Dear Pine Bush families and staff,

I am writing to give you an update on recent events at Pine Bush High School.  I am happy to report that we saw a lot of improvement on Friday with the support of the additional measures we put in place. We had additional security guards, police officers, and high school staff visible throughout the day.  Students were respectful and able to learn in a safe environment.

Due to the diligence of our administrators, staff and the Town of Crawford police department, we discovered several social media sites that some of our students have been posting on in order to encourage fighting and disseminate videos of verbal and physical altercations. As a result, disturbing images and messages are being widely shared to each other, the local media and others. The Town of Crawford police are actively seeking warrants to identify the source of these sites and we hope they will be taken down.  

While this is a proactive measure, it may not be that effective because as quick as we can get them removed and/or identify who started the site, another may pop up in its place.  

 

Therefore, I am asking all parents to have a conversation with their child about the negative impact that social media is having on this situation.  We all need to take responsibility and realize that even if your child is not actively engaged on these disturbing sites, simply sharing the videos among friends and family is also promoting this bad behavior.  I would also like to give parents some context about the videos that your children are sharing with you.  Since the videos are often filmed by a student right near the fight,  when you see the video you may be making the assumption that the violence is occurring right near your child, when in fact it is in another part of the building.

On Friday afternoon, I took the bold step of communicating directly to our students in an email. My message was also simultaneously posted on the district website. Basically, it reinforces that recent misbehaviors are being further escalated by social media and that violence has no place in our school.  In response, I received a lot of feedback from the students. Some were positive, but most were negative. In a nutshell, many of our students share our concerns and frustrations, but are also uncomfortable and upset about  the extra security measures we have put in place. Many voiced concerns about access to the bathrooms. The extra supervision we are providing near the bathrooms and limitations on the number of students in them at one time is directly related to the uptick in vaping, substance exchange and fighting that occurred there earlier in the year. Please know that no one is being denied access to the restrooms, but they may have to wait a little longer to get in and there will be an adult outside to move students along. 

Most of you are aware that other districts around the county and our nation are also facing similar challenges. They are not our concern, nor do we get any comfort from that. We need to do what we can to remain committed to providing a safe school environment at Pine Bush High School and all of our schools. Along with the extra security guards that we will be adding this week, we will also have our school counselors, social workers, psychologists and administrators in our hallways readily available to support our students.  Teachers are also in the hallways to provide familiar faces to let our students know that we all are here for them and care about their social, emotional, and mental health as well as their academic progress.   

Although we are happy that we have seen some positive progress, we all must remain committed to providing a school community where every student feels safe and valued. I am hopeful that we have turned a corner and continue to make progress. We look forward to getting back to the business of education because finals and Regents exams are quickly approaching. Please know that all of the teachers who teach a course that ends in a Regents are providing support after school to help the students prepare.  Some are even providing virtual support to our students that are involved in after-school activities or athletics. We are keenly aware that many students facing Regents have not taken one in the past because the tests were not fully administered over the last two years.  

We also need to acknowledge that the majority of our students are making good choices and working hard academically. In fact, we are all very proud of all of the wonderful accomplishments that we will be celebrating as the school year comes to a close. It is also important to shout out a huge thank you to the PBHS staff that work tirelessly to make PBHS a great place to learn.

Change will not happen overnight and we will undoubtedly face more challenges before the end of the school year. It will take continued courage and resilience. Our students, families, staff, and administrators will need to work together in order to garner the strength we need to move forward. I have been  a part of this district a long time and know that we are a school community that promotes kindness, mutual respect, and compassion. Let us harness the power of  unity to be “the village” it takes to educate our children. 

Donna Geidel, interim superintendent