Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The conditions of our worlds

This morning's newspaper highlighted the most recent survey that over half of today's youth report having an experience with bullying. The article went on to report that many responses noted that the person was the bully or witnessed a bully. The implications were that everyone has a part in this issue. What a harrowing reminder for us all.

The world is violent. Every section of the daily newspaper is filled with the tragic and horrible things humans do to one another. It is not isolated to one part of the world or one neighborhood or our cities or some place over there. It is in our back yard. We have become aggressive and afraid.

The school (and the community) strives to be a safe and nurturing place for our youth and residents. Sometimes these reminders should give us reason to pay attention to what is happening around us. Maybe we can't change everything, but maybe one step, one person at a time. Talk to your children. Talk to your neighbors. Do we want to be part of the problem or part of the solution.

Southwest is currently examining ways and methods to work toward a safer and healthier environment for students, families and staff. We need to talk to our youth about the responsibilities to self and to others. We are looking at trainings and workshops for our entire school community. How can we help one another?

I will continue to update you on our progress as we continue to explore options and opportunities.

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