The Grove School believes that all students have a right to a safe and healthy school environment.
The district, schools, and community have an obligation to promote mutual respect, tolerance, and
acceptance.
The Grove School will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the safety of any student. A student shall not intimidate, harass, or bully another student through words or actions. Such behavior includes:
direct physical contact, such as hitting or shoving
verbal assaults, including but not limited to teasing, name-calling, threatening, language that is
intimidating or that degrades people
social isolation or manipulation
The Grove School expects students and/or staff to immediately report incidents of bullying to the
principal or designee. Staff who witness such acts take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so.
Each complaint of bullying will be promptly investigated. This policy applies to students on school
grounds, while traveling to and from school or a school-sponsored activity, during the lunch period,
whether on or off campus, and during a school-sponsored activity.
To ensure bullying does not occur on school campuses, the Grove School provides staff development training in bullying prevention and cultivate acceptance and understanding in all students and staff to build each school’s capacity to maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.
Teachers discuss this policy with their students in age-appropriate ways and should assure them that they need not endure any form of bullying. Students who bully are in violation of this policy and are subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
Expectations Regarding Bullying:
Any student who engages in bullying on school premises, or off campus in a manner that causes
or is likely to cause substantial disruption of a school activity or school attendance, shall be
subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
Students are expected to immediately report incidents of bullying to the principal or designee.
Students can rely on staff to promptly investigate each complaint of bullying in a thorough and
confidential manner.
If the complainant student or the parent of the student feels that appropriate resolution of the
investigation or complaint has not been reached, the student or the parent of the student
should contact the principal. The school system prohibits retaliatory behavior against any
complainant or any participant in the complaint process.
The procedures for intervening in bullying behavior include, but are not limited, to the following:
All staff, students and their parents will receive a summary of this policy prohibiting intimidation
and bullying: at the beginning of the school year, as part of the student handbook and/or
information packet, as part of new student orientation, and as part of the school system's
notification to parents.
The school will make reasonable efforts to keep a report of bullying and the results of
investigation confidential.
Staff who witness acts of bullying shall take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so.
People witnessing or experiencing bullying are strongly encouraged to report the incident; such
reporting will not reflect on the target or witnesses in any way.
When a student is reported to be engaging in bullying off campus, administration shall
investigate and document the activity and shall identify specific facts or circumstances that
explain the impact or potential impact on school activity, school attendance, or the targeted
student’s educational performance.
When the circumstances involve cyber bullying, individuals with information about the activity
are encouraged to save and print any electronic or digital messages sent to them that they feel
constitute cyber bullying and to notify a teacher, the principal, or other employee so that the matter may be investigated.
Counseling Referral Form and Grove School Tipline for Bullying, Harrassment, and Concerns about Mental or Physical Well-Being
Complete this form if you or somebody you know want or need help of any kind. This can include academic problems (struggling academically, note taking, organization, time management, test taking etc.), personal problems (trouble at home, parents divorce, grief/loss, stress, social skills, trouble with friends, self-esteem, self-harm etc.), bullying or harassment at school, or even if you want to talk about high school planning and post-secondary options.
If you think that somebody else needs help, you can also refer them anonymously.
If reporting an incident, please be sure to give the time, date, place, and persons involved in order for us to investigate and follow up effectively.
The Grove School cares about you and your well-being! Please reach out if you need help!