January 12, 2009
WINTER 2009 DATES SET FOR FOUNDATION'S FREE TEASING AND BULLYING TRAININGS
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation is once again offering free training, An Introduction to Teasing and Bullying, to school administrators and educators on dealing with bullying and related issues. The Foundation conducts separate, one-day training sessions tailored to the special needs of each position:
Administrator training sessions, suitable for superintendents, principals and vice principals, will take place Thursday, February 5. [UPDATE: FULLY BOOKED]
Educator training sessions geared to teachers, guidance counselors, student assistance counselors, child study team personnel and paraprofessionals, will be held Wednesdays, January 28, February 4 [UPDATE: 1/28, 2/4 FULLY BOOKED], February 25 and March 4; and Thursday, March 17.
Registration is required for all trainings, held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the New Jersey Law Center off Ryders Lane, New Brunswick. Free breakfasts and lunches are provided.
New training dates will be announced shortly.
Newspapers and broadcast media are full of reports about bullying in our nation's schools, playgrounds and neighborhoods, emphasizing its negative consequences for both victim and bully as well as the importance of teaching administrators and educators how to recognize the problem and develop ways to combat it. Committed to the promotion of violence prevention, the Bar Foundation launched its Teasing and Bullying Program in 2001.
Focusing on the prevention of bullying, the interactive training sessions educate administrators and educators about the myths and facts of bullying, allowing attendees to differentiate teasing from bullying and tattling vs. reporting. Participants will explore strategies for creating a peaceful classroom and examine ways to develop a school-wide approach to prevent bullying. The Foundation's training focuses not only on helping the targets of bullying, but also the students who bully as well. Coordinator is Bar Foundation staff member Leisa-Anne Smith, an attorney appointed by Gov. Jon Corzine to the New Jersey Coalition Against Bullying.
Please note that online or faxed registration is not available for these trainings. To register for either the administrator or educator training sessions, please call 1-800 FREE LAW and request a registration form. Please leave your fax number and specify whether you are interested in the administrator or educator training for Teasing and Bullying.
The Teasing and Bullying training sessions are free of charge; however, a refundable $20 security deposit check, made payable to the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, is required and must accompany each registration. Checks will be returned by mail to attendees. Checks from registrants who do not give adequate notice (at least 72 hours) of their inability to attend will be used to defray the expenses related to no-show registrants and therefore will be forfeited. Space for the Teasing and Bullying training sessions is limited to 25 participants per training. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Founded in 1958, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation is the educational and philanthropic arm of the New Jersey State Bar Association. The Bar Foundation's mission is to promote public understanding of the law through a free, comprehensive public education program. Among its activities, the Foundation conducts seminars and conflict resolution training, publishes materials, operates a videotape loan library and speakers bureau, and coordinates elementary, middle and high school mock trial competitions. For more information about the Foundation's programs and publications, visit us online at www.njsbf.org or call 1-800-FREE-LAW.