On October 20th, Superintendent Greg Martineau previewed a new safety measure that is being rolled out in the district’s middle schools and high school. At Trottier, that roll out begins next week.*
In the monthly newsletter to parents, Martineau announced that principals would soon be sharing details on launching of a “Say Something Anonymous Reporting System”. It is part of a Sandy Hook Promise initiative to make schools safer.
The announcement explained:
This program teaches students, teachers, and administrators how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others to Say Something to a trusted adult OR use its anonymous reporting system. Specifically, the program educates participants to:
- Recognize the signs and signals of at-risk behaviors (especially within social media)
- Take every sign and signal seriously
- Act quickly to get help by talking to a trusted adult OR
- Report it anonymously through the Say Something Crisis Center, mobile app, or website
- Respond to and manage the submitted tip via multi-disciplinary educator and administrator teams
- Sustain the curriculum and awareness via student clubs, in-school activities and call-to-action weeks
This morning, Trottier Middle School Principal Kieth Lavoi followed up with this announcement to parents:
The Northborough-Southborough Public Schools are adopting the system for implementation in grades 6-12. The “Say Something” system allows students to share concerns they have for themselves or others in our school community.
The Sandy Hook Promise organization sponsors the system and we have a team of administrators and counselors that are ready to receive “tips” from the program to help support our students with a variety of concerns.
To prepare our faculty and students for implementation, we have developed training and opportunities for questions and practice. On Monday, November 4th, the students will be instructed on how to access the system with a whole-school assembly that I will facilitate. After the presentation, if students have questions about the system and how to access it, they can check in with their guidance counselor, Mr. Hreschuk, or myself.
This system will serve as an additional tool for our students to use. This tool does not substitute students sharing their concerns directly with parents or trusted adults at school that can provide support. A link to the system will be added to Trottier’s homepage.
Please feel free to learn more about the program at — https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/saysomethingresources
You are also welcome to reach out to our guidance department, Mr. Hreschuk, or me with questions, comments, or concerns. We are confident that this tool will serve as another option for our students to report the things that bother them in a safe and anonymous way.
Last week’s message from Martineu provided more detail on why the district was adopting the program:
As a school district, we are committed to creating and sustaining a comprehensive, coordinated effort to improve the overall safety and well-being of our students, educators, and administrators.
To accomplish this, we believe this must involve community-wide programs and initiatives involving parents, teachers, administrators, local law enforcement, mental health & wellness professionals, and elected officials to take meaningful action to protect our students. . .
The “Say Something Anonymous Reporting System” program is being provided through Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a nation-wide non-profit organization. SHP’s programs are in 50 states – with 7,000+ schools and over 3.5 million students and adults trained. They have an excellent track record, reputation, and knowledge of how to work effectively with kids, parents, and teachers to improve school safety and culture. The program is age-appropriate and research-based. They also have funding to provide and sustain the program at NO COST to our District.
The message noted that anyone with questions or concerns, could call or email him directly.
*I’m sure that Algonquin is also rolling out the initiative, I just don’t know what the timing is.
