Valley View Forum to Focus on Bullying, Cyberbullying

The Santa Rosa, California-based Community Matters organization will share its nationally renown “inside-out” approach to making schools safer with the Valley View School District 365U community during a special forum at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15, at Lukancic Middle School, 725 Normantown Road, Romeoville.

The program, relevant for parents of all grade levels as well as community members, will focus on time-tested methods to change the social norms that allow bullying to occur.

“The growing indifference and increase in bystander behavior has had the unintended consequence of normalizing incivility and intolerance,” a spokesman for Community Matters said. “Bullying, cyberbullying and other forms of mistreatment continue to permeate our nation’s schools. These dangerous behaviors are occurring at a younger age and are more pervasive and therefore more challenging for adults to identify.”

Attendees of the free Lukancic program will learn how to strengthen their own adult-child relationships and will also gain specific skills on how to identify, communicate and intervene effectively when they or their children witness or hear about mistreatment.

Following the presentation, local experts will lead parents and community members in small “parent café” conversations about how to best apply the Community Matters theories to our local communities.

Individual Spanish language translation devices will be available and child care will be provided free of charge. No reservations are necessary.

This is the first in a series of 2014-15 VVSD parent and community engagement events designed to help you stay involved and informed.

Two weeks later, at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at Bolingbrook High School, VVSD Superintendent Dr. James Mitchem and his team will host an open Town Hall meeting at which attendees will be able to ask VVSD-related questions. Informative post-meeting grade-level-specific “parent cafes” will include conversations on the new state-mandated PARCC assessment and VVSD’s increased efforts to help students attain college and career readiness.

Community Matters is recognized as an innovative and thought-leading organization committed to improving the social-emotional climate of our nation’s schools and communities. Founded in 1996, Community Matters has worked with more than 1,000 schools, agencies and organizations across 30 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and Canada.