Muscle Shoals City Schools

Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities

Safe School Hotline

1-888-Sav-KIDS or 1-888-728-5437

The purpose of the Muscle Shoals City School System’s Safe and Drug Free Schools Program is to foster a safe and drug-free learning environment that supports academic achievement for our students.

The Safe and Drug Free Schools Program (SDFS) is an initiative which supports programs that prevent violence in and around schools. The program also focuses on promoting the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Parent and community involvement and support is strongly encouraged. All of these efforts together form a comprehensive plan to promote peaceful resolution to conflict and to reduce the demand for and use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs by school-age children.

The following programs and activities are a part of the Safe and Drug Free Schools program and are provided to all Muscle Shoals City School students:

•  MENDEZ Drug and Violence Prevention Programs (taught by teachers and counselors)-     Life-enriching skills are at the heart of this award-winning prevention program designed to reduce risk factors and enhance protective  factors related to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The program also offers an innovative approach to helping students develop the understanding and skills they need to resolve conflicts and get along peacefully with others. This research based program includes:      

                          * Too Good for Violence - Kindergarten

                          * Too Good for Drugs and Violence - Students in grades 1 -12                                

• Pride Surveys are administered each year to students in grades 6 – 12. to determine the attitudes of students toward violence, tobacco, and   alcohol and drug use.  These surveys are evaluated by the Title IV coordinator and members of the advisory council.  Results of the evaluation are used in determining the need for additional programs and activities.
• Red Ribbon Week activities including drug education, dress-up days and activities and motivational games are incorporated in all schools during National Red Ribbon Week in October of each year.
• Character Education is taught to all students by teachers and counselors.
• Voluntary participation in random drug testing is a requirement for all students in grades 6-12 that are involved in extra-curricular activities.
• Drug dog visits are scheduled for our middle school and high school as needed.
• The Safe Schools Hotline number is posted in classrooms and other various places throughout our schools.
• Rewards for good behavior are in place.  Reward trips are offered to students that comply with good behavior rules.
• Security cameras are mounted in our middle and high schools.
• School-wide expectations are posted in all classrooms.  "Be Responsible, Be Resourceful, Be Respectful"
• The video Conflic Resolution for Students on Bullying, Peer Conflict, and Peer Pressure is presented to students in middle and high school, who are caught in situations that could potentially lead to bullying.
• The DARE program is presented to 5th grade students each year.
• School Resource Officers are placed at the middle school and high school.  They visit the other schools during the year to establish trust and a positive rapport with students.
• Bullying lessons and videos are presented to all Muscle Shoals City School students throughout the year to encourage positive relationships between students.
• An advisory council has been established to review needs, establish programs, and implement changes as needed.  The following are members of that council:

          Kelley Word- Title IV Coordinator

          Deanna Tidwell- School Nurse and Parent

          Jeff Wooten- Superintendent

          Deidre Nelson- Elementary Counselor

          Teresa Burden -Teacher

           Kristi Mitchell - Elementary Counselor

           Alan Willingham - Elementary School Administrator

           Robyn Garrett- Middle School Counselor

           Carolyn Mize- High School Counselor

           Denise Woods- High School Administrator

           Debbie Bradford- Community Member and Parent

Federal Programs Meeting

September 1, 2011

Safe and Drug Free Schools Report

Kelley Word

Muscle Shoals City Schools promotes a safe a drug free learning environment for our students. In previous years, we have received federal funding that we utilized to provide the necessary services for the employees and students in our system. Unfortunately, the federal government stopped all Title IV- Safe and Drug Free funding across the nation. This means that the expense of this program now falls to local school systems.

I am very happy to report that our program has not been affected by this cut in funding. We have absorbed the cost and have spread that cost across several areas of our budget. Therefore, the students in Muscle Shoals City Schools are still receiving the benefits of a safe and drug free environment.

I have listed several of the activities below that we currently provide within our system:

·         School Resource Officers- We have two SROs. One housed at Muscle Shoals Middle School and one at Muscle Shoals High School. They are available to the other schools as needed.

·         Drug Testing- We contract with EDPM, a drug testing company that provides drug testing for our students involved with extra-curricular activities. This company randomly selects students from a data base and comes to our campus twice yearly to provide the testing. We hope that this service acts as a deterrent and gives our students a reason to say no if asked to use drugs.

·         Curriculum- Students in grades K-12 receive instruction from a scientifically based drug prevention program titled, “Too Good for Drugs,” or “Too Good for Violence.” Materials are provided to our teachers and counselors to provide this program. The content standards build upon one another each year.

·         Pride Survey- We conduct a student and teacher survey toward the end of each school year that questions students regarding actual drug use, their perceptions of drug use, and many other issues related to drugs, alcohol, and violence. The surveys are mailed to a company and sent back to us in a report that we use to determine our needs. After reviewing the report, I was very pleased with the response from the majority of our students. I have provided a copy of the report for your review.

·         Speakers and other programs- Many of our teachers arrange for speakers to come into their classrooms throughout the year. Other drug prevention programs are also incorporated into our schools during the year as well. Some of these include Red Ribbon Week, Prom Breakfast, Bullying Prevention Programs, and others.

The goal of our program is to provide a safe and drug- free learning environment for our students and employees. We will continue the above efforts and will expand these as necessary to provide the best environment possible for our school system.