Seminars set for students, parents
South Ripley tackles bullying

Wanda English Burnett
Editor

Students being bullied at school or on the ride home seems to be a common occurrence when you turn on the evening news. Knowing these acts are prevalent wherever there are students, South Ripley administration, teachers, and staff have taken a proactive stance against it.

“Do we have a problem here?” Bob Meyer, high school principal echoed the question asked. “Like every school, we’ve got a problem,” he admitted, saying they know they are vulnerable simply because they have a large number of students gathered.

That’s why they have policies in place to deal with bullying issues and are watching it closer than ever. Next Wednesday, January 16 students in grades five through eight will see Operation MoJo as Travis Brown takes his No Bullying Tour across the state speaking in 50 schools in 50 days on the subject of bullying.

High schoolers will also see the program with it being offered again in the evening for all parents at 6:30 in the high school auditeria. Parents are urged to join the school in being proactive, rather than reactive to a problem that could greatly impact their own child.

“This program is part of South Ripley’s ongoing attempts to provide a safe environment for our students,” noted Dr. John Mehrle, superintendent of South Ripley schools.

The principals, Meyer, and Rodney Hite (South Ripley Junior High) and Mark Collier (South Ripley Elementary) together with the superintendent and other staff members have taken the bullying issue seriously and ask parents to do the same.

Principal Meyer noted that technology has changed so much since he began his career in education especially with Facebook and cell phones. He said they are hoping through educating the students, and communicating with them about the bullying issue, they can avoid a catastrophe at South Ripley schools.