Feedback from PSW's annual customer conference

This month, PublicSchoolWORKS hosted the second of two annual customer conferences. These conferences give customers a chance to learn more about PublicSchoolWORKS' many programs, ask questions and offer suggestions.

PSW Founder, Steve Temming, and Vice President, Tom Strasburger, were at the conference to discuss a variety of topics including:

• New features and tools on PSW's online system
• New and upcoming regulations schools need to be aware of
• PSW's response to the changes in regulations
• New and in-development training courses
• Status of the DASL integration

Steve and Tom received a lot of positive feedback and suggestions from those customers who attended the conference.

Free webinar: Online Safety Training for Oregon Schools

PublicSchoolWORKS will be hosting a free webinar on January 6, 2010 at 10:00 AM (PST) for Oregon school district administrators interested in learning more about PSW's online staff safety training.

Guest speaker Scott Cummins, Application Specialist for Northwest Regional Education Service District, will speak about his experience using PSW's online safety training management system and how it has helped his ESD and member districts meet mandatory training requirements.

To attend this webinar, please send an email to Britta Bowles at bbowles@publicschoolworks.com.

Flu prevention strategies for schools

Since the start of the 2009-10 school year, PublicSchoolWORKS has received a lot of interest in our online flu prevention courses. Administrators have been looking for effective ways to make staff and students aware of flu prevention strategies.

To help school district administrators get the information they needed on flu prevention, we began hosting free Flu Prevention Tips & Strategies webinars. The webinars were well attended and many administrators were able to share their district's strategies with other district administrators in attendance.

If you would like to attend one of PSW's flu prevention webinars, please click here to email me for the date and time of the next scheduled webinar.

In the meantime, here are some great tips from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on flu prevention for schools:

• Stay home when sick. You should stay home for 24 hours after your fever has passed.
• Separate students and staff who have a flu like illness. They should be sent to a room separate from the general population until they can be sent home.
• Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of the used tissue in a waste bin.
• Routine clean. Staff should routinely clean areas that staff and students touch often with the cleaners they typically use.
• Early treatment of high-risk students and staff. People at high risk for influenza complications who become ill with influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible. Early treatment with antiviral medications is very important for people at high risk because it can prevent hospitalizations and deaths. People at high risk include those who are pregnant, have asthma or diabetes, have compromised immune systems or have neuro-muscular diseases.
  

Massachusetts latest state to introduce anti-bullying legislation

The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Education has been weighing nearly a dozen bills that address bullying, but House Bill 483 is the only one which has gained wide support.

The bill would require the state to develop a model policy addressing all types of bullying, whether it occurs in schoolyards or via cell phones. Local schools, in turn, would have to document all incidents and discipline for review by the state.

Most states have anti-bullying laws in place. To see a map and view laws by state, click here.

Even if your state currently has no anti-bullying legislation in place, it is wise for all school districts to implement a bullying policy. Make sure that your policy addresses the various types of bullying. Cyberbullying and bullying via cell phones is on the rise and should be addressed in your policy.

Make sure that all students, staff and volunteers are made aware of your bullying policy. You can include your policy in employee and student handbooks as well as post it to your district website for easy viewing.