From the Desk of Mr. Alger: Principal of Heartland
Every child deserves to feel safe from fear and bullying, especially at school. Bullying and cyberbullying have no place at Heartland! At Heartland we work with our student to Learn the Stop, Walk, and Talk method for bully prevention and intervention.
At Heartland since January 2019 we have been using the STOP, WALK, and TALK model. This model teaches students to use a firm, confident, and loud voice to say STOP, when someone is bothering them. If the behavior continues, we encourage students to WALK away. They can join another table, find a different activity or person to play with, or move to another location. This empowers students to proactively take charge of the situation on their terms. In many cases this will stop the behavior.
However, if the behavior continues even after the student has used STOP and WALK, it’s time to TALK to the nearest adult. Some situations require adult intervention. We encourage students to support each other. If other students see someone saying STOP and WALKing away, they are welcome to join them so they are not standing alone. This is the difference between a bystander, one who watches it take place, and an UPSTANDER, someone who stands up for others. We do NOT want to encourage anyone to retaliate or be unkind for any reason, we simply want students to stand together. As a school community if we can stand together, we will help Heartland be the safe and positive place it should be. Thank you for your support and we are grateful to work with your children every day!
