It’s October. Summer is officially over, and fall is fully here. Days are getting shorter; leaves are starting to fall. Some big things are on the horizon already.

But for now, it’s October. Some big safety-related things are already here.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.   Not all behaviors we don’t like are bullying. Bullying is done on purpose, involves some kind of power imbalance, and is repeated – or likely to be repeated. The bottom line, it is hurtful or harmful in one way or another.  Did you know that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes bullying as an  Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)?  

We all play a part in reducing bullying and its related behaviors. For Bullying Prevention Month, engage your entire school community in bullying prevention and intervention this month! Wednesday, October 19 is Unity Day – Wear  orange on Unity Day! In the meantime, do you know your district’s HIB Compliance Officer? Do you or your staff need help addressing bullying, harassment, or intimidation? Check our HIB webpage! For more bullying prevention resources, check these links:

• Stopbullying.gov
• Pacer.org Videos  (Great for classroom use.)
• Cyberbullying Research Center
• A Student Created Anti-Bullying Video
• Hazing Prevention.org *

On a related note, October is also National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Here are a couple of links to share with staff and families:   

• Teach Others to Stay Safe Online   
• Tech Device Rules in the Home

We are all learning not to mess with Mother Nature these days. She can be a bully of sorts herself!  But we can also prepare!  The Great Washington ShakeOut is October 20^th at 10:20 am. The  Great ShakeOut is the perfect opportunity to meet statewide drill requirements and to practice ‘drop, cover, and hold on. Even if your staff and students “drop, cover, and hold on” on a different day or in a different location outside of school, that’s OK! Just be sure to register for  ShakeOut at  https://www.shakeout.org/washington/.

Here are some excellent resources to share with staff, students, and families:

• https://mil.wa.gov/earthquake                    
• https://mil.wa.gov/asset/5ba41fc6492b8  
• https://mil.wa.gov/asset/5bac1b4e26d81
• https://mil.wa.gov/asset/5bac15c99737c  
• https://www.ready.gov/kids
• https://www.ready.gov/kit

Of course, October comes to an end on Halloween. Help everyone stay safe and healthy on Halloween.

Have a wonderful October! Big things are coming your way.