behavior problems (just as you always have)
· Refer to bus garage supervisor (Randy) if it determined bullying did happen

  

Here's how we respond to bullying:

Coaching Models
Respond swiftly to bullying when we are aware of it to reinforce the message that bullying will not be tolerated in our school. We will be using the Committee for Children’s preferred method for responding to bullying, which is the coaching model that follows.

Once bullying has been reported, both the student who was bullied and the student who bullied must receive coaching. It is essential there be no exceptions to this rule. The school counselor or principal will have primary responsibility for providing this step.

The following coaching models complement the Four-A Response Process by focusing to a greater extent on the longer-term problem solving and, in the case of students who bully others, determining consequences for behavior. Together, these elements provide both a rapid, safety-focused response to bullying and attention to students’ longer-term needs.

When bullying has been reported on a bus, the counselor and/or principal will provide follow-up communication to the bus drivers and bus garage supervisors regarding bullying disclosures; results of investigations; consequences provided; and any safety plans implemented.

Reporting protocol
1. Student to Driver
2. Driver to Bus Duty aide
3. Bus duty aide handles all front line reports & determines next steps (provide consequences and/or report on to Principal/Counselor)

Coaching The Student Who Has Been Bullied on the Bus
For many reasons, students rarely report the bullying they experience to adults. Students may be afraid of retaliation, they may think the bullying is their fault, they may feel ashamed, or they may believe that adults are unable or unlikely to stop the harassment. This five-step process helps combat students’ feelings of helplessness and reluctance to report.

Step 1: Affirm the student’s feelings.
· You were right to talk to an adult.
Step 2: Ask questions.
· Get information about the current situation and the history of the situation.
Step 3: Identify what has and has not worked in the past.
Step 4: Generate solutions for the future.
· Discuss how the student can avoid the person who has bullied him/her (sit closer to the bus driver, stay with friends, move desk)
· Create a plan with the students.
· Coach the student in using assertiveness skills (if relevant to the situation- remind that aggression is never an appropriate solution)
· Identify others (parents, teachers, friends) who can support the student
Step 5: Follow Up
· Follow up weekly for 4 weeks; then bi-weekly (1 month); then at 1 month
· See how the plan is working; tweak if needed
· Contact family members as appropriate
· Inform/update teacher

Coaching the Student Who Bullied on the Bus
Students commonly experiment with bullying and domineering behaviors. Teach students positive behaviors by coaching them through alternative actions. Particularly with initial bullying, withhold judgments of blame and focus instead of helping students adopt positive behaviors that avoid even the appearance of bullying. Students are more likely to change problem behaviors if adults help them select positive alternative behaviors and provide consistent feedback about their progress. Consequences for bully behaviors will reflect variables such as recidivism and severity.

Step 1: Identify the problem and diffuse reporting responsibility
· I have been hearing that…..many students reported…
Step 2: Ask questions and gather information
· I’d like to hear from you about what happened.
Step 3: Apply Consequences
· Discuss the school bullying policy
· Enforce the agreed-on discipline
Step 4: Generate solutions for the future
· Create a plan with the student- what are some ways to prevent this from happening again
Step 5: Follow Up
· Follow up weekly for 4 weeks; then bi-weekly (1 month); then at 1 month
· See how the plan is working; tweak if needed
· Contact family members/update teacher(s) as appropriate
· Refer student for further discipline as appropriate

 

Here's how we train our students:

BUS BULLYING DEFINITION
For a behavior to be considered bullying, it must have three elements:
· It must be intended to cause harm
· It must be repetitive
· A power imbalance exists between the bully and the victim

 

Bullies can use their bodies (physical), mouths (verbal), electronics (cyber), and relationships (social) to harm others.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT BULLYING ON THE BUS
· Tell, Tell, Tell, Tell, Tell a trusted adult
· Rescue a potential target (play with him/her)
· Avoid bully situation
· Don’t join in gossip, rumors, or mean talk
· Use short-term escape plan (confuse, blow off, don’t have “buttons”, fake it, humor, etc.)
· Ask the bully to stop (use I statements)
· Tell, Tell, Tell, Tell, Tell a trusted adult

 

Be a defender…….make a choice and take action that helps target and stop bullying.

Adapted from http://cfc.secondstep.org online resources