Wednesday, May 30, 2012
EmployeeSafe Suite: Prepare Your Staff for a Safe 2012
With PublicSchoolWORKS (PSW), districts have an online management system to help ensure safe schools for staff and students. The EmployeeSafe Suite is designed to implement anything from training only, to a comprehensive school safety program that includes training courses, written plans, programs and procedures, checklists, inspections, MSDS and other tools. In addition, suite programs are customized to the requirements of individual school districts. The EmployeeSafe Suite features eight different modules, including:
• Staff Training
• Employee Accident Management
• OSHA 300 Reporting
• Compliance Task Management (non-training)
• MSDS Now!
• Staff Safety Reporting
• Staff Telephone Helplines
• Safety Document Management
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Industry Insider News: PublicSchoolWORKS (PSW) Helps Districts Receiving E-Rate Funding Meet New Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) Requirements
PublicSchoolWORKS is helping districts fulfill the new 2012 CIPA requirements by offering a series of courses designed specifically for teachers and students. The four grade-appropriate student courses and the course for staff help districts receiving E-Rate funding educate minors about appropriate online behavior.
PublicSchoolWORKS’ CIPA courses include:
• Student Use of Technology: Appropriate online behavior, social networking, cyberbullying – For educators and staff, it covers appropriate online behavior for students, online safety and mobile and wireless safety. In addition, this course helps educators initiate and lead classroom discussions on the use of technology and internet safety and addresses student questions and concerns.
• District Acceptable Use Policy Signoff for Staff – This course for educators is updated to ensure that staff understand the districts’ policy for appropriate use of the internet and social media.
• Internet Safety (Gr. K-2) – For students to view as a group, it covers information about online predators, cyber bullying, internet safety, and protecting the students’ identity.
• Internet Safety (Gr. 3-5) – For students to view as a group , it covers online predators, cyber bullying, social networking, identity protection, internet safety and other online behavior, such as peer-to-peer networks, internet etiquette and mobile internet safety.
• Internet Safety (Gr. 6-8) – For students to view as a group , it covers online predators, cyber bullying, social networking, identity protection, internet safety, online scams and other online behavior, such as peer-to-peer networks, internet etiquette, copyright and plagiarism issues, as well as mobile internet safety.
• Internet Safety (Gr. 9-12) – For students to view as a group, it covers online predators, cyber bullying, social networking, identity protection, internet safety, online scams, peer-to-peer networks, internet etiquette, copyright and plagiarism issues, mobile internet safety, the protection of personal information, use of chat rooms, and avoiding adult material.
In addition to the PublicSchoolWORKS CIPA courses, students and parents may have access to the Student Bullying Reporting System, a 24/7 hotline and anonymous reporting system which allows for the reporting of harmful behavior in a non-threatening environment and immediately notifies principals of behaviors or threats so that they can intervene before a situation escalates, and the CIPA Parent InfoCenter provides information for parents to gain awareness of internet dangers and the steps needed to keep their children safe.
To learn more about PublicSchoolWORKS CIPA courses, visit the CIPA website or call 1-877-77WORKS
PublicSchoolWORKS’ CIPA courses include:
• Student Use of Technology: Appropriate online behavior, social networking, cyberbullying – For educators and staff, it covers appropriate online behavior for students, online safety and mobile and wireless safety. In addition, this course helps educators initiate and lead classroom discussions on the use of technology and internet safety and addresses student questions and concerns.
• District Acceptable Use Policy Signoff for Staff – This course for educators is updated to ensure that staff understand the districts’ policy for appropriate use of the internet and social media.
• Internet Safety (Gr. K-2) – For students to view as a group, it covers information about online predators, cyber bullying, internet safety, and protecting the students’ identity.
• Internet Safety (Gr. 3-5) – For students to view as a group , it covers online predators, cyber bullying, social networking, identity protection, internet safety and other online behavior, such as peer-to-peer networks, internet etiquette and mobile internet safety.
• Internet Safety (Gr. 6-8) – For students to view as a group , it covers online predators, cyber bullying, social networking, identity protection, internet safety, online scams and other online behavior, such as peer-to-peer networks, internet etiquette, copyright and plagiarism issues, as well as mobile internet safety.
• Internet Safety (Gr. 9-12) – For students to view as a group, it covers online predators, cyber bullying, social networking, identity protection, internet safety, online scams, peer-to-peer networks, internet etiquette, copyright and plagiarism issues, mobile internet safety, the protection of personal information, use of chat rooms, and avoiding adult material.
In addition to the PublicSchoolWORKS CIPA courses, students and parents may have access to the Student Bullying Reporting System, a 24/7 hotline and anonymous reporting system which allows for the reporting of harmful behavior in a non-threatening environment and immediately notifies principals of behaviors or threats so that they can intervene before a situation escalates, and the CIPA Parent InfoCenter provides information for parents to gain awareness of internet dangers and the steps needed to keep their children safe.
To learn more about PublicSchoolWORKS CIPA courses, visit the CIPA website or call 1-877-77WORKS
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Crisis Management: Preventing Gun Violence
Our deepest condolences go out to the families, parents, students and educators affected by the senseless, tragic school shooting in Chardon, Ohio, in February. The community continues to be in our thoughts.
While this situation is devastating, the Chardon community and individual educators are being praised for preventing an even greater tragedy from occurring through their quick response and heroic actions. Incidents like this remind us just how important it is to have plans in place for schools to deal with crises. Learning First Alliance (LFA, a partnership of 16 education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America's public schools) offers a number of resources to help schools develop such plans, as well as resources to help them react during and after a crisis. View these resources at http://www.learningfirst.org/issues/safeschools.
While schools often plan for a number of disasters, they rarely have a plan in place to respond to gun violence. It is vital that administrators are prepared to respond to a student with a weapon by developing a planned response to disarm the student without incident. One resource outlining how they can do so comes from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP, an LFA member).
NASSP stresses that whenever an armed student is believed to be on campus, administrators should: gather information; evaluate resources and liabilities; call for help; bring together appropriate school staff to debrief and delegate responsibilities; and continue to monitor the student until help arrives.
In the event of an incident, school personnel must decide whether to act on his or her own or wait for help from law enforcement. If an administrator decides to act, the plan must include surveillance, interception and isolation of the student. Alternatively, if an administrator decides to wait for police, he or she must maintain constant surveillance of the student until police arrive and then be prepared to assist in removal of the armed student and getting other students to safety.
Effective planning can help administrators act quickly in the event of a gun crisis and save lives. For more information about how public school administrators can prepare to respond to gun violence, please visit www.nassp.org/content.aspx?topic=55496.
Has your school experienced a similar situation? What was the outcome? Share your comments with us on Twitter @PSWORKS.
While this situation is devastating, the Chardon community and individual educators are being praised for preventing an even greater tragedy from occurring through their quick response and heroic actions. Incidents like this remind us just how important it is to have plans in place for schools to deal with crises. Learning First Alliance (LFA, a partnership of 16 education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America's public schools) offers a number of resources to help schools develop such plans, as well as resources to help them react during and after a crisis. View these resources at http://www.learningfirst.org/issues/safeschools.
While schools often plan for a number of disasters, they rarely have a plan in place to respond to gun violence. It is vital that administrators are prepared to respond to a student with a weapon by developing a planned response to disarm the student without incident. One resource outlining how they can do so comes from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP, an LFA member).
NASSP stresses that whenever an armed student is believed to be on campus, administrators should: gather information; evaluate resources and liabilities; call for help; bring together appropriate school staff to debrief and delegate responsibilities; and continue to monitor the student until help arrives.
In the event of an incident, school personnel must decide whether to act on his or her own or wait for help from law enforcement. If an administrator decides to act, the plan must include surveillance, interception and isolation of the student. Alternatively, if an administrator decides to wait for police, he or she must maintain constant surveillance of the student until police arrive and then be prepared to assist in removal of the armed student and getting other students to safety.
Effective planning can help administrators act quickly in the event of a gun crisis and save lives. For more information about how public school administrators can prepare to respond to gun violence, please visit www.nassp.org/content.aspx?topic=55496.
Has your school experienced a similar situation? What was the outcome? Share your comments with us on Twitter @PSWORKS.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Spotlight: Eating Disorders
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), close to half of the individuals who suffer from an eating disorder meet the criteria for depression. ANAD states that of all mental disorders, eating disorders account for the highest mortality rate. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation states that 1 in 10 cases of eating disorders can lead to death by starvation and that individuals with eating disorders show an increased rate of suicide attempts. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation website offers overviews and descriptions of common teenage eating disorders.
As a potentially deadly mental disorder, it is important that all staff interacting closely with students know the causes, signs and best approach to deal with an eating disorder if and when they encounter it in a student. The PublicSchoolWORKS Recognizing Eating Disorders course educates staff on the psychological, interpersonal, social, and biological factors of eating disorders. The course also educates staff on obesity and eating disorders in athletics. To learn more about how you can educate your district on eating disorders, email sales@publicschoolworks.com
To share what your district is doing to educate staff on the signs and intervention surrounding eating disorders, comment on our Facebook page.
Source: Palo Alto Medical Foundation
As a potentially deadly mental disorder, it is important that all staff interacting closely with students know the causes, signs and best approach to deal with an eating disorder if and when they encounter it in a student. The PublicSchoolWORKS Recognizing Eating Disorders course educates staff on the psychological, interpersonal, social, and biological factors of eating disorders. The course also educates staff on obesity and eating disorders in athletics. To learn more about how you can educate your district on eating disorders, email sales@publicschoolworks.com
To share what your district is doing to educate staff on the signs and intervention surrounding eating disorders, comment on our Facebook page.
Source: Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
May is Mental Health Month
According to Mental Health America, formerly known as the National Mental Health Association, Mental Health Month was created more than 50 years ago to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental wellness for all. During Mental Health Month this year, Mental Health America is focusing on social connectedness as a means to support mental health. To learn more about what social connectedness is, and for more information on how to become socially connected, visit the Mental Health America website here. Also available on the Mental Health America site is access to an array of materials including information on depression, as well as a depression screener and other tools to help assess your mental health or that of someone you know. To see a full list of available material, visit the website here.
PublicSchoolWORKS’ (PSW) Depression in Students course helps educate school staff on the importance, signs and causes of student depression to ensure that they are able to recognize and respond when they encounter a student who may be suffering from depression. PSW’s Depression in Students course focuses on:
• Types of Depression
• Causes of Childhood Depression
• Symptoms of Childhood Depression
• Comparison of Symptoms Between Adults, Children, and Adolescents
• The Effects of Childhood Depression
• Helping a Child with Depression
To learn more about how you can educate your district on depression in students, email sales@publicschoolworks.com
PublicSchoolWORKS’ (PSW) Depression in Students course helps educate school staff on the importance, signs and causes of student depression to ensure that they are able to recognize and respond when they encounter a student who may be suffering from depression. PSW’s Depression in Students course focuses on:
• Types of Depression
• Causes of Childhood Depression
• Symptoms of Childhood Depression
• Comparison of Symptoms Between Adults, Children, and Adolescents
• The Effects of Childhood Depression
• Helping a Child with Depression
To learn more about how you can educate your district on depression in students, email sales@publicschoolworks.com
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