JFK Times Blog

Last week, our school celebrated Say Something and Start With Hello Week, initiatives designed to promote compassion, empathy, and social skills among our students. These programs are part of a broader effort to foster a safe and welcoming school environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Say Something The "Say Something" program is a campaign aimed at empowering young people to speak up about their feelings and concerns. Through this initiative, we teach students the importance of expressing what they feel and seeking help when they need it. This approach promotes a culture of open communication, where students feel comfortable sharing their experiences and worries, and where the value of listening to others is recognized. Speak out Start With Hello "Start With Hello" is another initiative focused on creating connections. This program encourages students to start conversations and be inclusive with their peers. Encouraging students to greet ot...

Last week we had the privilege of hosting Rebecca Pelayo, a renowned expert in bullying prevention, who delivered an enlightening talk to the parents of our school community. The event provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on the critical issue of bullying and its impact on our children and youth. We sincerely thank all the parents who took the time to attend and actively engage with their insights and questions during the session. We recognize that addressing this issue requires close collaboration between families and schools, and your presence and participation demonstrate your commitment to the well-being and safety of our students. We would like to remind all parents and guardians that we are here to support you in this process. We have a specialized team dedicated to bullying prevention, available to provide guidance and resources. Please feel free to reach out to us anytime at abcteam@jfk.edu.mx . Bullying prevention is a shared and urgent responsibility. By working togethe...

Did you know that in Mexico, individuals as young as 12 can face legal prosecution for cybercrimes? Engaging in seemingly innocent actions, such as using someone's image without consent, like creating and distributing a sticker with their photograph, constitutes identity theft. Viral challenges, encompassing threats such as extortion, cyberbullying, and various forms of cyber threats, have unfortunately become more prevalent among children and adolescents, posing a risk to their lives. These incidents represent attacks on personal integrity and, depending on their severity, can be classified as crimes, and could lead to legal consequences. On Friday, February 2, the Cyber Police of the State of Querétaro conducted an informative session at the school focused on preventing crimes in virtual spaces. The audience comprised students and teachers from grades 6 to 12. The organization's role was elucidated, providing detailed information about the various risks present in the vir...

Last Friday we received in our school 35 participants from 13 ASOMEX schools to attend the Antibullying Prevention workshop, given by Rebeca Pelayo, certified trainer in the bullying prevention program of Olweus. It was a very successful workshop and allowed us a great opportunity to create collaborative work with other schools. Together we can make a difference!! Maritere Soto PS Vice-Principal --------------------------------------------------------------- El pasado viernes recibimos en nuestra escuela a 35 participantes de 13 escuelas  ASOMEX,  para atender al taller de Prevención de Antibullying, impartido por Rebeca Pelayo, capacitadora certificada en el programa de prevención de bullying de Olweus. Fue un taller de mucho aprendizaje, muy exitoso y nos permitió una gran oportunidad para crear un trabajo colaborativo con otras escuelas. ¡Juntos podemos hacer la diferencia! PS Vice-Principal

There’s good evidence that young people often don’t report bullying to adults. Children are adept at hiding bullying-related behaviors and the unequal “shadow” power dynamics that can exist among them. Because of this secrecy, adults underestimate the seriousness and extent of bullying at their schools. Schools cannot help if children don’t entrust them with information. So why don’t children report bullying? Research Shows That Adults Rarely Intervene There’s a catch-22: Students don’t tell because they don’t see adults helping, but adults can’t help if students don’t tell them what is going on in their peer groups. The perception that adults don’t act may lead students to conclude that adults don’t care, or that there are different standards for adults’ behavior than for young people’s. In the workplace, shoving co-workers in the hallway would not be tolerated. Yet many adults believe that young people need to “work out” bullying problems like these on their own. This bel...

Many children are observers or “bystanders” in cases of bullying at school. It is important that even students who are bystanders in a bullying situation take action to get help, so the bullying stops. If your child talks to you about the bullying that he or she witnesses at school, you are encouraged to do the following: Teach your child how to get help without getting hurt. Encourage your child to verbally intervene if it is safe to do so, by saying such things as: “Cool it! This isn’t going to solve anything.” Tell your child not to cheer on or even quietly watch bullying. This only encourages a child who bullies and who wants to be the center of attention. Encourage your child to tell a trusted adult about the bullying. Talking to an adult is not “tattling”—it is an act of courage and safety. Suggest going to an adult with a friend if that will make it easier. Sit with your child and complete the school’s Bully report form that is anonymous, giving as much information as possible...

Key Safety Advice The whole school community has a part to play in ensuring cyber safety. Understanding children’s online lives and activities can help parents and the school responds to situations appropriately and effectively. Asking your child to show you how technologies and services work is a useful strategy that can provide an important learning opportunity and context for discussing online safety. Advice to share with children and young people  Always respect others – be careful what you say online and what images you send.  Think before you send – whatever you send can be made public very quickly and could stay online forever.  Treat your password like your toothbrush – keep it to yourself and never share it. Only give your phone number to trusted friends.  Block the bully – learn how to block or report someone who is behaving badly.  Don’t retaliate or reply!  Save the evidence – learn how to keep records of offending messages, pictures or on...

Si una persona del ABC lo contacta por a un comportamiento de bulliyng de su hijo, es importante que lo tome con seriedad, queremos trabajar en equipo para apoyar a su hijo. Aunque puede ser difícil de aceptar, actuar con rapidez ayudará al niño que ha sido buleado, al igual que a su hijo. Escuche con atención. No empiece a defender las acciones de su hijo. Esta es una oportunidad para ayudar a su hijo a aprender maneras más positivas de relacionarse con otros.  Aquí hay algunas cosas que podría hacer: Trabaje junto con el ABC de su sección para mandar un mensaje claro a su hijo de que está tomando el bullying con seriedad y que es necesario que se detenga inmediatamente.  Establezca reglas simples y claras con su familia sobre la conducta de su hijo.   De atención positiva cuando su hijo siga las reglas, y use consecuencias lógicas y no físicas cuando se rompan las reglas. Cuando de una consecuencia, sea constante con estas. Pase mucho tiempo con su hijo. Platique c...

The whole school community has a part to play in ensuring cyber safety. Understanding children’s online lives and activities can help parents and the school responds to situations appropriately and effectively. Asking your child to show you how technologies and services work is a useful strategy that can provide an important learning opportunity and context for discussing online safety. Advice to share with children and young people  Always respect others – be careful what you say online and what images you send.  Think before you send – whatever you send can be made public very quickly and could stay online forever.  Treat your password like your toothbrush – keep it to yourself and never share it. Only give your phone number to trusted friends.  Block the bully – learn how to block or report someone who is behaving badly.  Don’t retaliate or reply!  Save the evidence – learn how to keep records of offending messages, pictures or online conversations....

La mejor manera de tratar el cyberbullying es evitando que suceda desde el primer momento. La escuela ha creado un equipo especial formado por personal de cada sección. Este equipo trabajará unido y es responsable de la coordinación e implementación de la prevención del cyberbullying y nuestras estrategias de respuesta. Ellos discutirán todas las situaciones con los directores y reportarán al Equipo de Liderazgo las soluciones a los problemas nuevos y emergentes. No existe una solución única al problema de cyberbullying pero las medidas preventivas reducirán la frecuencia.  Estas son cinco áreas clave a las que la Escuela JFK se compromete a través del Equipo de Cyberbullying, para dar prioridad, para poner en marcha un plan integral y eficaz de prevención: 1. Comprender y hablar acerca del cyberbullying  Toda la comunidad escolar necesita una definición de cyberbullying compartida y establecida. Todos debemos estar concientes del impacto del cyberbullying y la diferenci...

Warning Signs of Bullying No parent likes to think about their child being bullied or, even worse, being a bully, but the fact is that more than half of all children are involved – either as a perpetrator, victim or witness. So, there’s a good chance you’ll have to deal with it at some point. Here are some warning signs that can help you detect if your child is being bullied or is a bully: Students Who are Bullied Students who are being bullied often exhibit some warning signs. These students may: Have torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings  Have few, if any, friends with whom he or she spends time  Lose interest in doing school work, or suddenly begin to do poorly in school  Appear sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes home  Complain frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or other physical problems  Have frequent bad dreams, or trouble sleeping  Experience a loss of appetite  Appear anxious and suf...

El “bullying” no es nuevo. Muchos de nosotros recordamos a nuestros compañeros pasando notas desagradables alrededor del salón de clases, haciendo malos comentarios a la hora del recreo, esparciendo rumores falsos y otras cosas. Es fácil imaginar que “cyberbullying” solo es un título elegante y un nuevo modo de jugar los mismos viejos trucos. Tal vez ni siquiera deberíamos preocuparnos mucho y enseñar a nuestros niños a ignorar comentarios en línea o a tomar represalias. Tal vez esto sea parte del mundo moderno y algo con lo que necesitan crecer. La investigación nos dice que no debemos ignorar este nuevo problema y en crecimiento. La investigación también nos indica que “cyberbullying” no es solamente lo mismo de antes hecho de otra manera y que es algo que ciertamente no debemos ignorar. La siguiente es una lista de características que hacen del “cyberbullying” una nueva y diferente manera de acoso. 24/7 y la invasión del hogar/espacio personal. El “cyberbullying” puede ocurrir ...

A message from the Anti Bullying Committee: Welcome back The antibullying committee has reunited over the past months to revise and refocus the purpose of it. We would like to inform the JFK community of the alignment we’ve written so we can practice upon it. At JFK, the ABC Anti Bullying committee is committed to fostering a school environment where honesty, responsibility and respect thrive. The committee's mission is to proactively create beauty in our school community by preventing bullying behaviors and achieving the extraordinary by nurturing a culture of kindness and inclusion.  Core Values within the ABC committee Honesty : We pledge to be transparent in our efforts to address bullying, ensuring open and honest communication with all stakeholders. Responsibility : We take responsibility for the wellbeing of the students, staff, and the school community, actively working to prevent bullying through education and intervention. Respect : We promote a culture of respe...