Kendall Central Schools (KCS) has begun a partnership with all five Orleans County school superintendents, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County District Attorney’s Office and Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) to educate students and their families about drugs, the dangers of texting and driving, and bullying and cyber bullying. The goal is to create awareness among students and adults so that everyone can recognize the signs of risky behaviors and the avenues to pursue to obtain help.
KCS plans on partnering with the police department to offer educational sessions to students, parents and district employees on the types of synthetic drugs that circulate through Orleans County and the various forms they are being distributed in.
The district hopes to convey clearly that if someone tries a drug once, it can lead to addiction, brain injury and/or death because of the potent level of chemicals that come in a single dose of a synthetic substance. They want to make everyone aware of the signs of drug use and/or addiction, so that if a student(s) sees a friend abusing drugs, they can ask an adult to intervene.
The district plans to provide age-appropriate education to elementary through high school students during school hours as well as evening information sessions offered to parents. “We need to educate everyone to stop the use of drugs in our area,” said Julie Christensen, district superintendent. “We hope to begin offering education sessions this year and make it a series of sessions next school year.”
The district also plans on educating high school students about the dangers of drunk driving, driving while high on drugs, texting while driving and risks when using social media.
The district addresses student conflict by educating students about the different forms of bullying/conflict, such as cyber bullying via social media, text and email. Students learn proactive strategies through the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program and information conveyed from the district’s instructional technology specialist.
The Elementary Student Council has constructed a buddy bench that will be placed on the playground so that students can sit on it when feeling lonely and looking for someone to play with.
For more information, contact Communications Specialist Beth Nash at 349-9028 or emailbnash@monroe2boces.org.
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