It’s time for schools to stop bullies

Students are attacking each other. Kids are cussing out teachers. The learning environment is no longer a place of integrity. Bullies threaten, attack, and verbally abuse students and teachers every day, and their behavior continues to be tolerated. Teachers are told to suck it up and take care of discipline problems themselves.

My daughter was attacked on the last day of school last year. She received two huge knots from kicks to her head and five stitches in her lip. I wrote to the school board and begged for the system to train educators to handle confrontations — learn to use conflict resolution — and teach teachers how to safely break up fights.

The only changes I’ve seen are that more students are choosing to be homebound, home-schooled or transferred because they are bullied in the classroom, and more teachers are fed up with students’ attitudes and lack of self control.

When my daughter was attacked, the principal blamed it on the teacher. I was not going to let another educator take the blame for a child who has no self control. The teacher broke up the fight the way any older gentleman would have.

The daughter of my friend has been demoralized and bullied at her middle school. Several students asked her, “Why don’t you just kill yourself?” They pull her hair, shove her, hit her, cuss at her, and throw pencils at her daily. This child was a happy sixth grader until last month. She came home depressed and disengaged.

I am begging RSS to take a long look at the bullying policy, as well as enforcement and prevention. Can we please not sweep another attack under the rug? Can we act on this problem today and not wait for a newly formed committee to investigate it?

— Jenny Blume

Gold Hill

Thanks for helping us Stamp Out Hunger 

The NALC members of the Salisbury Post Office extend our gratitude to all who supported and participated in our Stamp out Hunger Food Drive on May 14. We collected 18,600 pounds of donations, which were shared between the Salvation Army, China Grove Main Street Mission and Rowan Helping Ministries.

The rural letter carriers, clerks, maintenance and management at the Salisbury Post Office deserve special honors for going beyond the last mile to help the neediest in our community.

Special thanks to Jackie Harris and the United Way, Dennis “Mr. Marvelous” Sims, Ann Corriher and the China Grove Main Street Mission crew, Bobby Carr and the Salvation Army crew, Nate Valentine and the Rowan Helping Ministries crew, Tammy Lilly, you darling woman!, Lavonda Partee, OIC Jamie Reynolds, all the volunteers who sorted the donations, the Salisbury Post, Marlow’s Restaurant and all the churches and radio stations, media, community service groups, Facebook and Twitter sharers, Publix grocery (plastic bags) and the citizens of Rowan County who graciously donated to help those in need.

— Kim Lane and
the Salisbury Letter Carriers