EASD's Plan for Success
Why This Matters: Our Motivation
At the heart of our efforts is a simple yet powerful goal: to ensure that every student feels emotionally safe, welcomed, and valued at school, so they are fully prepared to participate in their academic program. When students feel they belong, they are more likely to engage in their learning, connect with peers and adults, and thrive in a positive educational environment.
Our Proactive Approach: Creating Safe and Supportive Spaces for All
The Elizabethtown Area School District is committed to fostering a culture of belonging through intentional, proactive strategies that help students feel connected and supported. A sampling of these programs and services includes:
- Leader in Me (K-8) – Empowering students with leadership, responsibility, and personal growth.
- Facility Dog Program – Providing emotional support and comfort to students in need.
- Athletics and Music Programs – Offering inclusive extracurricular opportunities that build team spirit, self-confidence, and connection.
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) – Promoting respectful, responsible, and safe behavior across all grade levels.
- Link Crew at Elizabethtown Area High School – Mentoring program that pairs upperclassmen with freshmen to support transition and peer connection.
In addition to these structured programs, we emphasize the importance of trusted adults - teachers, counselors, coaches, support staff, and other faculty - who are available to listen, support, and build meaningful connections with students. Encouraging students to identify and engage with at least one trusted adult in the school helps build a safety net of care and encouragement that supports each child's emotional and academic development.
How Parents and Caregivers Can Help
Parents and guardians are vital partners in building a culture of belonging. Here’s how you can support your child and our school community:
- Report Concerns Promptly: If your child shares that they are experiencing unwanted behaviors from peers, please contact their teacher and/or school principal immediately. The more specific the details, the better we can address the situation quickly and appropriately.
- Encourage Open Dialogue: Talk regularly with your child about their school experience. Let them know it’s always safe to share how they’re feeling.
- Reinforce Kindness and Empathy at Home: Encourage your child to treat others with kindness and to include others who may feel left out.
- Promote Seeking Help: Remind your child that it's okay to ask for help from trusted adults at school when something doesn’t feel right. Help your child recognize the school counselor, the school nurse, the assistant principal, and the principal as resources to help when your child may not be sure what to do.
- Participate and Stay Informed: Join school events and activities, read school communications, and stay involved in your child's school experience. Talk to your child about his or her interests, review the extracurricular options found on our district website, and encourage your child to become involved. This is a great way to make friends and to stay engaged in the school environment.
Areas of Emphasis: Reducing Unwanted Peer-to-Peer Behaviors
A key area of emphasis for the Elizabethtown Area School District is reducing unwanted behaviors and interactions between students, including peer conflict, bullying, and harassment. Each of these concerns is taken seriously, though they differ in severity and require different types of intervention and responses.
- Peer Conflict – The most common form of disagreements between students. Peer conflict is generally mutual and typically resolved through communication or mediation.
- Bullying – More severe than Peer Conflict and involves Intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or series of acts directed at another student or students, which occurs in a school setting and/or outside a school setting, that is severe, persistent or pervasive and has the effect of doing any of the following:
- Substantially interfering with a student’s education.
- Creating a threatening environment.
- Substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.
- Harassment – The most serious form of unwanted peer-to-peer interaction that is based on the protected classifications listed in this policy consisting of unwelcome conduct such as graphic, written, electronic, verbal, or nonverbal acts including offensive jokes, slurs, epithets and name-calling, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, or other conduct that may be harmful or humiliating or interfere with a person’s school or school-related performance when such conduct is:
- Sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive; and
- A reasonable person in the complainant’s position would find that it creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment such that it deprives or adversely interferes with or limits an individual or group of the ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or opportunities offered by a school.
To address these behaviors, our district uses a combination of approaches including but not limited to the following interventions:
- Peer Mediation – Structured support to help students resolve conflict peacefully and productively.
- Restorative Practices – Opportunities for students to take accountability and repair harm in a supportive environment.
- Disciplinary Action – When necessary, disciplinary action will be administered based on the district’s investigation of the incident and in accordance with established board policies and student code of conduct. Disciplinary outcomes are tailored to the nature and severity of the behavior, with a focus on ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. School Board Policy 249 addresses bullying while School Board Policy 103 addresses harassment.
By working together - schools, students, and families - we can ensure that every student experiences a safe, respectful, and inclusive school environment.
For questions about our Culture of Belonging efforts, contact Dr. Walter Smith, Director of Pupil Services, by email at walter_smith@etownschools.org or by phone at (717) 367-1521.