A statement on behalf of our Student Services staff
Parents and School Community:
With bullying awareness month upon us, we would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on an issue that continues to be a focus at Arrowhead, and ask for your help in making progress towards a healthier and safer school.
Bullying as defined by the Wisconsin Department of Instruciotn is "unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-age children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time." In tangent with the Wisconsin DPI, Cyberbullying is defined by the Wisconsin School News as the" use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass or target another individual or group." This is behavior that is "persistent"
One of the biggest challenges schools face in their efforts to decrease bullying and harassment behaviors is obtaining the information needed to take immediate action. We know that students who bully other students are not the majority at Arrowhead, not even close. Furthermore, it is rare that this type of behavior is witnessed by an adult in the building, and even when it is witnessed by an adult, it is not always perceived as an instance of bullying or harassment.
Here is how it so often goes:
1) A student becomes the victim (or the witness) to an act of bullying or harassment.
2) They often tell a trusted friend, or a parent about this situation, but they do not report to a trusted adult within the school for fear that things will get worse or retaliation will take place against the reporting student.
3) This behavior, then, ends up going unaddressed with the offending student, thus leaving more opportunities for the behavior to continue. No lessons learned, no consequences administered, and an increased likelihood that your (or someone else's) child will be the next target of such behavior.
This is where we are asking for everyone to come together in understanding; Parents, students, and staff, to make a statement that bullying and harassment has no place at Arrowhead High School and those who engage in these behaviors are stopped. If we are going to achieve this in a sustainable way, the reporting of these incidents must become the norm, not the exception. We are asking you to help your child do the right thing and report this type of behavior when it happens or when you become aware of it. This is truly a “One Team” effort.
It is important to know that every credible instance of bullying and harassment that Arrowhead Staff become aware of is investigated. If offending behaviors are addressed and they continue or worsen, the consequences for the offending student increase. Arrowhead has made significant improvements over the years in the way we address bullying and harassment. Still, the end result of these investigations does not always please everyone. Also, due to the FERPA, our actions of recourse are often not known by the public. We are committed to addressing these behaviors in our school so that Arrowhead can continue to be a safe and comfortable place for all students, but we do need your help.
We are asking that you talk to your child about the importance of reporting this behavior immediately when it happens. We know this is a big ask, but with your help, our children can become more empowered to make things better for themselves and others in the school. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Ways to report instances of Bullying or Harassment at Arrowhead:
Use the Speak Up, Speak Out website to make an anonymous report to AHS administration.
Contact an administrator or school counselor: South campus counselors include Thomas Stuber, Barb Whyte and Molly Sroka. North campus counselors include Kelly Matthias, Todd Reineking and Angie Rodenkirch). You can also contact Becky Gordon (North campus associate principal) or Debra Paradowski (South campus associate principal).
