Alleghany Highlands Public Schools

LOW MOOR — Alleghany Highlands Public Schools is joining the Virginia School Boards Association and school divisions throughout the Commonwealth in recognizing October as Bullying Prevention Month.  

AHPS is deeply committed to creating a safe and positive school environment where all students learn. Bullying Prevention Month is designed to call attention to the problem of bullying in schools nationwide and ask the local community to support AHPS’ prevention efforts.

School board members, superintendents, teachers, other school staff, parents, and community members can play a critical role in creating a climate where bullying is not tolerated. It has been proven that when adults and children stand together, bullying sharply decreases.

“I was talking with a student the other day, and the student shared this idea: Bullying exists in every community.  However, in the Alleghany Highlands, we can help stop it because we all know each other,” said Kim Halterman, superintendent of AHPS. 

“The student was emphasizing the fabric of our community and the fact that we truly do care about each other, even when we disagree. The student powerfully continued:  ‘Bullying is not unique to the Alleghany Highlands, but it would be unique if we can fix it,’” Halterman said.

Throughout October, AHPS schools will continue to promote kindness, equality, and respect, as well as stress bullying prevention to staff and families.  

These efforts support AHPS staff who are already engaged in the teaching of important social and emotional skills through programs such as Character Counts.  Drug Abuse Resistance Education, commonly known as DARE, is provided by local law enforcement and also supports these goals.  

Throughout the year, students are taught to resolve conflicts in positive ways. And they are taught to exhibit kindness and respect for others.    

“We want to encourage everyone in every interaction to act with civility, inside or outside of school, across our community,” said Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of AHPS. 

Similarly, the Virginia High School League, an organization that promotes interscholastic competition in Virginia schools, is reminding stakeholders of the importance of sportsmanship.

Childhood bullying is a significant problem nationwide. It can cause school absenteeism, mental and physical stress, poor school performance, low self-esteem, and other challenges. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that bullying significantly increases the risk of depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and dropping out of school.

Bullying, according to the Code of Virginia, bullying is defined as "any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma."

The state code explains that "bullying" includes cyberbullying, but does not include "ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict."

“In short, when a student or family is concerned about potential bullying or other unwanted activities, including arguments or other forms of conflict between children, they should contact their school,” said Halterman and Snead-Johnson.  

Bullying Prevention Month is a good time to remind the community that it plays an important role in supporting AHPS students, maintaining safe schools, and preventing bullying at school, online, and in the community.  Bullying prevention efforts are year-long and not solely focused on any one month.

“This is a community effort. Please continue to help us by reinforcing to our students that bullying of any kind is not acceptable,” said Halterman and Snead-Johnson.  “We want to encourage everyone to efficiently resolve any conflicts conflicts by contacting their child’s school. Contacting individual schools is the most efficient way to obtain help.”

Students are urged to promptly report any concerning behavior to a trusted adult at the school the child attends. AHPS also has an online bullying report form that is available at www.ahps.k12.va.us. The form is located on the homepage under “Quick Links.” Students and parents can also report their concerns to their school principal. 

“The investigation of related incidents begins at the school level, so it is very important that schools be directly aware of any concerns so that we can all work towards a prompt resolution,” said Halterman and Snead-Johnson.  

With approximately 2,700 students, the Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Division is jointly funded by Alleghany County and the City of Covington. AHPS was formed in July 2022 through the merger of Alleghany County Public Schools, Covington City Public Schools, and Jackson River Technical Center.