Important Notices & Policies

Bullying / Discrimination / Harassment

The Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District is committed to providing a safe, secure, and healthy environment that allows all students to maximize their learning potential.

The Governing Board recognizes the harmful effects of bullying, discrimination, or harassment on student learning and school attendance and desires to provide safe school environments that protect students from physical and emotional harm. District employees shall establish student safety as a high priority and shall not tolerate bullying, discrimination, or harassment of any student.

No student or group of students shall, through physical, written, verbal, or other means, harass, sexually harass, threaten, intimidate, retaliate, cyberbully, cause bodily injury to, or commit hate violence against any other student or school personnel. (Board Policy 5131.2, Bullying;  Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5145.3, Nondiscrimination/Harassment)

Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District has developed strategies for bullying prevention and intervention to help keep students safe and ensure a healthy learning environment. 

If an instance of bullying or harassment occurs, or if you wish to report something that is abusive in nature or a potential threat, Dry Creek offers anonymous reporting through STOPit. 

 STOPit! is an online reporting tool designed to deter and mitigate bullying and cyber abuse, consisting of an app and a back-end incident management system for school administrators. 

STOPit empowers students with an easy app to safely and anonymously report anything of concern to school officials – from cyberbullying to threats of violence or self-harm. STOPit empowers students to stand up for themselves and others while giving our schools the insight we need to keep students safe. With STOPit, students can submit anonymous reports containing text, photos, or video. 

Definition of Bullying

Ed. Codes §§ 234, 234.1, 234.2, 234.3, 234.5, 234.6

“Bullying” means any severe (can be once, if severe) or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act, and including one or more of the following:

• Sexual Harassment (§ 48900.2)
• Hate Violence (§ 48900.3)
• Threats, harassment, intimidation (§ 48900.4)
• Has or reasonable predicted to have one or more of the following (looking at impact):

Placing a reasonable pupil or pupils in fear of harm to that pupil's or those pupils' person or property.

Causing a reasonable pupil to experience a substantially detrimental effect on his or her physical or mental health.

Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with his or her academic performance.

Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with his or her ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

Policies

Bullying 5131.2   Russian    Ukrainian

Nondiscrimination/Harassment 5145.3   Russian   Ukrainian

District-Sponsored Social Media AR 1114

Uniform Complaint Procedures 1312.3    Russian   Ukrainian

Uniform Complaint Annual Notification   Russian   Ukrainian

To file a complaint, click HERE.

Community Resources & Publications

What Should You Do if Your Child Is a Bully?

Know Bulling APP

Frequently Asked Questions

CA Dept. of Ed. Resources

High School Guide

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Common Sense Media

National Center for Missing and Exploiting Children

Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center

Bullying Module (DOCX) 
The California Department of Education Online Bullying Training Module and Bullying presentation is mandated by Assembly Bill 1993 and California Education Code Section 32283.5.  

Bullying at School (PDF)
This California Department of Education publication addresses bullying behavior and hate-motivated behavior including definitions, effects, and prevention strategies.

Report an Incident Anonymously Now

STOPit Access codes

In order to report an anonymous incident using our online reporting tool STOPit, you must first enter an access code coinciding with the school you attend. 

Access Codes:

ACMScougars

OGeagles

BRbroncos

AMwildcats

CVRraptors

HOhuskies

CRcoyotes

SMSbears

QGpatriots 

School Climate 

The Dry Creek Joint Elementary School continues its work on building community and positive school climate by participating in the programs below.  Talk with your school site teacher or administrator to learn more about the programs available at your school.

Complaint Procedures

The Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District has the responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing education programs.  The district shall investigate any complaint alleging failure to comply with such laws and/or alleging unlawful discrimination, and shall seek to resolve those complaints in accordance with the district’s procedures.

The early informal resolution of complaints at the site level is encouraged whenever possible.

 After you have sought resolution with those directly involved at the school site and a resolution is not reached, there are 3 main categories of complaints for the next step:  If unsure of your category, a General Complaint is an appropriate start since it can be adjusted to another type as needed.

Williams Complaint

A Williams Complaint concerns deficiencies related to instructional materials, conditions of facilities that are not maintained in a clean or safe manner or in good repair, and teacher vacancy or misassignment.

Link to Williams Complaint forms and additional information

General & Uniform Complaints

A Uniform Complaint alleges a violation of federal or state laws governing educational programs, including allegations of unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, bullying, and failure to comply with laws relating to pupil fees. Title IX violations shall also be reported via the Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP).

A General Complaint is one that does not fit into either of the other categories.  This form is used following a discussion with the site manager or principal that does not lead to a resolution.  Once a general complaint is filed, it can be moved to either of the other categories if it is appropriate. 

Link to General and Uniform Complaint forms, additional information

Sexual Harassment/Title IX Complaints

A complaint of sexual harassment includes but is not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted requests for sexual favors, or other unwanted verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made against another person of the same or opposite sex in the educational setting, under certain conditions.  Please see the Title IX / Sexual Harassment webpage for more information:

Link to Sexual Harassment Complaint forms and additional information

Policy 5145.9: Hate-Motivated Behavior

DCJESD Nondiscrimination Statement:  The Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District prohibits discrimination, intimidation, harassment (including sexual harassment) or bullying based on a person’s actual or perceived ancestry, color, disability, race or ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or gender expression, immigration status, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. 

For concerns, questions, or complaints, contact the following:

The information contained in this document is important for you and your child(ren). Please review each section to familiarize yourself with Education Code 48900 pertaining to your rights, responsibilities, and important policies of the district.

Link to 2024-25 Parents Rights and Responsibilities, Agreements, Student Code of Conduct, Handbook

Suicide Prevention

The contacts provided here are the recommended starting points to accessing mental health services. The process to initiate and access clinical mental health treatment may vary depending on health insurance providers and availability of services. Sometimes working with multiple agencies and health insurance can be frustrating when you’re trying to help a child get needed mental health supports. We encourage you to not give up, continue to advocate for your child, and be patient with mental health providers as they work to address your needs as quickly and effectively as they’re able.

Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District is committed to promoting student wellness to help all students achieve academic, social-emotional, and behavioral success. Student mental health is supported by DCJESD through a variety of services ranging from school wellness campaigns to more intensive and individualized support programs. We also work closely with partners and community service agencies for additional service considerations to best support our students and families.

Title IX