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Volume 57, Number 46 • November 23, 2011
Underwood discusses bullying problem Problem occurs in all schools in the country By Jim Fields jfields@mechlocal.com
Photo by Ken Odor
Goochland’s School Board members-elect, back from the Virginia School Board Association’s Convention in Williamsburg last week, are preparing for their first meeting in January. From left are Kevin Hazzard, Mike Payne, Beth Hardy, John Wright and John Lumpkins.
School Board-elect already in training By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
What does it feel like to be elected to the Goochland School Board? According to Kevin Hazzard, it ranks right up there with becoming a parent. “The only thing like it was when my first child was born,” said District 2 School Board member-elect Hazzard, describing
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how he felt on Election Night. “I’m really, really excited about this,” said John Wright, elected in District 5 to replace Maxwell Cisne, who did not run for re-election. “There’s a mild amount of trepidation,” added Wright, in a group interview with the Gazette last Friday. That’s not hard to understand, since the five new members have little more than a month to prepare for their first meeting
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(scheduled for Jan. 3), where they’ll elect a chair and vice-chair and take care of other organizational matters before taking on the elephant in the room – the Schools budget, due to be presented to the Board of Supervisors Feb. 2. Beth Hardy, who won over Phil Davis in District 4 where Andrew Meng did not seek see New School Board > page 5
Bullying is a problem in every public school in Goochland County, according to School Superintendent Linda Underwood. “Bullying is also a problem in every school in this country,” she added. “It starts in elementary schools with children teasing one another and calling each other names. As they grow older, it can take many other forms. “Today, the Internet and Web sites like Face book are probably our biggest problem,” Underwood added. “When a kid leaves school and goes home, we can’t control what they say On-line or who they say it to.” Another problem educators have to deal with concerning bullying is the home environment an individual is raised in. “A lot of bullying problems start in the home,” she
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Underwood
said. “Sometimes the kids are bullied themselves and thus view their actions as normal. We have a major problem trying to reach a student who is considered a bully when his parents approve of and encourage his or her actions.” Educating students, teachers and parents about bullying starts in the elementary schools and continues through high school. “Our elementary school teachers are constantly talking with their students about bullying,” she continued. “We have group and one-to-one discussions, a lot of posters on the subject, and special assemblies with skits and role see Bullying > page 4