The Georgetown Independent School District is committed to ensuring that all students have a safe learning environment. Georgetown ISD expects that all members of the school community will treat each other in a civil manner and with respect for differences.  The safety and well-being of our student is of utmost importance to all of us. At GISD, we seek to prevent bullying through proactive interventions and strategies. This commitment is an integral part of our comprehensive efforts to promote learning and to prevent and eliminate all forms of bullying and other harmful and disruptive behavior that can impede the learning process.  Educators are responsible for preventing and addressing bullying.

Georgetown ISD supports this commitment in all aspects of our school community, including:

• curriculum,
• instructional programs,
• staff development,
• extracurricular activities, and
• parent /guardian involvement

We encourage students and families to report bullying to their school administrators. 

 Reports of bullying shall be made as soon as possible after the alleged act or knowledge of the alleged act so that the District’s ability to investigate and address is not impaired. 

• If you are a student, report any bullying alleged act to a teacher, counselor, or principal. 
• If you are a parent, talk to a school administrator about the situation. 
• If other than the principal is informed, the adult then will report to the principal who will start an investigation.

To make an anonymous report, students and parents may use the Stay Safe system.

What do I do if I suspect child abuse or neglect? 

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or the local police department first. Then call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 to make a report. The Texas Abuse Hotline is open 24/7/365.  Report via the online reporting system for non-urgent situations only. A non-urgent situation means that intervention is not needed within 24 hours.

Signs of Child Abuse

• Unexplained injuries
• Changes in behavior
• Returning to earlier behaviors
• Fear of certain places or people
• Changes in eating
• Changes in sleeping
• Changes in school performance or attendance
• Lack of personal care or hygiene
• Risk-taking behaviors
• Inappropriate sexual behaviors

Texas Family Code Section 261.101 legislates and defines those who are required to report as follows:

Sec. 261.101.  PERSONS REQUIRED TO REPORT; TIME TO REPORT.  (a)  A person having cause to believe that a child’s physical or mental health or welfare has been adversely affected by abuse or neglect by any person shall immediately make a report as provided by this subchapter.

(b)  If a professional has cause to believe that a child has been abused or neglected or may be abused or neglected, or that a child is a victim of an offense under Section 21.11, Penal Code, and the professional has cause to believe that the child has been abused as defined by Section 261.001 or 261.401, the professional shall make a report not later than the 48th hour after the hour the professional first suspects that the child has been or may be abused or neglected or is a victim of an offense under Section 21.11, Penal Code.  A professional may not delegate to or rely on another person to make the report.  In this subsection, “professional” means an individual who is licensed or certified by the state or who is an employee of a facility licensed, certified, or operated by the state and who, in the normal course of official duties or duties for which a license or certification is required, has direct contact with children.  The term includes teachers, nurses, doctors, day-care employees, employees of a clinic or health care facility that provides reproductive services, juvenile probation officers, and juvenile detention or correctional officers.

Georgetown ISD annually provides training to all employees about identifying and reporting suspected child abuse.

www.drugfreeworld.org/ - The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free.

Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention

Get Smart about Drugs -  A DEA resource for parents, educators, and caregivers

Partnership for Drug-Free Kids - Helpline 1-855-DRUGFREE

Help.org - Texas Rehab and Recovery Resources

Social Media and Digital Safety:

• Resources for GISD Parents: Keeping Kids Safe Online 
  Parenting presentation on developing a family technology responsible use contract & parental control app overview.
• Family Technology Responsible Use Contract Sample
  Starter contract for building your own.
• Smart Social
  Learn how to shine online 
• Common Sense Media
  Reviews of software, apps, games, TV, movies, and more, with age-appropriate guidelines.  
• Wait Until 8th
  Resources for parents who want to postpone smartphone use until 8th grade or later, with parent pledges and campus campaign materials.
• Protect Young Eyes
  Internet safety resources, articles, and reviews for parents, with great parental control reviews and step-by-step guides.
• Parenting in a Tech World
  Facebook group with 12,000+ parents - resource for parents with questions about parental controls on any device.

Trauma Sensitive School

In Georgetown ISD, our goal is for all staff members to understand the diverse background of the students entering their classrooms.  With this understanding, we will meet students where they are educationally, emotionally, and developmentally.  

Definitions

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs):  Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is the term used to describe all types of abuse, neglect, and other potentially traumatic experiences that occur to people under the age of 18.  Adverse Childhood Experiences have been linked to risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, low life potential, and early death. As the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for these outcomes.

 

Capturing Kids’ Hearts:  By strengthening student connectedness to others by enhancing healthy bonds with teachers, Capturing Kids’ Hearts is a researched-based process that improves the five key indicators of school performance: fewer discipline referrals, improved attendance, higher student achievement, lower dropout rates, and higher teacher satisfaction. 

 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL):  Systemic SEL is promoted across multiple contexts every day. SEL is more than just a program or lesson. It is about how teaching and learning happens, as well as what you teach and where you learn. CASEL’s widely used framework identifies five core competencies that when prioritized across settings – districts, schools, classrooms, families, and the wider community – can educate hearts, inspire minds, and help students navigate the world more effectively.  The main competencies within the SEL framework are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

 

Trauma:  Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. 

 

Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRi):  Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is a therapeutic model that trains caregivers to provide effective support and treatment for at-risk children. TBRI has been applied in orphanages, courts, residential treatment facilities, group homes, foster and adoptive homes, churches, and schools.

Trauma Informed Professional Development

All Faculty and Staff:

• All faculty and staff will receive information on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study at the start of each school year.  Faculty and staff will have the opportunity to receive in-depth professional development during district growth days. GISD currently utilizes a locally developed presentation for the initial faculty presentation and the ACEs Interface Training for the in-depth opportunity. [under development]
• Starting in the Spring of 2020, GISD will begin training faculty and staff in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRi).  This training will be available to groups of staff across all GISD campuses and records will be kept as we make progress in providing this training for all staff.  [under development]
• As district goal is to have all faculty and staff trained in Capturing Kids’ Hearts - a system that supports teacher/student relationships and promotes an effective learning environment.  [under development]

 

School Counselors:

• School counselors will be provided with a community resource guide as well as tools in helping parents as they seek counseling resources for students with a trauma background.  [current]
• Students with insurmountable obstacles can receive a referral to a school-based therapy opportunity based on availability. [current]

Trauma-Informed Student Programming

Students K-8:

• Students in grades K-8 will receive social-emotional learning competencies within their school environment and through explicit instruction.  The development and implementation practices associated with SEL are currently being designed in GISD. [under development]

 

Students K-12:

• Campuses will participate in school-wide initiatives Starts with Hello Week (Sandy Hook Promise) [under development]
• Campuses will host clubs that support inclusion (Friends of Rachel and Hope Squad) [under development]