Next week, IACS will be participating in Say Something Week, a national initiative sponsored by the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation. The Say Something program provides a framework to create a newly empowered student body that looks out for each other, fostering a safer school climate. We participated in Say Something Week last year for the first time and found it to be a positive, community-building experience and are excited to reintroduce it.

The Say Something Call-to-Action Week reinforce the power of young people to reach out to students in need, or to say something to a trusted adult to protect a friend or peer from hurting themselves or others. We all play a role in keeping our school safe. Students truly are the eyes and ears of the school and have tremendous potential to positively impact our community.

Advisory discussions will be tailored at each grade level to ensure the content is age appropriate.  Among younger students, discussions will center on bullying or unkind behavior.  High School level  discussions may include issues of  harassment, unhealthy relationships, self -harm or violence;  selected articles from the new online magazine Student Health 101, will be used as a resource at the high school level. Through Advisory, students school-wide will discuss ways children and young adults become aware of unsafe or unkind behaviors,  and the role that social media may play.  Discussions will also address why a student may be reluctant to say something — what barriers students may face in speaking up, and how we as a school can help students overcome those barriers. The goal of participating in the “Say Something” Week is to show students that there are many small ways each of us can reach out to others in times of need and that reporting unsafe, potentially violent behavior to a trusted adult is the responsible thing to do.  Collectively, we all share the responsibility of keeping our school culture one of safety and respect.

This very message is the cornerstone of the IACS community and is tightly woven into our school’s outcomes of Community Membership, Effective Communication, Self- Direction and Problem Solving.  

I am excited to work again with our students and staff on the “Say Something” Campaign.  I encourage you to look through the Say Something Parent Guide, and to engage with your children next week about their advisory discussions and activities to further their learning and reinforce this program’s important message.

Best,

Gayle Nutile-Pimm

Director of Health and Wellness