MOUNT VERNON — One of the antibullying strategies at Mount Vernon Middle School is the reintroduction of the academic team model. Discrete teams at all grade levels at the middle school are comprised of groups of students and teachers in all the subject areas.
At Monday’s school board meeting, Principal Matthew Cox outlined the anti-bullying, anti-harassment and anti-intimidation safeguards in place at the middle school. He said many safeguards, such as incident reporting forms, are reactive, while the teaming model is proactive. It helps prevent bullying from occurring because it fosters common expectations among all members of the team.
Some students and teachers in the eighth-grade Team S.C.R.U.B.S., Students Choosing Responsibility to Ultimately Benefit Society, also talked to the board about their experiences and reaction to the team concept. They said they feel more secure at school because they are with a specific group all day, feel more successful in their schoolwork and appreciated the bonding that occurs within the group. They said they felt united with their peers and teachers in one common goal.
