JCS Proactive Safety in Action: Middle Schoolers Participate in "I AM SOMEONE" Assembly
At Jessamine County Schools, ensuring the physical, mental, and emotional safety of our students is at the heart of everything we do. From our daily campus routines to specialized learning programs, our district is continuously working to create a secure, welcoming environment where every child feels supported and valued.
As part of these ongoing efforts, JCS middle school students recently participated in a powerful interactive assembly titled "I AM SOMEONE," presented by speaker Scott Harvey.
The presentation provided students with practical, real-world guidance on how to navigate peer dynamics, recognize unsafe behavior, and actively contribute to a positive school community.
Core Focus Areas: Safety, Responsibility, and Respect
During the assembly, students explored several key concepts designed to build awareness and foster a culture of accountability across our campuses:
Understanding Bullying & Power Imbalances: Students learned how to identify true bullying behaviors, which Kentucky law defines as repeated, unwanted behavior involving an imbalance of power. The session emphasized that anyone can experience bullying and provided strategies for recognizing when someone needs help.
Telling vs. Tattling: A central message of the presentation was empowering students to speak up when safety is on the line. While "tattling" is often meant to get someone in trouble, "telling" is an essential act of care intended to protect oneself or others from harm. Students were reminded that reaching out to an adult is always the right choice when safety is involved.
Understanding the Impact of Threats: The presentation addressed the serious nature of terroristic threatening, reminding students that hoax threats or jokes about school harm carry major legal and community consequences. False alarms create anxiety, strain law enforcement resources, and disrupt essential learning environments.
Comprehensive Safety & Reporting Tools
Assemblies like "I AM SOMEONE" are just one component of JCS’s multi-layered approach to district safety. In addition to maintaining strong partnerships with our School Resource Officers (SROs) and school counseling teams, JCS provides students with direct, accessible avenues to report concerns before they escalate.
Students are encouraged to reach out through several trusted channels:
Direct Communication: Speaking directly with a teacher, counselor, administrator, or SRO.
Family Support: Sharing concerns with a parent or guardian at home.
The STOP Tip Line: Utilizing the district's confidential online reporting tool, accessible through the main menu on every JCS school website, to report safety concerns quickly and anonymously.
Continuing the Conversation at Home
District safety relies on strong collaboration between our schools and families. We encourage parents and guardians to discuss these concepts with their children to help reinforce positive behavior and safety practices.
Here are a few questions you can use to start a conversation at home:
If you ever hear or see something online or at school that feels unsafe, what is your plan to report it?
What does it mean to be an "upstander" in your hallway or cafeteria, and how can you support classmates who might be going through a tough time?
By keeping lines of communication open and working together as a community, JCS remains committed to providing a safe, inspiring space for every student to learn and grow.
