Superintendent's Message for October 2018

October has arrived in #twolvesterritory and Southwest Valley Schools are operating very smoothly.  The students and staff are settling into routines and are moving forward.  I would like to focus on a few areas this month to make sure our commitment to open communication is being met.  In the last few weeks I have had the privilege to visit with many parents I have not had the pleasure to meet yet.  We had great conversations on their concerns with district policy, bullying, and district protocols. 

One of the first issues I will speak on is the miscommunication on the student sections at games having to sit during games.  We do not have a policy nor would I ever recommend a policy that would have our students seated during a game.  We encourage our students to stand and show school spirit throughout the games and to be respectful to everyone around them.  We have asked this year for all students to be in the stands this year and I would like to commend all parents and students for doing a great job at our last game.  It may get crowded in the stands, but we will ensure everyone has a good place to cheer on the Timberwolves. We have two remaining, regular season, home contests in Football left on Oct. 5 against Earlham and Oct. 12 against AHSTW. 

Bullying has been a hot topic since it was first introduced in schools in the first part of this century.  I have zero tolerance for bullying and have served as a Bullying Investigator in the past two districts I have served in.  I have taken several classes to identify the proper way to investigate and identify bullying. 

Bullying is the unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. I have informed my administration team that I will not tolerate bullying and we will investigate every case that is brought in front of us. There is bullying paper work that can be filled out at every campus.   Now with that said let me give you an example of what is not bullying.  Child A walks up to Child B and punches them and a fight ensues.  The principal will investigate this incident and assign consequences.  The only way this becomes bullying is if it continues and Child A continues over time to intimidate Child B.  This should be reported immediately.  If it happens off school ground’s, then inform law enforcement and have them investigate the claim. 

My last topic is district protocol or sometimes called chain of command.  In previous district’s I have worked it was always drilled into me, follow the chain of command.  I agree with this system, but there is a process.  If you have a concern about district matters, I encourage you to call me and let’s either talk on the phone or meet in person.  If it is a building level matter and you would like me to sit in on a meeting or phone call, I will absolutely make time.  My role is very important and I take it very seriously.  I work at the pleasure of the five member boards in each community.  I am here to make sure the board policy is followed and the day to day operation runs smoothly.  I will continue to move this district in a positive direction.  Please never feel like you are complaining or bugging me with your questions. I understand you are an advocate for your child and I will respect the thoughts of every student, parent, guardian, and patron of our district.   If you would like to be more involved, I have room on the School Improvement Advisory Committee.  This committee makes recommendations to the board on goals for the district

Sincerely,

Chris Fenster, ED. S