Main Menu

Safe School Climate

Students looking at a tablet on a desk.

The Woodbridge School District is committed to promoting a secure and happy school climate, conducive to teaching and learning, that is free from threat, harassment, and any type of bullying behavior. A school environment in which students feel safe, supported, engaged, and helpfully challenged is optimal for learning and healthy development.

 Key elements that create our safe school climate are:

  • Responsive Classroom as the foundation for creating environments where children thrive academically, socially and emotionally. An approach to teaching and learning that fosters challenging, safe, and joyful classrooms, Responsive Classroom consists of practical strategies for bringing together social and academic learning throughout the school day to foster respect and build community. “CARES” represents five key social skills that students need to learn and practice in order to be successful socially and academically: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. Opportunities for using the CARES words and living by those values come up naturally in the process of making classroom rules, learning to put these rules into action in the classroom, practicing respectful behavior in the lunchroom, and other common areas. Since these skills reflect concepts that can be supported in many family interactions, we encourage parents to consider incorporating this vocabulary into their teaching and expectations at home.

  • A supportive approach to teaching self-discipline, and following expectations for student behavior and conduct. Woodbridge Board of Education Policy 5131, “Conduct and Discipline,” was most recently revised in 2014, and Policy 5114, “Suspension and Expulsion / Due Process,” was most recently revised in 2021.

    • The designee for implementation of these policies and their regulations is Beecher Road School Principal Analisa Sherman (asherman@woodbridgeps.org). 

  • An updated policy (2021) to guide the investigation of bullying complaints: Policy 5131.911, “Bullying.” “Bullying,” by statute, is defined as an that is direct or indirect and severe, persistent, or pervasive which (a) causes physical or emotional harm to an individual; (b) places an individual in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm; or (c) infringes on the rights and opportunities of an individual at school.

    • The Safe School Climate Specialist is Beecher Road School Assistant Principal James Sapia (jsapia@woodbridgeps.org).

    • The Safe School Climate Coordinator is Director of Special Services Carrie Borcherding (cborcherding@woodbridgeps.org).

    • The members of the BRS Safe School Climate Committee are Cara Rosner  (parent), Joi Prud'homme (parent), Joseph DePalma (grade 3 teacher) James Sapia (Assistant Principal), Kayla Widmeyer (School Counselor), Katie McCollom (grade 5 teacher), and Mary Vincitorio (grade 2 teacher).

  • A policy to guide the investigation of harassment complaints: Policy 5145.52, “Harassment/Intimidation.” All students have a right to attend school with freedom from all forms of harassment, including any form of harassment related to a student's race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), marital, or veteran status.

    • The designee for implementation of this policy and its regulations is Director of Special Services Carrie Borcherding (cborcherding@woodbridgeps.org).

To the extent that every one member of our community does not feel safe, supported, engaged, and helpfully challenged, we can do a better job. Individuals with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the administrative designees listed above, or WSD  Superintendent Vonda Tencza. (vtencza@woodbridgeps.org).