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Lawrence Middle School implements safety plan

By Lea Kahn / Staff Writer
  LAWRENCE —  Facing the prospect of landing on the state Department of Education’s list of unsafe schools, Lawrence Middle School administrators have launched a new safety plan to address the issue.
   The Lawrence Middle School safety plan was crafted in response to a July letter to school officials advising them that the school had been issued an "early warning," LMS Principal Andrew Zuckerman said Tuesday morning.
   An increase in the reported number of incidents involving bullying, harassment and intimidation triggered the letter, Mr. Zuckerman said. The number of incidents climbed from 6 in the 2006-07 school year to 26 in the 2007-08 school year. The number of reported assaults — basically fights — dropped from 28 to nine during the same time period.
   The statistics for the 2006-07 school year are included in the state Department of Education’s 2008 report on school violence and vandalism. The report, which is given to the state Legislature, was released Monday.
   "We were more diligent in identifying bullying situations," Mr. Zuckerman said, explaining the increase in reported incidents. "We want students to feel comfortable in school. Some students think they are playing around, but if (those actions) make the other student feel uncomfortable, it’s bullying."
   The safety plan, which was implemented this month, addresses the issue of bullying, harassment and intimidation, Mr. Zuckerman said. Each classroom meets with a guidance counselor for a weeklong session at lunchtime to help students identify behavior that could be perceived as bullying. Behavior that one student thinks is innocent could be taken as bullying by the recipient, he said.
   Students who violate the bullying policy are given informal counseling, Mr. Zuckerman said. Students are given strategies to ensure the behavior is not repeated. They are also educated on why that behavior is wrong, he said.
   The consequences for repeated incidents of bullying — that is, the second or third incident — range from in-school suspension to multiple detentions, he said. A staff member "follows up" on the student after the consequences have been meted out, he added.
   LMS administrators have taken a similar approach to assaults.
   At the beginning of the school year, Mr. Zuckerman and Assistant Principal Al Gilson held group meetings with students to explain expected behaviors in school. For example, the administrators explained that the purpose of using the hallways is to get from one classroom to another. They discussed why students walk on the right-hand side of the hallway, which is to keep the flow of students moving.
   "We work hard on preventing physical altercations," Mr. Zuckerman said. Supervisors, staff and hall monitors are assigned to the hallways when students are changing classes.
   In the cafeteria, students may interact with each other and eat lunch, the principal said. The students have been told that if they meet expectations in the cafeteria, they may be allowed to eat lunch outdoors and socialize, he said. If those expectations are not met, they may be assigned to a table for lunch, he said, adding that "(socializing with) peers means an awful lot to them."
   Meanwhile, the state Department of Education’s annual Electronic Violence and Vandalism Reporting System 2008 report, released this week, showed that Lawrence Township public schools reported 110 incidents in 2006-07.
   In 2006-07, there were 92 incidents of violence, 14 of vandalism, and two each of weapons and substance abuse violations. The incidents were spread among the seven schools in the district.
   New Jersey school districts and charter schools have been required to report incidents of violence, vandalism, weapons and substance abuse to the state Department of Education over the Internet, using the EVVRS, since the 1999-2000 school year. The department analyzes the data and produces the annual report.
   In general, over the past seven years, the number of reported incidents of violence and vandalism statewide has declined, although there have been fluctuations in various categories, according to the state Department of Education.
   Commissioner of Education Lucille E. Davy said in a press release that New Jersey schools remain "fundamentally safe places where teachers can teach and children can learn."
   "The department, the districts, the communities and families all view the safety and security of our children as our highest priority," Ms. Davy said. "The many programs and policies that have been developed to ensure that this atmosphere is maintained have been a cooperative effort."
   Assistant Commissioner for Student Services Barbara Gantwerk said the Department of Education takes incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying "very seriously." The department has developed model policies and offered teacher training and programs to identify and deal with those matters, she said. The increased number of incidents reported is likely a result of the heightened awareness in those areas, she said.