HIB Information

The Board of Education believes that a safe and civil environment in school is necessary for students to learn and achieve high academic standards. Since students learn by example, school administrators, faculty, staff, and volunteers are required to demonstrate appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate harassment, intimidation or bullying. Harassment, intimidation or bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate its students in a safe environment. Therefore, the school district will not tolerate acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying.

The Board of Education expects all students to treat each other with civility and respect and not to engage in behavior that is disruptive or violent. The board expects students to conduct themselves in keeping with their level of maturity, with a proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students, for school personnel, for the educational purpose underlying all school activities, and for the care of school facilities and equipment.

The standards of character education are an essential component of the National Park School District’s Code of Student Conduct. The board believes that with the appropriate infusion of character education into the school curriculum, modeling of appropriate behavior by adults; support and assistance of students in school, the community and home; our students will achieve the standards of character education.

The board prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying against any student. School responses to harassment, intimidation and bullying shall be aligned with the board approved Code of Student Conduct which establishes standards, policies and procedures for positive student development and student behavioral expectations on school grounds, including on a school bus or at school sponsored functions. The chief school administrator shall be responsible for ensuring the prompt investigation and response to all reports of harassment, intimidation and bullying committed on school grounds, at school activities and on school buses. In addition, the chief school administrator shall ensure that this policy is applied to incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying that are committed off school grounds in cases where a school employee is made aware of such actions. The chief school administrator has the right and authority to impose a consequence on a student for conduct away from school grounds that is consistent with the board’s approved code of student conduct, pursuant to NJAC 6A:16-7.1 and NJAC 6A:16-7.6.

This authority shall be exercised only when it is reasonably necessary for the student’s physical or emotional safety, security and well-being or for reasons relating to the safety, security and well-being of other students, staff or school grounds, pursuant to NJSA 18A:25-2 and 18A:37-2, and when the conduct which is the subject of the proposed consequence materially and substantially interferes with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school. The board directs the chief school administrator or his or her appropriately trained and qualified designee to develop detailed regulations suited to the age level of the students and the physical facilities of the individual schools.

“Harassment, intimidation or bullying” is defined as any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic, that takes place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored function or on a school bus, or off school grounds, in accordance with law, that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students, and that:

1. A reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a student or damaging the student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property; or

2. Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students; or

3. Creates a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with the student’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student.

“Electronic communication” means a communication that is transmitted by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to a telephone, cellular phone, computer, or pager.

Reporting

To report an incident of HIB, please submit a report electronically through the link below.  If you are not able to complete digitally, please contact Mr. Daniel Bryz-Gornia, School Anti-Bullying Specialist at 845-6876 x. 120 or Mrs. Allison Thompson, District Anti-Bullying Coordinator at 845-6876 x. 119. See Policy 5512 for additional information.

Anti-Bullying Coordinator- Mrs. Allison Thompson – 516 Lakehurst Avenue National Park, NJ 08063Phone: 856.845.6876 x111Email: athompson@npelem.com
Anti-Bullying Specialist- Mr. Daniel Bryz-Gornia 516 Lakehurst Avenue National Park, NJ 08063Phone: 856.845.6876 x120Email: dbryz-gornia@npelem.com

HIB Reporting Form

HIB Self Assessment Grade 2022-2023

Policy 5512