Moses Lake secondary school reports on student safety

Seven steps used to improve

MOSES LAKE - Columbia Basin Secondary School took its turn Thursday reporting to the Moses Lake school board about student safety.

Schools in the district are taking turns answering for the school board, "What strategy or strategies is our school using to create a safe, civil, healthy and intellectually stimulating learning environment?"

Assistant Principal Mike Nordsten, language arts and history teacher Chris Erickson, security officer Vern Scriven and vocational teacher Terri Pixlee presented on the issue to the board.

Scriven said the school has seven steps for a safe environment.

"The first step is, we have eight hours of security," he said. "We make sure our first priority is the students and staff are safe."

The two security officers on staff check classrooms, walk around the school, look through windows, and check with teachers to see if they are having any problems with students.

Substitute teachers are informed of the extension number for security. Security makes an increased number of visits to classrooms where substitutes are teaching, Scriven said.

"We do walk the halls as many times as possible," Scriven added. "We assist the staff with students. We have what we call a room service. If the teacher's having a problem they will call for us. We will come, remove the student, walk them through a program we have, calm them down, take them out of the environment they are in, get them ready for the class, get back with the teacher and say, 'OK, the student has remedied the problem,' and get them back in the classroom as soon as possible."

If a student is outside the classroom, security makes sure the student has permission.

Important to the safety of the school is the "200 pairs of eyes" at the school, Scriven said.

"Without the 200 pairs of eyes, a safe environment would be hard to maintain," he said.

He gave an example in which the school was having problems with tagging. The school did not know whether it was gang-related, Scriven said.

"We had a couple students who trusted us and they came to us, and they gave us the information as to who was doing it," he said. "And so by gaining their trust, we were able to have their eyes and we were able to solve it."

Other security measures include security cameras, having visitors sign in, having everyone enter through the same door and monitoring entrances and exits.

When concerns about issues such as gang activity, violence, drugs and sexual harassment come up, they are immediately addressed, he said.

An additional safety measure is the establishment of a dress code.

"The ultimate goal of Columbia Basin Secondary School is to provide a safe environment which allows students the opportunity to learn and grow," Scriven concluded.

Erickson addressed the issue of civility at the secondary school.

"Without the safety, we can't really worry too much about civility, and one of the things we are so concerned about in this society we live in today is civility. Just turn the TV on, for a little while," Erickson said. "And a lot of our staff is really concerned about this issue. It's rampant in our society."

He said the school attempts to model civil behavior.

"In this fast-paced world it's often better based on the trajectories of students to just get it out there and say what they're thinking without really thinking about what they're saying," he said. "So, as we have all done here tonight thinking about what we want to say, we try to model that into our students as well."

Erickson said students are often stressed at school because of the complexity of their lives. The school tries to slow things down for them and show them alternatives to "the hard-beat life," he said.

Expectations are explained at conferences at the start of the year, Erickson said. They tell students they are at the school because they want to be there and they want to succeed.

"We talk a lot about what alternatives there can be to some of the scenarios they have been involved with in the past," he said.

Erickson had students write about their thoughts on the school, answering a question similar to the question posed by the school district.

"All the teachers will listen and understand the students' problems and help the student to make a better life," one student wrote. "Also, this school makes it really civil with all the teachers around to watch the students."

"How Columbia Basin Secondary School helps to create a safe, civil and healthy learning environment is by everyone helping out everyone when they (have) a problem because that's what friends do - we help out the custodians with cleaning up," another student wrote.

Other students noted the school makes sure there is no violence, people are available to talk to students when they have a problem, and security checks each room.

"(Columbia Basin Secondary School is a school that I can feel safe and comfortable in," another student wrote. "I feel this way because I know that the principal's number one priority and rule is safety, and she will personally come into each classroom every year at some time or another, to show the students that they are in a violence-free environment. And sure, there is a little fight every once in awhile, but every school has them, and it's nothing we can't take care of."

On the subject of health, Nordsten said students caught with tobacco can reduce their suspension by following a cessation program at the school.

Instead of soft drinks, juice is offered in vending machines before school, during lunch and after school.

In physical education, students start where they are and have a goal to reach, he said. Part of the students' grade is based on progress, he said.

This year, a pilot program was started in basketball so students can compete with other schools in the Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association.

The final subject addressed was creating an intellectually stimulating learning environment.

"We are a full-service high school, a lot of people don't realize that," Pixlee said.

Anything not available at Columbia Basin Secondary School can be taken at Moses Lake High School, she said.

The academic offering in mathematics has been expanded to include pre-calculus. After-school tutoring is offered in math, Pixlee added.

Intervention programs are available during the day in reading and math for students who have not passed the WASL, she said.

Running start is available to students at Big Bend Community College.

Extracurricular activities include FBLA, Associated Student Body, yearbook staff and art club, Pixlee said.