It is the intent of Crawford Middle school staff to provide all students with an equitable opportunity to learn.  To that end, Crawford is all about kids and we have a significant interest in providing a safe, orderly and respectful school environment that is conductive to teaching and learning.  The Olweus Bullying Program will relate to the schools’ guidelines of success known as ROAR.

          Bullying is detrimental to student learning and achievement.  It interferes with the mission of the school to educate our students and disrupts the operations of the school.  Bullying affects not only students who are targets but also those who participate and witness such behavior.

          We believe that promoting ethical and responsible behavior is an essential part of the school unit’s educational purpose.  Ethics, responsible behavior and “character” are important if a student is to leave school as a “responsible and involved citizen”.  Bullying interferes with the accomplishment of this goal.

          Finally, we recognize the well-publicized incidents of violence and threatened violence that have occurred nationally in the past several years.  As research suggests a link between bullying and school violence, we seek to avoid such incidents and instead take a systematic approach to bullying prevention and intervention.

          It is not our intent to prohibit students from expressing their ideas, including ideas that may offend the sensitivities of others, or from engaging in civil debate.  However, we do not condone and will take action in response to conduct that interferes with students’ opportunity to learn, the educational mission of Crawford Middle School and the operation of school.