NC Center for Safer Schools

• From the Executive Director
• SRP/SRM Workshop
• ASIST Training
• RSSS Visits
• Engaging First Responders
• Great Southeast ShakeOut
• Self-Care for Educators
• YMHFA Training
• National Bullying Prevention Month
• Calendar of Events
• Tell Us About It
• Contact the CFSS
• Follow Us

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, when individuals, families, educators and communities unite in efforts to combat bullying and promote kindness and acceptance.

The Center for Safer Schools will raise awareness of National Bullying Prevention Month. We will have daily posts on social media to highlight the dangers of bullying and cyberbullying.

Throughout October, CFSS staff will make presentations in North Carolina public school units to spread the message that “Kindness Changes Everything.”

This month's newsletter includes information about our new Anti-Bullying Campaign, Kindness Changes Everything webinar, Student Engagement Contest and Anti-Bullying Curriculum.

The signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month is Unity Day, which encourages individuals and communities to come together to promote kindness and courage. CFSS staff will wear orange on Wednesday, Oct. 22 to mark Unity Day, and we invite all North Carolina public school units to join us.

As we’ve done in previous years, we’ll share your photos of students and staff wearing orange on our social media accounts. Please submit your photos via email to CFSS@cfssnc.gov.

Visit our YouTube channel to view my October video, where I talk about National Bullying Prevention Month. Follow the Center for Safer Schools on social media to stay up-to-date on upcoming events.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to end bullying and cyberbullying, and for your cooperation to help create safer school climates for everyone.

— Karen W. Fairley

The Center for Safer Schools will host a Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method Train the Trainer Workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The training, held in partnership with the I Love U Guys Foundation, will be held from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Greenville Convention Center, 303 SW Greenville Blvd., Greenville.

SRP and SRM are used for crisis response and post-crisis reunification. The Train the Trainer Workshop introduces participants to the history, concepts and functionality of SRP and SRM and how to train the programs internally.

After learning about the five actions of the Standard Response Protocol, and their associated directives, participants will be able to implement the program and enhance their school safety plans.

Participants also will gain an understanding of the methods for planning, practicing and achieving a successful reunification using the Standard Reunification Method. They will have the ability to organize a reunification team in their school and create a reunification plan.

The workshop is open to school safety directors and support staff. Safety directors and their partners in safety (school administrators, law enforcement, etc.) are encouraged to attend together.

The CFSS will provide one manual and one instructor guide to each public school unit. Additional manuals will cost $8.75 each, and additional instructor guides will cost $6 each.

The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. If you have questions, send an email to CFSS Assistant Director-Training & Safety-Interim Jeff Branch.

The Center for Safer Schools will host Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Certified Training sessions in October. The in-person trainings will be conducted by Jessica Jackson, director of the National Crisis Center in Miami.

At an ASIST workshop, participants will learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

Training sessions will be held Oct. 6-7 in Statesville and Oct. 9-10 in Asheville.

All sessions will be held over two days, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. To receive credit for completing the course, you must attend both days.

For more information on ASIST training, send an email to CFSS Assistant Director-Training & Safety-Interim Jeff Branch.

Center for Safer Schools Regional School Safety Specialist-Southwest Donna Hamilton on Thursday, Aug. 21 visited Red Springs High School in Red Springs, where she previously served as a school resource officer. During the event hosted by Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins, Hamilton greeted the school’s two new SROs and attended the unveiling of their patrol car, which features the school’s mascot.

Left photo: Hamilton on Thursday, Sept. 11 visited Richlands Elementary School and SRO Onslow County Deputy Brandon Beasley to promote the message to “Be Proactive” when it comes to school safety.

The Center for Safer Schools encourages all public school units to foster active relationships with first responders during the creation of multi-hazard crisis plans. However, the relationship-building shouldn't stop there. We hope that you will invite first responders into your school community to forge strong ties with your staff and students.

Integrating first responders into everyday school activities is simple. Below are a few ideas to start you on your way to building valuable relationships with your local first responder communities:

• Invite them into your school for activities such as reading to a classroom and being a regular lunchroom buddy.
• Hold a “Touch a Truck” event. This is a popular hands-on event that allows people the opportunity to look inside and ask questions about fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, MRAP SWAT vehicles and – for some agencies – even helicopters.
• Career Days are another opportunity for first responders to explain roles, share stories about their work and answer students’ questions.
• Adopt them! A school could choose to adopt a fire station; a club could choose to adopt a rescue base; and a class could choose to adopt a specific officer, firefighter or paramedic. Students can make cards for them, host a potluck, invite them to speak to the class, visit them on a field trip or plan other activities that foster learning and appreciation between the two groups.

The 2025 Great Southeast ShakeOut will be held Thursday, Oct. 16 at 10:16 a.m. The ShakeOut is an annual public earthquake drill where millions of people in schools, organizations and homes practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” which is the recommended action to take during an earthquake to reduce the risk of injury.

Public school units can choose their own date (or multiple dates) to accommodate as many people and schedules as possible. The drill can be completed together in-person or at home via videoconferencing, and offers your schools and community an opportunity to consider how they would respond to an earthquake while identifying potential refinements to your district’s emergency response plan.

Visit the ShakeOut’s website to register your public school unit and to view drill planning resources, general preparedness information, mitigation guidance and educational activities.

By this point in the school year, many educators are feeling the weight of long days, students’ needs and extra responsibilities. Here are self-care strategies tailored for educators a few months into the year:

Re-Center Your Boundaries

• Revisit the work-life balance you intended at the start of the year. Are you taking grading or emails home every night?
• Set “shutdown rituals” (e.g., no school email after 7 p.m.).
• Learn to say “not right now” for extra tasks that stretch you too thin.

Quick Reset Strategies (During the School Day)

• Micro-breaks: 2-3 minutes of deep breathing, stretching or stepping outside for fresh air between classes.
• Anchor moments: Play a calming song while transitioning between periods, or keep a favorite tea/coffee ritual.
• Gratitude Post-its: Keep a small pad to jot one positive student moment daily.

Protect Your Evenings & Weekends

• Make one evening non-negotiably yours (no grading, no school talk).
• Plan enjoyable activities – even small ones like cooking a favorite meal, reading for pleasure or a short walk.
• Prioritize sleep: Chronic fatigue is one of the biggest burnout triggers.

Social & Emotional Nourishment

• Lean on trusted colleagues for support. Create a “vent and laugh” lunch group.
• Stay connected outside school (friends/family who aren’t in education help you get perspective).
• Remember, if stress is high, don’t hesitate to reach out to counseling resources. Educators often overlook their own needs.

Reconnect With Your “Why”

• Midyear fatigue can cloud your purpose. Remind yourself: Why did I become an educator?
• Keep a “positive notes” folder with kind student/parent feedback to reread on hard days.
• Celebrate small wins: Notice the progress, not perfection.

Physical Well-Being

• Stay hydrated: Keep a water bottle at your desk.
• Batch prep healthy snacks to avoid relying on vending machines.
• Incorporate light movement before and/or after school (walks, stretches, yoga).

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) equips adults who work with youth to recognize, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in adolescents ages 12-18. Certified instructors can deliver YMHFA training both in person and online. Participants often include school staff and administrators, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals and social workers.

At the Center for Safer Schools, both Programs staff and Regional School Safety Specialists are certified to provide YMHFA training to North Carolina public school units.

The training is free, but the cost of training materials is $28.90 per attendee.

Click YMHFA to request Youth Mental Health First Aid training facilitated by CFSS staff.

The Center for Safer Schools is proud to provide this online packet to help raise awareness of National Bullying Prevention Month. Below you will find valuable resources, including a Kindness Challenge with daily activities for classrooms. Activities include saying hello to someone you don't know; making someone laugh; and giving someone encouragement.

Visit the Center for Safer Schools on Facebook, Instagram and X throughout October for daily posts highlighting the dangers of bullying and cyberbullying. For more information on how you can help create safer school climates, visit StopBullying.gov and Pacer.org/bullying.

Let's continue to work together to make schools fun and enriching environments for everyone. Thank you for supporting our efforts to end bullying and cyberbullying!

The Center for Safer Schools is launching a statewide anti-bullying campaign in partnership with the North Carolina-based Children and Parent Resource Group (CPR).

This free initiative – available to all middle schools across the state throughout the school year – is designed to help students better understand both the physical harm and the emotional impact that bullying can cause, as well as how to recognize peers who may be experiencing it.

Using 3-D video technology, interactive games and pre- and post-program student surveys, the campaign offers an engaging, research-based approach that highlights the serious effects bullying can have on the health and well-being of North Carolina students.

For more information on the CFSS anti-bullying campaign, send an email to CFSS School Safety Strategic Coordinator John Van Arnam. Space is limited and will be done on a first come, first served basis until all appointment slots are filled.

The Center for Safer Schools Student Engagement Team is holding a contest for K-12 students in North Carolina public school units in conjunction with the 2025 National Bullying Prevention Month.

The contest theme is “Kindness Changes Everything.” Creativity is encouraged, as submissions could include videos, songs, poems, skits, speeches and chants.

The contest is divided into three categories: Middle School, High School and Classroom.

Two Middle School winners will receive a Chromebook and a $25 gift card.

Four High School winners (two boys and two girls) will receive a Chromebook and a $25 gift card.

In the Classroom category, the winning classroom will receive a Chromebook for each student in the class and a pizza party.

The contest rules are as follows:

• Students must be currently enrolled in a North Carolina public school unit
• Students cannot be currently suspended or expelled
• All submissions must include the students’ name, grade, school, county and principal
• All video submissions must be between 1 and 2 minutes
• No inappropriate content such as vulgarity, profanity or gang-related affiliation
• All poems, speeches and songs must be only 1 page (no plagiarizing)
• Students will be scored based on a rubric
• Students are scored based on originality and creativity
• Winners of the contest will be voted upon by the CFSS Contest Committee

The deadline for all submissions is Friday, Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. All entries should be emailed to CFSS@cfssnc.gov.

If you have questions, send an email to CFSS@cfssnc.gov.

The Center for Safer Schools Student Engagement Team on Wednesday, Oct. 15 will hold a virtual training session on effective bullying prevention and intervention strategies in schools.

Kindness Changes Everything: Bullying Prevention and Intervention will cover essential best practices, emphasizing the importance of developing effective bullying intervention plans that empower schools to respond effectively to incidents. A strong bullying prevention and intervention program is vital for fostering a safe and supportive school environment.

Attendees will receive practical resources and valuable information to help both students and staff navigate bullying situations with confidence. This session is intended for administrators, specialized instructional support personnel (SISP) staff (school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, behavioral health/mental health specialists) and other staff members who might support students for bullying prevention.

Kindness Changes Everything will be led by CFSS Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Michelle Guarino, Student Engagement Manager Chelsea King and Program Coordinator Mya Batts.

The signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month is Unity Day, which encourages individuals and communities to come together to promote kindness and courage. This year, Unity Day is Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Center for Safer Schools staff will wear orange to mark Unity Day, and we invite all North Carolina public school units to join us. We’ll share your photos of students and staff wearing orange on our social media accounts.

Please submit your photos via email to CFSS@cfssnc.gov by Friday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m.

The Center for Safer Schools Behavioral Health Section has designed an anti-bullying curriculum for public school units.

This five-day mini-unit is designed for elementary and middle school students. Each activity is adult-led but highly engaging for students, building awareness, empathy and skills to prevent bullying. Teachers can adapt examples to fit grade level or developmental need.

If you have questions about the anti-bullying curriculum, contact CFSS Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Michelle Guarino.

ASIST Training

• Monday, Oct. 6-Tuesday, Oct. 7; 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Statesville Civic Center, 300 S. Center St., Statesville: ASIST
• Thursday, Oct. 9-Friday, Oct. 10; 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Buncombe County Schools Central Office, 175 Bingham Road, Asheville: ASIST

Active Assailant Simulation Training (SROs/Law Enforcement)

• Monday, Oct. 13; 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; CFSS Training Center, 3600 Samarcand Road, Jackson Springs: Active Assailant

Kindness Changes Everything: Bullying Prevention and Intervention

• Wednesday, Oct. 15; 11 a.m.-noon; virtual: Kindness Changes Everything

SRP/SRM Workshop

• Wednesday, Oct. 22; 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Greenville Convention Center, 303 SW Greenville Blvd., Greenville: SRP/SRM

Active Assailant Simulation Training 2 (SROs/Law Enforcement)

• Monday, Nov. 10; 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; CFSS Training Center, 3600 Samarcand Road, Jackson Springs: Active Assailant

The Center for Safer Schools welcomes newsletter submissions about school safety events from school districts and charter schools across North Carolina. Email your information and photos to CFSS Legislative & Communication Specialist Charles Kinnin.

• General Inquiries: CFSS@cfssnc.gov
• Protect Our Students Videos: SchoolSafety@cfssnc.gov
• Regional School Safety Specialists: RSSS@cfssnc.gov
• School Safety Grants: SchoolSafetyGrants@cfssnc.gov

NOTE: If you have sent an email to the Center for Safer Schools in recent weeks and did not receive a reply to your inbox, please check your spam folder.