Lee Family Bulletin April 2

Lee Families,

As we gradually turn the corner toward the end of the school year, it's important that we stay consistent with our goal of maintaining a school environment where students are safe and engaged in learning.

We put a lot of emphasis at Lee on ensuring that we have a strong and positive school climate, where students experience feeling valued and honored for who they are.

Unfortunately, there are times when this isn't the case. There can be interactions among peers that are cruel and misguided and that impact the way your child might feel about coming to school. Students often report to school staff when they experience teasing or bullying. But as they grow older, reporting becomes a greater challenge. Please speak to your child about the importance of speaking to a trusted adult when they don't feel safe at school. And if they don't feel heard, reach out to me or Ms. Rue.

We want our students to know that school staff are here to help. Stay in contact with your child's teacher about your child's experiences.

If we know that bullying is happening, then we can do something about it - help the student who is being harmed and help the student who is bullying. At the core, we believe that a student's behavior, whether healthy or unhealthy, is communicating their level of need. We want to ensure all our students have the support they need to thrive at school.

Please reach out if you have any questions or wish to speak to me directly about these matters. You can find me at the front door most mornings at the start of the school day and you can email me at avelazqu@pps.net.

Principal Velázquez

While phones aren't allowed at school, we know many students have cell phones and use them outside of school. We know our students have contact with each other, and often times inappropriate behavior that happens digitally, such as bullying, spills over into school and impacts students' ability to learn and interact with their peers at school.

We have had reports of cruel exchanges among students that happen digitally either on phones, or on gaming platforms they use. Please review your expectations with your child about their interactions with others online, and monitor their communication with peers frequently to ensure it meets your expectations. This guidance and monitoring can go a long way in helping students remain safe.