Every voice in the NNPS community encouraged to SpeakUp for Safety
Posted: January 25, 2024
NNPS students and families are encouraged to pass along concerns of any type through the division's anonymous reporting system SpeakUp for Safety.
SpeakUp provides a simple way for students and families to easily and confidentially report threats of violence, bullying, peers in crisis and other imminent threats 24 hours a day. To report a concern, students may click the SpeakUp icon on their Chromebooks and anyone can email [email protected] or call or text message (757) 765-4440 at any time 365 days a year.
"SpeakUp is part of the school division's multi-pronged approach to safety and security," said Marc Stewart, executive director of Crisis Planning, Prevention and Environmental Risk Management.
"Providing a means for everyone to say something if they see something is another tool we can use to make sure that everybody knows they can assist with providing safe and secure learning environments in our schools."
Using SpeakUp for Safety, students and families can easily report concerns about bullying, violence, weapons, social media threats, suspicious or dangerous behavior, students in crisis and other urgent situations.
"It's important that students and families are empowered to share information, not just for circumstances that are considered extreme, but also for any concerns they may have about someone's well-being," said Bridget Adams, director of Youth and Family Engagement.
"Students, families, staff and members of the community can use SpeakUp to anonymously pass along information about members of the school community who may need assistance for a variety of situations."
SpeakUp's trained safety representatives monitor and evaluate reported tips 24/7/365 and send an email regarding non-life-threatening situations to designated school contacts or district staff members. In more urgent situations, district-appointed contacts are notified immediately by phone. In the most imminent cases, SpeakUp representatives will contact law enforcement to intervene if they are unable to notify a district-appointed contact.