At Lewis & Clark Elementary, we recognize the right of all students to learn in a safe environment. We promote systemic equality (Tolerance) and we have standardized procedures in place for responding to bullying behaviors. Our staff and students use following definition for bullying-
A hurtful or aggressive behavior (“rotten behavior”) that-
1. Has intent to harm
2. Is repetitive
3. Involves a power imbalance
In promoting a school culture of tolerance, our staff and students are guided by the following definition-
Tolerance is respect for diversity (“respecting the differences in other people”). The emphasis is respecting differences in a variety of areas such as family structure, gender, ethnic background, physical & mental abilities, sexual orientation, religion, and economic levels. Respecting differences does not mean adopting the same beliefs. It means trying to understand and value the other person’s beliefs. With elementary students, this is interpreted into the following statement-
being tolerant of others means you are nice to other people no matter how different they are from you. No one has the right to be mean or bully others because of a difference.Click
here to see videos of students modeling tolerance.
We believe your support at home for these concepts will be vital for the development of a bully free environment not only at school but within our larger community.
Lewis and Clark takes student safety and bullying seriously. Some behavior can be misinterpreted. Click
here to read an article about how bullying behavior is often mis-labled. You can find more information about how we respond to bully behavior under one of the 'Student" tab of this website.