School Climate & Safety

Petaluma City Schools is committed to the safety of all students and staff on our campuses. Schools annually develop a comprehensive school safety plan that addresses various emergencies and potential threats to the school community. The School Site Council is required to review and update the plan annually. The committee typically comprises administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and community members. Regular training and drills are essential components of school safety plans. Schools must conduct emergency preparedness training for staff and students and conduct drills to practice emergency procedures. These drills may include fire drills, lockdown drills, earthquake drills, and evacuation drills.

PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) and restorative practices are used in educational settings to promote positive behavior, foster a supportive school environment, and address conflicts or disciplinary issues. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct features.

• PBIS is a proactive approach to prevent behavioral issues by teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors.
• It is based on the belief that all students can behave appropriately with clear expectations, consistent support, and positive reinforcement.
• PBIS typically involves the following components:
  • Teaching Expectations: Clearly defining behavioral expectations across different settings (e.g., classroom, hallway, cafeteria) and explicitly teaching these expectations to students.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Using various strategies such as praise, rewards, and acknowledgment to reinforce desired behaviors.
  • Data Collection and Analysis: Gathering data on student behavior to identify patterns, assess the effectiveness of interventions, and make data-informed decisions.
  • Tiered Support System: Providing interventions at different levels of intensity based on the individual needs of students. This often includes universal supports for all students, targeted interventions for some students, and intensive supports for students with more significant behavioral challenges.

• Restorative practices focus on building and repairing relationships, resolving conflicts, and restoring harm caused by inappropriate behavior.
• The key principles of restorative practices include respect, responsibility, relationship-building, and repairing harm.
• Restorative practices typically involve the following strategies:
  • Restorative Circles: Bringing together those involved in a conflict or harm in a structured dialogue facilitated by a trained facilitator. The goal is to allow participants to share their perspectives, express their feelings, and work together to find solutions and repair relationships.
  • Restorative Conferences: Similar to restorative circles but involving a more formal process that may include additional stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and administrators.
  • Restorative Justice: Using restorative practices as an alternative to traditional punitive disciplinary measures. This may involve focusing on repairing harm rather than solely administering consequences.