Anti-Bullying Policy

The Prairie School of DuPage Community is committed to making our school a safe and caring

environment for all students. We treat each other with respect and do not tolerate bullying of any kind.

Definition: Bullying is unfair and one-sided. It happens when someone continues to hurting, frighten,

threaten, or leave someone out on purpose. We define bullying as a physical, verbal, or psychological

attack or intimidation intended to repeatedly cause fear, distress, or harm to the victim.

Bullying, as defined in 105 ILCS 5/27- 23.7, may take various forms, including without limitation one or

more of the following. This list is illustrative and non-exhaustive:

· Physical violence such as hitting, kicking, tripping, or pushing

· Harassment, threats or intimidation

· Stalking

· Stealing or damaging another person’s property or resources

· Public humiliation

· Ganging up on someone

· Teasing someone in a hurtful way

· Using put-downs, such as insulting someone’s race or making fun of someone for being a boy or a girl

· Sexual harassment and/or violence such as touching, talking about or showing private body parts

· Spreading rumors or untruths about someone

· Leaving someone out on purpose, or trying to get other kids not to play with someone

· Retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying

“Bullying” includes "cyber-bullying" and means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct,

including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students that has

or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

· Placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the students, the student's person or

property, or the students’ personal family or friends, their person and/or their property

· Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the students or student's physical or mental health

· Substantially interfering with students or the student's academic performance

· Substantially interfering with students’ or students' ability to participate in or benefit from the services,

activities, or privileges provided by a school

Students at Prairie School of DuPage will do the following things to prevent bullying:

· Treat each other respectfully

· Refuse to bully others

· Refuse to let others be bullied

· Refuse to watch, laugh, or join in when someone is being bullied

· Try to include everyone in play, especially those who are often left out

· Report bullying to an adult.

Procedures for promptly investigating and addressing reports of bullying include the following:

· Making all reasonable efforts to complete the investigation within ten (10) school days after the date the

description of the incident of bullying was received and taking into consideration additional relevant

information obtained during the investigation about the reported incident of bullying

· Involving appropriate school support personnel and other staff persons with knowledge, experience, and

training on bullying prevention, as deemed appropriate, in the investigation process

· Notifying the Head of School, Alyssa Maurer, at amaurer@prairieschoolofdupage.org, 630-690-6000, or

Assistant Head of School, Liza Moraitis, at lmoraitis@prairieschoolofdupage.org, 630-690-6000 of the

report of the incident of bullying as soon as possible after the information is received

· If a report is being sent anonymously, then the information should be put on paper; the paper can then

be dropped into the metal box located on the front door of the main building. This box is locked and can

only be opened by the Head of School or Assistant Head of School. It is accessible to all students daily

· Consistent with Federal and State laws and rules governing student privacy rights and providing

parents/guardians of the students who are parties to the investigation information about the investigation

and an opportunity to meet with the school administrators to discuss the investigation, the findings of the

investigation, and the actions taken to address the situation

Our policy prohibits reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports an act of bullying and the

consequences and appropriate remedial actions for a person who engages in reprisal or retaliation. The

policy includes consequences and appropriate remedial actions for a person found to have falsely accused

another of bullying as a means of retaliation or as a means of bullying. Depending upon the circumstances

surrounding the false accusation, the result may be suspension from school, or the decision to ask the

family to find another school option for the child.

This policy engaged a range of school stakeholders, including students, parents or guardians. This policy

contains an evaluation process to assess the outcomes and effectiveness of the policy that includes, but is

not limited to, factors such as:

· The frequency of victimization

· Student, staff, and family observations of safety at a school

· Identification of areas of a school where bullying occurs

· The types of bullying that are common or occurring

· Bystander intervention or participation

The information developed as part of the evaluation process and Bullying Policy is posted on the

Prairieschoolofdupage.org website. Information in regards to the above is also provided to school

administrators, school board members and school personnel via the Prairie School of DuPage Staff

Handbook, which is reviewed and given to all associates of Prairie School of DuPage via physical and

digital means. Parents, guardians, and students may access the Bullying Policy via our Prairie School of

DuPage ‘Family Portal’, which current Prairie School of DuPage parents and guardians are given access to

annually. Copies of the most current Bullying Policy can also be requested by students, staff and all

current Prairie School of DuPage family members, in writing.

This bullying policy aligns with the other policies of the school board. The school may use relevant data

and information it already collects for other purposes in the policy evaluation. The policy or implementing

procedure shall include a process to investigate whether a reported act of bullying is within the permissible

scope of the district's or school's jurisdiction. Furthermore, it shall require that the district or school

provide the victim with information regarding services that are available within the district and community,

such as counseling, support services, and other programs.

Prevention of Bullying at Prairie School of DuPage

Teachers and staff at Prairie School of DuPage will do the following things to prevent bullying and help

children feel safe at school:

· Closely supervise students in all areas of the school and school grounds

· Watch for signs of bullying and stop it when it happens

· Respond quickly and sensitively to bullying reports using the Four-A-Response process (Affirm Feelings,

Ask Questions, Assess Safety, and Act by coaching child on what to do in the future)

· Look into all reported bullying incidents.

The administration has put in place procedures for promptly reporting bullying, including but not limited

to:

· Identifying and providing the school e-mail address and school telephone number for the staff person or

persons responsible for receiving such reports

· A procedure for anonymous reporting by using the metal box located on the front door of the main

building

The policy is consistent with subsection (a-5) of this Section (free exercise of religion). Nothing in this

Section is intended to infringe upon any right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or

religiously based views protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or Section 3 of

Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution.

Consequences for Violation of the Anti-Bullying Policy

Consistent with federal and State laws and rules governing student privacy rights, procedures are in place

for promptly informing parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident of bullying and

discussing, as appropriate, the availability of social work services, counseling, school psychological

services, other interventions, and restorative measures.

“Restorative measures" means a continuum of school-based alternatives to exclusionary discipline, such as

suspensions and expulsions, that (i) are adapted to the particular needs of the school and community, (ii)

contribute to maintaining school safety, (iii) protect the integrity of a positive and productive learning

climate, (iv) teach students the personal and interpersonal skills they will need to be successful in school

and society, (v) serve to build and restore relationships among students, families, schools, and

communities, and (vi) reduce the likelihood of future disruption by balancing accountability with an

understanding of students' behavioral health needs in order to keep students in school.

Depending on the severity and nature of the incident, Prairie School of DuPage will take one or more of

the following steps if bullying occurs:

· Intervention, Warning, and Redirection

A teacher, principal, or staff member will ensure that the immediate behavior stops and reinforce to the

student that bullying will not be tolerated. During this meeting with the student, the staff member will

redirect the student and come up with a plan for success, in case they find themselves in a similar

situation in the future.

· Notification of Parents

School staff will notify the parents of involved students. The parents might be asked to meet with the

principal or other members of the school staff, including the student’s teacher and/or the school

counselor.

· Resolution with the Target of the Bullying

The student may be required to write a letter of apology to the student who was bullied. Depending

upon the nature of the incident, the students involved may meet to help resolve the problem and ensure

it does not happen again.

· Referral to Professional School Support Staff

The student may meet with the school counselor to help prevent future violations.

· Consequences

The student may serve one or more days of detention during recess, or lose school privileges.

· Suspension

In cases of severe or repeated bullying, the student may be suspended under school board policies.

CYBERBULLYING POLICY

Cyberbullying is using a communication device to bully a person by sending texts and images intended to

attack, demean, or negatively impact another person or group. Prairie School of DuPage School has a

zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior. Students who know about the such activity are expected to

notify a teacher or other staff members immediately.

Cyberbullying, as defined in 105 ILCS 5/27- 23.7, is bullying through the use of technology or any

electronic communication, including without limitation any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images,

sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio,

electromagnetic system, photoelectronic system, or photo-optical system, including without limitation

electronic mail, Internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications.

"Cyberbullying" includes the creation of a webpage or weblog in which the creator assumes the identity of

another person or the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or

messages if the creation or impersonation creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of

bullying in this Section.

"Cyberbullying" also includes the distribution by electronic means of communication to more than one

person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that one or more persons may access if the

distribution or posting creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of bullying in [105 ILCS

5/27- 23.7(b)].

Cyberbullying is prohibited through the transmission of information from a computer that is accessed at a

nonschool-related location, activity, function, or program or from the use of technology or an electronic

device that is not owned, leased, or used by a school if the bullying causes a substantial disruption to the

educational process or orderly operation of a school. This item applies only in cases in which a school

administrator or teacher receives a report that bullying through this means has occurred and does not

require a school to staff or monitor any non-school-related activity, function, or program. Cyberbullying

investigation shall follow the bullying investigation protocol.