February 24, 2022
Hello, Middletown Parents/Guardians:
The administration has been conducting meetings over the last week to discuss school safety and will continue to find ways to make the school environment safe for everyone. Listed below are a few of the protocols that will be implemented throughout the District:
- Teachers and paraprofessionals will be required to monitor the hallways when students are dismissed from classes.
- Schoolwide discipline measures will increase with the following:
- Students who are identified as frequently disrupting the educational process will be subject to the following provisions:
- Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA)
- Behavior plans
- Mandatory SAP referrals with required follow-up by school district personnel
- Tier II and III supports
- Counseling supports via school counselors, social workers, behavioral specialists, and school psychologists
- Multidisciplinary evaluation to rule out emotional disturbance (ED) or other health impairment (OHI)
- Students who are removed from the school setting for fighting must follow certain guidelines upon return to school:
- While on suspension, students will be provided with restorative practices and will review those practices upon return to the school setting.
- Mandatory parent meeting upon return to the school setting
- Recommendation for alternative settings for students who persistently fight in school
- Case by case review for expulsion for repeat offenders
- Schoolwide mental health supports will increase with the following:
- Students who are identified as needing additional mental health supports must receive the following:
- Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA)
- Mental health support plans
- Tier II and III supports
- Counseling supports via school counselors, social workers, behavioral specialists, and school psychologists
- Mandatory SAP referrals with required follow-up by school district personnel
- School based counseling referral to TW Ponessa
- Mandatory outside counseling referrals with required follow-up by school personnel
- School referral to outside partial program with required follow-up by school personnel
- Multidisciplinary evaluation to rule out emotional disturbance
- In-school suspension rooms at both the middle school and high school
- Advertisement is currently posted for the middle and high positions
- The school district will continue to support and host a School Resource Officer (SRO) with a home base housed within the high school office
- SRO services the entire school district
- Incorporating more prosocial opportunities for students to self-regulate – social emotional learning (SEL) opportunities
- Safe2Say student and staff trainings
- Safe2Say is a youth violence prevention program
- Increased staff development opportunities on safety
- Universal screeners for ALL students
- Bullying prevention opportunities through programs, tracking systems and guest speakers
- Parent advisory building meetings moved to once a month for the remainder of the school year
- Ongoing discussions with regard to the following:
- School backpacks at the middle school and high school
- Contrary to what the news is reporting, no final administrative decisions have been made regarding backpacks.
- The middle school is currently not allowing backpacks unless they are clear.
- The District is looking into the purchase of clear backpacks.
- Cell phones
- Metal detectors
The school district is committed to looking into every measure for the safety of our students and staff. Each building administrator will be providing additional information on how these protocols will be implemented at their respective buildings. Our hope is that by clearly identifying ways to address safety within our schools, the residual effect will be a positive learning environment for both students and staff.
Dr. Chelton L. Hunter
Superintendent of Schools