In Greenville ISD, we are committed to taking care of the whole child. That includes nurturing their social and emotional health and building relationships with families.
On our campuses and in our classrooms, we establish and enforce clear behavioral expectations and boundaries for our students. By establishing a culture of mutual respect enforced by social contracts, we aim to prevent bullying by defusing such destructive behavior. When misconduct occurs, there are serious consequences that vary according to the nature of the offense. Those consequences are spelled out in detail in the Student Code of Conduct.
The Code provides methods and options for managing students in the classroom and on school grounds, disciplining students, and preventing and intervening in student discipline problems. The law requires the district to define misconduct that may—or must—result in a range of specific disciplinary consequences including removal from a regular classroom or campus, outof-school suspension, placement in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP), placement in a juvenile justice alternative education program (JJAEP), or expulsion from school.
We strongly believe in the principles taught in Capturing Kids Hearts, which is committed to infusing civility, citizenship and character education into all educators’ interactions with students and their interactions with one another. All of our employees have been trained in Capturing Kids Hearts.
One of the most powerful cornerstones is the social contract that students write and sign as a pledge to uphold the principles that matter to them. In short, the social contract is an agreement about how to treat one another. Below is a picture of the social contract from a second-grade class:
In addition to the social contract, Capturing Kids Hearts teaches employees to understand the root causes of behavior and meet children where they are.
Teachers explore and practice important social cues. The little things are really the big things - like greeting a student with a handshake at the beginning of class, starting the day with an invitation to share good things that have happened in their lives, and agreeing on a social contract of mutual respect.
When the atmosphere of trust has been established, students are empowered because they experience encouragement and support.
Once this healthy groundwork is complete, behavioral issues, including bullying, social issues and academic struggles can be effectively addressed.
Above & beyond required training
The State of Texas has a number of requirements regarding policies and training related to bullying.
While GISD employees go through annual training through Safe Schools courses, the district goes above and beyond the minimum requirements because we are committed to doing the right things for our students.
Here is a LINK to additional resources for educators and parents.
