My daughter is in preschool and she came home the other day telling me all about the "safe place" they have implemented at her school in case a "bad person" gets into the building. At three, she's concerned about a bad man trying to hurt her at school. I vividly remember heading down to the first grade lower level and sitting quietly with my head covered at Masonville Elementary. This was the position assumed for tornados - pretty much the only concern we had at that age. But the world now is unsafe - especially for our kids. Sometimes the "bad person" comes from outside of the school to hurt our kids. And, sadly, sometimes our kids are being physically, emotionally and mentally hurt by their peers which can turn into an even worse situation. Now, DCPS has an online tip line that allows you to anonomously report both bullying and unsafe situations (bullying or cyberbullying, violence or other issues, which may include drugs, alcohol, self-harm, sexual abuse, theft or other high-risk behaviors. Situations of concern are not limited to events taking place on school campuses) to the district. It's a fantastic idea.

-from Lora Wimsatt, DCPS Public Relations

The Daviess County Public Schools district has announced the implementation of the Safety Tipline Online Prevention, or STOP tipline, as part of the district’s commitment to ensuring the safety of our students, staff and schools. The STOP tipline will officially launch on Friday, March 25.The STOP tipline is an on-line reporting and prevention tool that is provided by the Kentucky Center for School Safety at no cost to the DCPS district. Students, parents or members of the community may report any unsafe situations, including bullying, weapons or drugs, through an anonymous website that sends a report immediately to DCPS administrators who are trained in appropriate follow-up measures.

Safety has always been the first priority for DCPS schools and this new resource provides an additional forum for reporting. “We always want students to feel free to share information with a trusted adult at our schools, but we know sometimes kids are reluctant to report certain situations,” said Damon Fleming, DCPS director of student services. “The STOP tipline provides a way to report concerns anonymously by using a smartphone, tablet or computer. We hope this tool will encourage everyone to report bullying and other issues so they can be addressed and resolved before they escalate. We will follow up immediately to investigate every concern that is shared through this forum.”Reports can be submitted by visiting the DCPS website at www.dcps.org or any of its school websites or may be accessed directly at http://www.kycss.org/stop/stop.php?district=Daviess.County.School.District. If the DCPS website is opened on a smartphone, users should select the “Standard View” option. Click on the STOP tipline logo, then click on the appropriate links to report bullying or cyberbullying, violence or other issues, which may include drugs, alcohol, self-harm, sexual abuse, theft or other high-risk behaviors. Situations of concern are not limited to events taking place on school campuses.

Tips may be left anonymous or individuals may request to have a district administrator contact them. The site also includes a translation option for the Spanish and Somali languages.

More information can be found about the tip line at www.kycss.org/stop/about.php. The announcement of the STOP tipline aligns with the 2016 Kentucky Safe Schools theme “I Want to be a School Safety Superhero.” By using the tip line, any student can become a “Silent Hero.”

“The STOP tipline is an important new tool in our unwavering stance against bullying, harassment and other unsafe behaviors,” said DCPS Superintendent Owens Saylor. “We care about our kids. The highest priority of Daviess County Public Schools is to provide a safe environment in which all students can learn.”

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